Holy Mother of God Church of Bethlehem, Tbilisi

28 August, 2020 | Churches and Monasteries | 27 seen

Holy Mother of God Church of Bethlehem also now known as the Upper Bethlehem Church, is a church in Tbilisi, Georgia. Built as an Armenian church in the 18th century, on the site of an older church, it now operates as a Georgian orthodox church.

Discovered by accident while hiking from Mother Georgia monument in mid-August 2020. Returned here a week later to take some aerial photography with a drone.

Holy Mother of God Church of Bethlehem, Tbilisi

There are at least 3 roads how to get here. The first one is from the Mother Georgia monument using pretty steep stairways, kind of hiking trails. Another one is to come from Gomi street, and the third one is to climb from Betlemi street. 

Holy Mother of God Church of Bethlehem, Tbilisi from a drone flight

There is a little fountain square in the front of church with running spring water. Quite refreshing after a long day hiking the area.

Also, an amazing view towards Tbilisi opens from the church

View towards Tbilisi

Mother of Georgia Monument

27 August, 2020 | Tourism objects | 135 seen

The Mother of Georgia or Kartlis Deda monument is located atop of the Sololaki hill in  Georgia's capital Tbilisi.

The statue was erected on the top of Sololaki hill in 1958, that year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. Prominent Georgian sculptor Elguja Amashukeli designed the twenty-meter aluminum figure of a woman in Georgian national dress.

Mother of Georgia monument in Tbilisi

It's said that statue symbolizes the Georgian national character: in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends, and in her right hand is a sword for those who come as enemies.

In 1966 Elguja Amashukeli was awarded the Shota Rustaveli State Prize for this sculpture. He called the statue "Capital", and it commonly became known as "Mother of Kartli". The accessories of the sculpture, the cup with wine and sword, are an expression of the history of our city, Tbilisi, the endless battles with the enemies, and the welcoming of friendly guests.

The original statue erected on Sololaki Hill in 1958 was a wooden allegorical statue that would temporarily decorate the capital. Later it was decided to become permanent and the wood texture was covered with aluminum in 1963 to limit environmental damage.

Mother Georgia overlooking the capital city Tbilisi

In 1997, the old statue was replaced with a new one

Restaurant Pepo near Dashbashi Canyon

25 August, 2020 | Restaurant reviews | 42 seen

Restaurant Pepo is located in the village of Dashbashi, some 200-300 meters from the Saint George Church.

The cafe is an ideal base camp for exploring the famous Dashabshi Canyon. That's actually how we discovered this place in July 2020, during an unplanned trip to Tsalka, we decided to look for the "famous" Dashbahsi Canyon, where we found this lovely cafe/restaurant Pepo.

VIsa accepted and traditional Georgian cuisine served. We ordered some mtsvadi, salads, French fries a lot of lemonades, even a khachapuri. Our total bill here about GEL 100. 

Meal at restaurant Pepo near Dashbashi canyon in Georgia

I used the territory of this restaurant as a base for drone flights to film nearby objects. 

Restaurant Peop from above

Batumi Boulevard Dancing Fountains

22 August, 2020 | Tourism objects | 51 seen

Batumi Boulevard is the main and most visited sightseeing of the city.

One of its central elements is the dancing fountains located just in the heart of the city.

Batumi fountain square from a drone's flight

It was at the start of August 2020, we visited Batumi once again. I took a drone to make some photos, and one of the aerial shots is from Dancing fountain square.

In the summertime, this place can be quite busy.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the prominent Georgian architect Giorgi Erkomaishvili and the Armenian engineers, three colorful fountains were installed in the central entrance of Batumi Boulevard in 1977 bringing vibrancy and a new splash of life to the area.

In 2007, the fountains underwent large-scale renovations as a result of which music was added to them.

Nowadays these musical fountains dancing with rhythm and surrounded by lovely wax sculptures of the boys with pipes, represent the major attraction for tourists.

Park near Batumi dancing fountains

The recreation zone, which at the same time is a cultural heritage monument, for centuries, has unites the city's guests or native inhabitants. It involves a seven-kilometer seaside promenade, 4 historic alleys, bike path, and more than 40 thousand tree-plants planted at different times on the area. Batumi Boulevard, with its historical meaning and continuous development cycle, became a visiting card of our city where everyone finds their place.

Used resources: Central Dancing Fountains

Djansug Kakhidze Garden

21 August, 2020 | Tourism objects | 21 seen

The Djansug Kakhidze Garden is located on Agmashenebeli Avenue (behind the Bank of Georgia building) in Tbilisi. The park is very popular among people living nearby. There is a little kid playground in the park s territory.

