Villa Porro Pirelli, Induno Oluno, Italy
| Hotel reviews | 20 seen
Villa Porro Pirelli is set in Induno Olona, 5 km from Varese and 8 km from the Swiss border. It features air-conditioned rooms and a free outdoor pool, gym and solarium.
We booked here a one night stay in the mid-November 2019, and paid about $70 or $80 for our stay here. To get here, we arrived from Switzerland.
Induno Oluno is a small Italian town quite close to Milan (some 60 km).
With antique furnishings, elegant rooms at the Porro Pirelli include a minibar and trouser press. Some rooms have wood-beamed ceilings, and WiFi is free throughout.
Villa Porro Pirelli
Breakfast is served in the Sala della Musica hall, with frescoed ceilings. Guests can enjoy a meal at the Bistrò, located in the restored 18th-century greenhouse and offering views of the surrounding park. Open for lunch and dinner, it specialises in Italian cuisine.
Our booking didn't include breakfast, so we used our rental car to drive around and shop at local Carrefour shop, also we found a Lindt factory shop located in town
Simple room at Villa Porro Pirelli
Lake Lugano is reachable by car in around 10 minutes. On…
Restaurant Wineland Telavi
| Restaurant reviews | 26 seen
Restaurant Wineland is located close to the town of Telavi in the region of Kakheti, Georgia.
We discovered it in early January 2020 while driving Tbilisi - Tsinandali (via Gombori pass), as it was getting late already and we were approaching our final destination in Tsinandali (Odo's house) we started to look for some cozy restaurant to have dinner.
Luckily, Restaurant Wineland appeared on the roadside. Now there is one more restaurant I know and can recommend in Telavi, see Telavi restaurants
Restaurant Wineland near Telavi
As usual, it happens to us in Georgia, we were the only guests here. As I'm already used to it, I actually enjoy it a lot.
Also, we visited Wineland restaurant just shortly New Year, so there were still left decorations from Christmas.
Dinner at Wineland restaurant near Telavi
Restaurant Wineland serves typical Georgian cuisine, mcvadi, khachapuri, salads, some lemonades, and coffees. Really cozy place (despite lack of other people)
Resort Collina d'Oro - Hotel & Spa in Agra, Switzerland
| Hotel reviews | 18 seen
Located in a scenic location in the Ticino countryside, a 15-minute drive from Lugano’s centre, this exclusive 5-star resort on 25 hectares of grounds offers panoramic views.
We booked here a one night stay in early November 2019, for our stay here we paid ~ $234. The price included access to the SPA.
Collina d’Oro’s 1,000 m² spa area includes various wellness facilities, as well as a fitness room. A wide range of massages and beauty programs, as well as hydrotherapy, are available.
To get here we arrived from Lugano city in our rental car.
Resort Collina d'Oro - Hotel & Spa
An elegant restaurant, and a spa area with an indoor and an outdoor pool are at guests´ disposal. Free WiFi and a 24-hour concierge service are available.
Hotels restaurant
The restaurant includes a sun terrace and a pool bar during summer and serves refined dishes made from regional products, as well as a wide selection of wines. It has its own vineyard and organic garden.
We ordered some pasta and rabbit (?) here. Our total bill some EUR 40
Pasta served
Good food…
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate Georgia
| Hotel reviews | 26 seen
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate Georgia is situated in Tsinandali, 1.4 km from Tsinandali Palace Museum, and offers free WiFi.
An infinity outdoor swimming pool with view and pool bar is available on site as well as spa facilities, steam rooms and fitness centre.
Ok, I actually haven't stayed at this hotel for the night, though I have enjoyed a cup of cappuccino at the hotel's library bar. But let me say one more time - Georgia never ends surprise me!
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate Georgia
All units in the hotel are equipped with a coffee machine. The rooms are fitted with a private bathroom with free toiletries and a hair dryer. The units at Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate Georgia feature air conditioning and a wardrobe. Each room includes a flat-screen TV with satellite channels.
Wine tasting gallery
The project was developed by Silk Road Group with the financial support of Partnership Fund and TBC Bank.
JSC Partnership Fund is a state-owned investment fund, established in 2011.
Library bar
The daily breakfast…
Top 13 Luxury Hotels in Lugano, Switzerland
| Hotel reviews | 35 seen
Lugano is a tranquil city located in southern Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region.
Its Swiss-Mediterranean mix of cultures is closely related to that of Italy’s northern Lombardy region. This mix is reflected in its architecture and cuisine. The city stands on the northern shore of glacial Lake Lugano, surrounded by mountains.
