Rally Kurzeme 2016

20 May, 2016 | | 3 seen

Sport photography has always been interesting for me. I don't feel pro enough to call myself a sport photography guru, as I understand it involves fast zoom lens as well. 

Today I was equipped with kit 18-55mm lens and 70-300mm telephoto lens - the overall result - pretty good, some photos are even made in auto mode.

Rally Kurzeme 2016

We booked a Royal Fontaine hotel and had a chance to observe rally in front of our hotel.

Old Soviet car VAZ and Estonian Team

Above photo is taken using Auto mode - excellent.

Rally Kurzeme 2016

Navy ships at Liepaja Channel

Piece of Life

Hotel Fontaine Royal Review In Liepāja

19 May, 2016 | Hotel reviews | 10 seen

Set in a converted factory building along the Tirdzniecības kanāls, this laid-back hotel with quirky, royal-inspired interiors is 8 minutes' walk from the Liepajas theater and 6 km from tours of the Karostas Cietums prison.

The eclectic, colorful rooms come with TVs and Internet access. Budget rooms share bathrooms, while upgrades have en suite facilities. Family rooms sleep up to 6 people, and suites feature gilt furniture, seating areas and/or whirlpool tubs. Breakfast is offered for a fee (EUR 6, as of 2016). There's also a casual eatery, a cozy bar and a nightclub. Other amenities include a 24-hour gym, an indoor pool & a full-service spa.

It was actually not a planned stay here, as we were planing to stay either in Palanga or Klaipeda today, but an accident with our car happened on Grobiņa - Bārta road (clutch mechanism was broken), we had to call for auto evacuator, and since it was a Saturday evening already, the best we could have today - just get car to Liepāja town and wait for next week for car to get fixed (unplanned expenses). We were not in mood to stop our planned route to Lithuania and decided to book a hotel here and rent a rental…

DIY - Bed Frame King Size Rural Style

18 May, 2016 | DIY | 13 seen

One of the most important furniture elements in your master bedroom definitely is a bed. This time I decided to build a bed frame by my own.

Last year we bought four mattress and used them in old single beds. I decided to combine them and build a King or at least a Queen Size bed. To accomplish this task I studied a few tutorials, see 21 DIY Bed Frame Projects – Sleep in Style and Comfort.

I ordered planks from local carpentry, the total cost for such bed about EUR 30.

Single Bed Frames

To free up the space in the room I had to take those two out and put them in front of the house. A tripod (in background) is a must have for a decent photography.

Planks

I have four supportive corner beams (15cmx15xm) approximate 60cm height. The carpenter dude already did cuts in beams where to attach supportive planks.

Author of this blog captured in action - grinding boards

Adding nice finishing. Remember the tripod from the first image? Very nice way to make self-portraits (timer)

Installing bed frame

The bottom line of mattress are about 36cm from floor (why 36cm? I have…

Burning Branches

17 May, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 8 seen

Few days ago we did the Big Spring tree and branches trimming, we were left with many piles of branches, the only reasonable solution to get rid of them - burn them.

We waited for overcast day and made three fire places today. Thus we didn't burned all of the branches today, we did a pretty good work today.

Making a fire place near fish pond

In contrary to the weather forecast, instead overcast day we got crystal clear sky and pretty warm day, which made me a bit nervous about safety.

Burning branches in Apple orchard

Flying Fish over Venta Rapid in Kuldīga

16 May, 2016 | | 12 seen

This was my second attempt to photograph flying fish over Venta rapid this year, first I did it around April 20, but didn't choose the right position and the weather was damn cold (sky were totally gray). 

Second time, on April 29,  it was crystal clear sky, which in result got me a little bit boring photography, but hey at least captured some of the flying fishes this time.

The best place to photograph flying fish over Venta rapid, is by directly installing a tripod in front of it, Which means you'll have to climb down the rocky stairways and cross the muddy river-bed (your foot will be wet, so better take rubber boots).

The Venta Rapid

Not the best day for landscape HDR photography (which I did), as the sky are totally clear and makes a boring scenery. I changed my lens to 70-300mm and got at least the flying fishes scenery.

Flying fishes over Venta Rapid

Learn more about Venta Rapid and some of photography tricks I have tried here: The Venta Waterfall (Rapid) - Widest In Europe

DIY - Kitchen Cabinets With a Sink

15 May, 2016 | DIY | 10 seen

I have always loved to construct and develop some new things, I love to spend my free time by figuring out how to improve space around me, that's why probably for a second season I have been doing home remodeling works by my own. In today's article, not about my adventures from home remodeling, but a simple trick how I improved the temporary living space around me - kitchen cabinets with a sink.

