Blog Archive: September 2017

Top 20 Apartments in Agia Marina Beach, Crete (Aparthotels, Villas & Hotels)

29 September, 2017 | Hotel reviews | 19 seen

Agia Marina is a popular resort town on the island of Crete in Greece, located just some 10 km west from Chania.

Frankly speaking, I didn't know of the existence of such place before our last trip to the island of Crete during the month of June 2017. Now I can only regret about it. Agia Marina beach is amazing, hotels, resorts, villas, you name it are good, service is amazing and prices are affordable. No wonder why it's so popular among Scandinavian tourists.

During our about month-long trip around the island of Crete, we stayed at Agia Marina twice -  for about 2 nights at trips start and about 5 days at the end of the trip. For the start, we chose Vergina beach hotel which was good and for the end, we stayed at Eden Beach hotel apartment - which was amazing.

Agia Marina beach is a really cool, tranquil and I would even say pretty romantic place. See: Mild Summer Evenings at Agia Marina Beach in Crete

You should be ready to spend about 30-100 EUR for a good apartment/hotel/villa - which IMHO is fantastic. Alternatively see: Top…

Google Spreadsheet To Track BTC/Altcoin Trading on Monthly Basis

28 September, 2017 | Macroeconomics | 62 seen

Track your altcoin/BTC investment portfolio with Google Spreadsheets

Investments in crypto-currencies are among one of the most interesting findings for me this year (2017). I decided to give them a try just a few months ago, see: First Investment In Crypto Currencies - Bought 0.2 ETH for EUR 50

For support please visit the Terramatris website: Custom Google Spreadsheet Development for Crypto Currency Portfolio Tracking

Soon I decided to use dollar cost averaging to acquire four different crypto-currencies once a month, no matter the price. I've been investing in cryptos for about 3 months now, and I can tell you for sure, investments here are like a roller coaster, my crypto portfolio has lost in some periods more than -50%, and in some periods it has grown in value by +50%. Right now (as of writing this, it says +7% growth.). Dollar-cost averaging helps a lot. 

For tracking long-term investments in crypto I've developed a simple crypto-currency tracking Google Spreadsheet, you can read more about it and get a free download here: How To Track Your CryptoCurrencies Portfolio Automatically…

Beata's Orange Juice Bar, Crete

27 September, 2017 | Restaurant reviews | 67 seen

It was on our third-day trip around Crete, when we discovered an interesting roadside cafeteria promising breathtaking views, just later, post-processing photos with the help of Google Maps I was able to track down coordinates and name for this place - Beata's Orange Juice Bar, Crete.

Indeed - views here was lovely, though the most interesting "tourist attraction" was a donkey. A kind owner suddenly got a donkey out of nowhere and here you go - fresh orange juice, donkey, and panoramic views. 

Outdoor deck with great views

Could be cool on a cloudy day, walk in the clouds feeling, see my photography from walk in the clouds in Georgia: 5 Days In Georgia Itinerary List - Make Most Of Your Trip

Orange juice

Indeed, they serve orange juice here. What a surprise.

The Donkey

Indeed - great feature.

Back to the Gym - Get Under 99kg Beard Challenge

26 September, 2017 | Health & Wellness | 13 seen

Getting fit is cool, getting heart rate normal is awesome. Visiting a gym can be really addictive. For the second time this year I'm taking beard growing challenge - not to shave it under I will get under 99 kilos. 

Let me explain, back at the start of 2017 I applied for a gym membership at Tbilisi's Champions Academy, my weight was 105 kg, I made a challenge to grow a beard until I will weight less than 100kg. I reached my goal in less than 2 months. My best result was 97.2 kg on March 23rd, 2017. Then starting April I took a pause from a gym for 6 months (obstacles, relocating to another country without access to the gym). I gained weight back. 

Tip: Losing weight is a lifetime experience, to stay sharp - access to the gym or a lot of physical activities is a must have.

Now I'm back, renewed my membership and had my first training session (cardio, dumbbells) - first session was hard, sure. I barely managed a 30-minute session on the treadmill - few sit-ups and that's all. 

Now my weight is 104kg - to reach my goal, to get under 99kg, it will ask me to loose 5kg weight. It should be achievable in a month or…

Floating Block for Drupal 8

25 September, 2017 | Drupal Development | 26 seen

The Floating block is a nice helper module which allows you to keep HTML blocks, selected using jquery selectors in a fixed position on the page as you scroll. I've been using Floating block mostly for my personal blog to feature related content (you can see floating module while browsing this web page from a desktop computer.)

In fact, I stop using floating block module  a couple of years ago, but recently I was contacted by another Drupal webmaster, regarding my tutorial on Floating Block module for Drupal 7 site and taking a fresh look at this module, I understood - Floating block module helps UI by filling up sidebar, so it's never empty. 

