Titanic Chaussee Hotel in Berlin
At the start of April 2026, we spent about six nights at Titanic Hotel Berlin (Chausseestraße 30). The trip was primarily work-related—my fiancée attended a conference in the translation industry—but it turned into a relaxed family stay, as I tagged along with our child during the Easter school break.The hotel sits in a convenient part of Berlin - not exactly in the historic core, but close enough to make it practical. We found ourselves walking several times to the New Synagogue area, which speaks to the accessibility.The surrounding neighborhood offers:A few shopping malls within walking distanceDecent cafés and casual dining spotsGood public transport options, though we mostly walkedIt’s…
Spring in Georgia: Morel Hunting, Gori Food Stop & Stunning Gorijvari Views
Shot at the end of April 2026, on a calm and lovely Sunday morning, this video started with a simple plan: go out and hunt for morels - murķeļi. Spring, fresh air, perfect timing… everything looked right.But plans shifted quickly.After the first attempts turned up nothing, we didn’t push too hard — instead, we adapted. Rather than chasing mushrooms all day, we pointed the car toward the city of Gori, letting the trip evolve on its own. And that turned out to be the right call.We decided to start our Gori stop the right way — with food. First stop: Erisoni Restaurant. A reliable favorite. Solid Georgian dishes, generous portions, and exactly what was needed to reset the day after an…
LEGOLAND Berlin Review: A Fun Family Activity in the German Capital
When planning a family trip to Berlin with children, most travelers immediately think about the Berlin Zoo — and rightly so. But if you are spending a few days in the German capital with younger kids, another solid half-day activity is the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre BerlinWe visited it in April 2026 together with our 7-year-old daughter during our Berlin trip. Alongside the zoo, it turned out to be one of the easier and more relaxed family activities in the city center.Interestingly, this was already our second LEGOLAND experience. The first one was in Turkey a few years ago. To be honest, our daughter seemed much more obsessed with LEGO back then. Kids change quickly, and at age seven the…
Ādģēri: The 30K Mistake That Turned Into a Long-Term Experiment
In 2023, we bought Ādģēri in an online auction.Price: just over €30,000.Financing: ~6% interest.Total expected payment over ~5 years: ~€40,000.Status (April 2026): more than half already paid.On paper, it was a bad deal.Realistically, we overpaid by at least 5–6× relative to what the property was objectively worth at the time. No serious buyer would justify that valuation based on fundamentals: location, condition, income potential—none of it supported the price.But auctions don’t run on fundamentals. They run on adrenaline.And that’s the whole point.What We Actually BoughtStrip away the imagination, and here’s the asset:~1.24 hectares of landAn old house (not really a manor, despite the…
Berlin Zoo and Aquarium: One of the Best Things To Do in Berlin With Kids
At the start of April 2026, during our roughly five-day trip to Berlin, we finally visited the famous Berlin Zoo for the first time - or at least the first time I can actually remember. There is a chance my mom might have taken me here sometime in the early 1990s, but if so, those memories are long gone. This visit felt completely new, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our Berlin family trip.Berlin offers countless museums, historical landmarks, and trendy neighborhoods, but if you are traveling with kids, the Berlin Zoological Garden (Zoologischer Garten Berlin) should absolutely be on your list.Easy To Reach And Surprisingly AffordableWe took a Bolt taxi from our…
Berlin Brandenburg Airport
In April 2026, I had my first experience with Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) while flying the Riga–Berlin–Riga route with airBaltic. This was my first time using Berlin’s main international airport, and overall, it left a solid impression—modern, functional, and relatively easy to navigate. About a decade ago, I had the chance to travel through the now-closed Schönefeld Airport.Landing at BER was straightforward. The airport is clearly designed with efficiency in mind—wide corridors, good signage, and a layout that doesn’t feel chaotic despite Berlin being a major European hub.From the airport, I opted for convenience over cost.I ordered an Uber to reach our hotel on Chausseestraße. The…
Mumbai & Goa / India Trip
It has already become something of a tradition for us - escaping the cold during our daughter’s winter school break and trading grey skies for warmth, color, and a slower rhythm of life. Each year, we carve out about three weeks to leave Tbilisi behind and head somewhere sunnier. And more often than not, that “somewhere” turns out to be India.Our latest trip follows a familiar yet always exciting route: from Tbilisi to the buzzing metropolis of Mumbai, before retreating to our beloved Palolem Beach in South Goa. Another three weeks in India — and once again, it proves why we keep coming back.The journey itself feels like a transition between worlds. Leaving behind the quiet, wintery streets…