The park is named after Jansug Kakhidze, the music director of the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra.

We have been heading to this park for ages since the times we were living on Tamar Mepe street when discovered this park first time. Now with a toddler girl, we (or a nanny) are spending much time here.

Water fountain from a drone's flight

The fountains os one of the central elements of the park, around the fountain there are many roses planted. 

The Garden is located in an historic district of Tbilisi close to the left embankment of the Mtkvari River and was completed in 2011 as part of the extensive refurbishment of Agmashenebeli Avenue.

Statues of Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili in Djansug Kakhidze Garden in Tbilisi

Statues of Iliko Sukhishvili and his wife Nino Ramishvili, created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, stand at the entrance to the Garden. Together, they founded the Georgian National Ballet and it is due to their efforts that Georgian national dancing and music has become known in many parts of the world.

Water fountain

Deeper in the park there are lovely gazebos, benches, trees, kids playground with swings, seesaw, slides and more

Used resources: ABOUT SIGHTS – DJANSUG KAKHIDZE GARDEN

Pheasant’s Tears Restaurant Sighnahghi

20 August, 2020 | Restaurant reviews | 35 seen

Pheasant's Tears is an awesome and authentic restaurant serving authentic Georgian cuisine. The restaurant is located in Sighnaghi, some 120km from the nation's capital Tbilisi.

We have heard a lot about this place in the past but actually visited it for the first time in June 2020, while driving around the region of Kakheti.

The little yard at Peasant's Tears restaurant in Sighnaghi

Pheasant’s Tears was born out of a love of authentic tradition, and culture and endless creativity. It is more than a winery, it's about songs, cuisine, art, heritage, tangible and intangible.  For wine is born out of a confluence of the spirit of a place, its geology, its history, and the emotions of the vitner himself. In the end, a dialogue between nature and man, a fine tension between respect for the past and creating a new experience for tomorrow.  Traditions here are seen as the nourishing soul for improvisation and respectful evolution.

Gia Rokashvili the chef at Peasant's Tears

I had a chance to meet friendly chef at the place. On the question, could we see the menu, he showed us the big black blackboard, I couldn't resist taking a photo.

The kitchen is led by Gia Rokashvili who goes himself to the farmer’s market everyday adapting the menu to what the forests, rivers, and meadows offer us combined with responsible local farmers goods.  The idea is simple juxtapositions of very tasty ingredients, inspired largely by the way Georgian’s eat at home rather than restaurant food, that being said Gia loves cuisines from around the world and quietly tweaks his dishes according to the emotion of the moment.

Inside interior at Peasat's tears

We didn't try but turns out they are also making their own wine.

The Peasant's Tears wine

Wines at Pheasant’s Tears are fermented and aged in qvevri, a unique Georgian vessel used to ferment and store wine. 

Aubergine at Peasant's tears

We didn't know what we actually would like, and the chef GIa recommended to try these lovely aubergine hot salads, they were just amazing.

Pork Mvacdi

Saint George Church in Dashbashi

18 August, 2020 | Churches and Monasteries | 28 seen

St. George's Church  / Ahalkalaki St. George Church is located close to the Tsalka town in the village of Dashbashi.

It was in mid-July 2020, when we discovered this place by accident, during an unplanned trip to Tsalka, we decided to look for the "famous" Dashbahsi Canyon, where we found a little cafe and as I had my DJI mini Mavic drone with I did some flying around the area, just to discover this picturesque church atop of the rock. Awesome.

Saint George Church in Dashbashi canyon, Georgia

It was a lot of fun flying a drone from the nearby cafe (located some 200 meters) and explore the area from the top.

I did some impressive drone video shooting also from this point.

Saint George Church in Dashbashi canyon, Georgia

St. George's Church stands to the north of the village, on the banks of River Khrami. The domed church is built of hewn stone and it has the shape of a cross. The church has two entrances - the south of the west arm and the west of the north arm. The south door is covered with a large carved stone. There are inscriptions on the top of the south door and on the east wall. The church has been restored. There are tombstones and horse statues to the south and north of the church.

My First Drone Video / DJI MAVIC MINI

15 August, 2020 | Digital Photography School | 19 seen

Here comes my first drone video filmed with DJI Mavic Mini drone.

