Super moon Total Lunar Eclipse 2015: Tbilisi, Georgia

28 September, 2015 | Living in Georgia | 12 seen

Total lunar eclipse was fully visible in Tbilisi, Georgia on September 28, 2015 between 05:07 and 06:55 (Tbilisi time). I must admit that I really enjoy photography, but I had never ever done anything like this (photographing lunar eclipse) before. This night was one of the strangest and mysterious nights I have experienced this year (at least) - what was meant to be just a photography turned ou to be a man's rescue from cold waters of Mtkvari river. (Spoiler: This story has happy endings).

Here is the story:

At first I was totally not into this thing - I slept well, and then without reason we woke up at around 4:00 AM. Hmm, OK, that sometimes happens... Then we started walk around our apartment and then we remembered - hey, there is that lunar thing happening sometime today... OK, we are awake, there is that lunar thing... Right, let's prepare a coffee in thermos, take a tripod, telephoto lens and let's capture this lunar thing.

We decided to use Queen Tamar Bridge (Tamar Mephe) as our vantage point, I installed camera on a tripod and started to play with camera:

Super moon above Tbilisi, Georgia

While I was busy with camera I heard a plop in the Mtkvari river, and I thought - strange  - what was that?

My partner noticed there is a man in cold Mtkvari waters. We had left our phones at our apartment and we hadn't any chance to call 112 ... Right, what should we do next... turned out, the man flowing in Mtkvari tried to climb up the embankment walls and get out from river, but unsuccessfully... We were pretty desperate, it's a night, we don't have our phones but that poor guy in waters can loose his life. Luckily after some minute or something a police patrol car crossed Queen Tamar Bridge, we immediately stopped it - since we don't speak Georgian, I asked does they speak Russian - and explained in Russian there is a man in waters and lets save this guy. Police understood what we were telling and immediately rushed to rescue that man.

Georgian Police searching for a person in Mtkvari river

As you can see from the above image, the embankment walls are very high, and it's pretty impossible to rescue a person without a special equipment.

Georgian Rescue Services

Soon (in matter of 30-50 seconds) there were more forces involved in this rescue operation

Queen Tamar Bridge

We stayed back on the bridge

Georgian emergency services rescuing a person

Some special forces arrived and rescued person using rope. As we latter learned, that guy was probably drunk... we don't know any details more on this. But what's important - he was rescued and live.

Georgian Patrol Police

Police arrived back on the bridge to write down our testimony and draw up protocol.

We told the police the same I have written above - heard the plop, noticed a man, tried to figure out what do next, when noticed a police patrol car which we stopped.

We told as well, we are here for a lunar eclipse photography, whereupon policemen acted very interested, asked me some questions about photography, not on all I could answer, because I'm just a hobbyist photographer, first time ever doing something like lunar eclipse photography.Police probably taught that I'm some professional instead after looking on my equipment - a tripod, camera and telephoto lens.. ahh yes, a thermos with coffee as well.

Policemen from patrol car informed that there is a criminal police looking to take a testimony from us, and that we should join police car, and they will take us down to the embankment. Police allowed to pack up my belonging carefully, and then took us down to embankment. This was my first time driving in police's car backseat. (And hopefully the last).

Now, being located on the embankment I noticed there is another great angle to photograph lunar eclipse, so I asked can I continue shooting, while my partner is dealing with police officers (giving the same testimony again). Police allowed me to do that. Now after some 5 minutes guys from criminal police told us, that we should join them and go to the police station to write again that protocol thing. I asked why should we do this, we have already twice done that. Some problems because or conversation was held in Russian, and that we should have a translator/interpreter before signing those protocols. So my partner told - hey, dudes it's a lunar eclipse, we are actually here for some photography. Police asked - when will this thing end? We don't know (I even didn't know when did this thing started). After all, police guys offered, that one of us goes to the police station dealing with papers, but another can stay and do whatever he wants with that object in skies. So I stayed.

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

I played with different settings - in above picture you can see P (program mode) in action - as you can see - there is nothing much you can see actually, so P is not your best friend doing night or lunar photography

Lunar eclipse in Georgia

While you can do much better in M (Manual mode)

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

Lunar Eclipse in Tbilisi

Total lunar eclipse in Tbilisi, Georgia September 28, 2015

Well, above posted image isn't close to perfect, but actually I don't care about that because of all written above.

The Bottom Line

First of all - I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all Georgian emergency rescue services, they acted professional, fast and most important  - efficient - persons live was saved. Thank you! Second - I would like to call this nights adventure as a give and get. Probably we helped to rescue a guy, but thank's to him we were taken down to the embankment were we had option to see much better total lunar eclipse, than above on the bridge. And third I would like to say - that yes, this was one the strangest nights probably in my lifetime.

But what actually matters - don't be indifferent - call to the police, ask for the help to others, act. Every second matters when it's about saving live(s).

Understanding focal length: Testing 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses

27 September, 2015 | Digital Photography School | 2,262 seen

Welcome to the another digital photography school tutorial on understanding focal length.

