Blog Archive: June 2019

Latvian - Georgian Cafe 4You in Gori

30 June, 2019 | Restaurant reviews | 47 seen

Now besides hostel in Tbilisi, Latvians have a cafe in Gori

Latvian - Georgian Cafe 4You is located on Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue 34, Gori. 

Opened for the public in 2018, this place serves pastry, cakes and a huge menu of a different kind of meals (both Latvian and Georgian style), you can get here both some salty Gori style cutlets and even Kiev's cutlet, not to speak about salad olive and more. 

Overall feeling  - The Soviet Obshchepit (общепит) - sometimes I just can't resist it. lol

Cafe 4You in Gori

Pastry at Cafe 4You

Now, they had a very good cheesecake, a decent chocolate cake. Oreo cheesecake was a joke. The best oreo cheesecake I've found so far is at Tbilisi Hard Rock Cafe. 

Riga black balsam

Now, there is one more place in Georgia to find Riga Black Balsam

Kiev's cutlet with a balsamic sauce

This place serves wine from a small nearby winery Chateau Ateni.

Tbilisi - Baku by Train Ticket Information

29 June, 2019 | Travel guides | 26 seen

At the end of June 2019, I finally bought train tickets Tbilisi - Baku for early August 2019. I have plans to spend my 34th birthday in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

The train is departing Tbilisi daily at 20:35 and arriving in Baku at 08:50, In total it takes about 12 hours and 30 minutes to get from Tbilisi to Baku by train

It seems there is no option buying tickets online yet for Tbilisi - Baku line (although I found there are some tour agencies selling tickets online, see: International Tbilisi-Baku Train, though the price might be double when using travel agency).

The option we used was visiting Tbilisi Railway station and buying a ticket over the counter and what's even more interesting when buying over the counter it's asked to pay for tickets in cash, despite they have a VISA terminal. On my question why don't we pay by card, the kind cashier replied that the Tbilisi - Baku line is operated by Azerbaijani Railways side and they accept only cash. The cashier was able to speak very good English. 

For purchasing tickets, we had to show our passports (baby passport wasn't asked…

Gori Fortress & Memorial of Georgian Warrior Heroes

23 June, 2019 | Military Heritage | 155 seen

Gori Fortress is a medieval citadel in Georgia, standing above the city of Gori on a rocky hill.

The fortress is very well visible from the city, unfortunately, I have never climbed up to the fortress, but I believe very cool aerial photos might be taken from here. At the bottom of the fortress, there is located the Memorial of Georgian Warrior Heroes consisting of 8 (?) sculptures of Georgian Warriors. 

The fortress first appears in the 13th-century records but archeological evidence shows that the area had already been fortified in the last centuries BC. The fortress controlled major strategic and economic routes and accommodated a large garrison.

Gori Fortress

In the 16th century, the Ottomans captured it to overawe Tbilisi. In 1598 the Georgians besieged it to no avail; in 1599 they feigned a relaxation of the siege for Lent before launching a surprise attack at night to regain the citadel.[1] The fortress continued to change hands between the Georgians and the Persians in the 17th century.

The citadel acquired the present-day form under the Georgian…

Georgia Palace Hotel & SPA Kobuleti

21 June, 2019 | Hotel reviews | 27 seen

Georgia Palace Hotel & SPA is the first Georgian Brand five-star Resort hotel located on the Black Sea shore of Georgia's famed summer resort in Kobuleti, Georgia.

We booked this 5-star hotel for a one night at the end of April 2019, during a short weekend trip to Batumi and the nearby vicinity.

We paid just USD 80 for our stay here, which I believe is a discount price and available just in the low-season.

Situated in the resort of Kobuleti, this modern hotel features a large outdoor pool, open-air restaurant and rooms with a balcony, offering beautiful views of the Black Sea or Ajarian Mountains.

Our Room at Georgia Palace Hotel & SPA

Stylish, air-conditioned rooms at the Georgia Palace Hotel & Spa feature satellite TV, a minibar and free wired internet. The private bathrooms include a bathrobe and slippers.

We got a free baby crib for our baby daughter

Georgia Palace Hotel & SPA in Kobuleti

Hotel is located in the small resort town of Kobuleti, on the Adjarian Black Sea coast, distinguished by a unique micro climate which benefits…

Net Worth $25,000 Reached

19 June, 2019 | Investments | 20 seen

On April 2nd, 2019, my net worth for the first time reached $25,000 Milestone.