Lets start with what we got here:

Old Kitchen Corner

Yup, it sucks, as you can see, it is overloaded with household cleaning products, the old plumbing is just catastrophic (that's how it's done in these parts of Word) and it just urgently needs and upgrade. Luckily the solution is neither expensive nor too much complicated.

For fixing this issue I spent just above EUR 100 (EUR 85 for kitchen cabinets, EUR 33 for sink, and EUR 6 for plumbing gear)

Lets start fixing this

Installing kitchen cabinet

Prior installing this cabinet I removed old sink and old plumbing (make sure you close the water tap before removing plumbing). Cabinets are from local…

Kuldīga Food Market

14 May, 2016 | Shopping Venues | 43 seen

Kuldīga Food Market (Kuldīgas pārtikas tirgus, in Latvian) is located on Aizputes street 2a in Kuldīga, Latvia.

Frankly speaking I have no idea why they call it a food market, as from food there are little to nothing to choose. Instead this is a great place to buy plants, seeds, wood products (spoons, decorative wood figures), honey and yes, they have a small stand selling smoked fish. Does it sounds like a food market? 

Kuldīga market

Flower plants for sale

Honey

Prices are in EUR

Strawberry plants

Bought here a dozen of strawberry plants, paid just EUR 4 total

Wood products

Edward The Brushcutter AW-BC620TH Trimmer

12 May, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 58 seen

Meet Edward, our newest team member to help us out in our home remodeling works. I first met Edward at local DEPO DIY store in Liepāja, Latvia. The sales person wanted me to buy  a Jasper, as Jasper was listed just under EUR 100. In my mind I had already allocated about EUR 400 for a new brush cutter / trimmer purchase and I asked to the salesperson can he show me something more powerful than Jasper?

I was introduced with many never heard brand names before, when Edward popped up. Sales guy told me - hey take a look on Edward! I asked who the hell is Edward? Ahh - you know, some Chinese guy, but really great guy. Edward  AW-BC620TH was listed for EUR 220, but owners of DEPO loyalty card could own it just for EUR 189. 

I took a look on Edward's technical capability, enjoyed that it features both string and knife nozzle and it runs on petrol. So I opted for Edward after some 10 minute wondering around Jaspers, Hetchs and other never  before heard brand names.

There were still few formalities to pass, before acquiring Edward, like to get other buyer and ask his DEPO loyalty card to be…

The Big Spring Cleanup Part 2 - Trimming Trees and Branches

11 May, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 9 seen

After the successful Big Spring cleanup of territory surrounding our rural house, and after masonry works with chimney it was time to get rid of old and broken branches.

Frankly speaking I thought it will be enough just to cut one broken branch from our apple orchard and trimming some smaller bushes in garden. Turned out I was wrong. After all we trimmed many trees and way more branches. For this task I hired a professional saw guy, which I was already familiar since last summer's home remodeling works. We made a first barbecue picnic today as well. 

Let me show exactly what we did today:

Cutting trees and trimming branches

Some good firewood for winter can be made from some trees.

Man with a saw in action

Guntars or Guncha how we call the saw guy is a wonderful guy, he is master of many tools, but the chain saw is his heart thing. I was just amazed seeing him in action, how virtue this guy works with a chain saw. Just amazing.

First Barbecue this season - Chicken wings - yummy

Cutting osier shrubbery 

Some major fish pond works are planned for this…

Former Kolkhoz Spartak

10 May, 2016 | | 8 seen

It was on a still and tranquil Friday evening when we took our cat Tiger on a walk. I took a tripod and camera and just documented were we went. Turned out we were walking with our cat at former kolkhoz Spartaks territory,

A kolkhoz was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. Kolkhozes existed along with state farms or sovkhoz. These were the two components of the socialized farm sector that began to emerge in Soviet agriculture after the October Revolution of 1917, as an antithesis both to the feudal structure of impoverished serfdom and aristocratic landlords and to individual or family farming.

Former kolkhoz "Spartaks"

Located in Laidi parish, Kuldiga district, Latvia, nowadays this former kolkhoz Spartaks seems is used by locals to store a firewood and some small animals.

Nearby fish ponds

Skew roof

Seems these guys need a little help in roof works

Transformer building

Piece of Life after all!