It's not so long away when I entered magical world of Digital SLR photography, until then I was using simple compact sized cameras and did with them a simple thing - photographed things.

Well, things changed when I bought Canon EOS 1200D camera (Read: First Impressions Of Canon EOS 1200D Camera With 18-55mm Lens), then I started to improve my photography skills. Since the camera I bought came with a kit lenses (18mm-55mm) I was left with what I got. Those lenses are perfect, don't get me wrong, but I started to look for ways how to get a closer shots. 

I have heard other photographers telling, if you want closer shots, approach your object closer, so simple. And I do believe it's a valuable lesson. But what to do in case you can't approach your object close enough? It's time to change your glass (lens).

So after couple of months been playing with kit 18mm-55mm lenses I finally started to look on lenses to buy on Amazon, since I'm a complete newbie in this thing I decided I need something like up to 300mm lenses. The price for such lenses ranged between $150 and up to $1200. Luckily a friend of mine, a passionate photographer offered me to buy for a cheap Sigma 70-300mm lens.

So I now I have a chance actually to see what can i get using 18mm-55mm and 70-300mm lenses.

Focal length test with 18mm up to 300mm

​Some will already recognize that green evy wall, some time ago using my old camera I tried to make a time lapse here: Read: Last day of April (Complete Time lapse)

So, the same wall, just another angle, two lenses (Canon 18-55mm kit lense and Sigma 70-300mm lense). I installed my camera on a tripod (I bought from the same friend) and made 9 different shots at different focal length.

I started with 18mm (most wide) and ended at 300mm. I hope that above image explains focal lens in action. As my friend told me before I started to write this blog post, there is no difference what brand your lenses wear, it's all about focal length:

But the brand has not really got anything to do with focal length

So 70 is 70 no matter what the brand or its half the truth

There is something like focus breathing which decreases effective focal length

Here is a another explanation from Nikon USA site:

Focal length, usually represented in millimeters (mm), is the basic description of a photographic lens. It is not a measurement of the actual length of a lens, but a calculation of an optical distance from the point where light rays converge to form a sharp image of an object to the digital sensor or 35mm film at the focal plane in the camera. The focal length of a lens is determined when the lens is focused at infinity.

The focal length tells us the angle of view—how much of the scene will be captured—and the magnification—how large individual elements will be. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view and the higher the magnification. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view and the lower the magnification.

The Bottom Line

• 18-55mm lens are great to capture landscapes, wide range images,
• 70-300mm lenses will be good at portraits, sports (from a distance) and other cases when you cant get close enough to your object with your camera

What is your basic equipment for doing DSL photography?  Leave a comment!

Rhododendron Garden in Cirava (Latvia)

26 September, 2015 | Tourism objects | 31 seen

If you are heading to a remote Latvian village Cirava, you have few options to make your visit pleasant here, like there are very interesting but abandoned manor complex and a lovely church.However, local residents at Cirava has something else to offer for both local and foreign travelers - a rhododendron garden located in territory of cemetery.

Well, if you are hoping to see here something like Keukenhofs tulip gardens, then .. then go to the Netherlands, here in Cirava you will find a small (selected) selection of rhododendrons, it's about 150 plants here. Opened just back in 2010 this garden park has some bright future prospects of attracting travelers from neighboring localities at least.

Rhododendron garden in Cirava

Best time to visit this garden while rhododendrons bloom: May, June. 

Rhododendron garden in Cirava

Each plant has it's own table containing information about plant

Blooming rhododendron in Cirava

Blooming rhododendron in Cirava

The Bottom line

If you are in this part of the World during May/June and you are into plants, you will definitely enjoy this place.

365 Day Photo Challenge Project

25 September, 2015 | Digital Photography School | 30 seen

In this post you will learn why I decided to take a personal 365 days photo project challenge and how I'm planing to complete it.

What is a 365 Project?

There are many different 365 projects, but they all share one goal in common: taking at least one photograph every single day, for a full year. Many photographers take that idea one step further to including taking, and posting, at least one photograph a day for an entire year. Some people start 365 projects on January 1st, but you can begin one at any time. Read more: Jumpstart Your Photography – Start a 365 Project

I like challenges and I really like to challenge myself. It was not so long ago, when at the start of October 2013, I challenged myself with a - 365 blog challenge. Soon it will turn 2 years since I opted in for this blogging thing, and those two years have taught me a lot - I feel that I have became a better marketer, I have developed some writing skills (still there are a lot of room for improvement) but what's most important I have changed the way I'm looking on things.

I'm not obsessed anymore with technical details I use to be. I'm more into an overall picture. I'm not sure is it for good or not. Anyway technical stuff about custom module programming in my blog has been less.Those past two years have helped me to discover a lot about things I like and helped me stop worrying of things that annoys me, and that's just thanks to regular blog writing. In fact if I look back to my earlier day posts I found them a little but awkward (not all, but there are some).