RWA Tokenization in Georgia: Key Takeaways from DGFI & Forbes Conference in Tbilisi
On April 24, 2026, DGFI, in collaboration with Forbes Georgia, hosted a conference on Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel in Tbilisi. The event brought together representatives from financial institutions, regulators, brokerage houses, and emerging fintech players to discuss the evolving landscape of tokenized finance in Georgia.I attended primarily to track local initiatives, assess institutional direction, and expand my network within the Georgian financial ecosystem.The dominant focus of the conference was not real estate tokenization - as one might expect from broader global RWA narratives—but rather:Tokenized bonds and debt instrumentsRegulatory sandbox…
Building a Frame House in Latvia: Kitchen Installation, Ground Tilling & IKEA Trip
As usual, we planned our spring around the school break at BIST (British International School of Tbilisi). This year we again split the time — one week in Latvia working on the frame house in the west, and the other in Berlin for business meetings related to the translation company.Returning after winter always comes with surprises. This year didn’t disappoint.The biggest “welcome back” moment: a broken bathroom faucet. Not a minor drip — water was shooting out from the side under full pressure. That turned into an emergency replacement before anything else could move forward.Not exactly how you want to start a work week, but typical for a house that’s still in progress.This year we finally…
New Synagogue Berlin
The New Synagogue in Berlin is one of the city’s most recognizable historical landmarks, located on Oranienburger Straße, within walking distance of Alexanderplatz. Its striking golden dome rises above the surrounding buildings, making it visible from afar and hard to miss even during a casual walk through the neighborhood.Originally inaugurated in 1866, the synagogue was once the largest in Germany and a central place of worship for Berlin’s Jewish community. Designed in a Moorish Revival style, its architecture stands out from typical European religious buildings, blending oriental elements with modern 19th-century engineering. At its peak, it could accommodate over 3,000 worshippers,…
Book Reading Afternoon in Tbilisi
At the start of March, it was Book Week at the British International School of Tbilisi. Year 3 students were given a fun assignment: create a short video about their favourite book and take photos of themselves reading in unusual places.We slightly misunderstood the task and ended up focusing entirely on reading in unusual places, turning it into a little family adventure around Tbilisi. What started as a simple school project became something much more fun than expected.During filming we had several unexpected moments along the way — we even bumped into the Danish national basketball team, rode the Tbilisi Funicular, and enjoyed some delicious ponchiki while exploring the city.In the end,…
Magalaant Church Complex
I first discovered the Magalaant Church Complex a few years ago during one of our spontaneous road trips to Kavtiskhevi. No fixed plan, no strict itinerary - just a turn off the main road and the usual curiosity about what might be hiding on the hills above the valley. That’s often how the best places are found.Magalaant sits modestly on a hillside, overlooking the surrounding landscape with the calm confidence typical of old Georgian churches. It’s not a heavily commercialized site. No crowds, no ticket booths, no tour buses lining up. Just open space, stone walls, wind, and wide views.The complex blends into the terrain rather than dominating it. The church structure, built of stone,…
How to make Adjarian Khachapuri at Home
Today we finally got it right — real Adjarian khachapuri at home. This was my second attempt. The first time I made the classic mistake: I thought regular cheese would work. It didn’t. The texture was wrong, the melt was wrong, and the flavor was flat. Lesson learned - the cheese is not optional detail, it’s the core of the dish.This morning I went to Goodwill in Tbilisi and bought the two essentials:Imeretian cheeseSulguni cheeseThat combination is what creates the proper creamy, stretchy filling. Without it, you’re just baking bread with melted cheese. With it, you get the real Adjaruli experience.Living in Georgia, we love experimenting with traditional Georgian cuisine — but some…
Lemon Tree Premier, Malad Mumbai – Decent Stay, But Know What You’re Booking