It took me 2 years and 3 months since I originally started my million dollar journey, and I was 33 years old.

Here is what I told/forecasted back when first reached $10,000 net worth:

If things will continue to be so bright in the future, I could reach a total net worth of $25,000 by the end of 2018, being 33 years old.

Despite it was planned to get here some 3 months earlier, by the end of 2018, I still feel very great cracking this goal now. Better later, than never.  (One thing I forecasted at least right - I'm still 33 years old)

Net worth $25,000

Now, since around June 2018, my total portfolio has entered into a negative zone (invested is more than actual value). While the total value of the portfolio has barely cracked now $25,000, I have invested more.

The total amount I have invested is $27,987.20, while the value is just $25,428.10. The difference = $2,559 or it's -9.91% drop since the inception of portfolio.

…

Top 10 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Gaming Laptops

17 June, 2019 | Laptop Reviews | 24 seen

The GeForce® GTX 1650 is built with the breakthrough graphics performance of the award-winning NVIDIA Turing™ architecture. It’s a supercharger for today’s most popular games, and even faster with modern titles. Step up to better gaming with GeForce GTX.

In this article, I've listed top 10 laptops with Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card available for sale on Amazon.com

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I will earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer on the product page on Amazon.

Featuring AMD Ryzen processors and GeForce GTX 16-Series graphics, TUF Gaming FX505 adeptly handles modern game titles while providing reliability and stability to stand…

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

16 June, 2019 | Churches and Monasteries | 7 seen

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin is located in Gori on Lomouri street 7, just opposite to the Gori Fortress. 

Some might be surprised noticing that this church looks like a typical Catholic church rather than a typical Georgian Orthodox church.

According to Georgia.Travel the temple was built as a Catholic church between 1806 and 1810. In 1920, it was heavily damaged by an earthquake.

View towards cathedral from Gori fortress

During Soviet times, Gori’s Music School was situated in the church. The building was handed over to the Georgian Orthodox Church in the 1990s.

Currently, Samtavisi and Gori Cathedral belong to the episcopacy.

Top 20 9th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor (Gaming) Laptops

14 June, 2019 | Laptop Reviews | 212 seen

Latest Intel Core I7 9th generation processors have been around since early 2019. Intel Core i7 laptops are gaining momentum among gamers and business users. Creative graphic designers, video animators, and photographers will enjoy these powerful laptops as well.

Most of the laptops listed below is both gaming laptops and on-the-go workstations.

You should be ready to spend at least ~ $1,000 to get the latest Intel Core i7 - 9750H processor laptop. 

In this article, I have listed Top 20 laptop models with the latest Intel Core i7 9th generation processors.

Disclosure: 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 will earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer on the product page on Amazon.

Black Sea Arena Georgia

13 June, 2019 | Tourism objects | 12 seen

Black Sea Arena is an indoor arena located on the coast of the Black Sea in Shekvetili, Guria, Georgia, some 45 km north of Batumi, the country's second largest city.

The venue, designed by the architects from the German company Drei Architekten, is the largest open concert hall in the Caucasus. The auditorium has a capacity of 10,000 seats in circular grandstands.

The American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera performed at the official opening of the Black Sea Arena on July 30, 2016.

Black Sea Arena in Georgia

Batumi McDonald's

11 June, 2019 | Restaurant reviews | 27 seen

The coolest McDonald's building probably is located in Georgian seaside town Batumi.

Officially opened for public already back in 2013, this place has been featured in countless architecture award magazines across the World.

Named as the World’s Best Commercial Building 2014 (source: Batumi McDonald’s: World’s Best Commercial Building 2014)

The restaurant, designed by Harvard-graduate and Georgian architect Giorgi Khmaladze, was named Building of the Year in the Commercial Architecture category in an international competition by world architecture firm Arch Daily.

Batumi McDonald's

The Batumi building combined a McDonald’s restaurant with a fuel station and recreational areas.

Four hundred sixty glass panels were used to create the exterior while the entire building is surrounded by a reflective pool.

Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori

9 June, 2019 | Museums | 49 seen

The Joseph Stalin Museum is a museum in Gori, Georgia dedicated to the life of Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, who was born in Gori. The Museum retains its Soviet-era characteristics.