Drupal Patch For Location Module To Update Province List for Latvia With Latest Data

9 May, 2016 | Drupal Development | 4 seen

Made a simple Drupal patch for Location module to display latest administrative divisions of Latvia. Default one is still showing outdated data using old "Rayon" as administrative divisions of Latvia.

Will try to submit this patch to official module release on Drupal.orf

From Wikipedia:  

According to the Administrative territorial reform of Latvia (2009), Latvia changed its administrative divisions from two-level municipalities (the districts were the first-level municipalities, while towns, cities, towns countryside territories and parishes were the second-level municipalities) to one-level municipalities - districts were liquidated, but towns (Latvian: pilsētas), towns countryside territories (Latvian: pilsētu lauku teritorijas) and parishes (Latvian: pagasti) were merged into 110 municipalities (Latvian: novadi) and there are 9 republican cities (Latvian: republikas pilsētas) with their own city council and administration.

To update to the latest administrative…

Repairing Old Brick Chimney

7 May, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 9 seen

On April 20, 2016 we completely changed a top of our brick chimney at our rural country house. It was not planned actually to change all top of chimney, just to add two rows of bricks. Thus after a quick inspection it was clear - it's time to replace it all.

Read how we lost a chimney in past: Replacing Roof - Part 3: Removing the old roofing (Losing Chimney)

Workers inspecting chimney

It was clear - there are no other option, but to remove brick by brick from atop of the chimney, and rebuild it from scratch (almost)

Removing old bricks from chimney

It was much easier that it seemed - due to the harsh weather and lack of any maintenance for the past 25 years (at least) bricks were detached from the mortar and in fact it was already dangerous to have such an unstable and unsafe chimney.

Red bricks for chimney

They are not new, they are actually some 80 years old, as we took them from the second chimney base (the one we lost last summer)

The mortar

Half way there

I was told a chimney should have seven rows above the roof.

Done…

Restaurant "Ukrainochka" in Batumi

6 May, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 23 seen

Restaurant Ukrainochka is located at Batumi Railway Station terminal building, some 3 km from Batumi city centre. Food served here is true masterpieces of Ukrainian cuisine, not to mention blonde and beautiful Ukrainian girls serving your meal here. 

We enjoyed our Ukrainian meal here, while waited for train departing back to Tbilisi.

Spacious space at Ukrainochka in Batumi

Menu at Ukrainochka restaurant

Both traditional Ukrainian cuisine and Georgian is served here

Traditional Ukrainian Borsch served with smetana (sour cream)

Really delicious

Pancakes served with cold milk

Milk was not offered in menu, but I asked to the blonde Ukrainian girl, is it possible to manage it, as pancakes and cold milk is the best. She was a quick learner and sold us milk as matsoni (Georgian yogurt). 

Restaurant Ukrainochka in Batumi central station is one of the best Ukrainian cuisine restaurants I have visited lately, great food, excellent service. The price? We paid about 60 lari here, which might be a bit above average.

Batumi Railway Station

5 May, 2016 | Railway / Bus / Ferry | 369 seen

Batumi railway station has been recently constructed and opened for public, making travels by train from Tbilisi to Batumi a little bit easier.

Prior that, train stopped at Makjinjauri station (some 7 km from Batumi city center)

I took a train ride from Tbilisi to Batumi at start of March 2016, and was 100% sure that new station will be located somewhere in Batumi city - I was wrong. The new station is still located some 3 km from city, and to actually get to the city, you must take additional taxi or bus. Very strange.

Newly constructed Batumi Railway Station

It has been opened in Summer of 2015. Former Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili praised the opening of the new railway station.

"This is a very important investment for Batumi. Partnership Fund and Georgian Railway contributed significantly in implementing this project. Batumi’s potential is growing and we all should support the city to use its potential,” said Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

A Georgian Railways representative said the new train station was another major infrastructure project…

How To Make Burger Buns at Home

4 May, 2016 | Food blogger | 16 seen

If you asked me how to make hamburger buns at home question some eight years ago - I would say - it's complicated and most probably impossible. Ask me today - and I will not only exactly tell - but I will show some cool pictures of both how to make burger buns at home and some really delicious home made burgers and variation of hotdogs.

Allow me to inform you - I'm not the original creator of what you will see next (I was allowed just to photograph) - but since we made burger buns at home - let me say - there is nothing impossible a man can handle. For today's photography I used 100mm zoom lens (My findings: 100mm are really cool for food photography).

• See my first attempts of simple homemade hamburger recipe (using buns bought at local supermarket)

For burger buns dough we took Belle's Hamburger Buns recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1 egg yolk…