At the start of 2026, we spent 2–3 nights at Lemon Tree Premier, Malad, Mumbai while returning from Goa to Tbilisi, with a stopover in Mumbai.We were looking for a practical option rather than a luxury experience. The price made the decision easy: we paid around $250 total, roughly half of what many central Mumbai hotels were charging for similar dates. There was a reason for that.The hotel is located in Malad, which is about an hour’s drive from South Mumbai (Colaba, Marine Drive, Gateway of India area), depending on traffic. And in Mumbai, traffic is not a minor detail — it’s a factor you must price in.If your plan is to explore central Mumbai extensively, this location isn’t ideal. But…
Tbilisi ETH Hackathon: Finally Making It (and Mostly Drinking Beer)
I first noticed ETH Chipmunks toward the end of 2025. They kept popping up on my radar via Luma links Ethereum meetups, hackathons, small community events in Tbilisi. I applied several times. Each time, something got postponed, rescheduled, or quietly disappeared. Timing never worked.That changed in early February 2026, when the Tbilisi ETH Hackathon (Season 2 or something) finally happened—and I finally made it.I showed up prepared. Laptop in the suitcase, a few rough AI-related ideas in mind, and at least a vague intention to build something. Reality, as usual, had other plans.The event itself was solid. Well organized, relaxed, no unnecessary hype. A real hacker crowd. Most people were…
The Fisherman's Wharf Calangute
Some places just stick with you.The Fisherman’s Wharf in Calangute (Goa) is one of those restaurants we keep coming back to and not by accident. We first discovered it during our first India trip in 2023/2024, when we spent a few days staying in Calangute at Hotel Renest (seems I have forgot to review it here)Back then we were exploring the area, trying different food spots, and The Fisherman’s Wharf instantly stood out, also it was closely located to our hotel.On our most recent trip, we once again made a stop at The Fisherman’s Wharf and this time it was perfectly timed.After spending a few hours shopping at our favorite boutique shop, Boutique Eternal, we were hungry, tired, and ready…
Hiking to Turtle Lake: A Winter Trail in Tbilisi
Last Sunday we did a hiking trip to Turtle Lake, starting from the stairs on Polikarpe Kakabadze street. I’ve been a big fan of hiking in Tbilisi for a long time. More than ten years ago, we used to do hiking trips almost every weekend, something I’ve written about on the blog many times. Back then it was routine.Last chance workout on the trails around Turtle Lake before Tbilisi MarathonHiking trails near Turtle lake, Tbilisi in WinterRemote and Abandoned Hipster Party Place with Great views of Tbilisi (Hiking near Turtle Lake)and moreRecently we moved to a new apartment on Pavle Ingorovka Street, and from our window we can clearly see hiking trails cutting through the hills. That alone…
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Mumbai) International Airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the international airport serving Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second-busiest airport in India in terms of total and international passenger traffic after Delhi, the 14th-busiest airport in Asia, and the 31st-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic in 2024.I first arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at the end of December 2025, flying IndiGo from Tbilisi. We stayed a few days in Mumbai before continuing onward to Goa with Air India.Mumbai’s airport has a long history. It was originally built in 1942 during World War II and has since evolved into India’s…
Gateway of India, Mumbai
I first visited the Gateway of India at the end of December 2025, during our three-week trip to India. We spent only a few short days in Mumbai, and this stop was not planned in any deep or academic way. We arrived from The Lalit Hotel by Uber — roughly a 28 km drive, costing under 700 Indian rupees. At that point, I had only a vague idea of what the place was, and almost no sense of its symbolic weight.At first glance, it felt like another grand colonial monument by the sea. Busy, touristy, loud. But things changed quickly.After taking a private boat trip from the harbor — the kind that locals casually offer — and seeing Mumbai’s waterfront from the water, the perspective shifted.…
Mziuri Tennis Club in Tbilisi
Our family has been attending Mziuri Tennis Club in Tbilisi since September 2025, after several recommendations from our BIST community. We signed up our 7-year-old for the junior program, which costs 300 GEL per month. After a few months of regular training, here’s an honest, practical review.Mizuri Tennis Club is located in Vake, on Nino Ramishvili Street, right next to Mziuri Park and directly opposite the police station.The most important part: our daughter genuinely likes it. She looks forward to every session, which, for any parent, is the biggest indicator that the environment is good. The coaches work well with kids, balancing discipline with fun. There are several trainers…