Lake Ežezers

26 August, 2022 | Lakes | 22 seen

Lake Ežezers is located in Kraslava municipality, in Ezernieku and Andzeļu parishes. It is the richest island lake in Latvia and even in the whole Baltic region. There are 35 islands in a total area of 77.6 ha and 70 islands formations or shoals. From the lake flows out river Narūta, which is one of the Daugava’s basin rivers.

I first visited this lake back in 2010, when learned that my grandfather has been from this area (Village Andzeļi)

We returned here for a tranquil evening at the start of August 2022, and I plan to come here more often (at least once a year)

The average depth of the lake is 6.4 meters, maximum depth is 21 meters. In the lake, around 18-24 fish species can be found.

There are public resting places, available for swimming and active leisure as well (beach of Ezernieki and beach of Andzeļi).

MyHeritage DNA test, flight to Tbilisi, Stock Recovery

25 August, 2022 | Genealogy | 41 seen

Today was the last day in Riga and Latvia for a while. No More Vilgale, no more Ječi, and no more Riga until Spring 2023 (earliest). 

QSI school started today in Tbilisi, but we will still skip the first days and should start our new school year on Monday.

Back in April we already ordered the MyHeritage DNA test, and today was the day when we finally took it, sealed and sent it back to Germany. Now we wait for some 6 weeks I guess. Exciting. I guess I will have some Russian, Belorussian, Iberian, and Latvian heritage will see. Maybe Ashkenazi Jew? Let's wait.

I have some stock positions expiring tomorrow, I was worried about like DB and INTC stock, but seems they are going to recover or at least not take a huge loss.

See you soon in Tbilisi. Exciting.

Coffee shop KUUP, Rēzekne

24 August, 2022 | Restaurant reviews | 22 seen

Kuup coffee shop is a chic place in Rēzekne, which offers coffee roasted in Latgale. 

We found this place by a chance, thanks to TripAdvisor when searching for top restaurants in Rēzekne. We arrived here for some 40km from Varakļāni, just to have our morning coffee. 

Pastry, coffee and sandwiches.

Kuup has its own coffee roastery, they sell both coffee roasted in Latgale and some souvenirs at their coffee shop

Quite awesome place. If you happen to be in Rēzekne, make sure to visit coffe shop Kuup.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral of Rēzekne

24 August, 2022 | Churches and Monasteries | 19 seen

The Sacred Heart Cathedral of Rēzekne is located in Rēzekne, Latvia.

I briefly visited this cathedral at the start of August 2022, during my birthday trip to the region of Latgale

On the site occupied by the church, there existed a wooden temple built in 1685. The church burned down in 1887 during a storm and the following year the works for the new and present neo-Romanesque style church began. Construction was completed in 1902 under the guidance of Florian Viganovskis, dedicated in 1904, and consecrated in 1914.

The church was elevated to a cathedral status on December 2, 1995 with the Ad aptius consulendum bula of Pope John Paul II, when the Diocese of Rezekne-Aglona was created.

A Rare Miss: One Day Off the Blogging Grid

22 August, 2022 | Blogging | 8 seen

On August 21st, I regrettably missed a day of blogging—an uncommon occurrence, though not entirely unprecedented. Today nearly slipped by as well, but I’m committed to maintaining consistency whenever possible.

This lapse can be attributed to an exceptionally demanding travel schedule. Yesterday took me from Riga to Strenci, Valka, and back, while today’s itinerary included Riga to Kuldiga, Vilgale, Laidi—doubling back between the latter two—before returning to Kuldiga and, finally, Riga. The pace has been relentless, leaving me understandably fatigued.

Compounding matters, the stock market has been less than cooperative, moving against my recent trades. I’m keeping a close eye on my INTC 35 put and DB 8.5 put, both set to expire this Friday, with a touch of concern about their performance. Nonetheless, I remain focused and adaptable, navigating both the road and the markets with diligence.

Rēzekne Castle ruins

19 August, 2022 | Military Heritage | 16 seen

Rēzekne Castle ruins are located in the downtown of Rēzekne, Latvia, a city in the center of Latgale. The castle served as a base of the local Livonian order landlords until the 16th century and also as the main military support base for battles against Russians and Lithuanians.