But hey as Zig Ziglar has said:

“It's not where you start or even what happens to you along the way that's important. What is important is that you persevere and never give up on yourself.”

With help of blog I have developed my skills into travel writing, restaurant & hotels reviews and what's not less important - I have learned how to actually make a lucrative income from that.

Blog has helped me to change a lot, and for good (at least I hope so)

Anyway - it's not about blogging this time, it's about taking photography.

So I decided I will take another challenge in order to improve my photographer skills and provide better photographers of my travels in blog.

365 day photo challenge

Day 1/365 Learning Exposure

So above you can see my entry image for this challenge - I actually spent some time on figuring out how to get a decent exposure here, as you can see right now it's not about the details but about the overall picture.

I will take at least one picture each day for the next coming 365 days. I still have my own rules I will apply to this challenge:

• All pictures must be shoot just in M (manual mode).
• I might use some Adobe Lightroom to improve those pictures, but I'm not thinking of it at start of this journey, RAW photos might come, and might not to come during next 365 days.
• Instead of a blog 365 days challenge I'm not forcing myself to publish that photo online each day, it's about taking and learning some skills after all/
• All project photos with short descriptions I will add to my Flickr account.
• I might and might not publish some of the photography on my blog as well.

After the successful completion of my 365 day photo challenge I'm looking to better understand photography and take better pictures.

If you are interested to learn more about 365 photo project, here are few links to get you started:

• 11 Tips to Succeed with a Photo365 Project
• Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way
• Jumpstart Your Photography – Start a 365 Project

Akhtala Monastery in Armenia

24 September, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 15 seen

Akhtala monastery was our third and last stop during our short one day trip to Armenia, before returning to Tbilisi. Prior to Akhtala monastery we visited Haghpat monastery and Sanahin monastery. The truth is - our trip was made especially to visit Akhtala because of a barbeque festival was held here. I will cover some details (and photos) about that festival in some of the next blog posts, but today I decided to share some photography I captured here at Akhtala.

Just like Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries, Akhtala monastery is located in province of Lari in Armenia (close to Georgian border). However, unlike Haghpat and Sanahin which are plain Armenian Apostolic church elements, Akhtala shares some history with Georgian Orthodox church. 

Akhtala monastery

As you can see in the above image, monastery (church) is located on top of (inside) the fortress wall, turns out that the fortress played a major role in protecting the north-western regions of Armenia (Gugark) and is among the most well preserved of all in modern Armenia.

Uphill road leading to monastery complex

Since a barbeque festival was held in Akhtala monastery, we had to make some 1km uphill by foot to reach our final destination

Barbecue festival held at Akhtala monastery

The aim of this festival is to show and tell about Armenian traditional cuisine, also contributing to the development of surrounding tourism. The festival is intended to develop regional tourism, and provide local residents with occupation. Read more:  ”Barbecue” Festival in Akhtala

​For me it looks very interesting why should a barbeque festival should be held at monastery, but hey it's Caucasus, no questions asked. I will wrap up a separate article about this festival in some of the next posts.

Murals of Surb Astvatsatsin

The murals are one of the best representations of Byzantine art outside the traditional borders of Byzantium. The majority of the murals bare scriptures in Greek. The murals were painted under the patronage of atabek Ivane Zakarian between 1205 and 1216. Parallels have been drawn between the murals and the 11th century Armenian miniature paintings of the Mugni Gospels. The coloring of the murals is characteristic of typical Byzantine art while the thematic solutions are more Armenian. New and Old Testaments scenes as well as various saints including Saint Gregory the Illuminator are depicted on the murals. A large image of the Holy Virgin is depicted in the dome holding Jesus. The mural has been badly damaged and only parts of it survived. Below the Holy Virgin, the Communion is shown where Jesus is depicted twice, turning on the right and left sharing bread with the Apostles. The images of the Apostles Peter, John the Evangelist, Paul and Matthew have survived. The common Christians saints are depicted below the Communion scene, including Pope Sylvester, Saint James the son of Alpheus, Saint John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory the Illuminator, Jacob of Mtsbin, Clement of Rome, Gregory the Thaumaturgist, Cyril of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea. The murals on the western wall depict the Kingdom of Heaven. The northern wall depicts the trial of Jesus by the high priest of Caiaphas and by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate. Some of the murals were renovated in 1979. The arches, niches and columns are also covered by murals.

Dome inside Akhtala church

Altar at Akhtala monastery

Tomb of Prince Ivan Aleksandrovich Melikov

About Akhtala Monastery

Akhtala also known as Pghindzavank ( meaning Coppermine Monastery) is a 10th-century fortified Armenian Apostolic Church monastery located in the town of Akhtala in the marz of Lori, 185 kilometers (115 mi) north of Yerevan. The monastery is currently inactive. The fortress played a major role in protecting the north-western regions of Armenia (Gugark) and is among the most well preserved of all in modern Armenia. The main church at the compound is famous for its highly artistic frescoes, which cover the inside walls, the partitions, and the bearings of the building. The modern name of Akhtala was first recorded in a royal decree of 1438. The etymology of the name Akhtala is believed to be of Turkic origin, meaning white glade. The original Armenian name of the settlement where the monastery is built is Pghindzahank, which means copper mine.

