Kronvalda Park in Riga
Kronvalda Park (originally Strēlnieku dārzs) is a part of the greenery of the Old Riga canal bank. The total area of the park is 11.92 ha. Kronvalda park which borders Elizabetes and Kr. Valdemāra Street, as well as Kronvalda and Kalpaka Boulevards.The city canal divides the park into two parts.Kronvalda park in RigaI spent a good hour with our toddler baby girl and DJI Mavic Air 2 drone to capture some nice aerial photography of Riga.Canal at Kronvalda park in RigaBest for feeding ducks or lazy walksView towards Riga
November 2020 Dividend Income Report - $140.67
Welcome to the forty-third (#43) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in November 2020.Last November we spent in Latvia, did several trips here and there. I had a chance to play with my latest DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, made some really nice HDR photos, hyper lapses, and more.St Nicholas Naval Cathedral in KarostaFrom the perspective of dividend income - Last November was quite Okay (compared to previous months of the year, but not so Okay if compared to November 2019). We took $140 in dividend income last month. I would wish more for an almost 4 years old dividend portfolio, but…
Apriķi Lutheran Church
Apriķi church is located in the Apriķi village, Laža parish, Aizpute district in the Western part of Latvia (Courland).Apriķi church is considered to be the pearl of Courland sacral art because the glory of its indoor interior is remembered by every visitor. Apriķi Lutheran ChurchThe stone church is built on Apriķi manor house land as Osten-Sakenu private church in the beginning of 17th century. The church got its glorious blue-white and golden coloured interior in the middle of the 18th century. The main influence in the interior is rococo, but specific elements share distinct baroque characteristics.The pulpit, organ gallery, organ, altar, confessional make up a…
Golden hour at Northern Forts / Liepāja
Northern forts of Liepāja are really cool military history tourism site - Built by Imperial Russia at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of 20th century to provide the protection of Liepāja’s naval base in case of enemy attack.It was at the start of November 2020, I was equiped with DJI Mavic Air 2 drone and wanted to make some cool drone footage. Decided to test with bracketing to post process in Adobe Lightroom later and make some nice looking HDR's.Here is what I got:Northern forts of Liepāja According to history - In November of 1908, Tsar Nicholas II approved a decision to shut down the sea fortress in Liepāja. It has been now over 100 years since these…
Weekend trip to Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe
Weekend trips to Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe are quite possible and easily doable.
I just love to visit Borjomi an area during the fall season, the scenery can turn very spectacular, leaves are turning yellow, orange.. see Autumn in Borjomi
So did happen at the of September 2020, we decided to for an easy weekend trip to Borjomi, booked a nice family-run hotel in Borjomi - hotel Rustaveli
Once arrived on site, it turned out we are the only guests, got complimentary wine from the hotel owner David, who latter recommended us to visit Sapara monastery near Akhaltsikhe the next day.