Today, fragments of the stone walls and the foundation can be seen on the ancient castle hill.

Archeological excavations reveal that between the 9th and 12th centuries a Latgalian wooden fortress was situated in the place where the castle ruins now stand. It is unknown when the Latgalian fortress was destroyed, however in 1285, the master of the Livonian Order Vilhelms Šurborgs built a stone fortress on the Rositten stone hill. The fortress consisted of a two-story brick and stone castle with a three-storey towers and thick brick walls, functioning as the administrative seat of Rezekne.

The castle was ravaged and rebuilt many times. Between 1577 and 1579, it was occupied by Czar Ivan IV Vasilyevich, and after the war it became part of the Duchy of Livonia. During the Polish-Swedish War in 1601, and again from 1625 to 1626, the Rezekne castle was occupied by the Swedish army, during the Second Northern War. The battle took place in 1656, during which the Rezekne castle was finally destroyed as the Swedish troops managed to defeat the much larger Russian forces. In 1660 it was reinstated in the Inflantia, but the castle had lost its former military importance. From 1712 it was left in ruins.

Stargazing in Ječi, Boat Riding in Laidi, Stock Trading in Vilgāle

18 August, 2022 | Investments | 22 seen

Yesterday we traveled to Ječi to move the lawn, grill a fish and use it as a camp base before visiting a pebbled beach near Nida close to the Latvian/Lithuanian.

Our new favorite shop - LIDL, fish is awesome and the rest is good too. We are lucky to have one LIDL store in Liepaja, about 25 km from our Ječi house. 

I love both Nida and Pape, really awesome beaches. Pāvilosta is good, Jūrkalne too. 

After returning to Ječi and making our campfire it was already dark and I guess I was able to see Milky Way. Ječi is awesome for night sky watch. no close city lights.. perfect. I felt a bit sad I didn't take my DSLR camera and tripod.

The next morning we packed away, as we are not planning to return here earlier than March / April 2023. Had a brief and hearty talk with our neighbors - a Russian couple. Promised to bring them some good Georgian wine next year,

Returned to Laidi to fix some things. In the evening visited our favorite guest house for taking a traditional Latvian sauna with birch brooms, some little picnic, and a boat ride. Awesome.

Later in the evening went to Vilgāle's apartment to stay for a night. The apartment looked so cozy, that I said, Okay I won't sell it yet ( unless someone will offer me EUR 50.000).

Finally, I did what I was looking for for almost two years - I traded some stock from the Vilgāle apartment. I had this idea to trade some stock from Vilgale to break even my investments here. Now, tonight I didn't break even but made enough to pay monthly utilities or close to it. I was trading FEZ ETF- which stands for EURO STOXX 50 ETF. Made about $20 (after commissions)

If my total investment in this apartment is about $20,000 that would translate to about a 0.1% return. Not much. Not less. Decent.

I hope to return here and trade a lot more in the future.

Guest House 'Odumiņi'

17 August, 2022 | Hotel reviews | 10 seen

Guesthouse Odumiņi is located close to Varakļāni town in the historical region of Latgale, Latvia. We booked a one-night stay here at the start of August 2022, during our weekend trip to Latgale.

For a one-night stay here we paid about EUR 100, with the sauna included.

The vacation home comes with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, bed linen, towels, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a fully equipped kitchen, and a patio with garden views.

We were greead by the ownet Agrita, she showed us all around and allwed to make our own sauna broom from the nearby linded trees.

As we arrived here via Jēkabpils, we bought some fish to grill at the LIDL store and enyoed our evening on the patio.

inside the coppice there is a small hut for a grill

The vacation home has a playground. There's a garden with a grill at this property and guests can go hiking nearby.

In overall very nice stay. Book now on Booking.com

Varakļāni Palace

16 August, 2022 | Tourism objects | 22 seen

Varakļāni Palace is located in Varakļāni, in the historical region of Latgale, Latvia.

We visited this place shortly at the start of August 2022, during a weekend trip to Latgale. I was not sure what for to look in the area and just googled the top sightseeing objects in Varakļani and this place popped top on the list.

Just later I learned history of this place.

After the end of the Livonian War in 1583, the von der Borch family acquired the Vark castle district, it was called "Vark land" (German: Warkland , Warkelen). The palace was designed by the Italian architect Vincenzo Macotti at the request of the estate owner, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth diplomat Count Michael Johann von der Borch. Construction started in 1783 and was completed in 1789.