We traveled to Lugano, Switzerland at the end of 2019, thus we didn't stay overnight in Lugano, instead we stayed in Resort Collina d'Oro - Hotel & Spa in Agra,
For a comfortable stay in Lugano, you should be ready to pay about $200-$250 per night, thus for spoiled ones Lugano has luxury hotels averaging $500 for night
Disclosure: this article contains links to Booking.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a reservation on Booking.com site, I might earn an affiliate income, at no cost to you
Villa Principe LeopoldoVilla Principe Leopoldo can be found amid a large park above Lugano, offering panoramic views of Lake Lugano and the mountains, and featuring leisure, sport and wellness facilities, as well as exquisite dining options. WiFi is available for free.
A…
Amazon Fire Tablet 7 Review
| Gadget Reviews | 12 seen
I ordered Amazon Fire Tablet 7 at the end of 2019 as a Christmas gift to our almost 18-month old baby girl. It took some two weeks before the gadget was actually delivered to us here in Georgia.
I wanted to have something cheap enough it wouldn't be sad if the baby would drop or broke and also something smart enough to use Alexa with. I've been a huge fan of the Amazon Echo device since August 2019.
Amazon Alexa Echo Dot (3rd Gen) - Smart speaker Review
And that's how I decided to go with Amazon Fire Tablet 7
Now was time to unpack and see what's inside.
Package has arrived in Georgia
For shipments to Georgia we are using a neat delivery service called Usa2Georgia, see: How To Order Goodies From US to Georgia - Usa2Georgia.com
Fire 7 tablet in package
Here is what inside
- 7" IPS display; 16 or 32 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
- Faster 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- Up to 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching video, and listening to music
- Now Alexa hands-free
- 1 GB of RAM…
January 2020 Dividend Income Report - $164.99
| Investments | 14 seen
Welcome to the thirty third (#33) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in January 2020.
Just like in the previous years, the last January disappeared like a flicker, little miss Fischer baby girl turned already 18-month old. We started to go to the Georgian language kindergarten, which at the end of the month we still decided to switch to English pre-school with the Montessori teaching method.
During January we spent all-time in Georgia, did a few road trips to Tsinandali and Gudauri ski resort (twice)
Gudauri Ski Resort in Georgia
This January also marked a small 3 years anniversary since I originally set my goal to have in a savings account 1 million dollars by 2045.
From the market perspective, January was a catastrophe - starting bombings of US bases in Iraq, downing Ukrainian airplane and ending the Coronavirus in China. what a bad place we are living in.
From the point of dividends, …
Odo's House in Tsinandali
| Hotel reviews | 10 seen
Odo's house is a family-run bed&breakfast style guest house, located in Tsinandali, some 100 km from Tbilisi in Georgia.
We booked Odo's house at the start of January 2020 for a two-night stay and paid about USD 40 for that (free parking and breakfast included)
Odo's House features a garden. All rooms feature a kitchenette, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and a private bathroom. Every room includes a terrace with a mountain view.
The guesthouse is located in front of the famous Alexander Chavchavadze museum
Room at Odo's house
For me I got the feeling I have got back to Soviet Georgia (in a very positive way) I felt like in the 60-ies.
Odo's Guesthouse
Breakfast at Odo's house in Tsinandali
Garden
Postcards from Lugano
| Tourism objects | 10 seen
We traveled to Lugano in Switzerland at the end of 2019.
Visit to Lugano officially adds marks 18th country on my travel map I've visited (since 2013)
We arrived here from Italy's Lecco town using our rental car (Sicily car), a quick border check (without a real inspection) and we were inside Switzerland.
Lake Lugano
Lugano is a town and a municipality in southern Switzerland in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy. It has a population of 63,185, and an urban agglomeration of over 145,000. The ninth-largest Swiss town, it is the largest in Ticino and largest with an Italian speaking majority outside of Italy.The town lies on Lake Lugano, surrounded by the mountains of the Lugano Prealps.
The eastern part of the municipality shares a border with Italy.
Boats and Yachts on Lugano lake
Lugano is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland. The town is home to a number of historic buildings and museums, whilst the surrounding area has many natural sights.
Both Lake…
Aparthotel Autosole Riga
| Hotel reviews | 15 seen
Located opposite a park in the historical centre of Riga on Hospitāļu street.
Aparthotel Autosole offers to its guests 10 comfortable apartments and studios.
We have been staying at this hotel several times, with the first stay being back in 2017 while the latest stay was at the end of 2019. In total, we paid USD 86 for a 2-night stay. That's one of the cheapest stays you can find in Riga.
There is one more Autosole Economy motel located in the other side of Riga, see Autosole Economy Motel in Riga
See my complete listing with Riga hotels I have stayed
Aparthotel Autosole in Riga
1.5 km from Arena Riga, Aparthotel Autosole offers fully-equipped studios and apartments with satellite TV, free Wi-Fi and free parking. The property is housed in a renovated 19th-century building.
Apartment at Autosole
There was a kitchenette in our quite spacious room. The baby crib was provided for free on request.
Guests can use self-check in service outside of the working hours of the reception.