Sanahin Monastery in Armenia

23 September, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 22 seen

Sanahin monastery is located in province of Lori in Armenia, close to Georgian border. Sanahin monastery was second site we visited during our short one day trip to Armenia, just shortly after we visited Haghpat monastery.

I was so eager to master a photography using my DSLR camera and a tripod (it's damn hard to use a tripod in 30 minutes sightseeing tour) so I didn't actually paid much attention on history a local guides were telling about this place. After all I prefer to do Wikipedia search after or before, but not on site.

So it's all about photography this time, for the first time I have used Adobe Lightroom to edit (fine tune) my images, but unfortunately I was not shooting in RAW mode back there in Armenia, so all I have is edited jpegs.

Sanahin monastery in Armenia

The name Sanahin literally translates from Armenian as "this one is older than that one", presumably representing a claim to having an older monastery than the neighboring Haghpat Monastery.

Tourists at Sanahin monastery

As with Haghpat, Sanahin is frequented by an increasing number of tourists, due to its recent inclusion on the itineraries of numerous Armenian tour agencies, the beauty of its monastery complex matching that of Haghpat's.

Inside Sanahin monastery

Dome inside Sanahin church

Khachkar (stone with elaborate engravings representing a cross)

A khachkar, also known as an Armenian cross-stone is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, interlaces, and botanical motifs. Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art.

Now this was worth of spending some 10 minutes with my tripod here. 

Doors at Sanahin monastery complex

Prayer candles

Altar at Sanahin church

Sanahin Monastery complex

Sanahin Monastery complex

About Sanahin monastery

Sanahin Monastery is an Armenian monastery founded in the 10th century in the Lori Province of Armenia.

The name Sanahin literally translates from Armenian as "this one is older than that one", presumably representing a claim to having an older monastery than the neighbouring Haghpat Monastery. The two villages and their monasteries are similar in many ways, and lie in plain view of each other on a dissected plateau formation, separated by a deep "crack" formed by a small river flowing into the Debed river.

As with Haghpat, Sanahin is frequented by an increasing number of tourists, due to its recent inclusion on the itineraries of numerous Armenian tour agencies, the beauty of its monastery complex matching that of Haghpat's. The complex belongs to theArmenian Apostolic Church with numerous khachkars (stones with elaborate engravings representing a cross) and bishopgravesites scattered throughout it.

How To Recover Lost Password on Linode Server (SSH, Putty)

22 September, 2015 | Servers | 49 seen

Bad things happens time after time, and so did happened to me recently - after a longer pause I resumed work on a customers project, and I faced a problem - I had lost my password for accessing my Linode VPS. I must admit that I panicked a lot. Since this happened second time in a 3 years, I decided to wrap up a simple article to help me and others to quickly get connected back to our servers.

Interested in Linode VPS? You can actually have a Linode VPS starting as low as $10.00/mo

In this article you will learn how you can reset your password using Linode's dashboard, how to enter Lish Ajax Console for applying changes and how to change password using SSG for existing user(s)

So here are the steps to recover your password (gain back control over your server) using Linode Lish Ajax Console.

Login to your Linode account

Shut Down your Linode

​Linode offers to change your root password using Rescue tab, in order to change that password, your linode must be shut down

Reset Linode Password

Now you can reset your root password on Linode.

Now, if you have disallowed root login from SSH (and you should), here is how to get back and connect to SSH using Putty. But at first you will have to launch Lish Ajax Console, you can find it under Linodes Remote Access tab

Launch Lish Ajax Console

Now you can login to your server using root and your new password

Lish Web Console

One of the first things you will probably want to do is to allow root login using ssh. You can follow article on Basic security here or just:

Open the SSH configuration file for editing by entering the following command:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Change the PermitRootLogin setting to yes as shown below:
PermitRootLogin yes

Save the changes to the SSH configuration file by pressing Control-X, and then Y

Restart the SSH service to load the new configuration. Enter the following command:
sudo service ssh restart

After the SSH service restarts, the SSH configuration changes will be applied.

How to change password for user in Ubuntu using Password

I followed this article Linux Set or Change User Password

What you are actually interested to is to change password for other user account using root

You must login as root user, type the following command to change password for user example:

# passwd example

Where example is username

Output:
Enter new UNIX password:

Retype new UNIX password:

passwd: password updated successfully

Now change back PermitRootLogin setting to no as shown below:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Edit
PermitRootLogin no

Save the changes to the SSH configuration file by pressing Control-X, and then Y.
sudo service ssh restart

Write down in a secret place your passwords to avoid similar problems in future.

Hope this helps!

P.S, If you are not using Linode, what are you still waiting for? Get your content served starting as low as $10.00/mo.

Haghpat Monastery in Armenia

20 September, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 30 seen

Haghpat monastery, together with Sanahin monastery, are placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1996.

