Hotel Royal Batoni, Kvareli, Kakheti, Georgia
One of the most interesting hotels I have stayed last time. Located in the footsteps of surrounding mountains next to Ilias lake, which offers some recreation opportunities, in heart of Georgia, Kakheti, Kvareli.
We stayed here at Easter weekend, 2014 and we definitely got what we paid for.
About Royal Batoni
Located in a picturesque area on the bank of Ilia Lake, between the Kvareli Mountains and the Duruji River, Royal Batoni offers a sauna and outdoor swimming pool with beautiful views of the lake. Free Wi-Fi and private parking are available.
The elegant rooms feature modern design and furnishings. They offer satellite TV and private bathroom with a bath or shower, hairdryer and…
Time-Lapse: Observing the Thriving Ivy on the Opposite Wall
Have you ever wondered how nature changes over time? One fascinating way to witness this transformation is through time-lapse photography.
For three weeks in April 2014, I've been taking photo shoots of the wall opposite to me and observing the leaps of ivy as it thrives. Now, after capturing the growth of this plant over a period of time, I am excited to share the finale of this time-lapse experiment with you.
Time-lapse photography allows us to see the changes that happen too slowly for us to perceive with our own eyes.
In this case, the ivy's growth was captured day by day and compiled into a video, revealing the impressive speed at which the plant has grown. The time-lapse provides a…
Adding CAPTCHA to Drupal 7 Webform
CAPTCHA is an essential tool for preventing spam and malicious attacks on your website. Adding CAPTCHA to your Drupal 7 Webform is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few easy steps.
In this article, we will show you how to add CAPTCHA to your Drupal 7 Webform to protect your website and improve the user experience.
Step 1: Install the CAPTCHA module The first step is to install the CAPTCHA module on your Drupal 7 website. To do this, go to the Drupal website and download the module. Once the module is downloaded, log in to your Drupal 7 website, go to the Modules section, and click on the Install new module button. Choose the CAPTCHA module from the list and click on the…
Inject Block In Drupal 7 Node With Block Inject module
I was looking for options to inject Google Adsense ads into my Drupal blog. There are a few modules and tactics available. But today I found an excellent module - Block Inject.
The Block Inject module allows for regions to be created and injected in the middle of chosen node types.
You can create any number of regions to inject as well as select as many node types you would like these regions to be injected in. The blocks you assign to these regions will then appear in the middle of the body field of these node types if the number of paragraphs is bigger than 2.
Download it here: Block Inject
Here is an example of injected Google Adsense into the middle of content:
I tried to…
Some magic with Drupal, Flickr and Georgia
Update: Further developments of both tourgeorgia.eu and instagram wall have been stopped. I have created a new Travel Map section instead.
Since I bought my first Android phone so many new thoughts and ideas has run through my head - I mean in opportunities of development. One of them I already realized - I created my custom Instagram wall, where I'm syncing all my photos taken by phone, and putting them on map. I really like this approach. Update: I have stopped further development of Instagram wall
When I first landed to Georgia, back in 2011, I wanted to start fresh, not only my life abroad, but to make some fresh start up/project. And I created Tourgeorgia. The idea behind scenes, was…
Import your Instagram photos to your blog using Flickr + Flickstagram
Recently I bought my first Android phone, and I found Instagram app really useful. What I like the most is it's mapping options, so you can add latitude/longitude auto, if your GPS is turned on.
Then I wanted to import my Instagram photos to my blog and found some problems with it. As I'm using Drupal as my blogs CMS, at first I headed to Drupal.org to search for some ready built modules, to import my Instagram photos, so I could later use views, for example, to tune things up. There are few solutions provided by Drupal community, but Instagram requires SSL, and at this stage, I'm not ready to enable some Open Source SSL. I just want a solution that works.
