Tskaltubo - Former Soviet Spa Resort
| | 96 seen
Tskaltubo is a spa resort town in west-central Georgia. The resort was especially popular in the Soviet era, attracting around 125,000 visitors a year. Bathhouse 9 features a frieze of Stalin, and visitors can see the private pool where he bathed on his visits.
Just like Chiatura cable car town, Tskaltubo is very interesting to visit and see the brutalist and futuristic Soviet architecture.
In today's Piece of Life series - Tskalubo - former Soviet Spa Resort town
The resort's focus is on balneotherapy for circulatory, nervous, musculo-skeletal, gynaecological and skin diseases, but since the 1970s its repertoire has included "speleotherapy", in which the cool dust-free environment of local caves is said to benefit pulmonary diseases.
Tskaltubo is known for its radon-carbonate mineral springs, whose natural temperature of 33–35 °C (91–95 °F) enables the water to be used without preliminary heating.
Architecture in Tskaltubo basically is a synthesis of Stalinist period classical style and of Georgian ethnic decor with Gothic and Roman features.
Unfortunetly there are not many (if any) World wide known brands featured at Tskaltubo, like Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot or other
The "Spring No. 6", is the largest thermal bath working today. It was built in 1950 exclusively for Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union at the time. Private baths and dachas of Stalin and Lavrenti Beria are still kept in the city. The mineral water flows directly into Buildings #1 and #6. There are five pools of mineral water, 37 individual cabins for bathing mineral water and 17 hydro-massage cabinets.
There are numerous restoration projects to promote the regeneration of this historic spa town.
The Grand Documentary of 2019
| Documentaries | 17 seen
Almost 38.8 GB (676 clips short clips per year) footage resulted in almost 2 hours of film. (1h 56 m).
As every year - documentary cinema - in the style of home video, but we have thought about your vestibular aparatus - trying to avoid the tremors of the hands and the desire to work with and around the zoom as much as possible (undoubtedly, the couple places ar filmed in a manual mode). Filming with a tripod and a baby on the move is difficult
The length of the film is determined by its main character - Renee. One year in our baby's life - running around, crawling, getting up and finally taking the first steps.
Kilogram of a cake for a birthday, farewell to Richard (white cat)
Travel to different countries, Georgia, Latvia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Italy, Switzerland (and maybe more)
Glued, sanded, laminated, beaten, and put together in Tbilisi, Georgia using Adobe Premiere CC
Chreli Abano Sulfur Bath in Tbilisi
| Health & Wellness | 141 seen
Chreli Abano is a sulfur bath located in the Tbilisi Bath district of Abanotubani.
We have been heading to these baths a lot in the past (back in 2011-2013), since then we have changed our location, visiting other, not so fancy ones on Kyiv street, but lately again, we have started to visit sulfur bathhouses in the old town district.
As they are many, I will try to give a quick recap of all of them, though after revisiting Chreli Abano sufur bath in Tbilisi, seems I will stick with it for awhile.
Located at the eastern bank of the Mtkvari River at the foot of Narikala fort across Metekhisubani, Abanotubani is an important historic part of the city — the place, where according to a legend the King of Iberia, Vakhtang Gorgasali’s falcon fell, leading to a discovery of the hot springs and, subsequently, to founding of a new capital.
Chreli Abano has gone through the renovation and is completely different than it was back in 2012.
Nice private rooms are available, starting from GEL 50 per hour
We paid GEL 70 fo this little but nice room with a sulfur pool + additionally ordered some tea, jam and other goodies
Vilgāle apt update: Drywall for Bathroom, Kitchen and Hallway, Building Sauna
| Home Remodeling | 10 seen
It has been a while since I posted the latest updates from our Vilgāle apartment renovation, the active construction works have been paused since March, except some minor plastering was done by mid-June.
In the Summer months in Latvia, it is hard to find contractors. I was left with no other option than to wait for the fall/ winter season.
Without further ado, works have resumed with lightning speed and there is a hope we will finish this apt by the end of this year (2021), at least the major construction works.
Rock wool, wiring. In the hallway there is going to be installed a wood pellet central heating stove.
We already started to look on Ikea store for some cabinets to install here
The more I look, the more I like this place
Looks very decent already
I hope to build here a little sauna with electric stove
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
- Plasetring bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
- Chimneysweep: EUR 30
- More drywall, rock wool, electric cables, plumbing and other: EUR 1094
TOTAL: EUR 9,783
Le Meridien Batumi Hotel Review
| Hotel reviews | 21 seen
Le Meridan hotel is one of many 5-star hotels in Batumi I've stayed in so far.
