Sabbatical Adventures

February – May 2023

A 93-day adventure by Joy Read more

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Portugal
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Around the world

40.5kmiles traveled

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Flight30.4kkilometers
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Newest first

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Traveler Sabbatical Adventures
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- Day 71
- Wednesday, April 19, 2023
- ☀️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 1,601 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710636, 44.75837341°42’38” N 44°45’30” E
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Day 71, Nick!
April 19, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Two tales today because I was in Tbilisi and Mark travelled to the wine region of Khaketi. Tbilisi first: One of the students I have met with the longest is Nick. Nick just turned 12. I’ve known him since he was nine. Nick speaks English like any kid in Cincinnati. So Nick and I just have conversations about cool stuff, like building houses with a 3D printer, animals in Australia, and moving mud puddles in California (Physics Girl). Nick was a little shy. But I was beyond thrilled to see him today. 😊
Khaketi: (From Mark) A return to one of the oldest wine regions of the world, where wine permeates the culture more than an American can understand. Also where you are always aware of the Caucasus Mountains covered with snow on the horizon. Wonderful hospitality with wine and food. Extreme pride in wine history and wine making. With a wine history dating 8000+ years, it’s easy to understand why.Read more
Traveler I adore this photo! ❤️❤️❤️
4/19/23Reply
Traveler Jealous!!
4/19/23Reply
TravelerMe too!
4/20/23Reply
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- Day 72
- Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 11:16 PM
- ☁️ 59 °F
- Altitude: 1,601 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710594, 44.75838541°42’38” N 44°45’30” E
Day 72, Thankful for Days like Today
April 20, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Mtskheta is the spiritual center of Georgia, set at the confluence of two rivers about an hour outside of Tbilisi, where Christianity was first introduced to the country. Ironically, it is where we went this morning to meet Bart Byl, the pastor of a Tbilisi expat church. Bart is Canadian with an American wife who was able to give us their perspective on living in Georgia. It was refreshing to learn how the cultural and ethnic diversity of the folks at their church gives birth to lots of acceptance and grace.
Tonight we hosted Dato, Gio, and Andria for dinner. Andria and his sister Sali were my students throughout covid. I knew that Sali is in her freshman year at University of Bologna, but I hadn’t been in touch with Andria so I wasn’t sure that we would be able to see him. Having him with us tonight was a special treat. The boys are lively, enthusiastic, and funny. We had a great time.Read more
TravelerRich experiences! ❤️
4/20/23Reply
TravelerHow wonderful to have so many people there to enjoy and learn from
4/20/23Reply
TravelerYou must be loving these special days of connecting with your students!
4/22/23Reply
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- Day 73
- Friday, April 21, 2023 at 8:41 PM
- ☁️ 55 °F
- Altitude: 1,601 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710594, 44.75838141°42’38” N 44°45’30” E
Day 73, Georgian School
April 21, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
We had a free morning. (Mark slept and I got a pedicure.) Our schedule in the afternoon was to go to the Georgian School (1st-12th grade). I have several contacts with the school (Mariam’s grandmother is it’s founder and Dato was a student there). And I had the privilege to know the students personally when I met with several 10th and 11th grade classes to discuss TED Talks and have English conversations earlier this year. Very impressive school that has relationships and exchange programs with embassies of Japan, Germany, and Czech Republic. The students’ proficiency in other languages is phenomenal (a number of graduates enroll each year in German universities). Great fun to meet them in person and discuss with them their dreams and challenges. Several want to study law and loved interacting with Mark. Interesting, and sad, that many students mentioned that a big challenge is deciding if - as they grow older - they stay in Georgia to help build the country they love. 🇬🇪 Or seek to leave for a brighter economic future for themselves.Read more
TravelerBird man!
4/21/23Reply
TravelerThe Birdman returns!!!!
4/21/23Reply
TravelerSuch a delight to see these photos! And you must have felt like a celebrity.
4/22/23Reply
Traveler😂
4/22/23Reply
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- Day 74
- Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 10:44 PM
- ⛅ 55 °F
- Altitude: 1,601 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710625, 44.75836641°42’38” N 44°45’30” E
Day 74, Nonstop Tbilisi
April 22, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
The last scheduled events in Tbilisi. Morning: Mark and I met for three hours with English professors at Tbilisi State. Topic: TED Talk ‘grit’ and general discussion of current events in our countries. Afternoon: lunch with the parents of two students, Sali (studying in Bologna) and her brother Andria. I wasn’t even certain that we would see Andria and we not only saw him but met his family. His mom is a TV news anchor - a very intelligent beauty. Evening: dinner with Manana (English department head at Tbilisi State and Nick’s grandmother) and her husband, Trevor, a very witty Brit. 🇬🇧
Very full day. We have now officially depleted the number of folks we know in Tbilisi. 😂🇬🇪😂Read more
TravelerI remember i first got to know about “grit” from your class!! Still my favorite word.
4/22/23Reply
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- Day 75
- Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 10:06 PM