So then I remembered, some…
Gremi monastery complex in Georgia
Another very interesting tourist attraction in Kakheti close to Kvareli - Meet the Gremi Monastery complex. Features rich history and very spectacular views. For the first time I visited Gremi monastery complex back in 2014, when we booked a private tour from Hotel Royal Batoni. Next time I was here was during another short one day trip around region Kakheti together with my mom. This definitely means there are places in Georgia where it is worth to return.Impressive fortification walls at GremiThe monastery complex is located just right next to the highway making it impossible to miss this place. It is worth to mention that since 2007 the monuments of Gremi have been…
Lisi Lake in Tbilisi (Georgia)
Lisi lake is a popular recreational area in Tbilisi. Some will find a lazy walk around lake while others will enjoy a mountain biking here. I prefer both. As well I like here capturing spectacular views using my DSLR camera.You can get to Lisi lake by using public bus #29, taxi (costs around 6 GEL from the city center) or by a car. There is a large parking lot in front of the lake.Recently Lisi lake has undergone through major improvements, a new concrete slab road around the lake is built (the total distance is about 3 km). There are some vendors selling coffee and sweets, and there is a Hard Rock Cafe (seems working just during the Summer months)Concrete slab road…
Nekresi Monastery Complex in Georgia
Nekresi once was a town in Kakheti, Georgia. Nowadays Nekresi is a monastery complex located high up in the hill offering breathtaking views to surrounding plateau, not to mention that monastery complex is really interesting by it self. Located close to Kvareli town.
The church was recently restored, stone masonry repaired, roof rebuilt, windows put in place.
For the first time I visited this place back in the Spring of 2014, during a short day trip around region of Kakheti, offered by a hotel we stayed (Royal Batoni). Second time I paid a visit here in Autumn 2015, when I was taking my mom on about the same day trip around region of Kakheti.
Visitors of Nekresi…
Boris Grebenshchikov and Aquarium @ Tbilisi Concert Hall
Yesterday Boris Grebenshchikov and his band Aqurium performed at Tbilisi Concert Hall. Although I'm not huge fan of him I must admit, he is so called Russian Rock Grandfather and it would be a crime to waste an opportunity to visit his concert right next door, here in Tbilisi.About concert:Since I was not very familiar with his creation, first part of concert I just listened, to determine, do I like him or not. His music is really eclectic, so I found something from Visotsky and Tsoi (Kino), then Russian Rock Grandfather turned to reggae, I found both Bob Marley and Bob Dylan, even some Irish folk music was found in his creation. By now, I can tell you this - Boris Grebenshchikov…
Drupal 7 Archive Drop Down Menu
In this tutorial I will show how to create Drop-down menu for your monthly archives using Drupal 7 and views.
At first, please read this Drupal 7 tutorial on how to create Drupal archive page. By following this guide, you will learn how to create monthly archive page using views, and we go to add one minor change to change it to drop down menu.
Open that views page, select contextual filters, and change settings from unformatted to jump menu:
That's it, so easy.
For more Drupal tutorials please visit: Drupal development
P.S. If you are considering a hosting for your Drupal website check out Bluehost, their shared hosting starts as low as $3.95/mo or read more about cheap…
Add Menu Classes In Drupal 7
In this Drupal tutorial I'll show how to add menu classes to your Drupal 7 website using template.php file.
Original of this tutorial has been found here.
Add this function to your template.php file:
<?php
/**
* theme_menu_link()
*/
function THEMENAME_menu_link(array $variables) {
//add class for li
$variables['element']['#attributes']['class'][] = 'menu-' . $variables['element']['#original_link']['mlid'];
//add class for a
$variables['element']['#localized_options']['attributes']['class'][] = 'menu-' . $variables['element']['#original_link']['mlid'];
//dvm($variables['element']);
return theme_menu_link($variables);
}
?>
P.S. If you are considering a hosting for…
A Time Lapse of green wall - Day 1
There is a one really nice looking wall located in Tbilisi, I would like to show it to you, that building is left from the brick wall building opposite to me, and I'm seeing it every day, for the last one year.
The wall is grown with some greens, and in Summer it looks cool green, in Autumn it turns red, in Winter it's naked, and now I'm looking to make a time-lapse of this wall turning from naked into the green.
Here is a Day 1 photo:
I'm not sure how many days I will need, to see that wall completely green, but I promise that at the end I will create a Time-lapse video, like some 30 seconds or like that.
Performing Joomla 1.5 convert to Drupal 7
Over past couple of years, I have many times seen a bad Joomla site, which either is hacked or is not working as it should, and I have converted those sites to Drupal.
