Blog Archive: April 2016
Batumi Bay and Port
| Tourism objects | 20 seen
Once in Batumi, take a lazy walk at Batumi bay area, watch ships on anchor and enjoy a cup of tasty Turkish coffee at some of the bay cafeterias.
From Batumi bay you could take an aerial tram and get some really spectacular views towards Batumi.
Boulevard at Batumi bay
Ship on anchor at Batumi
You can climb down from the boulevard and enjoy pebbled shore.
Cargo ships at Batumi port
And really spectacular views towards Adjarian mountains,
Tashir Pizza at EastPoint Mall (Tbilisi)
| Restaurant reviews | 15 seen
From local Armenian ex-pat community in Tbilisi we heard that famous Armenian 'Tashir Pizza' has entered market of Georgia. Back at this stage I never had even heard about Tashir Pizza before.
It was on routine shopping day at East Point shopping mall in suburbs of Tbilisi, when we noticed a Tashir Pizza, since we had heard good words about it we decided to give it a try. And let me share my joy, how surprised I was - this place is just wonderful - delicious pizzas for real budget prices. I really like their approach serving thin Italian style or thick American style base pizzas. Thus I prefer to cook pizza at home (I do it regularly) - Tashir Pizza - you just made one more loyal customer.
Tashir Pizza at East Point mall
Remember this logo/brand as Tashir Pizza has great plans expanding huge across Georgia. According to the company, they intend to open 30 pizzerias in Georgia, 15 in Tbilisi and the other 15 in different cities of Georgia. It is worth mentioning that 23 Tashir Pizza pizzerias work in Armenia. Tashir Pizza largest network is in Russia, where over 270 pizzerias work…
Georgia / Armenia Border Crossing at Sadakhlo / Bagratashen
| Travel guides | 185 seen
One of the shortest routes for crossing Georgian / Armenian border, if traveling from Tbilisi to Yerevan, is Sadakhlo / Bagratashen border point.
I have traveled this route several times, mostly for my travels to Yerevan I have used private taxi cars or minivans leaving from Avlabari or Ortachala (in Tbilisi) and back from Kilikia bus station in Yerevan. Learn more about cheap travel between Georgia and Armenia by mini vans: Tbilisi - Yerevan transfers by taxi car
There are no Visa requirements for EU, US, Canada and most other Western country passport holders for crossing Georgia/Armenia border. Check before your departure.
Border crossing at Sadakhlo (Georgian side)
For passengers traveling in private vehicles there is no need to left car - passport checkup will be made at window. If you are traveling with bus or minivan you will be asked to take your belongings (at Georgian side) and cross border by foot (there is a terminal building at Georgian side, so you wont need to freeze in harsh weather conditions). You might be asked to put your backpack at scanner (again Georgian…
Kilikia Bus Station in Yerevan, Armenia
| Railway / Bus / Ferry | 139 seen
I have used Kilikia bus station to travel from Yerevan to Tbilisi using minivan (marshrutka), but seems you can get from Kilikia to Istanbul (Turkey), Tehran (Iran) or Moscow (Russia), take in note those will be very long trips (starting 40 hours) and I would rather prefer to fly instead of traveling such long distances by bus.
I reserved a seat a day before by calling to firm in Yerevan - Tbilisi minivan (Read more:Tbilisi - Yerevan transfers by taxi car ). Cost for Yerevan - Tbilisi minivan (7 seats in comfortable Mercedes Benz minivan) is 8,000 AMD (USD 17) (As of March, 2016). Minivan was leaving at 10:30. I don't know for sure precise departing times, but they for sure have many daily routes to Tbilisi, like at 9:00,11:00,13:00,15:00 and 17:00. It took about 5 and half hours to reach Tbilisi (Avlabari metro), with a longer (about 20 minute stop) at some gas station near Georgian border, and about 15 minutes at Sadakhlo Georgian/Armenian border for passport checkup.
