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Greetings from Scotland! Over the past week, we've been making the most of the school break by travelling to this beautiful part of the world. We've explored Edinburgh…
As of October 16, 2026, our options-selling-powered dividend stock portfolio stood at $13,456, marking a weekly decline of 1.37% compared with the previous week.This…
As of October 9, 2026, our options-selling-powered dividend stock portfolio stood at $13,643, showing a decent weekly increase of +0.72% compared with the previous week.…
This time around, the stage was set between swimming pools, intense jiu-jitsu sessions, and explorations of two iconic Georgian towns - Sighnaghi and Mtskheta.The weekend kicked off with a perfect balance of fitness and fun. Picture this - a refreshing plunge into inviting swimming pools, followed by intense jiu-jitsu sessions. The rhythmic flow of water and the discipline of martial arts created a unique synergy, leaving me energized and ready for the adventures that lay ahead.Our journey led us to the charming town of Sighnaghi, known as the "City of Love." Strolling through its cobbled streets, we soaked in the romantic ambiance and breathtaking views of the Alazani Valley. The cultural…
I have traveled back and forth to Istanbul for dozen times, sometimes just by a connecting flight, sometimes just to spend a day or two in Istanbul. Most of the time, I have relied on shuttle services ordered from hotels or using public transportation.
The last time when we visited Istanbul, via Sabiha Gokcen airport (May 2023) I noticed the price for one way transfer to the city center was EUR 60 (a few years ago I paid USD 40 for the same ride). This time I decided to check if there is a taxi app for Istanbul, like Bolt or Uber.
I'm not sure if is there an Uber service available in Istanbul, but I found the BiTaksi app and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that with this ride-…
The highly anticipated new high-speed train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv via Ben Gurion Airport is now operating. The final destination of the Jerusalem train is Tel Aviv. The new Jerusalem to Tel Aviv train service is officially called King David Line.
I have traveled by train from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The ticket price per passenger was about ISL 15. The train station is actually located inside the terminal building and is one of the easiest ways to travel between Ben Gurion airport and Jerusalem.
The ride to Yitzhhak Navon station was about 25 minutes. There we were able to catch a street taxi and head to our apartment in Jerusalem.
The trains leave…
The Statue of Medea is located at Europe square in the Batumi city center. The Statue is dedicated to Medea, Colchian Princess from Greek mythology.
Statue was opened to the public back in 2007. I have visited for many times Europe square and the statue of Medea, especially in the recent years when a McDonalds is opened next to the monument, so I decided add this pictursque place to the blog.
A must have place to visiti once in Batumi:
It is believed that on the territory of Ajara once existed Colchis civilization. Medea, who was the daughter of the king under the spell of the love of Jason the Argonaut, helped to steal a guarantor of prosperity and mascot of her people – the…
Grill Town restaurant in Batumi is among one of my best finds in recent years. Located close to the Sheraton Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue in Batumi.
We first discovered this restaurant in some of our previous Batumi trips, so this time it was a no-brainer to visit this place.
During our latest visit here in April 2023, it turned out to be the restaurant 1 year anniversary and we got some free Sangrias and very smiling staff members.
Grill town restaurant is locatad in two floors. This place serves European and Georgian cuisine with accent on grilled foods.
Even being vegetarian I found the above-grilled chicken very inviting.
If you are into grilled foods or just for a glass of wine…
Ben Gurion International Airport, is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the busiest airport in the country. It is located 45 kilometers (28 mi) to the northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometers (12 mi) to the southeast of Tel Aviv.
I first visited it back in 2009, flying with Turkish Airlines from Riga (via Istanbul), and also have flown a direct flight by EL AL from Tbilisi and a domestic flight to Ramon airport near Eilat.
There is very easy and nice way to access Ben Gurion Airport via train service connecting both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
In 2019, Ben Gurion Airport handled 24.8 million passengers. It is…
Panorama Restaurant Batumi is located on the 36th floor of the Orbi skyscraper on 15b Sherif Khimshiashvili Street. We come here by recommendation in Mid-April 2023.
