Cafe 'Pagrabiņš' in Kuldīga

1 February, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 31 seen

If you are the lucky one and you have a chance to visit picturesque Latvian town of Kuldīga, make sure you make your dinning out at town's of of the best cafe's/ restaurant - Cafe Pagrabiņš.

• Or take a look of another Kuldīga restaurants here.

Located in the heart of Kudlīga Old town on Baznicas street, this place offers traditional Latvian cuisine for a very reasonable prices.  

Cafe Pagrabins in Kuldīga

Located next to the town square in Kuldīga, where major town events are held, like Feast in Kuldīga

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Cafe Pagrabins Logo

Interior at Pagrabiņš 

Menu at cafe Pagrabins

They have a wide selection of traditional Latvian cuisine here, prices are reasonable. 

Coffee Amerciano and additional hot milk

Traditional Latvian dessert at Cafe Pagrabins

I just love this place, and so do will you!

Check out official website of cafe Pagrabiņš: www.pagrabins.lv

Blog Traffic and Income Report for 2015 - 347,035 users / $9,819.71

31 January, 2016 | Blogging | 24 seen

This time of the year have come when I'm looking back on previous 2015 year. In today's article I will reveal some data behind the scenes - both traffic and income for whole year of 2015.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you have already probably noticed that once in a month I cover monthly traffic and income reports. Make sure you check them out. This article is a round up posts for previous twelve reports. 

This blog has gone a long way and has increased it's monthly visitor count from 19,798 in January to 43,941 users in December. November marked all times best result - more than 50,000 monthly users.

• In total this blog reached 347,035 users in 2015
• In average it is 28,920 monthly users or
• 950 daily visitors

Blog traffic report (monthly view). Data source: Google Analytics

As it happened back in 2014, the biggest traffic gains came in Q3 and Q4, with November making all times best. Page views my blog generated in 2015 reached pretty serious milestone of 0.5 millions

I can proudly report that in…

Leaning tower of Pisa in Italy

30 January, 2016 | Tourism objects | 49 seen

We all have heard about Pisa tower, I won't be too original by saying - it's that leaning tower located somewhere in Italy. 

At the end of 2015 I had a chance to visit this place second time in my lifetime (my mom, told me that I was here back in 1990 or 1991, but was so tired that refused to leave our tourist bus and took a lovely nap instead of wondering at this oblique tower).

This time I felt very energized, armored with a tripod and a lot of new photography skills I have learnt since I started digital photography school project. I experimented a lot with HDR and Panorama photography at Tower of Pisa. The result? Take a look:

Pisa tower in Italy

It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistery.

Author of this blog captured in action

Cathedral near Pisa tower

The Piazza dei Miracoli, formally known as Piazza del Duomo (Italian: Cathedral Square), is a wide walled area located in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, recognized as an important center of European…

Restaurant Antica Drogheria in Lucca, Italy

29 January, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 15 seen

Restaurant Antica Drogheria is located in Lucca, Italy, we discovered this restaurant by accident, just shortly checked in at Albergo Celide hotel and decided to make an evening walk beyond Lucca's city wall.

And here it was - another great Italian restaurant located on  Via Elisa, 5.

Antica Drogheria in Lucca, Italy

We had to wait for about some 10 minutes to get a free table (seems this place is extremely popular), by waiting for a free place we ordered a cappuccino in the restaurant's anteroom 

Italian cappuccino 

Comes with a very low price here - just EUR 1 for a cup of cappuccino (although it's everywhere cheap in Italy)

Pizza oven

When in Italy you order pizza, right? When In Lucca, they serve pizza with prosciutto topping:

Four formage pizza topped with a lot of prosciutto 

At Antica Drogheria in Lucca

Author of this blog captured in action

Antica Drogheria is a place which will always associate me with Lucca. I haven't checked other dining places in Lucca, but I feel…

Feast in Kuldiga

28 January, 2016 | | 9 seen

A brilliant festival is held in town of Kuldiga (Western Latvia) each year just shortly after midsummer.  In today's Piece of Life photo project series I would love to share some images from Feast in Kuldiga (taken July, 2015)

Such trade fairs are pretty popular in Latvia  - visitors can buy goods from local craftsmen, artists or small producers.

Cider sold from retro car in Kuldiga

Feast in Kuldiga banner

Basket ware sold at fair

Smoked chicken 

Visitors at feast of Kuldiga on Liepajas street

Lawn mowing in the backyard territory

27 January, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 11 seen

If you have been following home remodeling series on my blog you might tell I'm starting to repeat - another article on lawn mowing? Yes, another article on that. 

After trying mowing grass with a scythe I just understood how hard it actually is and started to look for some more serious tools, and then trimmer replaced scythe. Just after some month I realized the grass is back, and I was left with no option as to loan a trimmer again, this time a petrol Stiga trimmer from a good friend.

Grown grass at the backyard

Its hard to call it a lawn yet, it is actually a ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria)

Aegopodium podagraria L. commonly called ground elder, herb gerard, bishop's weed, goutweed, gout wort, and snow-in-the-mountain, and sometimes called English masterwort, and wild masterwort, is a perennial plant in the carrot family (Apiaceae) that grows in shady places. The name "ground elder" comes from the superficial similarity of its leaves and flowers to those of elder (Sambucus), which is unrelated. It is the type species…

Kidobani Trading center in Tbilisi

26 January, 2016 | Shopping Venues | 95 seen

When something from your home appliance or electronics are broke and you think you could fix it by your own - Kidobani trading center in Tbilisi is a great place to find those small details you are looking for.