- ☁️ 61 °F
- Altitude: 1,601 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710683, 44.75839941°42’38” N 44°45’30” E
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Day 75, Rest
April 23, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
Sunday is a day of rest.
Traveler ❤️
4/23/23Reply
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- Day 76
- Monday, April 24, 2023 at 8:39 PM
- 🌧 52 °F
- Altitude: 33 ft
- Georgia Batumi 41.642803, 41.63693641°38’34” N 41°38’13” E
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Day 76, Driving to Batumi
April 24, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
Our driver, George (the brother-in-law of our original driver, George, who is in Turkey with his daughter’s dance troupe) wanted us to stop by his house on our way out of Tbilisi to meet his family. Of course. The ‘brief’ stop featured time with the family and a lovely meal, including wine. George then suggested later in our travels that we drop in on his wife’s family - for ‘five minutes’. This stop also included a homestead tour, a meal, plus wine. Renowned Georgian hospitality. 🌟🌟🌟 Great treat when we reached Batumi: SumeyRa and Ali! Our dear Turkish friends whom we know from their time in Cincinnati (and have visited before in Turkey) drove in to meet us. Blessed reunion. ❤️Read more
Traveler Wonderful reunion for you all 💖
4/24/23Reply
TravelerLove the culture of hospitality!
4/24/23Reply
Traveler 💓
4/24/23Reply
Traveler Looks like you guys were in Cincinnati!!
4/24/23Reply
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- Day 77
- Tuesday, April 25, 2023
- ☀️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 1,594 ft
- Georgia Saburtalo 41.710701, 44.75999841°42’39” N 44°45’36” E
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Day 77, Huge Trees and Friendship
April 25, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Once upon a time a Georgian man moved to Russia and became an oligarch. He returned to Georgia with his billions to become president and keep ties friendly with the king of oligarchs - Putin. He also followed his passion to collect huge trees and relocate them to his property outside Batumi. Huge trees. HUGE! Relocated here by barge and flatbed trucks from towns and villages all over the country. Over 200 of them. We had watched the documentary (Taming the Garden). We wanted to see for ourselves. Impressive but hard to truly appreciate when you know the gaping holes they left behind. 🌳🌳🌳 Perfect day spent with SumeyRa and Ali! ❤️❤️❤️Read more
TravelerWhat a story!
4/26/23Reply
TravelerWhat a fascinating day
4/26/23Reply
Traveler Crazy!!
4/26/23Reply
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- Day 78
- Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 10:53 PM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 495 ft
- Georgia Kutaisi 42.268421, 42.69964242°16’6” N 42°41’59” E
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Day 78, Curious About Kutaisi
April 26, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
We bid goodbye to SumeyRa and Ali at the border and traveled to Kutaisi, the third largest city in Georgia and one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. Along the way we stopped at a winery/restaurant/hotel under construction. Seemed to me to be a big dream in the middle of nowhere. I appreciate the owner’s vision! He makes wine in qvevris, the clay vessels buried underground that have been used to make wine in this region for over 8000 years. We are now on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel marveling at the surrounding mountains and the cascading Rioni River below. ‘This moment is magic.’Read more
Traveler Gorgeous
4/26/23Reply
Traveler Oh my… Madeira will seem pretty quiet
4/26/23Reply
Traveler We saw that at the Lithuanian border
4/26/23Reply
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- Day 79
- Thursday, April 27, 2023
- ⛅ 81 °F
- Altitude: 443 ft
- Georgia Kutaisi 42.269699, 42.70000142°16’11” N 42°42’0” E
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Day 79, More Western Georgia
April 27, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
I spent the day exploring Kutaisi: it’s market, central park, and ‘focal point’ church. Mark was at a winery (below). I found Kutaisi to be a combination of charm and grunge, easy to navigate, with a mix of interesting architecture and block after block of Stalinist apartments, a 1950’s hilltop amusement park, and Soviet-era cable cars. All set along a beautiful Rioni River. 🌟
From Mark: I had one of my best Georgian experiences with Gia Chubinidze from Nunua Winery. Gia is a fifth generation wine maker who collects grape varietals from all over Georgia and his vine ‘library’ now totals over 100 species. I was moved by his love and passion for both wine and it’s significance to Georgian history, culture, and faith. “God is love”, he tells me. “And God’s blood is wine. Therefore wine is also love.” His wine making is truly a calling.Read more
TravelerCool cable cars over the river. Long ride?
4/28/23Reply
Traveler5-10 minutes
4/28/23Reply
Traveler Beautiful
4/30/23Reply
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- Day 80
- Friday, April 28, 2023 at 1:00 PM
- ⛅ 77 °F
- Altitude: 636 ft
- Georgia T'erjola 42.184338, 42.97367542°11’4” N 42°58’25” E
Day 80, More of Gia, Goodbye to Georgia
April 28, 2023 in Georgia ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Mark was so impressed with Gia and his vision that we made the 40 minute drive this morning to his village of Terjola so I could meet him and also his wife. Interestingly, Gia’s wife teaches English in their village school. I could see for myself the vision of Gia and the winery that Mark found so inspiring.
After two weeks in Georgia 🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪 we were sad to leave. On to Portugal where we have the extraordinary treat of traveling the last week of the sabbatical with Hope!!!🌟🌟🌟 We see her on Wednesday. 🥳🥳🥳Read more
TravelerGreat that you can connect with Hope in Portugal!
4/28/23Reply
TravelerSo excited!!!
5/1/23Reply
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