DJI Mini Mavic Drone Review

Filming locations: our Tbilisi apt, Lisi lake, Rike Park, Dashbashi Canyon.
Cinematic music for dramas effect by Scott Holmes / Humanity
Quickly made with Adobe Premiere Pro
July 2020, Tbilisi

Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi

14 August, 2020 | Hotel reviews | 39 seen

Located within a 3-minute walk from the Black Sea beach in Batumi, this hotel features indoor and outdoor pools, a rooftop restaurant and free WiFi. 

We booked one night here at the start of August 2020 and paid about $120 for a family room and breakfasts included. 

It is fun to note that about 8 years ago we rented an apartment in Batumi, in the backyard of this hotel, and spend about $400/mo. Now time flies, things change, but Batumi Radisson stays.

Its large rooms include flat-screen TVs, Nespresso coffee machines and sea views. Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi has the Green Key eco-label and also, owns the safety and security certification by the Safehotels.

King size bed at Radisson Blue Batumi hotel

When traveling with kids - a family room is a must-have, and the one we got here at Radisson Batumi was excellent. Free baby crib was offered. 

Partial sea view

the view could be better, but I do not complain much. In the evening we took a walk to the nearby Batumi boulevard and I flew my DJI Mini Mavic drone around to get some really stunning views.

Radisson Blue Batumi hotel from a drone view

Radisson Blu Hotel provides air-conditioned rooms and suites with wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. A laptop safe is provided, and your bathroom includes bathrobes and slippers.

A breakfast buffet is provided each morning. Grilled meat and seafood is served in the 19th-floor restaurant. Guests can enjoy creative cocktails at the rooftop bar.

Health facilities at the Radisson Blu Batumi include a gym, sauna and steam rooms. Guests can book a massage for extra relaxation. Shuttle to the Iveria Beach and the Gate nightclub is offered for your convenience.

The popular Black Sea promenade is just a 5-minute walk away. The Radisson Blu offers free parking and is 7 km from Batumi International Airport.

Rike Park from a DJI Mavic Mini Drone Flight

11 August, 2020 | | 8 seen

Rike park is a popular recreational area located in Tbilisi. We have been heading here ever since it was opened to public back in 2012. 

Park is great for photography, a lot of interesting architectural elements. It was at the end of July 2020. I got DJI Mavic mini shipped to Tbilisi and it was agreed to go and test it out at the Rike park. 

Air balloon over Rike Park in Tbilisi

There is a cable car station connecting Rike park with Narikala fortress

Rike park from above

A little amphitheater and many pathways

Rike park from above

The Bridge of Piece

The Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi is a pedestrian bridge and one of the most famous tourist spots in the city. It connects district of Tbilisi Old Town with Rike Park over a river of Mtkvari.

Tbilisi music theater and concert hall 

Cows Cooling off in a lake in Georgia

8 August, 2020 | | 4 seen

It was in mid-July, we were heading to the Dashabashi canyon near the Tsalka town in Georgia when suddenly on the roadside we noticed a strange view - cows were cooling off in a small mud lake.

Such senses are more typical to Africa, it was the first time I have seen something like that in Georgia. Luckily I had a camera to take a few shots.

Cows cooling off in a muddy lake 

DJI Mini Mavic Drone Review

7 August, 2020 | Gadget Reviews | 12 seen

DJI Mini Mavic drone has been around for a while already (since the end of 2019). It was at the start of July 2020, when I decided to order a drone for me. 

As I didn't have any idea what's good and what's not, I just headed to Amazon and looked for best-selling drones/ quadcopters. I did order under $100 SnapTain 650 D, but once it was out for shipping and I started to familiarize better with the product from the description, I understood that this drone most probably is not for me - I was looking for something smarter, something with larger flight radius and something not working from my phones WI-FI.

Huge was my surprise when I discovered DJI MINI MAVIC drone for just $399. I actually order a combo box set for $499.

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page, and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.

DJI MAVIC MINI combo set

The combo includes 3 spare batteries, power bank, propeller protectors, and a nice suite case for carrying around the drone. Now after I have done a few test flights I feel very happy I did order combo set, as on a good day I can fly these 3 batteries not even noticing that. The lifetime for each battery is about 25-30 minutes (depends on weather conditions)

DJI Mavic MINI

With a weight of just 249 grams this drone perfectly fits in a palm

Weighing under 250 grams, Mavic Mini is almost as light as the average smartphone. This makes it exceptionally portable and places it in the lowest and safest weight class of drones, which in many countries may exempt it from certain regulations.

