Workshop in Batumi, Georgia, October 2012

Saturday 26 October I went via Kiev to Batumi to participate in a workshop on “EU Water Framework Directive Assessment and Monitoring Training”. (I was invited by the project: “Environmental Protection of International River Basins Project (EPIRBP)”, and my presentation has the headline: “Monitoring of biological quality elements and experience from the Kura river basin”). I arrived Sunday morning at 3 a.m., and Sunday was allocated to recovery after the trip. I had booked a room in the Dzveli (old) Batumi Guesthouse, with pick-up at the airport. Batumi is the main holiday resort Lisbeth and I visited Batumi, Georgia's Black Sea resort, in October 2009, and many new big buildings and constructions, that was not present during Lisbeth’s and my visit, now dominates the city. From my window I the Guesthouse I can see a new build skyscraper, which probably is the Trump Tower Batumi, which former President Saakashvili and American property tycoon Donald Trump unveiled in April 2, 2012

View from the window in my room toward Batumis scyline

Trump-Saakashvili-Batumi: President Saakashvili and American property tycoon Donald Trump unveiled on Sunday April 29th, 2012 in Georgia's Black Sea resort Batumi a project of planned 47-storey luxury residential tower to which Trump has lent his name. Construction of the Trump Tower Batumi will start within a year and is expected to be completed by late 2013 or early 2014. The property is developed by Georgia's one of the largest investment companies Silk Road Group, which uses the “Trump” name and mark under a license deal.

The Dzveli (old) Batumi Guesthouse is in the old town, and when you look down in the yard instead up at the skyline it look very Georgian and charming

View from my room in The Dzveli Batumi Guesthouse

There were not many people in Batumi compared to the summer season, but the weather was very nice and the water warm enough for bathing

The old town

The sun sinks into the Black Sea

Hotel Sheraton, Batumi, where we had our workshop