2019 Blog Income & Traffic Review - Goals For 2020
| Blogging | 20 seen
January is almost at the end and it's time to look back on the previous year of blogging (2019), and no doubts - take a quick glimpse of 2020
In today's article, I will reveal data behind the blog scenes - both traffic and income for the whole year of 2019. But before we dig into the numbers, here is the brief background - blog now is more than six years old, and for the last six years it has gone a very long way,
Make sure to check out my previous yearly blogging reviews:
- 2018 - 2018 Blog Income & Traffic Review - Goals For 2019 / $20,517.34
- 2017 - 2017 Blog Income & Traffic Review - Goals For 2018 / $24,920.47
- 2016 - Blog Traffic and Income Report 2016 - 635,048 Users / $18,586.41
- 2015 - Blog Traffic and Income Report for 2015 - 347,035 users / $9,819.71
- 2014 - Blog Income Report 2014 / $3,334.20
- In total blog have reached 989,568 (almost a million) users in 2019
- On average it is 82,464 monthly users or…
Ilia Lake
| Lakes | 34 seen
Ilia Lake is located near the town of Kvareli in the region of Kakheti, Georgia.
First discovered back in 2014, while staying at Royal Batoni hotel next to the lake. Since then I've headed here several times. It was at the start of 2020 when I learned that this lake actually is manmade.
Ilias lake was formed in a valley of the Duruji Rivier a few years ago, financed from the then Presidential fund (Mikheil Saakashvili)
Ilia’s Lake was named after Ilia Chavchavadze, a nobleman who is still considered one of the mightiest thinkers in the history of the country. He was a real polymath – a person of many jobs and aspirations.
Ilias lake in Georgia
There is a small amphitheater located on the lake
Unfortunately, the recreational area has been abandoned and hasn't got any serious repairs (at least in January 2020), the lake seems is losing water, in fact, the close by Duruji river is lacking any water (I wonder why, maybe because of the Hydro Power Plants)
Hotel Royal Batoni in the background
Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili opened the Ilia Lake on…
Tremezzina near Como Lake, Italy
| Tourism objects | 19 seen
Tremezzina is located on the western banks of Lake Como, right in front of Bellagio, and is the result of a recent merger of the comunes of Lenno, Mezzegra, Ossuccio, and Tremezzo.
We discovered this picturesque Italian town during our about a week-long trip in Italy during the mid-November 2019.
According to Lake Como Travel website a scene from Star Wars were shot here:
Visiting Tremezzina means having the chance to enjoy a place that is rich in atmosphere, history, and attractions. For example… did you know that some Star Wars’ scenes were shot here?
Tremezzina
Actually we didn't even visit the town of Tremezzina, instead, we made a stop to make a couple of pictures after departing from hotel Lenno and heading to Lugano in Switzerland.
Semarah Lielupe Hotel & SPA
| Hotel reviews | 20 seen
Lielupe Hotel SPA & Conferences by Semarah is located in a calm area of Jurmala, surrounded by forest and 400 m from the Baltic Sea. It features a spacious kids club with different games and toys.
We booked this hotel in mid-December 2019, for a two-night stay and paid in total $257 for two separate rooms (as my mom was traveling with us)
Elegant rooms at Lielupe Hotel SPA & Conferences feature a safety deposit box and a balcony. Private bathrooms come with a hairdryer and toiletries.
Room at Hotel Lielupe
The room size could be bigger, but except that everything was good. We even got a free baby crib, which our baby girl is not even thinking to use anymore.
The view from the balcony was a pinewood, instead of the Baltic sea:
View from the balcony
One thing should be noted - this is a very kid-friendly hotel, the most kid-friendly I have actually stayed so far
kids playground near the dining area
Restaurant Lielupe provides its guests with an extensive international, Latvian and Russian cuisine. During summer guests can enjoy…
Minimum Wages in Baltic States 2020
| Macroeconomics | 13 seen
It has been a great decade for all three Baltic states, and increasing minimum wages is just one good example of showing that.
From humble EUR 238 in 2010 to still modest EUR 607 (Lithuania). That's quite an impressive growth in "just" 10 years.
For me observing minimum wages in the Baltic states has always been interesting, here you can find some of my previous articles on this topic:
- Minimum wages in Baltic states 2013
- Minimum Wages in the Baltic States 2015
- Minimum Wage Set to Rise in the Baltic States in 2018
Why do I care so much about minimum wages in the Baltic states? Simple, I've been building a dividend-paying stock portfolio and one of the mine goals is to reach a monthly dividend income level in the same level as a minimum wage.
Currently, I'm competing against Latvian minimum wage set at EUR 430 in 2020. The current best dividend income month has been June 2019, when I made EUR 267. In general, when planning next year's investments I must keep in mind the minimum wage increases. Tough. But that's what I'm loving being a dividend growth investor…
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