At the start of September we booked a one day tour from Tbilisi to Armenia, and I had chance to visit both Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries. Since this time I was less into history, more into photography, that's what I exactly did - I photographed both places. Today I will start with photography of Haghpat Monastery in Lori province.

Landscape at Haghpat monastery

Look at the fog! I really enjoy days like this - it's green, there are mountains covered in lovely fog.

Haghpat Monastery complex

The location of Haghpat Monastery was chosen so that it overlooks the Debed River in northern Armenia's Lori region. It was built, not on a peak, but halfway up a hillside on a site chosen to afford protection and concealment from prying eyes and also in response to a kind of monastic humility.

Chapel inside Haghpat monastery

Our group had only 30 minutes to do sightseeing at this place, so it was damned hard to set up a tripod, find that excellent shooting angle, focus and do some exposure. But I'm proud with result above.

Local Armenian bus near Haghpat monastery

Look, it has some additional gas tanks installed on its roof.

Haghpat monastery

Khachkars (cross-stones)

At Haghpat monastery complex here are a number of splendid khachkars (cross-stones) of the 11th-13th centuries standing on the territory of the monastery, the best known among them is the "Amenaprkich" (All-Savior) khachkar which has been standing since 1273.

Entrance at Haghpat monastery

Armenian script

I can't read it, sorry. But i can suggest you a local company doing Armenian translation.

Armenian crosses 

Tourists at Haghpat monastery

There was literally zillions of tourists that day, and there is no surprise for that, as it turns out Haghpat monastery area is an increasingly popular tourist site.

The belltower at Haghpat Monastery

Tourists in rest at Haghpat monastery

The Bottom Line

If you have a chance to visit Lori province in Armenia, you should definitely visit this place. Haghpat monastery offers not only rich history but also very scenic views, and if you are into a photography, take your tripod, plan a few hours there, and share your results with me in comment section.

About Haghpat monastery

Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank , is a medieval Armenian monasterycomplex in Haghpat, Armenia.The monastery was founded by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, probably in 976. The nearby monastery at Sanahin was built around the same time.

The largest church in the complex, the Cathedral of Surb Nishan, probably begun in 976, was completed in 991 by king Smbat. It is a typical example of tenth century Armenian architecture, its central dome rests on the four imposing pillars of the lateral walls. The outside walls are dotted with triangular recesses. A fresco in the apse depicts Christ Pantocrator. Its donor, the Armenian Prince Khutulukhaga, is depicted in the south transept (a transversal nave intersecting the main nave). The sons of the church's founder, Princes Smbat and Kurike, are shown with Queen Khosravanuysh in a bas-relief on the east gable. Apart from one or two minor restorations carried out in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the church has retained its original character.

Blog Monthly Online Income Report - August 2015 - $880.09

19 September, 2015 | Blogging | 45 seen

Welcome everybody to the 20th online income report of Reinis Fischer blog. In this post I will cover some info about earnings I have made in month of August solely with my blog (www.reinisfischer.com). I like to call this phenomena - a smart passive online income. 

In case you are wondering why should someone publish online his/her earnings - the answer is pretty simple - I like transparency and these reports help me to observe my progress or bounces. Hopefully my reports can give some inspiration to you as well. 

If you want to learn more about how to start a blog and make it successful - I recently started a blog post covering things that matters. 

Total Numbers

In August my blog earned a total of $952.59 what is an impressive increase of 60.44% if compared to previous month (July) when I earned in total $593.73. 

• Daily earnings: $30.73

Technically speaking this August has been the best month this year, after month of February when I got $940.05. the only difference is  - in August I had more expenses than in February

About Blog Traffic in August

I'm doing both blog traffic and income reports as separate articles each month, and I believe that anytime soon I should combine them into one article. Since there is no way you can earn some money online without a traffic I will give you some numbers I got last month.

Blog Traffic Report August 2015

August was just brilliant, for the first time my blog cracked 30,000 user milestone (I have been dreaming about it for a few months already). In fact I got some significant traffic boost by 32% last month, and it definetly helped to earn more this month.

About income streams

I have slowly started to add new income streams to my blog just to diversify. And so in this August there was a 6 channels that generated some very impresive earnings.

• Google Adsense: $28.91
• Amazon Associates: $820.85
• Amazon CPM: $5.21
• Sovrn: $1.94
• Booking Affiliates: $35.89
• Bluehost: $65.00

Total: $952.59

As you can see Amazon Associates still makes the majority of earnings, but I'm really glad full seeing that other channels combined makes some important earnings as well.

About expenses

• Linode VPS: $62.50
• Facebook ads: $10.00

Total: $72.50

Just a brief explanation about my expenses: I'm using Linode to power my blog, and I sometimes do a post promotion on Facebook, so in August I spent $10 just to promote Top 20 Tbilisi restaurants.

August 2015 vs August 2014

One year ago a game change happened, for the very first time I reached something impressive $95.03, now a year latter I have earned 10 times more. Impressive and Awesome, right?