DJI mavic mini combo set

The compact yet powerful Mavic Mini is the perfect creative companion, capturing your moments in a way that effortlessly elevates the ordinary. Together with the easy-to-use DJI Fly app, you’ll enjoy a simplified flying experience and a perspective unlike any other.

DJI Mavic Mini drone

Now, despite the drone is marketed for novice drone enthusiasts, it took me a couple of flight training and many hours YouTube video watching to start understand how to operate and make beautiful videos and photos this little beast. 

Speaking of videos, there are several Quickshots enabled, allowing us to take amazing videography on autopilot. 

As a photographer, I was more interested in features like aperture, shutter speed. now there is no chance to control aperture, but you can control shutter speed and ISO, combining them you could even make some nice HDR drone photography, 

I'm not very used to use my phone to capture photography, so I still I'm learning to shoot in a manual mode with this drone. But there is enabled auto mode, which will work in 90% cases. The rest 10% cases will ask shooting in a manual mode - like HDR or panoramic photos, changing settings for ISO (night photography), shutter speed, and so on. Also, this drone is not shooting in RAW mode, just jpeg. 

Take into consideration the price and capabilities of this drone - this is an excellent entry-level drone, capable shooting 2.7K videos and with little practice, you could make awesome HDR's, panoramic photography, and more. 

Here are some of the examples

• First DJI Mavic Mini Aerial photography (Lisi Lake / Tbilisi)
• HDR Mziuri Park in Tbilisi
• Rike Park from a DJI Mavic Mini Drone Flight
• Saint George Church in Dashbashi

DJI is the global leader in civilian drones, aerial imaging technology, and creative camera technology. Find out more here in our DJI Brand Store on Amazon. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible and easier to use for creators around the world. Its products are used every day by customers in over 100 countries for filmmaking, construction, inspection, emergency response, agriculture, conservation, and beyond.

• The compact yet powerful Mavic Mini camera drone is the perfect creative companion, capturing your moments in a way that effortlessly elevates the ordinary
• Weighing less than 0.55lbs / 250 grams, Mavic Mini is almost as light as the average smartphone. In the United States and Canada, you can fly this camera drone without the need to register your drone with the government
• Mavic Mini supports 12MP aerial photos and 2.7K HD videos. A 3-axis motorized gimbal provides superior camera stability and ensures clear, Ultra-smooth footage
• Mavic Mini’s weight allows it to stay in the air longer than similar consumer FlyCams on the market. Enjoy up to 30 minutes of flight time with a fully-charged battery
• DJI Fly App requires iOS v10.0, Android v6.0 or above. Compatible devices include: iPhone 11 Pro Max, 11 Pro, 11, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6s Plus, 6s, 6 Plus, 6, Samsung Galaxy S10+, S10, S9+, S9 , S8+, S8, S7 edge, S7, S6, Note9, Note8, Huawei P30 Pro, P30, P20, P10, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 10, nova 5, nova 4, nova 3e, nova 2, Honor 8X, 10, 9, 20 Pro, Magic 2, Mi 8, MIX 2S, MIX 2, Redmi Note 5, Oppo Find X, R15, Vivo NEX, X27, X21, X20A, OnePlus 7, 6T, 5, Pixel 3 XL, 2 XL, 2, LG V20, LG G6

List price: [amazon B07RQJHG8M listpriceformattedprice] Buy DJI MAVIC Mini on Amazon (Paid link)

Hotel 'Castello Visconteo' in Cassano dʼAdda, Italy

6 August, 2020 | Hotel reviews | 8 seen

Castello Visconteo is a 13th-century fortress located in Cassano d'Adda, Italy.

We booked a hotel room here for a one night back in November 15, 2019 and paid about EUR 100 for that. We choose to book this hotel as it was pretty close to the Bergamo airport, as on the second day we had a flight back to Tbilisi

Stay at this hotel left an authentic medieval time feeling. 

Our room at Castello Visconteo

Rooms at Castello Visconteo are air conditioned and come with parquet floors. Free WiFi is available throughout.

View to the nearby square from the hotel

Seems this place is very busy during the high-season. During our visit here in November, there were just a couple of guests.

Courtyard at Castello Visconteo

With its impressive interiors, which include frescoes from the Giotto school of painting, the Visconteo features a historic atmosphere. It once hosted Leonardo da Vinci.

Hall at Castello Visconteo

Hotels restaurant features high vaulted ceilings with original frescoes, and serves Italian and local specialities.

July 2020 Dividend Income Report - $136.90

5 August, 2020 | Investments | 13 seen

Welcome to the thirty-ninth (#39) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in July 2020.