We booked a one-night stay here in August 2021 to celebrate my 36 birthday. For this stay, we paid about $340, and this seems a bit overpriced. I still prefer Radisson or Hilton, but if money is no obstacle, why not?
We arrived bit late in the evening from Batumi international airport (flight from Tbilisi). It was already getting late, but I managed to capture the above sunset .
Beach reachable within only 656 feet, Le Meridien Batumi is a 5-star hotel and features 105 tastefully decorated and furnished rooms and suites with stunning Black Sea views. Guests can take a dip in an indoor swimming pool, work out at the on-site fitness center, and relax in a sauna. A garden as well as a sun terrace are at guests' disposal. The property also offers a casino.
At Le Meridien Batumi all guest rooms have restful colors and offer air-conditioning and heating. Every unit includes a wardrobe, seating area and mini-bar. Private bathroom features free toiletries as well as a bathrobe, slippers and a hairdryer. Towels and linen are also included. All rooms at the hotel come with a balcony offering sea views.
Guests at the accommodations can have a continental or a vegetarian breakfast. Drinks can be enjoyed in the on-site bar.
Le Meridien Batumi offers spa and wellness center and various beauty services upon request. Hotel also features meeting/banquet facilities and business center.
Halloween 2021
| Living in Georgia | 14 seen
Our spooky Halloween short. From the mist-covered Sighnaghi to Bazaleti lake. Trick or treat!
Chateau Bruale Tkhilistskaro
| Hotel reviews | 18 seen
Chateau Bruale offers accommodations in Tkhilistskaro. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Free WiFi is available throughout the property and free private parking is available on site.
We booked a one-night stay at this place at the end of August 2021 and paid about EUR 30. Additionally, we ordered some dinner and breakfast, for an additional GEL 120
Chateau is located in the middle of vineyards and hazelnut grove. I actually bought some 5 kilos with hazelnut, paying about GEL 8 per kilo.
I held a small talk with the owner of the chateau, a retired colonel, and I was told that a good land for sale in Kakhetia cost about $20,000 per ha (albeit they are not selling to foreigners)
Quite a nice stay for a very affordable price. Hearty people, interesting discoveries.
Book now on Booking.com
Autumn in Laidi
| | 33 seen
Laidi is a village in Laidi parish, Kuldīga municipality, Latvia. The village is located some 28 km from the county center of Kuldiga and 167 km from Riga.
One of the most interesting objects to see: Laidi manor - Built in the early 19th century by the local German nobility, it has housed the Laidi primary school since 1921.
In today's Piece of Life series - Autumn in Laidi
Beautiful scenary with colourful trees
The Grand Documentary of 2018
| Documentaries | 12 seen
2018 was very special. Here is a brief recap in a 25-minute long documentary.
Some shorts from Tbilisi, relocating to Jūrmala. A lot of snow. Building a baby crib, chilling. chilling a lot. Picking up a baby name. First meeting with a little person. First bathing. Many things were done for the first time. Relocating back to Georgia. And many more. Enjoy!
Prometheus Epic Hotel & Spa near Tskaltubo
| Hotel reviews | 38 seen
Located just some 500 meters from Prometheus Cave, Prometheus Epic Hotel & Spa provides accommodations with a restaurant, free private parking, an outdoor swimming pool, and a bar.
We booked this hotel for a 2-night stay at the start of September during our Kutaisi and area trip. This was a pretty affordable stay, in total we paid about EUR 110 for a two-day stay.
With a garden, the property also has a terrace. The property features a spa center, free WiFi throughout the property and a 24-hour front desk.
Unfortunetly during our stay here (September) there was some heavy rain, but still we enjoyed the hot pools.
Prometheus Epic Hotel & Spa offers 4-star accommodations with a sauna and hot tub.
The nearest airport is Kutaisi International, 15 mi from the accommodations, and the property offers a paid airport shuttle service.
For one night we arranged a taxi transfer to Kutaisi and were asked about GEL 60 (one way)
In short, this was a very nice stay, we traveled forth and back to Tskaltubo and Kutaisi from here. I would recommend a stay here.
Book now on Booking.com
Sold all Bitcoin, Seb Mutual funds, Baltic Horzion and DelfinGroup Stock
| Investments | 14 seen
Yesterday, on October 25, 2021, I sold all of the Bitcoin holdings I had with Coinbase PRO. Additionally, I sold off all my investments with SEB mutual funds and stocks at Nasdaq Baltic: Baltic Horizon, and DelfinGroup.