After the death of Count M. Borch in 1810, his wife, Eleonor Christine (1766-1844), and later their son, Charles Borch (1798-1861), whose daughter Mary married Pavel Roman Sangushko, operated the palace. Kovelski ( Sanguszko-Kowelski , 1834–1876). After his death, the manor was inherited by their daughter, Teresa Sanguško-Kovelskaya (1864-1954).

After Latvian Agrarian Reform in 1920s Varaklani Manor was nationalized and subdivided. From 1921 to 1944 the Varaklani State Gymnasium, later until 1961 the senior classes of Varaklani High School, operated in the castle. At the end of World War II the castle was a military hospital.

The building housed the Varakļāni secondary school from 1921 to 1960. In the mid-1980s the castle conservation works begin. At the entrance of the castle there is a memorial plaque for the linguist Leonard Latkovsky. Since 1997, the castle has housed the Varaklani Regional Museum, which since 2009 has been the Tourist Information Center.The palace and grounds are currently administered by the town of Varakļāni.

Top Selling Laptops with 2.2K Display

15 August, 2022 | Laptop Reviews | 19 seen

Looking to upgrade your laptop - take a look at these laptop models with 2.2K display (2240 x 1400)

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. The 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.

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Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 14 Business Laptop 14" 2.2K IPS Touchscreen (100% sRGB, 300nits) AMD Hexa-Core Ryzen 5 5600U (Beats i7-1160G7) 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Backlit Dolby Atmos Win11 Storm Grey + HDMI Cable

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Koknese Castle

12 August, 2022 | Military Heritage | 68 seen

Koknese Castle is a complex in Koknese, Latvia, dating from the 13th century. The castle was situated on a high bluff overlooking the Daugava river valley. In 1965 a hydroelectric dam was built downriver, creating a reservoir that partially submerged the castle and flooded the surrounding valley.

We visited Koknese castle during a weekend trip to the region of Latgale at the start of August 2022

Before the arrival of the Teutonic Knights, Koknese was the site of a wooden hill fort inhabited by the Balts. In 1209 Bishop Albert of Riga ordered the construction of a stone castle at the site, naming it Kokenhusen. For the first 50 years of its existence, Koknese was solely used as a defensive fort, but by 1277, Koknese had enough population to receive city rights. Koknese also became a member of the Hanseatic League thanks to its strategic location on the Daugava trade route.

The castle was heavily contested between Polish, Swedish and Russian forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. It changed hands many times, while the native inhabitants endured periodic slaughter, capture, and famine. In 1701, during the Great Northern War, Koknese was finally blown up by retreating forces to avoid the strategic castle falling into advancing Russian hands. The castle was never rebuilt after this and was left unattended for 200 years before being turned into a tourist attraction by the USSR.

The town around Koknese began to reappear in the 19th century, after serfdom was abolished and a railroad station was built in the village, facilitating movement to the area. In 1900, a park was established around the castle ruins, and Koknese became a popular summer resort. The area was known for its scenic waterfalls, cliffs, and look-outs. In 1965, the Soviet government built Pļaviņas Hydro Power Plant in the town of Aizkraukle. The reservoir flooded the entire length of the Daugava to Pļaviņas. Koknese Castle, once sitting atop a high bluff, was placed at the river's edge, while the scenic Daugava valley was submerged.

More Laminate flooring, Tiles for the Bathroom + some electricity works

11 August, 2022 | Home Remodeling | 22 seen

After the tile removal in the kitchen and hallway area, it was already agreed - I will re-install laminate there. Additionally, after hydro isolation works in the bathroom I decided I will tile again.

I was very scared before the new tile job and measured everything 10 times before applying tile glue. Also, I decided to go for 6mm spacers (instead of 3mm)

I bought 8m2 of laminate, but was bit short after my first day, bought additioanal 4m2 at the end

I had to spend a good afternoon deciding on the pattern and composition. But result was worht the time spent.