Of course local (domestic) Armenian routes are served from here as well. They should be really cheap also.
Kilikia bus station is…
Narikala Fortress
| Military Heritage | 32 seen
Ask anybody in Georgia - what are the must have tourist sites to visit while in Tbilisi. Narikala fortress will be a top of the list.
And there is a good reason - an ancient fortress, featuring rich history, overlooking Tbilisi, with some really spectacular views towards Tbilisi Old Town.
Spectacular view to the Narikala Fortress
Above photo is shot from another monastery, located just opposite to Narikala fortress: See: Tabor monastery
Inside fortress complex there is located St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas Church inside Narikala fortress
There are many (at least three) options to get to Narikala - by Tbilisi Aerial tram, from Tbilisi Botanical garden or climbing up from Bath District (Abanotubani)
Tourist route to Narikala fortress from Abanotubani
You can get here by taxi as well.
View towards Tbilisi
Some really great views can be seen from here. Narikala is great for photography.
Ancient fortress walls
If you have been to Yerevean, Armenia - you might find some similarities with Erebuni…
Karas fast food on Mashtots Avenue, Yerevan
| Restaurant reviews | 32 seen
We paid a visit to Karas fast food restaurant on Mashtots avenue in Yerevan, just shortly we checked in at nearby Park hotel on Koghbaci street.
We got to this place by simply asking on street to a passer by where are some cool places around to get some cool food experience. The lady told - Karas, it's just around corner. So we ended up in Karas.
Menu at Karas restaurant in Yerevan
This was the most interesting menu I have seen, featuring neat marketing element. Menu was illustrated with happy people eating at Karas with texts like this - Omelet with ham and tomato juice - its the best start of my day. Buy Tomato juice - AMD 300.
Simple interior
The restaurant is actually located at the second floor, at first floor take away food can be ordered. The Best - Karas on Mashtots avenue works 24/7
Armenian beer - Gyumri
Very good Armenian brewed light beer
Shaurma combo
A combo, with some interesting local sauce and Coke for AMD 1200. Frankly speaking - nothing special - want real shaurma - best are located in…
Cranberries in Powdered Sugar
| Food blogger | 93 seen
Cranberries in powdered sugar are one of my favorite sweets from my childhood (sorry, Georgian churchela).
I remember in my childhood there were little nice cardboard boxes available for sale at local stores around my native Riga. It was always like a little celebration when my mom or grandma bought me some of those cardboard boxes with cranberries in powdered sugar and let me eat them
For a very long time I didn't find them around, but at the start of 2000's they started to appear again on shop shelves. Anyhow - many more years later I got this treat again, in my kitchen - homemade cranberries in powdered sugar. I haven't touched the following recipe (just eaten a lot of cranberries in powdered sugar), thus photographed.
Frosted cranberries just from the fridge
We bought a large 2kg sack of them at the local East Point Shopping mall in Tbilisi (imported from France)
Cranberries in Powdered sugar
Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar into 1 cup water for a simple syrup. Soak cranberries in the sugar/water mixture until coated. Sprinkle white granulated or powdered sugar across a cookie sheet. Sprinkle…
St. Nicholas Church, Tbilisi
| Churches and Monasteries | 153 seen
The chances you have seen or even visited St. Nicholas church, if traveled to Tbilisi, are huge - located on the lower court of city's most famous landmark's - Narikala fortress.
This Church has been "recently" restored. Newly built in 1996–1997, it replaces the original 13th-century church that was destroyed in a fire. The new church is of "prescribed cross" type, having doors on three sides. The internal part of the church is decorated with the frescos showing scenes both from the Bible and history of Georgia.
St. Nicholas church in Tbilisi
Located in the Narkala fortress complex, from here a lovely view towards Tbilisi is seen. The little church/monastery up in the hill is another interesting sight in Tbilisi, from which astonishing view towards Narikala and St. Nicholas church is seen. See: Tabor Monastery of the Transformation in Tbilisi
Church bells a top on the fortress walls
Inside St.Nicholas church at Narikala fortress
I just love church photography - there is something magical, something mystical..