Plans for September

As it might sound tempting to cross the $1,000 milestone, I doubt I will end there, anything above $500 will be a great result.

How much did you earned last month?

Gardenia Shevardnadze - Flower Garden in Tbilisi

17 September, 2015 | Shopping Venues | 67 seen

Gardenia Shevardnadze is a lovely garden of ornamental plants, located close to the Tbilisi Sea, where you can buy seedlings for your yard, balcony, terrace, home, or office. Or just enjoy a tranquil afternoon.

I first discovered Gardenia Shevardnadze back in 2014 while Cycling to Tbilisi sea and back

We have been returning to this place ever since. Sometimes with a tripod, sometimes not. Sometimes for macro photography, sometimes just to enjoy a good cup of coffee at the onsite cafeteria. If you are into photography, then you will enjoy Gardenia Shevernadze just as I did. 

Little Cafe at Gardenia Shevardnadze

Although this is a place where some can buy plants, it's a very popular place thanks to its cafe as well.

You might end your day not buying any plants at all, but you will definitely taste some cake at this lovely cafeteria crafted with many small details.

​

 Plants at Gardenia Shevernadze

 Plants at Gardenia Shevardnadze

​Now this is a pretty good photo I managed to capture using some 5 seconds of exposure

At Gardenia Shevernadze Plant garden

Inside Little Cafe

Crafted details at Little Cafe

I did find a lot of inspiration for our home remodeling tasks we are doing, and next year we are planning to build an outdoor patio - for now, I find a metal construction with crafted details as a really nice alternative to a regular wooden patio. Time will show.

Gardenia Shevardnadze is an excellent place in Tbilisi, ideally suited both for photographers (amateurs, like me), selfie lovers, and just anyone who can appreciate the beauty of plants. 

Cirava Evangelic Lutheran Church

16 September, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 44 seen

Cirava Evangelic Lutheran Church is located in historical region of Courland in Latvia. Cirava church is closely located to Cirava manor complex, those of you traveling to Latvia and especially to Courland, it's woth to pay a visit to Cirava as well.

Cirava Church​

This massive church has been built in 1780-1781, and had been rebuilt in 1876 and 1888. The church is known for its exquisite Rococo altar, pulpit and organ. Read more (In Latvian)

Architectural monument

Cirava church

View to Cirava church from distance

Abandoned Manor Complex in Cirava (Latvia)

13 September, 2015 | Tourism objects | 20 seen

Now, this was a quite interesting experience discovering a small village in western Latvia (region of Courland) - Cirava.

I was so fascinated about this place that I decided to make two separate articles - one for the manor complex and the second for the church. Today I will write about the manor complex which actually seemed abandoned for me, but as it turns out it's actually sold to some Italian investor for about EUR 700 000 back in 2014. So seems this is money you should have in your pockets to acquire a badly managed manor complex in Latvia.

Cīrava manor from a birds flight during the golden hour

Cirava manor complex in Latvia

Originally built for blue blood German barons - rulers of lands which now are part of Latvia, this place has experienced a lot. So for example a forestry school and agriculture school during the Soviet times.

Tourism indication in Cirava

​You may find a museum, stadium, two schools, pond, a rhododendron garden and even a cemetery in Cirava village.

Old Dwelling house in Cirava

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The same dwelling house

Honestly speaking I'm not sure, is this house is a part of Cirava manor complex or not, but one thing I'm sure, this place is very similar to near by located Kazdanga Mill Lake

Small river in Cirava

Really scene place, where I would love to return, to see how things have developed.

Monument to the Sailors and Fishermen Perished in the Sea (Liepāja)

12 September, 2015 | Military Heritage | 18 seen

Although this monument in Liepaja (in seaside park) is dedicated to the sailors and fishermen perished in the sea I decided to add this place in military heritage category, because for me it kinda reminds something from Soviet military. Well actually this is a great example of Latvian architecture, as it turns out it's designed by local Latvian designers Alberts Terpilovskis and Gunārs Asaris.
Anyway - once in Liepaja, this place is a worth of visit.in case you are heading for a lazy walk on seaside park you will definitely notice this monument and hopefully enjoy views from its stairs.

View to the monument form park

Not the best picture I managed to capture here, too much light.

Monument to the sailors and fishermen perished in the sea

Pretty interesting installations on the pavement

Monument to the sailors and fishermen perished in the sea

There is an inscription on plate saying: 

Sing, sweet zephyr, gently, gently,
Carry not the waves ashore;
In the sea's tender depths slumber
My dear, beloved, brothers
 

View to the park 

Practicing Photography: Doing Night Shots - Tbilisi By Night

11 September, 2015 | Digital Photography School | 13 seen

Tonight was one, a really great evening, it was the first time I started to understand how ISO actually works. I took my DSLR camera, a tripod and a friend of mine and we headed to Zaarbrucken Square (Dry Bridge) in Tbilisi.

At start I was planing to make some photos at Rose Garden (I actually did) but latter, when post-processed, I understood  they don't look so interesting as images attached bellow.

Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi by night

This is a pretty interesting picture, I got using a 30 second exposure, a tripod and kit 18-55 mm lenses. I believe from this vantage point it would be lovely to attach some other lenses as well. I enjoy two things in above picture - the traffic lights and mirroring effect on the water

Deda Ena park in Tbilisi

Now this picture is done using ISO 100

Deda Ena park in Tbilisi

At this point I started to experiment with ISO settings, the ISO in above image is 1600, but since I had no clue which ISO should I set here, I did it on Auto mode. Should I mention that with naked eye it was impossible to see any monument here at all. Just amazing how you can fine tune your images using a simple trick with higher ISO settings.

River Mtkvari embankment in Tbilisi

Now, higher ISO settings can not only give a better view, but it gives a noise to photos as well. By the way the boxes you can see in above image is used to sell a new and used books (by the day obliviously)

Tbilisi by night

30 seconds exposure and lovely traffic light effect. Awesome!

I'm glad full I spent a couple of hours this evening so I had a chance to practice ISO, and to make some decent night photo.

Most Popular Value Deal Hotels in Barcelona City Centre

11 September, 2015 | Hotel reviews | 4 seen

I probably wont be too original by saying that Barcelona for me is among the most desired travel destinations. I first time headed here back in October 2014, and was so impressed of this city that I even created my Barcelona Travel Guide. Although back then we traveled by a rental car and we had an option to stay at cheaper but more remote locations in Barcelona Read more: Hotel Hesperia Sant Just in Barcelona Review), my suggestion to you is, if you truly would love to experience Barcelona stay at city centre, enjoy a morning coffee at Rambla, walk around Gothic quarter and etc.

In this article I have listed few hotels in Barcelona that are located in city centre, are for pretty affordable prices, so you can enjoy truly your Barcelona experience.

Hotel Barcelona Catedral

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This boutique hotel offers a gym and a rooftop chill-out terrace with a swimming pool and wonderful city views. It is located 100 metres from Barcelona Cathedral, in the historic Gothic Quarter.

Each elegant room at the Barcelona Catedral Hotel features wooden flooring and air conditioning. Rooms have free Wi-Fi, a laptop safe and flat-screen TV with international channels.

Creative Mediterranean cuisine is served in the hotel’s 4 Capellans restaurant, which offers a menu for celiacs. There is a wide range of restaurants and tapas bars within a 5-minute walk, including many in the popular El Born district.

Hotel Barcelona Catedral is 450 metres from Plaza Catalunya Square, while Las Ramblas are a 5-minute walk away. The hotel offers exclusive free walking tours of the historic city centre twice a week.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 169 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

BCN Apartments 41

Elegant, air-conditioned apartments at BCN Apartments 41 come with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen satellite TV. They are located 500 metres from Barcelona’s Plaza Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia.

The bright, spacious apartments each include a lounge area with sofas. Their kitchenettes are equipped with an oven, microwave and dishwasher.

Many bars, restaurants and shops can be found in the surrounding streets of the Eixample District. The fashionable Born area is just 10 minutes’ walk away.

Staff can provide tourist information, and the Arc de Triomf, Ciutadella Park and Barcelona Cathedral can all be reached in a 10-minute walk. Port Vell is 20 minutes away by foot.

Urquinaona Metro Station is 350 metres from the apartments and connects with the beach. Airport buses leave from Plaza Catalunya. Private parking in the same building is available for an extra cost.

Eixample is a great choice for travellers interested in architecture, food and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 160 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Catalonia Avinyo

Situated 200 metres from Las Ramblas in central Barcelona, Catalonia Avinyo features a rooftop pool, a hot tub and gym. It offers chic, air-conditioned rooms with satellite TV and free Wi-Fi.

Rooms are decorated in a modern, minimalist style with large wall photos. They include a minibar, safe and telephone. The modern bathrooms have a shower and a hairdryer.

Barceloneta Beach is a 15-minute walk from Hotel Catalonia Avinyo. The Liceu and Jaume I Metro Stations are just 300 metres away and Barcelona Cathedral is 4 minutes' walk away.

The Avinyo’s central location means there are many shops, bars and restaurants close to the hotel. Bicycle and car hire can be arranged at the tour desk.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 110 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Cuatro Naciones

Cuatro Naciones has an ideal location on Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas, 200 metres from Drassanes Metro Station. Set in an 18th-century building, it features rooms with free Wi-fi and a flat-screen satellite TV.

The Naciones features simple décor throughout. Its air-conditioned rooms have private bathrooms with a hairdryer.

Staff at the Cuatro Naciones’ tour desk can provide information on nearby attractions including Barcelona Cathedral, which is approximately 10 minutes’ walk away. The city’s old port is just 400 metres from the hotel.

There is a selection of restaurants, bars and cafés in the Gothic Quarter, which is 5 minutes’ walk from the Cuatro Naciones.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 70 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Catalonia Plaza Catalunya

Hotel Catalonia Plaza Cataluña offers an outdoor pool and stylish, air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV. It is housed in a Modernist building 50 metres from Barcelona’s Plaza Catalunya.