Just like the previous months, the last June we also spent in a self-isolation (because of Covid-19) here in Georgia. More of the strict lockdown measurements were lifted (inner tourism, restaurants, and hotels were opened for public)  we did a few weekend trips with an overnight stay at local resorts here in Georgia.  The baby girl attends her pre-school, she is doing great - talking a lot, putting together sentences, mixing languages, figuring out new words. Awesome. Quite fascinating what a two-year-old can do. Development is very rapid.

Last July I ordered a DJI Mavic Mini drone ($499) and spent a lot of time learning how to fly this little thing, but most important taking nice aerial photos and videos:

Saint George Church in Dashbashi canyon, Georgia

From the perspective of dividend income -  last July was neither good nor bad, we keep suffering from trimmed dividends, and by the end of the month, we barely took $136.90. Relying on dividends these days is very hard.

Compared to the previous July in 2019, when we almost took $250 in dividend income, our monthly dividend has decreased by -44.59%  (-$111.16). A year ago we did set a goal to take at least $400 this month, now this didn't happen. 

Luckily, an additional $873.65 was made from options trading.  

As options trading is not a passive form of making money while you are sleeping it wouldn't be fair to include them in dividend income reports.

Check out our options income report here: July 2020 Options Income Report - $873.65

If counted all together (dividends + options) it seems we have made $1,010.55 in total last month.

We were able to generate about 5.39% income yield from our portfolio last July (that's about 64.68% annualized)

One of our monthly goals is to generate at least 2.5% income yield from the portfolio. As longs it's above to it - it's awesome.

Interest income in July 2020

From the stocks and peer to peer lending we got following income last month:

Ticker

Earnings

Latvijas Gaze

€44.00

TWO

€20.18

EDI

€13.26

NRZ

€10.81

EDF

€9.22

RA

€7.17

NCV

€6.12

Mintos

€4.57

XIN

€3.82

AWP

€3.46

Total EUR 122.23 / USD 136.90

In total there were 10 companies paying us dividend in July 2020 that is 2 companies less than in July 2019

Monthly income

I've been tracking my journey towards million dollars in a savings account since January 2017. More than three years already. The result, so far, looks quite good. Dividends are growing (even when they are not)

Monthly dividend Income chart as of July 2020

The cumulative earnings for 2020 now are $1,103.73  which is just 30.60% from my goal of 2020 ($3,600). On average, it would ask us to generate $499.65 every month for the next 5 months to reach this goal. Right, now the goal looks unattainable, as for now, I cannot see even a single $200 month for 2020, 

2019 in Review and Financial Goals for 2020

Goals for June 2021

This is my favorite part of the reports - trying to forecast/set goals for the next year. But before setting a goal for 2020, let's see what I forecasted/said a year ago (July 2019)

For 2020, I'm looking to take at least $400 in dividend income.

Nah... we didn't even come close... our dividend stock portfolio wasn't immune against the market downturn and most of our stocks get trimmed or halted dividend payments. In the case of the recovery, there is hope. I will be optimistic and say we are still looking to crack that $250/mo goal in July 2021

Mziuri Park in Tbilisi

4 August, 2020 | Outdoor Activities | 80 seen

Mziuri park in Tbilisi is located on Vere river valley, the park has two entrances, one from the Chavchavadze Avenue, and second from the Chabua Amirejibi highway (also knows as the New Road) - opposite side to the Tbilisi Zoo

The renovated park has been opened for public just recently. It was in the middle of July 2020, I finally got my first drone-delivered here to Tbilisi and I decided to go and test it - Mizuri park seemed like an ideal spot.

Mziuri park in Tbilisi

The above pciture is my first HDR done with a drone. 

There are walking paths, an educational center, a sports complex and entertainment for children. There is an amphitheater in the central part of the park, where performances, film shows, concerts and various events are held.

There is a cafe Mziuri in the garden, where you will find a pleasant and cheerful environment. This is a social cafe, the profit of which is spent on the development of the park.

The idea of ​​establishing Mziuri belongs to Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze. In 1975, in the newspaper Literaturuli Sakartvelo, he wrote:

How do you think of building a park From Vere river to Chavchavadze Avenue and built our own Disneyland?".

A whole group of architects worked on the park project. It opened in 1982. As a result of the floods in the Vere River Valley on June 13, 2015, the park was severely damaged but is now being renovated and becoming more and more active and full of life. Sunny is one of the best places to unwind, relax, spend the day with your family. 

Source: Mziuri Park