Blog Archive: December 2020
An ex-pat living in Georgia since 2011, I trade stocks, take photographs, work out at the gym, and many more. Here I write about travel, finance, and other things that might interest me.
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Užava Lighthouse
Užava Lighthouse - a lighthouse located on the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea. The lighthouse stands in an isolated location, on a 28 metres high sand dune, which is permanently threatened by the Baltic Sea waves' erosion.For this reason, the first coastal reinforcement – a dense log wall was constructed to secure the lighthouse's location in 1910. Later, fir-tree baskets filled with gravel, and big boulders to absorb the waves' energy.…
Vilgāle
Vilgāle (formerly also Saldenieki) is a village in Kurmāle Parish, Kuldīga District, Latvia. Located on the shores of Lake Vilgāle. Distance to Kuldīga 17 km, 181 km from Rīga. Back in September 2020, I bought a flat in this village in an online auction (without actually seeing the flat), see: Today I bought my first flat on online auction site, It took me a couple of months before I actually get inside the flat (after the flat was registered…
Embūte Castle
The ruins of Embūte Castle are located in Embūte, Latvia, in Embūte Parish, Vaiņode Municipality, not far from an ancient hillfort erected by Curonians. It was an ancient Curonian settlement and is mentioned in ancient chronicles as a place with strong Curonian resistance to German crusaders. The bishop's castle was built as a border castle with Lithuania by Livonian Order on a steep hill on the right bank of the Lanka river, which flows into…
Zaķu krogs near Jūrkalne
Zaķu krogs is both a restaurant a hotel located near Jūrkalne in Latvia. We discovered this place while driving around Užava, Pāvilosta, and decided to take here a quick stop to order some food for our toddler girl. Just later I learned there is a hotel also located. Zaķu krogs near Jūrkalne Located in Jūrkalne, Zaku Krogs is about 0.9 mi yards away from a Baltic Sea beach. It offers basic rooms with a work desk. Free private parking is…
Devil's Dam Embūte (Joda Dambis)
Devil's Dam of Embūte is an awesome place for hiking and trekking in the Courland region. We first discovered this site at the end of 2020, and plan to return here more often. Devil's Dam from a drone flight Taken with DJI MAVIC AIR 2 Here is what I was able to find about this place (Source: Joda Dambis) At the western foot of the Indulis (or Curonian) castle mound is the Joda Lower Square, where open-air stages have been built several…
Embute Church Ruins
The Embūte church is located in the Embūte Nature park, nowadays, there are just remains left from the old day glory. It was in a hazy December 2020 afternoon, I took my DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone and made some nice aerial photography and even a video here, see Embūte Nature Park 4K. Ancient Curonian Land. Latvia . DJI MAVIC AIR 2 Embūte church Here is what I was able to find about this church (source: Embūtes baznīcas drupas) The Embūte church…
Vilgāle flat renovation - how it all starts
On September 18, I was lucky enough to win an online auction and bought a flat in Vilgāle village. It took a few more months before all legal procedures were done and I had the entry in the Land Registry before I was able to proceed.I first saw this flat about a week ago, when I got the keys from the previous landlady (ut turns out there haven't lived anybody for the last 27 years). There is no electricity and no water (yet). I have started…
Īvande Manor
Īvande Manor, also called Lielīvande Manor, is a manor house in Īvande parish in Kuldīga municipality in the historical region of Courland, in western Latvia. The manor Groß-Iwanden was created by the merger of several small estates. In the middle of the 16th century the estate was owned by the family of Rudolf Steinrat. Ivande manor Three generations remained the property in the family Steinrat and was enlarged by them. In 1643 was the…
I'm earning $3.19/daily* by trading crypto options and I want more!
This is a quick follow-up post to my original idea of experimenting with writing crypto covered calls on Ethereum and Bitcoin, I started at the end of November 2020This is not the first time I'm selling options on crypto, in fact, I've been doing so for the last two years. This is the first time I'm applying one trading strategy only. About 3 years ago I was very enthusiastic about crypto mining and I was building my Ethereum mining rig, which…
Top 20 Laptops with Intel Core i7 11th generation processor
In this article, I have listed Top 20 laptop models with the 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor. Below listed models will be the top choice among gamers and business users. Creative graphic designers, video animators, and photographers will enjoy these powerful laptops as well. See: Top 5 Best Selling Intel Core i9 (Gaming) Processor Laptops Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This article contains…
Ēdole Castle
Ēdole Castle is a Gothic Revival castle situated on the banks of Ēdole Lake, Ēdole parish, in the historical region of Courland, western Latvia. Originally consisting of two residential buildings linked by a stone wall, the castle is surrounded by a landscaped park. It is considered an architectural and archeological monument of national importance. Ēdole Castle The castle was built for the bishop of Piltene between 1264 and 1267. It was…
Kronvalda Park in Riga
Kronvalda Park (originally Strēlnieku dārzs) is a part of the greenery of the Old Riga canal bank. The total area of the park is 11.92 ha. Kronvalda park which borders Elizabetes and Kr. Valdemāra Street, as well as Kronvalda and Kalpaka Boulevards. The city canal divides the park into two parts. Kronvalda park in Riga I spent a good hour with our toddler baby girl and DJI Mavic Air 2 drone to capture some nice aerial photography of Riga…
November 2020 Dividend Income Report - $140.67
Welcome to the forty-third (#43) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in November 2020. Last November we spent in Latvia, did several trips here and there. I had a chance to play with my latest DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, made some really nice HDR photos, hyper lapses, and more. St Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Karosta From the perspective of dividend income - Last November was…