I did this because I have started another interesting 52-week challenge - buying Apple stock for the next 52 weeks and I want to focus on that challenge.
As an options trader, I want to collect at least 100 shares with Apple stock and start selling covered calls on it (subscribe to my newsletter here)
Selling BTC seems was just at the right time, now when there are a few Bitcoin ETF's available at the stock market, and I guess I will explore my options selling puts with BITO ETF.
Anyhow, I sold BTC with about 48% gain in less than 5 months (I was buying once a week small bits using the so-called dollar-cost averaging method)
I guess I will re-start my Bitcoin 52-week challenge again. Starting next week. Bitcoin has proven to work best using dollar-cost averaging.
SEB funds? Yeah, they are fine, but not very interesting to me. Baltic stocks, yeah why not, but I, for now, I'll better stick with Apple and Bitcoin.
To see more videos like this, please subscribe to my YouTube channel!
Top 7 Best Selling laptops with 11th Gen Intel Core i9 Processor
| Laptop Reviews | 80 seen
In this article, I've listed the top 7 best selling laptops on Amazon with the latest 11th gen Intel Core i9 processor
A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. Prices for laptop computers 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.
2021 Newest Dell XPS 15 9510 Laptop, 15.6" FHD+ 500 Nits Display, Intel i9-11900H, RTX 3050Ti, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, IR Webcam, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, WiFi 6, Thunderbolt 4, Win 10 Home
- 64GB high-bandwidth DDR4 RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once; 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive provides fast bootup, ample storage space and speedy data transfer
- 11th Genernation Intel Core i9-11900H Processor (8 Cores, 16 Threads, 24MB Cache, 2.50 GHz base frequency, up to 4.90 GHz max turbo frequency), packing with staggering performance typically only available from desktops to your laptop
- 15.6" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit Display, 16:10 aspect ratio, features a 0.65% anti-reflective coating, stunning edge-to-edge view, low blue light and vivid color; Supported by GeForce RTX 3050 Ti with 4GB GDDR6 dedicated graphics memory
- 2 x Thunderbolt 4 with power delivery & DisplayPort, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with power delivery & DisplayPort, 1 x Full size SD card reader v6.0, 1 x Headphone & Mic Audio Jack; HD IR Webcam with digital microphone; Backlit Keyboard; Fingerprint Reader on power button; Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.1; 6-Cell 86Whr Battery with ExpressCharge, 1 x USB-C to USB-A v3.0 & HDMI v2.0 adapter included
- Windows 10 Home 64-bit - ideal for content creation, family entertainment, daily productivity, gaming, streaming, online class, remote learning, Zoom meeting, video conference, etc.
List price: [amazon B09F4P1Y61 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
ASUS Zephyrus M16 WQXGA 165Hz Gaming Laptop, 16'' 2560x1600, Intel Tiger Lake i9-11900H 8-Core, 16-Thread, RTX 3060, Fingerprint, WiFi 6, Webcam, Win 10 Home, with Accessories (16GB RAM|1TB PCIe SSD)
- 16" WQXGA display with 165Hz refresh rate. The ultra bright 500nits, 16:10 Anti-Glare display with 2560 x 1600 resolution. Swift 165hz refresh rate with 3ms response time. 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy boasts impressive color and clarity, Energy-efficient LED backlight
- Powerful Performance with 11th Gen Intel Tiger Lake Core i9-11900H, one of the fastest laptop CPUs in 2021 and well suited for even very demanding tasks(2.5GHz-4.9GHz, 24MB Intel Smart Cache and supports DDR4-3200 memory, 45W) .
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card w/ ROG Boost up to 1525MHz at 80W (95W with Dynamic Boost)
- 16GB DDR4 RAM; 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD. 240W Power Supply, 4-Cell 90 WHr Battery. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY. We do provide a 1-year standard warranty on upgraded RAM/SSD. Bundled with Accessories include HDMI Cable, USB extension cord and Mouse Pad.
