We had most of the day to kill before heading to the airport for our flight back to Tbilisi, so instead of paying £15 for a hop on, hop off bus tour of the city, we decided to create our own version. We headed towards the White City district. It was nice to get away from the centre and see the sort of neighbourhood where ordinary Azerbaijanis live. There were no mirrored skyscrapers here. Instead, there were modest apartment blocks, small shops and street traders going about their daily business.
We were delighted to stumble across a bakery packed with traditional Azerbaijani pastries, most of which we couldn’t identify. We pointed at a selection of interesting looking items, paid, and watched them disappear into paper bags. Then we realised we had nowhere to sit and eat them. Unless we perched on the pavement, there wasn’t an obvious place to stop.
At the side of the shop, away from the public area, I noticed a staff section with a table and a few chairs. My pleading must have worked because the owner kindly allowed us to sit there. Not only that, he brought us tea and sat down to chat with us as best we could manage. We were genuinely touched by his warmth and hospitality.
Afterwards, we successfully navigated the Metro and found our way back into the city centre. Collecting our bags from the hotel, we were ready to head to the airport.
Baku Airport is quite something to behold. It is a magnificent building that feels as though it has been constructed for a future in which far more visitors arrive than there are today. Perhaps it is the same future imagined by the architects of the Olympic Park. Building an athletes’ village and Olympic facilities without ever having been awarded the Games seems an ambitious strategy, but perhaps one day it will pay off.
Before departure, we were warned that the flight might be a little bumpy. We weren’t particularly concerned. However, we had never seen lightning like the display that unfolded outside the plane window. To our right was a cloud formation unlike anything I had seen before. It towered beside us like a vast black mountain, making our aircraft seem tiny by comparison.
We were told we were flying at around 6,000 metres, and this cloud appeared to rise to the same height. Every few seconds, brilliant flashes illuminated it from within. It was eerie, intimidating and strangely beautiful. Sitting beside it, we felt very small indeed.
The storm accompanied us for much of the journey. As we descended into Tbilisi, strong crosswinds pushed the aircraft sharply from side to side. You know a flight has been challenging when the pilot receives a round of applause from relieved passengers after landing.
By the time we reached our hotel in Tbilisi, we were exhausted. Unfortunately, despite it being nearly 10pm, the evening was about to take a turn for the worse. The hotel had no record of our booking. After much scrolling through emails and reservation confirmations on our phones, we accepted defeat, found another hotel near the city centre and ordered a Bolt to take us there.
We were so relieved to have a bed for the night that we celebrated by visiting the wine bar next door, where we stayed until 1am.
It was nice to be back in Tbilisi. After our travels, it felt a little like coming home. Sadly, we only had one more day left before our flight home.
I will remember Tbilisi with fondness. The cobbled streets, the friendly street dogs, the cafe culture, the tree-lined streets, the unusual wine (an acquired taste!) and the wonderful food.