Don Curry on a Kur

Don Curry deliberately chose a holiday apartment for four nights in the same place to give himself a few more relaxing days. Especially the traffic in Georgia with its animal participants, the many potholes and speed bumps, as well as the often unpredictable maneuvers of other road users always required the utmost concentration. So it suited Don Curry quite well to stay in a once world-famous spa town, even if only temporarily.

He planned his day program today almost like a Kur. First of all, it started with sleeping in, because he wasn't served breakfast today. He could start the day whenever he wanted. But the shining sun outside was too tempting to stay in bed for too long. So Don Curry and Xerra quickly set off to explore the actual center of Borjomi: the historic spa park with its mineral water springs. However, despite the early morning, there was no parking space nearby, so Don Curry spontaneously drove to the surrounding area of the spa town.

High up in the forest above Borjomi is the small chapel of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The last 200 meters have to be climbed on foot to reach it. The compact little church is completely painted inside with golden frescoes on a blue background; in addition, chains of oil lamps give it a very special character.

A little further away from Borjomi is the Timotessubani Monastery, located in a beautifully wooded mountain landscape. Here Don Curry would actually be the only visitor, the parking lot was completely empty. Unfortunately, the monastery church was mostly scaffolded, but its real treasure can be found inside: surprisingly well-preserved frescoes from the 11th to 13th centuries, which are clearly visible on many walls and columns. Hardly had Don Curry left the church when a minibus drove into the parking lot from which numerous monastery visitors poured out...

After this little excursion of artistic enjoyment, Don Curry returned to Borjomi, found a parking space in the vicinity of the spa park and looked for a restaurant for lunch: it was already 12:00 o'clock. In a well-shaded garden, he found an empty table and an English menu. Once again, he was able to broaden his horizon of Georgian culinary delights: he ordered the classic chicken soup Chikhirtma and a Khachapuri in Megrelian style; these pastry cakes are not only generously filled with cheese, but also topped with cheese. Actually, he wanted to have a glass of red wine with it, but the waiter informed him that the red wines were only available in the evening. So Don Curry ordered a white wine, a Tsitska - and of course a bottle of Borjomi, the famous sparkling mineral water from the town. For decades, it had been considered the best mineral water in the Soviet Union, and it remained very popular for a long time, even in Russia and the other successor states, until Putin suddenly declared the Borjomi water as potentially harmful to health a few years ago in response to critical statements by the Georgian government, just like the Georgian wine. Don Curry didn't find it harmful, even though he doesn't particularly like the relatively salty taste of the water. It is refreshing in any case.

Long walks are of course part of a Kur, so Don Curry allowed himself a leisurely stroll through the elongated park in the Borjomula River gorge. However, the upper part had rather developed into an amusement park for children, with many carousels, trampolines, a mini railway and even a roller coaster. In the lower part, on the other hand, Don Curry found the former spa hall and also the building of the first bottling plant for Borjomi water. In the middle of the park is the Jekaterinen spring, where two women continuously fill mineral water into bottles or cups and hand them to passers-by or spa guests. It tastes just as salty as the bottled Borjomi water, but has a temperature of about 30 °C.

After that, it was time for a nap, which is also part of a proper Kur. Don Curry drove back to his holiday apartment for the short distance and actually fell asleep quite quickly, until the sound of pouring rain woke him up again. This time it didn't stop at a short, heavy shower, but turned into a long, heavy continuous rain. Don Curry didn't feel like going out in this weather. So he skipped the usual restaurant visit and contented himself with the supplies he had already bought in Tbilisi for emergencies.

Today he wasn't in need, but on a Kur - and there you have to take care of yourself...