Udabno - Almost Forgotten Village in Georgian Desert
Udabno is a small village located in distance some 50 km from Tbilisi. The chances you will visit this place is huge if you are visiting one of the most famous Georgia' s landmarks - David Gareji monastery complex. The main road from Tbilisi will take you through Udabno village if you are visiting David Gareji.
When I first was at Udabno back in 2011 it seemed as completely abandoned place, but at the end of December, 2015 it looked that some people are actually living here, and even a Polish run hostel has been established here.
Udabno village located in the middle of Georgian desert
Udabno in Georgian means - Desert. The village was built in middle 80s during Soviet times, for…
How To Display Google AdSense Ad Unit on Drupal Taxonomy Pages
Title for this article might be named also as - how to display block on taxonomy pages only. In fact that was the solution I was looking for about two years, and felt a bit awkward when figured out a very easy, not to say super simple solution.
The blog you are currently reading is Drupal powered, no WordPress, Joomla or some other content management system here, so I will speak Drupal language in this article.
Here is the super easy solution for those in hurry:
Create a new block, paste your Google AdSense (or whatever content you want, it's not only about Google AdSense after all), under block visibility settings choose only the listed pages and enter taxonomy/term/*
note that /*…
How To Make Floating Blocks in Drupal Using Module
In this article you will learn how to make blocks on your Drupal site to float using a simple, and yet powerful module - Floating block.
Here are some other cool tutorials you might find interesting:
How To Display Social Share Buttons On Drupal Taxonomy Pages
Floating social share buttons (without using modules)
How to align Facebook like, Google + and Twitter buttons? (CSS tricks)
Facebook like button for Drupal site
Drupal Floating Block
From module creators: The Floating block module allows you to keep html blocks, selected using jquery selectors in a fixed position on the page as you scroll. It works in a similar way the table header fixer in Drupal Core. This…
More Paint Job - Base layer for Kitchen's Floor
Those of you following my blog have noticed I'm featuring home remodeling series here, it all started back in the Spring/Summer of 2015, when we inherited a lovely but very badly managed country house in rural Latvia. In today's photo series I will show you how using the most cheapest floor paint I gave a new life to a rundown wooden plank floor in our rural's house kitchen.
But before that, take a look how it all started in this kitchen:
Removing Junk And Adding First Layer of Paint (Kitchen Works)
How to Patch and Plaster Walls in Your Old Rural House
Now let us begin with adding some floor paint in this lovely kitchen
Preparing floor for paint
If you are looking to paint your…
Wine Tunnel Near Kvareli in Georgia (Winery Khareba)
Wine Tunnel owned by a winery Khareba is located close to the town of Kvareli, in region of Kakheti, republic of Georgia. It features not only exotic manmade tunnel built in the rocks, but it also has a large territory offering interesting attractions related to Georgian heritage. Guests can book a wine tasting tour here and will be provided with best selection wines from winery Khareba.
I first visited this wine tunnel in the middle of October, 2015 together with my mom during a short one day trip around region of Kakheti,
Wine Tunnel at Winery Khareba near Kvareli town in Georgia
Winery Khareba is constructed of 15 tunnels. Two tunnels reaching 800 meters are parallel to each…
Neighborhoods of Tbilisi - Varketili
In today's photo article I will speak about another neighborhood in Tbilisi - Varketili. Varketili is most probably famous because of the Varketili metro line connecting this part of city with city cente.In today's article most of the pictures are focused around exactly at this metro station.
Varketili is probably not the most tourist visited place in Tbilisi, if you are hoping to find lovely wood carved balconies here or enjoy a swim in a sulfur bath you most probably wont find anything from that here. I haven' t double checked this, but apartment rent in Varketili are one of the cheapest options in Tbilisi. I know at least two expats living in this neighborhood.…
Giant Plane Tree in Telavi
There is a biggest tree in Georgia located in the city center of Telavi (Region of Kakheti). It's not only giant, it is more than 900 years old as well.I discovered this tree back in October , 2015, during a day trip to region of Kakheti, we made a 5 minute stop here, I got an opportunity to photograph it with my mom posing next to it.The Giant Plane tree in Telavi, Republic of GeorgiaIt's width is about 12 meters and height 46 meters.The Giant Plane tree in Telavi, Republic of GeorgiaThe plane tree in Telavi is near the ‘Batonis Tsikhe’ (the Prince’s Castle), the Batonis Tsqharo’ (the Prince’s Spring) and the monument to the great Georgian King of the 18th century Heracles II. Source:…
One Second a Day Video Project (November 7 - December 9, 2015)
I decided to great the New Year of 2016 with a 32-second video flashback I made at the end of 2015, filmed mostly in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.