The next morning we headed to the famous mineral water park in Borjomi, as it was raining…
St Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Karosta / Liepāja
The St Nicholas Naval Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral church located in Karosta in the north of Liepāja, Latvia.I have visited this cathedral just a couple of times, but always have been impressed by the glory of the place. It was at the start of November 2020, I got my new DJI Mavic Air 2 drone and I wanted to make some nice aerography, as we happened to be in the area, it was agreed to film and photograph this cathedralSt Nicholas Naval Cathedral in LiepājaThe cathedral was built on the style of 17th century traditional Russian churches with a central dome representing Christ with 4 smaller domes representing the four evangelists on…
Rudbārži Palace
Rudbārži Palace is a palace in Rudbārži parish in Skrunda municipality in the historical region of Courland, in western Latvia.The estate was, from 16th century to 1661, owned by the family of Eberhard von Goes and from 1778 till 1920 by the von Fircks noble family. Schloss Rudbahren was originally built (within the Courland Governorate) in 1835 for Baroness Thea von Fircks and was remodeled in 1882–1883. The structure was severely damaged by a fire set by revolutionaries in 1905 but rebuilding began in 1908.Rudbarzi palaceDuring the Latvian independence struggle of 1919, Rudbārži Palace was a base for…
October 2020 Dividend Income Report - $89.35
Welcome to the forty-second (#42) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in October 2020.Last October we managed to get out of Georgia and come to Latvia, seems we have will stuck here for some time.Also, another, bigger and better, drone is now in my arsenal (DJI Mavic Air 2)Golden Autumn in Latvia / Forest house in ĶemeriFrom the perspective of dividend income - we keep struggling and last October was pretty bad if compared to the previous years, we keep suffering from trimmed dividends, and by the end of the month, we barely took $89. Relying on dividends these days is very…
Sapara Monastery
Sapara Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastery located in the Akhaltsikhe District of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, Georgia.I had a chance to visit this monastery at the end of September 2020 and capture really awesome drone photography / catching colors of the fallSapara monastery from a drone flightIt has existed from at least the 9th century, and has numbered among its monks many important figures in Georgian ecclesiastical history. At the end of the 13th century Sapara became a possession of the Jakeli family, whose leader, Sargis Jakeli, was adept at staying on good terms with the Mongols, which enabled Samtskhe to enjoy a…
Ķemeri Forest House
Ķemeri Forest house is really cool outdoors tourism attraction located close to JūrmalaThe park centre is located in Ķemeri, in the “Forest House” . We first discovered this place back in Spring 2018 and made some nice hiking in the area, see: Hiking Trails in Kemeri National Park (Near Forest House)We have been returning here for a few more times ever since. Forest House in ĶemeriThe history of the “Tree House” dates back to the summer of 1933, when in the newly constructed building, a centre for sports and recreation (arch. Fridrihs Skujiņš) was opened, pleasing the visitors with “a exemplary shooting range, various American sport type apparatus, ping-pong, bowling alley,…
Another Daytrip to Kakheti in Georgia
I have said it already several times in the blog - day trips to the region of Kakheti are quite possible and easily done from Tbilisi
Day Trip to Kakheti in Georgia
In today's article, I'll share our route details and discoveries from the latest day trip to Kakheti on October 3, 2020
We left Tbilisi and headed to Telavi via Gombori Pass, here we made a stop at Ujarma fortress where I made some cool drone photography, see: Ujarma Fortress from a drone flight, our next stop is Italian restaurant Enzo's ezo at Chateau Mere close to Telavi.
From here on we head to the Lopota lake side to find some cool vineyards for more drone videography, see: Daytrip to…
Atskuri Fortress
Atskuri is a medieval Georgian fortress located on the right bank of the Mtkvari River, approximately 30 kilometres from Borjomi, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.We discovered this fortress by accident while driving to the town of Akhatiskhe. As I was equipped with my DJI Mavic mini drone I made some cool aerography hereAtskuri fortressBuilt on a massive rock back in the 9th century, Atskuri Fortress was an important stronghold for the defense of Georgia during the Middle ages.The fortress was probably situated near the town of Atskuri, of which no traces have been found. First mentioned in the 9th century, the fortress was significantly…
Colors of Georgia / Failed Attempt to Reach Betania Monastery
It was at the start of October, we decided to visit Betania monastery not far from Tbilisi. We took our almost SUV car - Volkswagen Touareg and started the journey.The road sign said 6,7 km and we will reach the monastery.Cool, I thought, I have wanted to visit this place for ages, let me make some cool drone video.Colors of Georgia, on the road to Betania monasteryLittle we know that the drive is not the best, and can take about an hour. it was getting dark, our toddler girl was crying, and it was decided to turn back the car and return here some other day.Author of this blog captured in actionPiece of Life after all!