When speaking about Floating block module for Drupal 8, there is not yet a stable release (as of writing this), but there is a dev version, which actually works out of the box.

As usual, let's start with download

• Download and enable floating block module
• Configure floating block from admin/config/user-interface/floating-block

In my example, I'm looking to make one block from the…

Views Infinite Scroll / Load more with Ajax for Drupal 8

24 September, 2017 | Drupal Development | 73 seen

As you might guess from the title already, in today's Drupal tutorial I will write about how to configure infinite scroll/load more button for Drupal 8 website. The best - both behaviors can be achieved using just one module - Views Infinite Scroll

Check out following tutorials for Drupal 7: Drupal masonry front page, Views lode more pager with Ajax for Drupal

And again, as in the previous tutorials, you can find a live preview on Tourgeorgia.eu

• Download and enable Views Infinite Scroll module
• Visit views page, you would like to attach infinite scroll or load more function
• Change Pager: Infinite scroll, I will use 10 items to load on default

Pager settings for Infinite scroll

Now in order to make it work with Ajax, let's turn on Ajax:

• Under Advanced - > Other: Use AJAX: Yes

Almost there, but here are few things we should fine tune here

Under Pager (use pager) click on Infinite Scroll Options and check next to the Automatically load Content

…

How To Enable Custom Google Fonts For Drupal 8 Website

23 September, 2017 | Drupal Development | 23 seen

There are several options how to enable custom fonts for Drupal 8 website, in this article I will stick with one of the easiest - using a custom module - @font-your-face

As usual, for this Drupal tutorial I will use a real-time scenario: For Tourgeorgia.eu website I'm using custom Premium theme adapted for Drupal 8, at one stage I noticed that example theme looks better than customized, and then I realized we are missing few fonts, which must be loaded manually.

As, said there are several options to handle this, but this time I decided to use a module. Again, there are two scenarios possible, either you are building Drupal theme from scratch and writing custom .css style or you are using a readily built theme. As in this case, I'm using the ready built theme, I won't touch .css part, as code already have been written.

• Download and enable @font-your-face module
• As for this case I'm using Google Fonts, enable Google Fonts module
• Go to admin/appearance/font and enable custom fonts you need
• Flush cache and enjoy result

Custom fonts enabled

Top 20 Luxury 5-star hotels in Athens, Greece

22 September, 2017 | Hotel reviews | 38 seen

For a luxury stay in Athens with a panoramic view towards Acropolis you should be ready to pay between EUR 120 up to EUR 670 per night.

Although I haven't stayed for a night in Athens, as I have just once been here during a few hours between connecting flights (see: About Tbilisi - Athens - Chania (Greece) flight by Aegean Airlines) I would definitely love to stay close to the Acropolis (Ancient Agora of Athens). Sure I would think twice am I ready to spend about EUR 670 per night for a luxury hotel in Athens, I must admit those hotels with great panoramic views towards Acropolis interests me the most.

If money is no obstacle, see TOP 20 Luxury 5-star hotels in Athens. No worries if you are on "limited luxury budget", there are still plenty of 5-star hotels in Athens in a price range EUR 120-200 per night.

Please note: hotels listed below may contain 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.

Located in the heart of Athens, just 200 metres…

Matsoni House

20 September, 2017 | Restaurant reviews | 12 seen

Matsoni is a Georgian fermented milk product, kind of similar to yogurt. Made from cow’s milk. Now, there is even a Matsoni House, where some (probably you) can try this product served with honey or nuts and so on. There is even an ice cream made from Matsoni. 

Matsoni house is located just opposite to the Alaverdi Monastery, in the region of Kakheti, Georgia.

Matsoni house near Alaverdi monastery

If you are visiting the Alaverdi Monastery, it' s hard to miss this lovely place, located just opposite the cathedral. Smart.

Matsoni with honey and walnuts

Ice cream from Matsoni

Delicious.!

Grape Harvest Rtveli in Georgia (Region of Kakheti)

19 September, 2017 | | 16 seen

If there is the best time to visit lovely Georgia, I would highly recommend to visit it in September, during the grape harvest time, or Rtveli. 

Rtveli is a traditional vintage and rural harvest holiday in Georgia accompanied by feasts, musical events, and other celebrations. It normally takes place in late September in eastern Georgia and in mid-October in western Georgia.

It was in the mid-September of 2017, we had just returned from Latvia, where we already gathered our autumn harvest and decided to spend a weekend in Kakheti (Region of wine), we booked a lovely chateau, next to Gremi monastery complex and just enjoyed our time here. Let the photos speak up for themselves!

Grapes at vineyard

In Georgia, where wine has an iconic significance, the tradition of rtveli dates back to ancient times, having its roots in the festivity of mid-Autumn abundance and variety. Rtveli usually lasts for several days, with people starting working in early morning hours and ending the day with a feast in the accompaniment of vintage-themed folk songs.