Tombs, cross and Tbilisi
Tbilisi For Dummies- 10 Places To Visit When Planing Your Trip to Georgian Capital
| Travel guides | 11 seen
Planing your next trip to the Pearl of Caucasus - Tbilisi? Spending hours researching Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and travel blogs?
I'm here to help you, save time on researches and let Georgia to surprise you - after five years spent in this South Caucasus republic I decided to craft list of ten interesting tourist attraction sites in Tbilisi which will please most of the travelers.
You don't need a fancy budget to visit these sites (as most of them are free of entrance or for symbolic price). How to get around city? Easy - download taxify mobile app and pay as you go (cheaper can be only marshrutka
How to replace all "http" hyperlink with "https" Drupal
| Drupal Development | 11 seen
Recently I made a switch from http to https. I was pretty pleased with results, and started to wait for possible SEO boost from Google. As time passed, instead of boost some traffic drop started to appear in my Google Analytics account.
I cannot say for sure is this because of https thing or some major update in Google Search algorithm (Penguins & Pandas) , I just wanted make sure everything works right on my site.
Traffic dropped to 0 (hourly view)
Most probably it is just some glitch in Google Analytics (it happens time after time), or my server was not accessible, but maybe it was some Google Algorithm update. I'm not sure what was that, but that was the reason to get rid of Mixed content on my site and fix this ASAP.
Since I have a pretty large website with tons of photos uploaded (I'm using both Drupal file upload, both inline uploading images using CKEDITOR) - I started to notice that on some (on most,actually) articles a Mixed Content warning appeared and instead of browser bar turning green it stayed gray, at least for Google Chrome.
What is Mixed contentThis basically means…
Georgia - 5 years latter (Economic Developments 2011-2016)
| Living in Georgia | 11 seen
April 1st marks my five year anniversary since I opted to move to this amazing country on the edge where East meets West - Republic of Georgia.
Today, to celebrate this small anniversary I decided to take a look back - to see economic developments in Georgia 2011-2016 - how things how changed since I first landed at Tbilisi airport back at at April 1st, 2011.
See: 3 years in Georgia and 16 places to visit in Georgia and Tbilisi , for my previous annul reviews about Georgia.
As for a small country, pretty much of daily life in Georgia is related to politics. During past five years a major political turnover happened at the end of 2012, when former Presidents Mikheil Saakashvilli party United National Movement lost a majority to rival Georgian Dream coalition, a year latter, when Presidents term of office ended, Misha flew away country (by know Mikheil Saakashvili has been appointed a governor of Odessa oblast in Ukraine).
Very rarely I have found some useful information about country's economic developments, instead there are plenty of politics, public…
Eldar's Bike Workshop at Kidobani Market (Tbilisi)
| Professional services | 51 seen
Eldar's bike workshop is a place where back at the end of 2013 we bought two mountain bikes as a Christmases gift for ourselves.
Take a look of my riding experience in Tbilisi: First ride, Cycling to Tbilisi sea or alternatively check out cycling topic.
At Eldar's place you can fix leaky tires, fix brakes order new details and of course to buy a new or used bicycle. It was at the start of March, warm weather approached Tbilisi and I decided to change the leaky tire for one of our bikes, so I went to Kidobani market and searched for this workshop.
Eldar's bike shop in Tbilisi
Eldar asked me 8 lari for changing tube, he is a very nice and enthusiastic guy, can speak about bicycles a lot - he has some supplies from Europe - he is truly a master of his business.
Bikes are ready for the next cycling season
Shot at our Tbilisi apartments terrace.
Here are Eldar's contacts (Russian, Georgian)
+995 593 336 479 or +995 597 153 642