September 2020 Dividend Income Report - $117.04
Welcome to the forty-first (#41) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in September 2020.Just like in the previous months, we spent the last September here in Georgia. We did a few road trips across the country.Also, I managed to crash and lose my DJI Mavic mini drone and had to order a new one, which got delivered at the end of the month, so more cool drone videos can be done.Sapara monastery in GeorgiaI had a chance to visit this monastery at the end of September 2020 and capture really awesome drone photography / catching colors of the fallThe baby girl attends her pre-school, she is doing great - talking,…
How To Withdraw PayPal to Bank Account in Georgia
Withdrawing funds from PayPal to a local bank account is a popular question in many countries, including Georgia.
As recently I had to renew my VISA card here in Georgia (Bank of Georgia) I decided to test - can I actually withdraw funds from Paypal to a Bank account in Georgia?
If you need consultancy or help with opening a bank account in Georgia, visit the Terramatris website: Opening Bank Account in Georgia
Turns out I can. And it is done at blazing speeds. Funds were transferred in seconds, Awesome.
For the test purposes, I decided to transfer $40 from my PayPal balance to my Georgian bank account.
the transfer took about 3 seconds and cost $5.
Not sure will the…
Rike Park Concert Hall - Music Theater and Exhibition
As the name suggests, the Rike Park Concert Hall is located inside the territory of Rike Park, Tbilisi. The other name Music Theatre and Exhibition hallRike park concert hall in TbilisiThe project site is located inside the green area called Rike Park, in Tbilisi, Georgia.The building consists of two different soft shaped elements that are connected as a unique body at the retaining wall. Every shape has its own function:The north part of the building contains the Musical Theatre Hall (566 seats), the foyer and several facilities, together with technical spaces for theatre machinery and various storages. The Exhibition Hall opens its great entrance with a ramp that brings…
Italy/Switzerland Travel Guide
This is yet another roundup post listing places from our latest trip to Italy and Switzerland at the end of 2019.
Long story short - we travel to Italy's Bergamo by Ryanair from Tbilisi airport, took a rental car, and went to cool places both in Italy and Switzerland. To make it more fun we traveled together with our 16 months old toddler
Also, see my notes from the 2015/2016 travels - My Italy Travel Guide
Paragraph Resort & Spa Shekvetili, Autograph Collection Hotel in Georgia
Set in Shekhvetili, some 40km from Batumi, Paragraph Resort & Spa Shekvetili, Autograph Collection offers 5-star accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and a fitness center. We booked this hotel for an about a 4-day stay in early August 2020, to celebrate my 35th birthday here.For this stay here we spent GEL 3030 / USD 980. Arrived here from another great hotel in Batumi (Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi) using Bolt taxi application (About 40 GEL)Family room at Parapgrahp Resort and SPA hotel in ShekvetiliAs we were traveling with our 2 years old toddler girl, our room was upgraded (for free) to the family room. We saved at least GEL 1500 from this free upgrade. Which…
Rustaveli Borjomi Hotel
Set in Borjomi on Rustaveli street this Hotel has a bar, shared lounge, garden, and free WiFi throughout the property.This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and room service. Free private parking is available and the hotel also offers bike hire for guests who want to explore the surrounding area.We booked this hotel for a one night stay at the end of September 2020 and paid just GEL 88 (USD 26). Now that's definitely a bargain deal. From several hotels we have stayed in Borjomi, this stands out (budget friendly)All guest rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a fridge, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. With a private bathroom fitted with…
Carved Stone Sculptures near Sno - Akhaltsikhe - Juta road
Driving into the village on the winding Sno-Akhaltsikhe-Juta road, just before the entrance, you pass a collection of massive stone heads, somewhat reminiscent of Easter Island, carved out of granite.It was in mid-August 2020, we took a day trip to Juta village to fly drone when our guides told - hey look there are these cool carved stones, let's take a stop here. I thought cool, I will google this place later, but for now, will just take some photos with a drone.And so I didCarved stone sculptures near Sno village in GeorgiaIt took me some time and technical knowledge to find more information about this place using metadata for photos from my DJI Mavic Mini drone (Adobe…