Panorama Batumi is highly recommended because of the views, though the cuisine also is excellent.
Places serve typical Georgian and European cuisine. Prices seem a bit above average but are still quite reasonable, for the service received.
I believe the place is stunning for coming to catch the sunset.
Life seems a bit better from the top
Made some nice slow-mode videos with my iPhone here
Fish was prepared on live fire. The price seemed bit high, for the person eating fish every day, paying 65 GEL for this Fish seemed…
Ramon Airport, named after Ilan and Assaf Ramon, also known as Eilat-Ramon Airport, is an international airport located in the Timna Valley in southern Israel. Ramon Airport is the second busiest in Israel (after Ben Gurion Airport) and has replaced the former Eilat Airport and Ovda Airport for civilian traffic. It also serves as the primary diversion airport in Israel.
The airport is located 18 km (11 mi) north of Eilat, next to Be'er Ora. Unlike the previous airport in Eilat, it has ample ramp space and a longer 3,600 m (11,800 ft) runway, which allows large aircraft to land and park. The airport was opened in 2019.
We have used this airport to travel from Ben Gurion airport in…
Sarpi is a small village on the coast of the Black Sea of Georgia, on the border with Turkey. There is a border crossing point between Georgia and Turkey.
Sarpi is the main land border crossing between the two countries and a major conduit for business travel, especially for Turkish companies doing business in Batumi. Sarpi is located about 12 km south of Batumi and about 20 km northeast of Hopa, Turkey.
I used this border crossing quite often about a decade ago, first crossed it back in August 2011, when hitchhiked in Turkey. Quite awesome memories. Most of the time I've crossed this border on foot, even when going on a bus. Once I was driving Batumi - Istanbul, and even then all…
From fishing to flying drones, trying Georgian beer, and staying at a beautiful resort with hot pools, there's no shortage of exciting things to do in this picturesque region of Georgia.
One of the highlights of your trip was undoubtedly the opportunity to visit Ekaterina Jinoridze's village and explore some of the best places nearby. With its stunning scenery, charming architecture, and friendly locals, Kavtiskhevi is truly a hidden gem that more travelers should know about.
After experiencing all the area has to offer, you even joked about buying a plot of land and putting up another Frame house just for fun! And who knows, with its natural beauty and peaceful way of life, Kavtiskhevi…
As the name suggests - Tbilisi Hills Golf & Residences is a place that offers golf and real estate. Kind of a millionaires oasis. But you don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy the perks of this place - playing the golf or at least having brunch or a menu at the restaurant. Price per gold seesions are quite afforable and you don't even have to be a club member to play some.
Owned by an Estonian / Russian businessman Oleg Ossinovski, Tbilisi Hills is a place where the Estonian flag stands together with the Georgian and European.
We keep coming here time after time to enjoy dinner , beautiful views towards Tbilisi city or Shanbadaba monastery. or as one of our friends told…
Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport is an airport located 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Batumi, a city on the Black Sea coast and the capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia.
The airport is named after Alexander Kartveli, an aeronautical engineer and aviation pioneer.
I have been traveling back and forth via this airport mostly for domestic Tbilisi or Natakhtari flights by Vanilla Sky. ]This airport is not very busy, it seems it is more like a seasonal airport, with its passenger peak reaching in Summer months.
Neverthless, the airport served more than 600,000 passengers in 2022, that woul be about 1,643 daily.
Batumi is one of three…
Herods Boutique Eilat a Premium collection by Fattal Hotels is a 5-star superior hotel located at the end of Eilat's promenade, on the shores of the Red Sea in Israel. It offers luxurious rooms with a balcony, a swimming pool, and a spa. Free WiFi is available in the lobby.
We booked this hotel for a New Year's celebration of 2023 for about 2 nights and paid quite a hefty price of about USD 735 for a stay here.