The idea of creating one second a day video project arrived at me after I watched the movie Chef (2014). I was already doing my 365 days photo project and for the 32 days it was both fun and entertaining to both photograph and film, then post-process, e.t.c. It was a harsh experience as well. But it was worth every additional hour spent to produce a daily second video.
Places and Events from this video
Master class in Asian Cuisine
The Tiger Lillies Concert Review in Tbilisi
Wanderings In The Tbilisi Old Town (HDR Efex Pro)
Eating at…
Expo Georgia Exhibition Center in Tbilisi
One of my first memories from Georgia are very related with Expo Georgia Exhibition center, back in April 2011 when I first arrived to Georgia, just shortly I had an opportunity to visit a fair held here - Caucasus Tourism Fair. Back then I realized how important this venue place is for doing business in Georgia.Caucasus Tourism Fair 2014Georgian - Latvian Business ForumIf you are up to meeting new prospects or looking for some strong ties - fairs held here are absolutely worth of it.Potential Business Partner Search In Republic Of GeorgiaIn today's article I would rather speak of territory of this place and provide some cool pictures I made here at the start of December 2015.Pavilion #1 at…
Operation - Saving Swans
That happened in Summer 2015 on a highway connecting Liepaja with Riga in Latvia. We were returning home from Liepāja and enjoyed a newly constructed (renovated) Liepāja highway, when suddenly we had to stop our car because of a Swan family walked just in the middle of the highway in front of our car.
Swans looked confused, they were trying to get somewhere, as we later learned - they were searching for a lake.
Swan family walking in the middle of highway
Swan family
Lady helping to lead swans to the lake
Searching for the happiness
Happy ending
East Point Shopping Mall in Tbilisi
There is a new and modern shopping center recently built and opened for public in Tbilisi. Meet East Point. Located in suburbs of Varketili (neighborhood of Tbilisi) next to Kakheti highway on the road to Tbilisi Airport.
More than 150 clothing, shoes and accessories fashion retailers under one roof for your unique taste. Bowling and 8-ball pool in a very exquisite environment. A huge entertainment area specially built for children, 10 movie theaters with brand new movies and world premieres. You can pump up at one of the many food courts located on a special avenue to enhance your shopping experience.
For past couple of years we have been doing our weekly or bi…
Christmas Charity Winter Fair in Tbilisi 2015
Christmas charity Winter Fair was held in Tbilisi's Radisson Blu Iveria hotel on December 5, 2015. Winter fair was organized by International Women's Association Georgia (IWAG) and as in all previous year we paid a visit here and bought a lot of goodies. Money spent on such fairs goes to the charity,
Read more:
Christmas Charity Winter Fair in Tbilisi Sheraton Hotel (2014)
Christmas charity fair in Tbilisi (2013)
In this year's Winter fair a total of 23 diplomatic missions located in Georgia took participation: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, China, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar,…
Podnieku Lake Near Kalvene in Latvia
Podnieku lake is located close to the Kalvene in Western Latvia. We headed here while returning back from Liepāja (probably we were eating paella's and empanadas at Tex-Mex Klondaika restaurant prior).This lake seems in past has been some popular recreational area, there were a lot of camping sites and rumor has it here even was a cafeteria. Nobody knows for sure what happened to this place and why any development tasks has stopped. I believe it won't take long and Podnieku lake will be turned again in a popular recreational area. But for know take a look how it looked like here in Summer 2015.If you are up to for some eco tourism adventures - Podnieku lake has a lot to offer. Be…
Akhali (New) Shuamta Monastery Complex
If you are traveling to the region of Kakheti in Georgia and your road is leading through the Telavi town, there are a few interesting tourist sites to visit and one of them is monastery complex Akhali Shuamta.
