It’s just as well we rested well, because we had mental exhaustion from all the chaos of yesterday. We took it easy and at eleven o'clock we started the car to travel just a few hundred metres to the Chronicle of Georgia car park.

This monument is a concrete and bronze madhouse that began construction in 1985 by the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. It consists of sixteen huge columns, about thirty metres high, which tell the history of Georgia, its kings, saints and the life of Jesus at the top. It was full of tourists taking photos and selfies; I dread to think how horrific this place must be in peak season. We took our obligatory portraits and bolted.

We got in the car and drove straight north along the legendary Georgian Military Road. Things started to get steep when we reached the Jvari Pass, at almost 2,400 metres altitude, just before Gudauri. It’s a mountain pass with a zigzag road that makes you feel dizzy just looking at it. We stopped for a while and Papi Edu took out the drone to film the bends and the endless line of lorries crawling up at a snail's pace from the sky.

A little further up we made our next stop at the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument. Three years ago we were here in summer, but now, with everything covered in a huge blanket of snow, it looked totally different and remained impressive. It’s that concrete semicircle with a giant mosaic that celebrates the union of the two countries. Papi Edu flew the drone again and the images turned out spectacular with the contrast of the snow and the abyss.

From there, back in the car towards Stepantsminda. This part of the road is a bit scary because of the makeshift, dark tunnels they use to protect against avalanches; they are true tunnels of horror, narrow and full of potholes. We had a bit of a hold-up, but luckily nothing serious. When we arrived in the village, the weather was quite nasty and grey. We did some quick shopping at a supermarket, had a look at the scenery and went to find our nest for the night.

Papi Edu went straight to a place we already knew from 2023: the Pansheti natural pool and its mineral water spring. The water is far too cold for anyone to even think about dipping a toe in, but as a place to sleep, it’s wonderful.

Right now we are settled in the camper with beautiful views of the mountains completely covered in snow. We only have one neighbour: a campervan from Austria. Papi Edu has been chatting for a good while with the owner, a guy named Martin who is also travelling alone and who, it turns out, is also going to cross into Russia. In the end, we’ve retreated to our little house; time for dinner and a peaceful sleep, as the border awaits us tomorrow.