Was it worth the price? Well, the weather could be better, but if was quite Okay, it maybe a little overpriced, but due to the fact it is actually located in a desert and we had a bathtub with super fast running water, which was quite awesome.
We come here by taxi from the Ramon…
On April 23, 2023, we run our first adventure race in Tbilisi through the spectacular mountains close to Mtstasminda Park.
The run turned out a bit harder than I expected, but the result still was awesome and everyone from the team finished.
I come up with the idea to have custom print T-shirts for every team member at Caucasus Translations
I made this design in Canva, the idea was to raise awareness of the brand name via QR code. We didn't raise much awareness in the end, but still looks awesome!
In total there 11 runners (9 grownups, 2 kids) for the 7km fun run distance.
Later that day we went searching poppy fields to Marneuli, and Bolnis, unfortunately, we didn't find them.…
On Sunday, April 9, Easter 2023 was celebrated, and this year we decided to spend it in Tbilisi and Birtvisi canyon.
Our day started early in the morning as we prepared for the festivities by experimenting with a new dough and making a Jewish-style pie with eggs (inspired by a similar dish we had tried in Israel), coloring eggs, and baking cinnamon rolls.
To make the day even more special, we invited our friends - a Greek-Latvian family - to join us for an Easter picnic at Birtvisi canyon. It was the perfect way to spend the day, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the joy of spending time with loved ones.
My better part did some good job preparing the dough. Egg filling covered with…
Strada is a chain of restaurants in Tbilisi, serving contemporary American and Asian cuisine, created by an international team of chefs.
We love coming here for a glass of wine, meatballs, seabass, or tom yum soup.
Located on Mosashvili street 11 in lively Vake neighbourhood close to the Vake park, Strada seems is a popular choice among lcoals and expats.
There is one more Strada I know about located on Marjanishvili area.
There are many good restaurants and cafeteris located on this street and Strada is among them
One of our favorite latelty is Georgian white desert Tvishi wine
Tvishi is an appellation for wines produced in a 15 km2 (3,700 acres) zone around…
The Great Easter Movie is Out - Another Awesome Weekend in Batumi!
Batumi, the coastal city of Georgia, has always been a favorite destination for tourists all over the world. It is a perfect blend of nature, culture, and modernization that leaves everyone in awe. This year, we visited Batumi once again and had an amazing time exploring the city's hidden gems.
We decided to stay in the Old Town and booked a boutique hotel O. Galogre that gave us a taste of the old-world charm with modern amenities. The narrow streets, the colorful buildings, and the architecture all contributed to making us feel like we were transported back in time. The hotel was cozy and comfortable, and we enjoyed the…
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, not far from the town of Sevan. Initially, the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the era of Joseph Stalin, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula.
At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active seminary moved to newly constructed buildings at the northern…
In today's article, I am excited to announce the resumption of my restaurant reviews series, with a special focus on Tbilisi restaurants. I recently discovered a trendy restaurant called Khedi on Ketevan Samebuli avenue, and I cannot wait to share my experience with you.
On a rainy day in early April, my partner and I were searching for a decent dining place near the Tbilisi sea but were unable to find anything in the area. My partner suggested we consult her WhatsApp chat groups, where some expats highly recommended Khedi Restaurant, citing its incredible view of Tbilisi.
Upon arriving at the location and parking our car on a nearby street, we were a bit confused to find a hotel called…
Back in February 2023, we made a short, but very remarkable business trip to Armenia and of course it's capital Yerevan.
In today's Piece of Life series - a day from Winter in the city of Yerevan. Many years ago I featured Postcards from Yerevan (Spring)
Republic Square in Yerevan definitely is the city's one of main landmarks and popular tourist spots. I first discovered it back at the start of January 2014, and have returned to Yerevan city since then a couple of more times.
Centrally located on Republic Square. We booked this hotel for about 3 day stay at mid-February 2023 paying about EUR 420.
If you are into Soviet Architecture, this place deffintely is worth the…
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