The most strange things is, there is always some Joomla developer, who has created that site, but when problems occur, that Joomla developer is gone.. Strange right? How can one call himself a Joomla developer, when first problems occur, he is gone?
So I got another Joomla site request to perform a Joomla major Upgrade from 1.5 to 2.5.
I thought, hell, why not - let's fix this site, by not converting it to Drupal (As I usually do), but let's stay on Joomla.
Site works, there has been no hackers yet. So I started to…
Node reference views display using relationships
I started doing some Drupal powered site rebuilding.
By first of all I deleted all views and un-installed and deleted modules that are not must-have.
Then I started from scratch building with views:
It took me some time (about 5 minutes) to remember how to display referenced nodes on other node page.
Here is what you will need to achieve such behavior:
Create a new view, add Contextual filter nid, and add Relationships - referenced nodes, then add your fields and make them related to relationship, then just put block in your content area.
New hinges added to my HP Compaq 6510b
Today, finally my new used hinges arrived, and I had an opportunity to change the broken ones with new ones. Hinges traveled to me from China to US and the to Georgia, pretty impressive route, right?
Anyway I'm happy with my new hinges, and hope that my beloved laptop HP Compaq 6510b will please me for few more years.
Update: The good old HP Compaq 6510b still pleases me, but I have finally bought a new ASUS laptop (September, 2015)
DIY: How to change laptop hinges by yourself
New hinges for old HP Compaq 6510b
I ordered them via Amazon and had to wait for about a month to get them in Georgia.
DIY: Changing hinges for laptop
Removing keyboard
Broken hinge…
Cycling in Tbilisi: Left Embankment of Mtkvari
Left Embankment of Mtkvari is one of the longest asphalt pavement cycling distances in city of Tbilisi - it stretches from Didube to Ortochala (passing Tbilisi Old Town). It is among the easiest routes as well. For today's cycling assignment I decided to use section Marjinashvili - Didube - Marjinashivli from Left Embankment of MtkvariEmbankment of Mtkvari in Tbilisi is really cool place for riders (and not only), except sudden obstacles, like inappropriate parked cars, or superficially repairs. Left Embankment is cool by one more reason - it' s cool for photography - you can get some cool Tbilisi architecture shots from here:Right Embankment of…
Tbilisi Botanical Garden
Tbilisi Botanical garden is located at the foothills of the Narikala fortress in the city center of Tbilisi. The National Botanical Garden of Georgia occupies the area of 161 hectares and possesses a collection of over 4,500 taxonomic groups.There are at least to entrances at the garden - one is from the top of Narikala fortress (You can get there by using Aerial tram from Rike Park) and other entrance is from Abanotubani just behind the Tbilisi Mosque. Entrance fee: 2 GEL (As of 2018). Entrance is free for kids. Annual and six-month subscription is available starting 40 GEL. Probably if I would live in this neighborhood I would make sure I have…
My Journey to a Fitter Lifestyle - From Aspria to Champions Academy
Starting a fitness journey is never easy, but finding the right gym can make all the difference.
After searching for a while, I found Aspria, a gym with several branches throughout the city. Initially, I was impressed by the reasonable pricing of 99GEL (~$57) for 24/7 access to the Dinamo Stadium branch. However, as time went on, I found that the best choice for me was actually Champions Academy.
Back in 2014, I had set a goal to lose 17 kilos, and I was hoping that Aspria would be the solution. Although I had made plans to visit, I never ended up making it due to laziness. Unfortunately, I also never lost the 17 kilos I wanted to. But now, as spring approaches, I am renewing my…
Get Your Broken Laptop Hinges Fixed with Amazon: A Guide for Expats in Georgia
In Georgia, it's challenging to find good and affordable electronics, and repairing items can seem like a daunting task. If your laptop breaks, the common response is to take it to Laptop Center, or "Leptopi Centri" as it's known locally, located on Uznadze street in Tbilisi.
While they have been of help to me in the past three years, I've found their prices to be on the high side, with a flat rate of 100 GEL (~$57) for most services. What's more, they often blame problems on a bad hard drive or motherboard without identifying the root cause.
Since August 2013, I've taken matters into my own hands and started repairing my electronics, including bad hard drives and broken motherboards. The…