Test Drive | Page 32

Eastern Partnership Photography Nadezhda Degtiariova (Belarus) design. The city is getting refreshed, with construction work going on at a fantastic speed! I cannot draw comparisons, as I had not been to Baku before that trip, but during the sightseeing tour of the city we could hear every now and then: built last year, accomplished this year, even though they have both the perfectly preserved old city, and interesting Soviet architecture. pictures for my alpine skier friends. So I took a walk around the town and asked a local how far it was to the lifts. They happened to be at a distance of around two kilometers, but I only had half an hour. “Such a pity I won’t make it!” I said. And he replied: “Yes, you will! I’ll give you a ride!” I started asking him not to bother, but he had already start- Georgia has wonderful natural surroundings! I know I am not the first to say this, but the delight this country gives is beyond words! Georgia is a land kissed by God, a heavenly place on the Earth. Here there is everything: mountains, snow-covered summits, waterfalls, a tropical paradise with palm-trees at the seaside, wonderful lakes and rivers. And Georgia’s people are also wonderful! Everybody has heard about oriental hospitality, and it is no myth. But Georgian hospitality is hospitality squared! Absolute strangers are ready to help you in every possible way. We were passing an alpine ski resort in Bakuriani, and I had a personal interest there: I was eager to have a look at the lifts and take a few 32 Valentyn Aleksandrov (Ukraine) ed the car… And they are all like th