Nino Ratiani

When I arrived at Nino's, Nino wasn't there. She was in Tbilisi helping her daughter leave for London where she would be studying at a law university. This was a Thursday. Her husband had to make me dinner. He gave me a soup, meatballs, a really good and unusual cabbage and carrot salad and, of course, as almost always everywhere chubadari and hachapuri. For breakfast I got scramble eggs among other things. Nino's husband didn't speak a word of English and I know only about three words in Georgian.

I have to tell you I have absolutely given up trying to learn Georgian. I simply can't do it. This is the first time I haven't been able to say: how much, where is, I like, my numbers and a few other things I always learn in other languages. Her husband, and I don't know his name - I always called him Nino's husband - got along swell. One day when I was taking a day hike I got caught in the rain. This didn't bother me. What bothered me was that I had washed my clothes and left them on the line. They would be soaked. I'd have nothing dry to wear when I returned. But hubby dear took them off after they dried and before the rains came. I loved him for that.

It was just us two until Saturday when three other people showed up.

Nino was suppose to arrive by 5 pm. I didn't believe that because, even though, she drove if you take public transportation it takes at least 15 hrs. I was right she didn't arrive until 8 pm, which meant her husband had to make dinner again. The poor man was frantic. He was running out of food so we all got eggs for dinner. That night I heard them fighting "How could you leave alone for so long with all these guests?" I know this is what he said.

The next morning I left for my five day trek. Nino is suppose to be known for her fabulous vegetarian meals but I would have to wait until I came back Fri. to see if this was true.

So far except for the meals I helped prepare the best two meals were the ones at George's House where I stayed during my Lycia trek with Halim. Oh, I have had great meals but George's vegetarian meals acquired the most work and you could tell.

Well now I have to say that Nino's meal Friday night was on par. Beside the cabbage salad that I love, she made a cucumber, rice, and egg salad with this yogurt dressing. I have to try and duplicate that at home. I love beans and you might say beans are beans, but these were really flavored well and put into her tomato based soup, she also made a vegetarian pizza with a nice crust and she took thinly sliced abergine cut at a diagonal and topped with roasted red peppers for another type of pizza. I had homemade wine which was very good to wash it all down.

I liked staying at Nino's so much that when she told me she had a sister in Tbilisi where I could stay I did. Her sister Lmedo is keeping some books for me now while I'm in Armenia. That's where I am.