Truck column taking grapes for processing…

Top 15 Laptops With 24GB RAM Memory - For Better Gaming Experience

18 September, 2017 | Laptop Reviews | 326 seen

Are you looking for a really fast laptop? Super Fast Gaming experience? Consider a 24 GB RAM laptop.

24 GB RAM laptops come with a price attached - to get a brand new one - expect to spend at least $1,000 up to $5,000.  Looking for a bargain deal? You could get one under $1,000 but that would be an older model. 

Keep reading to find out the TOP 15+ laptops with 24GB RAM  or see the Top 20 Laptops with 32GB RAM (Gaming / Business)

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. Prices for laptop computers listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and are updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.

• 24GB high-…

Kvareli Lake Resort

17 September, 2017 | Lakes | 14 seen

Kvareli lake resort is located in the heart of Kakheti, one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia and to the east of the small city Kvareli, beneath the southern slope of Great Caucasus mountains.

The unique and beautiful Kvareli Lake Resort spreads over 300 hectares of beautiful natural landscape. There is located a hotel and restaurant at resort territory.

We headed here just to enjoy a cup of coffee with a beautiful view in mid-September 2017. I must say, if I had to choose a leisure accommodation in Kakheti, I would recommend choosing from Royal Batoni, Lopota lake or Kvareli lake resort. All of them offers excellent lake views. 

Kvareli lake resort

Featuring a full spa and wellness centre, this hotel is nestled between the Kvareli Lake and the Alazany Valley.

Guests are welcome to dine in the hotel restaurant and half-board options are available. Additionally, there is a bar on site as well as barbecue facilities and vending machines.

Guests can relax in the outdoor pool or make use of the fitness centre. Alternatively, hiking and fishing are popular in the area. Guests…

Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia

16 September, 2017 | Churches and Monasteries | 27 seen

Alaverdi Monastery is a Georgian Eastern Orthodox monastery located 25 km from Akhmeta, in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia.

While parts of the monastery date back to 6th century, the present-day cathedral was built in the 11th century by Kvirike III of Kakheti, replacing an older church of St. George.

Despite being on my travel bucket list in Georgia for a very long time, I first visited it in the middle of September 2017, during a two-day trip to Kakheti. See: Day Trip to Kakheti in Georgia

Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia

The monastery was founded by the Assyrian monk Joseph (Yoseb, Amba) Alaverdeli, who came from Antioch and settled in Alaverdi, then a small village and former pagan religious center dedicated to the Moon. At a height of over 55 meters, Alaverdi Cathedral is the second tallest religious building in Georgia, after Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, which was consecrated in 2004.

Its overall size is also smaller than the cathedral of Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta. The monastery is the focus of the annual religious…

Top 10 Hotels and Guest Houses in Gori, Georgia

15 September, 2017 | Hotel reviews | 10 seen

When planning your travels to Gori in Georgia, keep in mind there are not many classical 4-star or 5-star hotels there, instead, there are a lot of guest houses and apartments in Gori. 

In this article, I've listed TOP 10 hotels and guesthouses in Gori, according to actual user reviews on Booking.com

Please note: hotels listed below may contain 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.

Only 230 m from Stalin Museum, Nitsa Guest House offers friendly and comfortable accommodation in Gori centre. There are numerous shops, restaurants and cafes within 5 minutes’ distance from the property. Free parking and free WiFi is available at the property.

The rooms of Nitsa Guest House offer cable TV, and most rooms provide an electric kettle as well.

Breakfast is served every morning, and meals can be prepared in the shared kitchen fitted with a fridge and a dining area. Coffee and tea are provided throughout the day.

Guests can play the piano or guitar at the property…

Home Remodeling - Season 3 (2017)

13 September, 2017 | Home Remodeling | 7 seen

We had some great plans for this Summer's home remodeling works, unfortunately, we faced some obstacles, and decided to stop any further home remodeling works for this year.

Despite being pretty upset about our situation, we still enjoyed a great Summer at our rural country property.

Here I'm adding pictures, how it all looked in April 2017, make sure to check out how it all started, and see previous years start of the season.

Let's start with one of the biggest pride - the freshly dug pond in the front of the house

Pond in April 2017

Amazing, it is full with water. See how we waited for water level to rise, last autumn: Waiting For The Water Level  Rising In The Pond

View towards house

It was planned to grow strawberries in this field for this Summer (see: Planting Strawberry Plants In Fall ) but at the end, we made a garden with potatoes, cabbages, beets and other vegetables here, see: Autumn Harvest in The Garden.

Also see: Our First Veggie Garden: Planting Plants in Boxes

Back view of house

Last Summer's brick and mortar work visible here (see…