Istanbul has been on my travel map ever since I remember (Okay, I first were here back in 2009).Time after time we like to take layover flight via Istanbul, and so did happen last time, at the end of February 2020 - we booked a connected flight Tbilisi - Istanbul - Riga with Turkish Airlines so we have a chance to spend at least a day in IstanbulAfter taking a hammam in our centrally located Istanbul hotel (Best Point Hotel Old City…
On the morning of March 17, 2020, snow surprised us here in Tbilisi.
While sipping morning coffee I decided to grab a camera and take a few shots for the history.
As it has been a while since my latest update from the Living in Georgia series I found this photo story a great way to illustrate how we spent a day, while in self-quarantine because of the Covid19 virus.
Documenting winter in Georgia has been a tradition…
Located in the Old City of Istanbul, this hotel is within walking distance to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Best Point Hotel Old City offers air-conditioned rooms. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel.We booked here a one night stay at the end of February 2020, during a layover flight from Tbilisi via Istanbul to Riga. We booked a family room which included a really comfy bed (s…
The National Library of Latvia, also known as Castle of Light is located on Mūkusalas iela 3, Riga - on the left side of river Daugava, opposite to Old RigaThe current building was designed in 1989 by noted Latvian-American architect Gunnar Birkerts (1925-2017), who emigrated to the United States and made his career there. It was constructed in the early 21st century and opened in 2014. Today the Library plays an important role in…
Drunk Cherry is a stylish restaurant located in Gudauri next to the GoodAura ski-left (New Gudauri ski resort)Discovered during a weekend trip to Gudauri. And I should say I was really impressed. The food, service, and even the prices are as if you were in some of the best Tbilisi restaurants.Warm and cosy even on the coldest days. We promise fast and friendly service and a unique atmosphere.We order here some hot-wine, soup…
I once read that an investor can call himself a pro after he/she has survived at least 3 bear markets. I just survived one. At least I hope so.In fact, from my short active investor's career, I feel this is already my second bear market, with first happening back in December 2018Subscribe to the Covered Calls with Reinis Fischer newsletterMarch 2020 market was scared from Covid-19, Trump travel Ban for EU citizens, Russia-…
GVC 217 is a condo/aparthotel located in the New Gudauri ski resort, some 120 km from the nation's capital Tbilisi.We booked here a weekend (2-night stay) in January 2019 and paid $138 for that. Despite we booked via Booking.com they accepted only cash.As I later learned owners of this condo have a travel company in Georgia, mostly specializing on incoming tours across Georgia for Russian speaking tourists - G-V-C or Georgian Voyage…
For the last 3 years, I've been actively building my own, my kid's and just recently I started my partner's fund, now there is one more people I care whose financial situation should be taken care of - my mom.She just turned 60, there are still 5 years until her retirement age. It's neither much nor little. 5 years is a timeframe I'm looking to build a semi-sustainable "pension fund" to generate income in the level of average pension in…
Welcome to the thirty-fourth (#34) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in February 2020.Last February we spent both in Georgia and Latvia, with a small stop to Istanbul, Turkey (layover flight). Our daughter has started to visit English preschool in Tbilisi and now she is really fast picking up new things and words. Amazing. Latvian National Library in…
New Gudauri is a rapidly developing ski resort in Georgia developed by REDCO Real estate development company, the resort is located some 120km from the nation's capital Tbilisi in Gudauri.Surrounded by some of Europe’s most dramatic peaks, Gudauri represents one of the most picturesque winter destinations for both experienced skiers and amateurs. The resort offers fantastic skiing and snowboarding, as well as paragliding and…
This Lindt factory shop is located in the town of Induno Oluno (Varese), Italy on Largo Edoardo Bulgheroni street 1.Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, more commonly known simply as Lindt, is a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company founded in 1845 and known for its chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, among other sweets.We visited this factory shop in mid-November 2019,…
I was first introduced to the works of Nassim Nicholas Taleb from a fellow option trader when in a conversation I mentioned the term "Black Swan", my friend told me that Mr. Nassim Taleb is the author of this term and that he actually is quite active on Twitter.
I followed Nassim Taleb on Twitter, read a bit Wikipedia about him and basically forgot about him, when a couple of weeks later I was reading another trader's blog in which he…
Some call Gombori pass - A Picturesque Road To Kakheti, here at Piece of Life we can only agree. The road indeed is spectacularIf you don't have problems with endless turns or drastic changes of elevation and air pressure, then Gombori road is your road of choice to Kakheti. The pass itself peaks at 1620 meters above sea level.Gombori road is spectacular at any time of year. Small idyllic villages, magnificent sceneries of Alazani valley…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
I share ongoing portfolio progress with a focus on generating income through covered calls on quality stocks. Each update includes positioning changes, trade rationale, and forward-looking adjustments based on current market conditions.