- 1 HDMI, 2 USB 3.2 Type-C Gen2, Micro SD Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack.Windows 10 Home-64, WiFi 6 - 802.11 ax, One-zone RGB Keyboard Backlight, Virtual Reality Ready, Six speakers powered by Dolby Atmos technology; Built-in fingerprint reader and HD webcam. Thunderbolt port for connecting advanced monitors and external drives, Weighs 4.19 lbs. and measures 0.78" thin
List price: [amazon B09DZ5JWWF listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
Razer Blade 15 Advanced Gaming Laptop 2021: Intel Core i9-11900H 8-Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 15.6” 4K OLED, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD - CNC Aluminum - Chroma RGB - THX Spatial Audio - Thunderbolt 4
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics for Stunning Visuals: Built on NVIDIA’s award-winning 2nd-gen RTX architecture, these GPUs provide the most realistic ray-traced graphics and cutting-edge AI features for the most powerful graphics in a gaming laptop.
- Intel 11th Gen 8-Core CPU for All-out Gaming Performance: Run the heaviest AAA titles and creation tasks without breaking a sweat, and activate Intel Turbo Boost Technology for a jolt of speed that brings the i7 processor up to 5.1GHz.
- Next-gen Displays to Meet Your Needs: Go with ultra-fast 360Hz FHD for competitive gaming, OLED UHD for creative work with 4K clarity, or a 240Hz QHD display for the best of both worlds.
- Vapor Chamber Cooling for Maximized Thermal Performance: The laptop quietly and efficiently dissipates heat through the evaporation and condensation of an internal fluid, keeping it running smoothly and coolly even under intense loads.
- Advanced Connectivity for Greater Convenience: With built-in WiFi-6 and a UHS-III SD card slot, you can cut down on adapters and travel light.
- Windows 11 Compatible: Includes Windows 10 Home with a free upgrade to Windows 11 when available through Windows Update – experience the best Windows ever for gaming with superior graphics and faster load times
List price: [amazon B094PNSHC6 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
MSI Creator Z16 Professional Laptop: 16" QHD+ 16:10 120Hz Touch Display, Intel Core i9-11900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 32GB RAM, 2TB NVME SSD, Thunderbolt 4, Win10 PRO, Lunar Gray (A11UET-043)
- Visual Performance: The 16" 120Hz QHD+ Touch Display has you covered for any situation whether it be competitive fast paced games or creative workloads. The 16:10 ratio offers more screen real estate for all workflows and a smooth visual experience.
- Redefined Power: The 11th Gen. Intel Core i9 processor, delivers high performance with 8 cores boosting up to 4.9 GHz. Take on any tasks and applications with ease.
- Supercharged Graphics: The MSI Creator Z16 is powered by a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, breezes through today's most demanding creative workflow tasks.
- Crafted To Be Portable: The Z16 is packed with an immense amount of power in a lightweight chassis featuring a 90Whr battery, so you can work on the go.
- Creators Rejoice: MSI’s exclusive Cooler Boost Technology ensures optimal thermal dissipation. Featuring 3 fans, get up to 15% increased airflow with the new Cooler Boost Trinity+.
- Versatile Connections: The Creator Z16 features a wide range of I/O ports, Thunderbolt 4 supporting power delivery and up to 40Gbps of data transfer and USB 4.0.
List price: [amazon B096D4KY27 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
Dell XPS 17 9710 Touchscreen Laptop, 17 inch UHD+ Display - Intel Core i9-11900H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Pro - Platinum Silver (Latest Model)
- Free Upgrade to Windows 11 when available.
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE: 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processors and NVIDIA RTX graphics power the most intensive creative pursuits
- STUNNING SCREEN: A 16:10 4-sided InfinityEdge display provides stunning edge-to-edge view. Plus, with 921k more pixels on UHD+, you’ll be more productive than ever
- EASY ON THE EYES: Eyesafe technology built into the screen reduces harmful blue light all while maintaining vivid color
- UP YOUR CREATIVE GAME: Take your creative projects to a new level with GeForce RTX 30 Series laptops delivering AI-acceleration in top creative apps
- IMMERSIVE SOUND: Expand audio into an immersive 3D soundscape with our quad speaker design and Waves Nx 3D audio for speakers
List price: [amazon B094LSXGKL listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED YD - 15.6" UHD 4k AMOLED IPS, Intel Core i9, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB SSD, Win10 Pro, Creator Laptop (AERO 15 OLED YD-93US648SP)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
- Boost Clock 1245 Mhz & Max Graphics Power of 105W
- NVIDIA DLSS for groundbreaking AI rendering
- 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK (2.6GHz~5.0GHz)
- 32GB Memory (64GB Max), 512G SSD + 1TB SSD
- 15.6" Thin Bezel UHD 4K 3840x2160 Samsung AMOLED Display
- VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, X-Rite Certified, per unit factory calibrated & Pantone Validated Color Accuracy
List price: [amazon B096TB8MRB listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
ASUS Zephyrus M16 WQXGA 165Hz Gaming Laptop, 16'' 2560x1600, Intel i9-11900H 8-Core, RTX 3060, Fingerprint, WiFi 6, Webcam, Win 10 Home, with Accessories (16GB RAM|1TB PCIe SSD)
- 16" WQXGA display with 165Hz refresh rate. The ultra bright 500nits, 16:10 Anti-Glare display with 2560 x 1600 resolution. Swift 165hz refresh rate with 3ms response time. 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy boasts impressive color and clarity, Energy-efficient LED backlight
- Powerful Performance with 11th Gen Intel Tiger Lake Core i9-11900H, one of the fastest laptop CPUs in 2021 and well suited for even very demanding tasks(2.5GHz-4.9GHz, 24MB Intel Smart Cache and supports DDR4-3200 memory, 45W) .
