Better than Sainsburys

15th June - Batumi
Even though we had risen early the village was already a buzz with activity.. Old ladies dressed in black were gathering to draw their daily water supply and talk with one another, men cut and carried firewood and laughing children were setting off down the dry dusty river bed to school. Another norman day in a village where life had changed little in the last 100 years.
Just 12 hours earlier they had gathered to welcome us as we set up camp on the small grassy plateau beside the dry river bed. This deligation that had come with gifts of potatoes, garlic, blue berries and wine for our evening meal was gathering again but this time to farewell us, neighbours and already friends. We laughed together and embraced and said our goodbyes and I was left to wonder if they would have been so warmly recieved setting up camp outside my home in Berkshire.
Later that morning we stopped in another village, this time to buy wine for our evening meal. It was a small domestic vineyard producing house wine for themselves and family. The cellar was dark and attached to the kitchen, its earthen floor housing the 3 clay storage vats of maturing wine. At the far end stood an old table carefuly dressed with fresh home baked bread, and a greek type salad. There were clay drining bowls to sample the under floor vintage and a flask of Chacha [distilled spirits] to finish off with. - and 'grandma' our hostess saw to it we did!A very different experience from selecting the evening bottle from Sainsbury's metro in Maidenhead but one I could get used to