We arrived to this site just shortly we paid a visit to another Dzveli Shuamta monastery. In fact that's a good idea to visit both monastery complexes together.
The monastery was founded in the XVI century by the king of Kakheti Leon and his wife Tinatin. Queen Tinatin was tonsured a nun in the same Monastery and is Buried there.
Akhali Shuamta monastery complex
New Shuamta Monastery lies near Telavi, on the wooded slope…
Listening to Classical Music at Tbilisi Baroque Festival
Tbilisi Baroque Festival was held from November 13 till December 6, 2015 in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.
There is something in the classical music. I don't know exactly what, but I have found that lately I'm starting to enjoy it. Maybe that was the reason I allowed to convince me to visit a Tbilisi Baroque festival.
On December 3rd we visited Sergio Azzolini and Christine Busch concert in Rustaveli Theater.
Tbilisi Baroque Festival
About Tbilisi Baroque Festival
The word "Baroque" (French) – means a "rough or imperfect pearl." This style has been conceived approximately in 1600-ies in genres of sculpture, painting, literature, music and spread all over the Europe of…
Zurab Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi
I don't call myself an art or museum person, thus time by time I visit some exhibition, and that's exactly happened again at start of December, 2015 - For the first time I visited Tbilisi MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). And it happened by accident. It started as a planed visit to classical music event in frames of Tbilisi Baroque Festival. We left our apartment early and had some time to spend on lively Rustaveli avenue, for a starter we headed to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to enjoy cup of tasty latte, when another great spontaneous idea arrived - let's visit a museum which proudly bares the MOMA name.
It turned out to be - Zurab Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art,…
Restaurant Tsiskvili in Tskneti
It was a mid day of working day at the start of December when I came up with spontaneous idea - lets leave our work behind and let's go out. I was eager to photography a daylight photography for my 365 photo project. We decided to use public bus instead of using a taxi to get to the Freedom Square in Tbilisi center. So we were standing at bus stop and couldn't figure out which bus actually goes to Freedom Square. I proposed, hey let's take bus #34 heading to Tskenti, which already approached our bus stop.
And so instead of Freedom Square we were heading to Tskenti. Tskenti is very lovely suburb close to Tbilisi, I have been there several times, either during some hiking…
Car Service in Kazdanga
If you are having troubles with engine, need to change a tire or just looking to replace oil and you are stuck in Kazdanga area (Latvia) there is one car service I can recommend. Since I believe it's the one and only one in Kazdanga, let's name it - Kazdanga car service.
At this service we fixed a leaky muffler and straightened a dent on car's surface for about EUR 50
Car service in Kazdanga
Since this service is located in rural Latvia they mainly specializes on repairing tractor machinery and agricultural vehicles.
Repairing hydraulics
Agricultural machinery
Tractor
Oils and other
How to Capture and Post-Process Professional HDR Photos Using HDR Efex PRO
In today's digital photography school tutorial I will show how you can take and make professional looking images using technology which is called HDR photography.
In fact before teaching you how to take and process a HDR images please take a note - I have been doing HDR photography less for one month. My findings so far are - like HDR is the best thing (I know as time will go I will probably change my mind and will go back to the routes, who knows maybe I will find a B&W the next BIG thing?!). I'm not a professional photographer, just a regular dude with a DLSR camera eager to learn some new things. I'm more than glad sharing my findings with you, my dear reader.
For…
Dzveli (Old) Shuamta Monastery
If you are traveling to region of Kakheti and your road is leading through Telavi town, there are few interesting tourist sites to visit and one of them is a very old monastery complex called Dzveli Shuamta.For the first time I visited this site together vith my mom in the middle of October 2015. It was a rainy and foggy day so not very spectacular images this time, anyway Dzveli Shuamta still has one of the oldest Christian churches of Georgia – the triple-nave basilica that dates back to the 5th century. Two other cross-domed churches were built in the 7th century. The walls of these churches still have fragments of frescos and inscriptions made in the old Georgian…