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card w/ ROG Boost up to 1525MHz at 80W (95W with Dynamic Boost)
- 16GB DDR4 RAM; 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD. 240W Power Supply, 4-Cell 90 WHr Battery. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY. We do provide a 1-year standard warranty on upgraded RAM/SSD. Bundled with Accessories include HDMI Cable, USB extension cord and Mouse Pad.
- 1 HDMI, 2 USB 3.2 Type-C Gen2, Micro SD Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack.Windows 10 Home-64, WiFi 6 - 802.11 ax, One-zone RGB Keyboard Backlight, Virtual Reality Ready, Six speakers powered by Dolby Atmos technology; Built-in fingerprint reader and HD webcam. Thunderbolt port for connecting advanced monitors and external drives, Weighs 4.19 lbs. and measures 0.78" thin
List price: [amazon B09F716KDG listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)
Kļavu Lapas Laidos
| Tourism objects | 6 seen
Kļavu lapas Laidos - an attempt to catch some falling colorful leaves. Laidi manor and more. October 17, 2021 Dji Mavic Air 2, Galaxy A52
Eagle Canyon / Gorge
| Tourism objects | 59 seen
Eagle Canyon also Eagle Gorge or Artsivi Gorge is located close to the town of Dedoplitskaro in Georgia.
The natural monument represents a unique complex consisting of two sites. The first one is a limestone rock canyon, while the other is an adjacent forested area, where the Khornabuji fortress was built (V c).
I first discovered this great canyon at the start of June 2021, during a Vashlovani trip.
There is a little rangers cabin at the main entrance inside the canyon
The canyon with a picturesque landscape is a home to several birds of prey (eagle, vulture etc.). Looking at the hanging cliffs from the rocky slopes of the gorge, it is possible to observe nests of eagles and other rare/extinct plants, which cannot be seen anywhere else in Georgia.
The length is of the pedestrian route is 1 km, which can be covered in 1 hour.
The length of the pedestrian route to Khornabuji fortress is 0.5 km and it can be covered in 30 minutes.
The natural monument itself is in 4 km to the north of Dedoplistskaro. 2 km of the road is paved and the other 2 km is a gravel road laid in the forest.
- Tbilisi - Dedoplistskaro - 2 hrs by car;
- Dedoplistskaro – Eagle gorge - 15 min by car.
Lake Zvirgzdu
| Lakes | 24 seen
Lake Zvirgzdu is located in Kurzeme historical region on the border of Kuldīga and Alsunga municipalities.
There are several campsites available at Lake Zvirgzdu, with one of the most popular being - Ezermaļi.
I discovered this place by a chance, back in September 2021, while randomly driving around the area
There are 6 farmsteads on the shore of the lake, the V1264 highway runs along the western end.
In 1976, the Latvian feature film "Lake Sonata" was shot on the shore of the lake.
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Colva Beach, located in South Goa, is known for its expansive golden sands and tranquil atmosphere. Stretching for several kilometers along the Arabian Sea, the beach offers a peaceful escape from the busier tourist hubs in the region. Its wide shoreline, framed by swaying palm trees, provides plenty of space for visitors to relax, stroll, or…
Charles Bridge: A Timeless Landmark in Prague
The Charles Bridge (Karlův most) in Prague is one of the most iconic and historic landmarks in Europe. Built in the 14th century under the reign of King Charles IV, this Gothic stone bridge spans the Vltava River, connecting Prague's Old Town with the Lesser Town (Malá Strana). Adorned with a series of 30 Baroque statues and surrounded by…