We will have both sauna and shower in the bathroom, using tiles I tried to seperate those spaces

I used a special aluminum divider to separate laminate from the tiles

An electrician friend of mine helped to fix the cables (at least some of them)

Looks quite awesome now, kind of like a studio

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• Chimneysweep: EUR 30
• More drywall, rock wool, electric cables, plumbing, and others: EUR 1094
• Doors for bedroom and bathroom: EUR 291.58
• More sauna, more drywall, more plumbing, more wiring EUR 1,992.56
• More sauna, more drywall, more electricity: EUR 370
• more plastering: EUR 340
• Paint and tools (paintbrush, rolls, gloves, scotch): EUR 74.86
• 27 Liter of ready-made plaster, dozen of electricity plugs, rolls, and screwdrivers: EUR 45
• Paint for walls, additional electricity plugs, and switches: EUR 50
• Laminate flooring and tools: EUR 378
• Tiles and tools for kitchen and hallway: EUR 400
• More tiles, laminate, and tools: EUR 300
• Tiles, electricity plugs, and switches, electrician: EUR 250

TOTAL: EUR 14,275

Quail Farm Rīta Putni / Olalā Koknese

10 August, 2022 | Farms | 54 seen

Rīta Putni is located in one of the most picturesque places in Latvia - Koknese county Bilstini just a few minutes away from Perse and Daugava river, where an impressive view of Koknese castle ruins can be seen.

I first heard about this place, or more about its products - quail eggs, a few years ago back in Georgia, an acquaintance was involved in this business. At the start of August 2022, during our weekend trip to the Latgale region, passing near Koknese city we decided to locate the place and see it ourselves.

Some elements on the site reminded me the Gardenia Sherndadze flower garden in Tbilisi.

On site there were a small pop up shop were you can buy ice cream, creme brulee and get some coffee.

Here you will find a quail egg and meat delicacy factory; a peaceful flower, fruit and vegetable garden; pop-up store, where you can spend a moment with the owners.

If you happen to be in area, make a stop!

Church hill Daugavpils

9 August, 2022 | Churches and Monasteries | 20 seen

Baznīckalns or Church hill in Daugavpils is said to be one of the main tourist attractions in the city. This was one of the rare times I visited Daugavpils and I must admit I didn't had any clue what should we see here and just Google for the top attractions and Church hill or Baznickalns was atop of the list.

Every traveler who wants to be acquainted with Daugavpils should definitely visit Church Hill which has gathered the churches of four different confessions.

Daugavpils Church Hill is located a clear distance away from the city center, in the Jaunbuve neighborhood.

This neighborhood was built in 1865 after the approval of the land-use plan for then named Dinaburg (one of the earlier names for the city of Daugavpils). At that time, Jaunbuve consisted mainly of one-storied wooden houses. At the end of the 19th century, red brick buildings started to appear as well. At the turn of the century, the population was beginning to grow.

The congregations of most religious denominations started to have more followers. The need for building churches appeared in this area. Martin Luther Cathedral (18 Novembra Street) was the first to be built in 1893. In 1905 two more churches, the Daugavpils Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (11a A.Pumpura Street) and the Daugavpils Orthodox Cathedral of St Boris and Gleb (2 Tautas Street), were built. In 1928, the House of Prayer of Daugavpils First Old Believer’s Community (16a Puškina Street) appeared.

Due to its amount of sacral buildings, the neighbourhood was named Church Hill. Church Hill is a unique place in Daugavpils. Churches of all four main religious denominations in Latgale exist within a relatively small area. This complex creates a unique panorama of Daugavpils. The churches became not only the religious centre of the Jaunbuve neighbourhood, but also its architectonic dominant. The complex of buildings contributes to the city panorama with its diversity of architectural styles, from Baroque and Neo-gothic to the Byzantine style. During the century the churches survived different times and political powers. The sacral buildings were destroyed several times, but every time they were reconstructed.

Evening on the Vilgāle Lake

4 August, 2022 | | 7 seen

It was already past 8 PM, I was just finished tiling the bathroom at our Vilgāle apartment when my fiancee and kiddo arrived to pick me up. My best part gave me the drone and said - it's a beautiful evening to fly a drone.

I looked around and agreed. The Vilgāle lake was covered in mist, the Sun was setting. Beautiful. 

Look at the beautiful rooftop on the bottom left.

Across the lake there is Vilgale village located where we own a Soviet style apartment

Piece of Life