The museum has three sections, all located in the town's central square. It was officially dedicated to Stalin in 1957.

With the downfall of the Soviet Union and independence movement of Georgia, the museum was closed in 1989, but has since been reopened, and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Stalin Museum (in the background), with the birth house of Stalin in the foreground

Enshrined within a Greco-Italianate pavilion is a small wooden hut, in which Stalin was born in 1878 and spent his first four years.

The small hut has two rooms on the ground floor. Stalin's father Vissarion Jughashvili, a local shoemaker, rented the one room on the left hand side of the building and maintained a workshop in the basement. The landlord lived in the other room. The hut originally formed part of a line of similar dwellings, but the others have been demolished.

Stalin statue in front of…

Villa St Maria Boutique hotel Jūrmala

8 June, 2019 | Hotel reviews | 20 seen

Offering a sauna, boutique hotel Villa St Maria is set in the heart of Jurmala on the main pedestrian promenade Jomas street, some 400 m from Dzintari Concert Hall.

In summers guests can enjoy a lounge terrace on the rooftop of the hotel and an on-site restaurant with Japanese, Korean and European cuisine and drinks.

We booked this hotel for a short one night stay before departing back to Tbilisi in May 2019. We paid EUR 68 for a stay here.

Aparthotel Villa St Maria in Jūrmala

Every room at this hotel is air conditioned and comes with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels.They feature an individual design and are equipped with a kitchenette, seating area and a private balcony or a terrace. Every room includes a private bathroom fitted with a shower or a bath. Extras include free toiletries and a hair dryer. A room specifically designed for disabled people is available as well.

Buffet breakfast at Villa St Maria in Jūrmala

Guests benefit from room service and green inner patio at the property. There is a rooftop lounge, where guests will find a grill bar and hookah lounge. In summer sunbeds are available. Spa…

May 2019 Dividend Income Report - $216.17

5 June, 2019 | Investments | 13 seen

Welcome to the twenty-fifth (#25) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks, peer to peer lending (both fiat and cryptocurrencies) in May 2019.

Summer is finally here in Georgia and more time we are spending outdoors.

Actually, at the start of May, we took a short 10 day trip to Latvia, trying delicious seafood at Jūrmala restaurants and more. I would love to feature some great landscape of Latvian nature here, but I missed it as most of the time I made nice family portraits instead.

Photo of the month - HDR clouds over Tbilisi

Time after time I love to install a tripod at one (out of three) of our balconies and play with DSLR camera.

HDR clouds over Tbilisi

$216.17 was taken from dividend stocks and peer to peer lending in May 2019.

Additional $339.80 were made from options trading, but as options trading is not actually a passive form of making money while you are sleeping it wouldn't be fair to include it in dividend income report. On the other hand option income is a…

How To Merge Vocabularies on Drupal (Taxonomy Manager)

4 June, 2019 | Drupal Development | 53 seen

A couple of years ago I launched the Piece of Life project in the frames of this blog. The idea was simple - instead of building a separate website for our photo stories, incorporate it in already established blog

After a quick brainstorming  - it was realized using additional content types and vocabularies

I decided to run this project as a separate entity inside the frames of my blog for two reasons: Firstly, I'm an author of about 50% of images made for Piece of Life, so yes I have a voice to be heard by the other 50%. Second - we could go with a separate photo project website, most probably beautifully built on Drupal, but here is the catch - I didn't wanted to spend a lot of time and effort by building a separate  website before my mine blog (the one you are currently reading) hasn't reached 100,000 unique visitors per month. Back then blog averaged at about 40,000 users per month. And by now it has grown to about 60,000 100,000 users per month.

By implementing Piece of Life on the blog - I was looking for a simple thing - to kill two birds with one stone…

Easy Weekend trip to Kakehti in Georgia

2 June, 2019 | Travel guides | 10 seen

This is a short recap of our travels to the region of Kakheti in September 2017.

I've got many times asked this question - what's the best time to visit Georgia? In short - it depends.

Among the many reasons to visit Georgia, I would recommend it during the rtveli time (grape harvesting) around September, see: Grape Harvest Rtveli in Georgia (Region of Kakheti)

As for this trip, we took a driver from Tbilisi (Book your driver here), headed to Chateau Eniseli, and for the rest, see itinerary below.