Black Sea is not properly a name to indicate beach and surf and sun. Though we saw exactly that including night life when Kassandra met the Black Sea first time: at Sunny Beach in Bulgaria. Our journey took us all along the south side of the Black Sea, from Varna until Poti. The shores along Turkey and Georgia got very few of this beach feeling. High mountains grow steep right out of the water, dense towns and small gravel beaches in the valleys between them.
But if the coastline would give the name to the sea washing on its feet, you sure would call it Green Sea. Climbing plants overgrowing trees overgrowing bushes and herbs below. An abundance of green life. Endless hazelnut groves and black tea bushes.
Black, or better all shades of gray, is the color of the sea itself, not of the water, but the reflection of the dark clouds or thick mist laying on it, seemingly forever. From the coast of Georgia I never saw a clear horizon. Sea and Sky united with slight changes of gray. This gray carries lots of water to the shores: Rivers and ponds and swamps in the flat, creeks and waterfalls in the mountains. Which makes the beauty and abundance of the coast of Georgia.
Soaking Green Slopes
Just outside Batumi is the famous botanical garden; hills upon the shore overgrown by a subtropical jungle with immense Eucalypti and Bamboo sticking out of the compacted vegetation of several climate zones in one place.
In the opposite direction, the mountain side, Kassandra crawled along a tiny winding road along a little river through lovely small villages towards “Mtirala”, which is a mountain and name of a large national park. “Mtirala” was translated as “The Weeping”. And it never stops. Amazing 4500mm of rain they count per year, that is 4,5 meters! Moss is growing on every tree, water dripping and murmuring and rushing all around between the abundant Green. A real jungle. No wonder this steep pathless rainforest is home to plenty of rare plants, flowers, insects and whatever animals.
Me recognizing here as well Elves and other mainly invisible Beings living in and with these abundance and gathering of waters. Felt them even as we walked the narrow asphalted 6km road inside the park to reach the center with restaurant and Zip Lines and parking and waterfalls.
Pity the lot of tourist car traffic along the beautiful wild creek and the biking and Quad rallies through the “Natural Park”.
Colorful ripe hills
Following the coast north the landscape turns softer; fertile rural Guria welcomes you, cows and pigs on the street, small farmsteads in the fruitfilled gardens behind the fences.
Vast wetlands with grassing cattle and horses mark the large Rioni valley. Before reaching the Black Sea this big river's gray waters enlarge its wide winding riverbed into another swamp, home and resting place of plenty of birds and insects and the “Kolkheti National Park”.
It is mild here between the greater Caucasus, up to 5000 meters high, and the lesser, still decorated with some white 3000m-Caps. They protect from cold storms but catch the clouds on their way from the sea and make them weep.
Damping Black Beach
Despite the sweaty humidity between sea and swamps, there established plenty of touristic villages and settlement along the beach. Some big hotels and apartment blocks, but as well tiny cottages nestled in the pine woods and lots of streets of holiday homes. Like all these areas quite deserted through the year, but crowded in hot summer. Most of the tourists seem to be Georgian, escaping from the even hotter cities of Kutaissi and Tiflis. But the long arms of Portal city Batumi with its Russian-CentralEuropean Casino and Luxury- Tourism are reaching out here as well.
For a good reason: real beaches! With fine, soft Sand! And, even more, this sand is healing! It is not only nice warm (already in June) and light, it is magnetic and black!
A real sensation to get your feet or whole body dug in that warm, soft, magnetic sand! Though this might get a bit hot in August. This warm and most time gray sea with its low and slow waves and its invisible Horizon is always a bit threatening in my perception. Like a beast silently awaiting for an easy prey.
But here, with the black sand, dark waters and misty sky, it turns really Black Sea!
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