The hotel serves a continental buffet breakfast with show cooking and it includes a wide variety of regional products and home-made cakes. Contempo restaurant offers traditional Mediterranean cuisine with a contemporary twist.

Catalonia Plaza Cataluña Hotel has a sun terrace with loungers, a gym and a pool and guests can use the spa at Hotel Catalonia Ramblas, which is just 100 metres away.

Hotel Catalonia Plaza is a 5-minute walk from Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and the Palau de la Música Catalana, a beautiful Modernist auditorium. A regular bus service to the airport leaves from the other side of Plaza Catalunya, just 100 metres away.

Eixample is a great choice for travellers interested in architecture, food and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 160 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Apart-Ramblas108

Apart-Ramblas108 offers modern apartments situated right on Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas, in the heart of the city centre. Each air-conditioned apartment has free Wi-Fi and most have a private balcony overlooking Las Ramblas.

The stylish Apart-Ramblas108 apartments have a living area with an LCD TV and a well-equipped kitchen area with a microwave, toaster, coffee maker and some have a washing machine. Bed linen and towels are provided.

Apart-Ramblas108 is set on the edge of the Gothic Quarter, just 150 metres from the vibrant Boqueria Market and Liceu Metro Station. Buses to Barcelona Airport stop in Plaça Catalunya Square, a 3-minute walk away.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 215 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Hotel Lloret Ramblas

Hotel Lloret Ramblas is situated on Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas, just outside Plaza Catalunya Square. It offers a 24-hour reception and air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen satellite TV and free Wi-Fi.

Each functional room at the Lloret Ramblas Hotel features a work desk and a private bathroom with amenities. Some rooms also have a private balcony.

Breakfast is served in Hotel Lloret Ramblas’s beautiful lounge-dining room, which dates from the early 20th century. The reception area has a free PC with internet and a free safe.

Barcelona Cathedral and the MACBA Modern Art Museum are both around 500 metres from Hotel Lloret. Catalunya Metro Station is a 1-minute walk away, and direct airport buses stop within 100 metres.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping

Price: ~ EUR 85 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

NH Barcelona Centro

NH Barcelona Centro offers air-conditioned rooms with plasma satellite TV and a pillow menu. Set on a quiet pedestrian street, this elegant hotel is just 100 metres from La Rambla.

This hotel's rooms have central heating and smart wooden flooring. The modern bathrooms include a toiletries set and a hairdryer.

The Barcelona Centro has a spacious lounge area. Staff at the 24-hour reception can arrange bicycle or car rental. Wi-Fi is available for free in all rooms and public areas.

You can enjoy a healthy breakfast in the restaurant, which offers great views of the city.

Just a minute’s walk from NH Barcelona Centro, La Rambla is lined with shops and cafes. Plaça Catalunya is only 2 minutes' walk away. Here there are metro, bus and airport bus links.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 110 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Catalonia Ramblas 4* Sup

Set just off Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas, Catalonia Ramblas offers rooms with free WiFi, air conditioning and room service. It features a seasonal outdoor pool with a south-facing terrace and a chill-out area.

The spa at Catalonia Ramblas features a relaxation area. It includes a sauna, a steam bath and a hot tub. Massage and beauty treatments are also available.

Hotel Catalonia Ramblas offers a poolside snack bar. In the summer months, the terrace is open until 01:00 and has a summer menu, as well as cocktails and milkshakes. The Pelai Restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine. At weekends, breakfast is available until 12:00.

Located less than 2 minutes’ walk from Plaza Catalunya, Catalonia Ramblas Hotel is close to many bars, restaurants and shops. Universitat and Catalunya Metro Stations are within 200 metres of the hotel.

Ciutat Vella is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, tapas and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 160 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Angla Luxury Apartments - Passeig de Gracia

Angla Boutique Apartments Valencia is located in central Barcelona, 150 metres from the well-know Passeig de Gràcia Avenue. Casa Batlló and La Pedrera Modernist buildings are 5 minutes’ walk away.

The stylish and bright apartments at Angla Boutique can have 1 to 3 bedrooms, and duplex apartments with terrace are also available.

Featuring modern décor, all air-conditioned apartments are equipped with an open-plan kitchen with ceramic hob, microwave, dishwasher and kitchenware. There is also a living room with iPod dock, 32-inch flat-screen TV and sofa bed.

Various services are offered at an extra cost, including onsite parking, Wi-Fi and airport shuttle, as well as babysitting and groceries shopping.

Angla Boutique Apartments Valencia is well communicated to the city’s main tourist places, having the metro station 300 metres away. Passeig de Gràcia is known for being the most important shopping street in Barcelona. Airport buses leave from Plaza Catalunya, located just 10 minutes' walk away.

Eixample is a great choice for travelers interested in architecture, food and shopping.

Price: ~ EUR 141 Book this hotel now on Booking.com

Find more value deal hotels in Barcelona