Vacation through Verse: Batumi, Georgia

Bordering Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, Georgia is a small country packed with beauty, diverse landscapes, and people. Especially during the summer, or tourist season, many languages float through the warm air. The most common of these are Georgian, Turkish, and Russian. The Georgian language sounds and looks unlike any other, with many guttural letters and a flowing, looping script. The most popular tourist city in Georgia is Batumi, which sits right on the Black Sea and the border with Turkey. Although a relatively small city, Batumi provides a variety of views, from mountains to beaches to the beautiful botanical garden. Situated in a newly-developed country, Batumi also provides a variety of architecture, from old crumbling apartments leftover from the Soviet Union to skyscraping silver hotels. However, two things are definitely needed to live in Batumi: a love for rain and a love for animals. Rainstorms and even flooding streets are far from uncommon in the city. On the other hand, street dogs and cats are all over the city and are well-fed and loved by tourists and locals alike. On any walk in Batumi, one can find a furry friend to walk with and enjoy the sights. Lastly, the skies of Batumi—particularly around sunset and sunrise—are extremely beautiful, and watching a sunset at the beach is a must. Now, without further adieu, let me take you on a vacation through verse to Batumi, Georgia. 

Old and New

I pass down a cobbled street

And one side I meet

Silver towers reaching the sky

Shining, glittering, oh so high

Yet to the other side

Deep in the shadows hide

Crumbling houses of old

Many stories never told

Side by side, dark and bright

A trip through time, Batumi night

White Foam

A land of beauty low or high 

Blue waves flow beneath

Mountains that touch the sky

A spray of white foam

Graces the peaks

A rushing river

Soon the sea meets

If you seek coves or caves

Come to the land where

Mountains reach and sea waves

Whether Weather

Wonder whether there’ll be 

Sunny weather now for me

But then again where is the fun

Of not having to wade or run

Through and from the rain

As it comes again, again

Cats and Dogs

Now chances are on the street

A furry friend you will meet

For as it rains dogs and cats

Many stay and indeed that’s

The true beauty of this city

For all things, no matter how pretty

Can be better with a dog or cat

And indeed that is that

Wait and Return

Wispy fingers touch the peaks

Of mountains as the sun speaks

Heaven’s colors grace the town

Where once there was gray and brown

Orange, yellow, red, purple light

Greet the soon coming night

A burst of life, like phoenix burning

The sun’s goodbye, the moon’s returning

As darkness falls and colors dim

The memory of sunset shines

A gift, a hope, while we wait and yearn

Watching and listening for signs

Through the night for the sun’s return

Yes we watch, we wait for him

Photo Credits: Anna Stone, Lainie Jenn Scott, Gabriela Sztuckza