Kidobani trading center is located between Tbilisi Railway station and Dinamo arena, next to the Dezerteer Bazaar.

I have bought here replacement battery for a laptop, twice a tap nozzle and some plumbing insulation. I have bought here screwdrivers, screws, pliers and many other... also we bought here two mountain bikes at the end of 2013. Read more: First Ride.

Recently I headed here just for another tap nozzle (got if for 7 GEL) and decided - Kidobani trading center is worth to mention in my Living in Georgia post series.

• Read more:Shopping in Tbilisi

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Kidobani trading center in Tbilisi

A lot of cool gadgets at Kidobani 

Plumbers paradise at Kidobani

Electronics at Kidobani

Park between Dinamo arena (stadium) and Kidobani market

Postcards from Jvari Monastery

25 January, 2016 | | 7 seen

Postcards from... are actually a really cool photo project some can run, after submitting postcards from Tbilisi and postcards from Sighnaghi (both are located in wonderful Caucasian Republic of Georgia) I realized - postcards from.. are going to be more often featured on Piece of Life series photo posts. 

In today's article - let me share some postcards from Jvari monastery (again, Republic of Georgia)

Postcard from Jvari monastery

Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the town of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia. Read my article about Jvari monastery

Jvari monastery

Mtkari and Aragvi river delta's at Mtskheta

Mtkari and Aragvi river delta's at Mtskheta

Tbilisi - Fairyland in Winter

24 January, 2016 | | 30 seen

It was an early morning at the end of January when my better part awakened me and told me - hey, it's snowing - it's time to make those lovely and socially sharable Tbilisi winter photos!

That's exactly we actually did - after some five minutes the coffee was served, and 10 minutes later we were already on street catching a taxi. I was so excited of seeing a snow (again, after some 3 weeks, previously I seen it back in Italy, when we did a week long trip there, and prior to that - in Gudauri, during Christmas time). I asked to the taxi driver - how is "snow" in Georgian? He replied - "Tovlis". Now, I know one more word in Georgian language.

Tbilisi Old Town with Narikala Fortress atop of it

The church in front of you is actually Armenian Orthodox church named Cathedral of Saint George, which just recently has been renovated and opened for public. (Armenian churches in Georgia are suffering a lot, read my travel notes of some abandoned Armenian church in Tbilisi - Abandoned Armenian Church in Tbilisi (Surb Nshan / St. Nikoghayos)

 Anyway we entered this church and I made…

Postcards From Sighnaghi

24 January, 2016 | | 12 seen

Signhaghi (Region of Kakheti, Republic of Georgia) has always been a special place for us to visit. Probably because it's pretty far away from nations capital Tbilisi, we have been heading rarely, but every visit here has been spectacular at least. 

• Learn more about my Travel guide to Signagi

View to Sighnaghi town

The town and its environs are also known for their landscapes and historical monuments. Sighnaghi has recently undergone a fundamental reconstruction program and has become an important center of Georgia's tourist industry.

Panorama of Sighnaghi town

Ruins in Sighnaghi

Still evening before Christmas in Sighnaghi

Georgian Orthodox church in Sighnaghi

Bodbe Monastery

23 January, 2016 | Churches and Monasteries | 197 seen

The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe is a Georgian Orthodox monastic complex and the seat of the Bishops of Bodbe located 2 km from the town of Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia. Originally built in the 9th century, it has been significantly remodeled, especially in the 17th century.

The monastery now functions as a nunnery and is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of Georgians, whose relics are shrined there.

When traveling to Signagi in the region of Kakheti you will most probably be taken to the Bodbe monastery located some 3 km from the city. I first visited this monastery complex back in 2011 and huge was my surprise when I visited this place again a few years latter and noticed a completely new cathedral being built. Georgia never ends to surprise!

Bodbe monastery complex near Sighnaghi

The church tower is so huge, that I couldn't fit it into 18mm lens photography (I believe it's a good reason to invest in a wide angle lens)

The extant church – a three-nave basilica with three protruding apses – was originally…

Albergo Celide Hotel Review in Lucca, Italy

22 January, 2016 | Hotel reviews | 13 seen

Albergo Celide is a four star hotel located in Lucca, Italy, we stayed here overnight at the end of 2015, although this is a four star hotel, speaking of staff members I can call it barely one star hotel. 

Probably arriving to this hotel requests that you arrive in a suite or evening gown, since we arrived here from Milan after some 5 hour drive and were in our casual clothes staff members probably thought that we are some misunderstanding for their precious place.

Our booking included a visit to hotels center, we asked what, when and how - I was told that they will send me info to e-mail. I asked, so should I go back to my hotel room and check for an e-mail instead to speak directly to staff members? Then some lady from Spa center come and told how tired she is and she wants to go home, so let us better not use their precious SPA center. I ironically answered, that I'm tired as well and would love to go home as well, but since I cannot do this right know - I booked a four star hotel with Spa center to have a relax. Lady seemed confused, but we got our spa. Yes, pretty strange attitude from staff.…

Tortuga Snack Bar in Portofino, Italy

21 January, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 20 seen

In today's restaurant reviews series I would like to mention some small but very stylish snack bar in Portofino, Italy - Tortuga Snack Bar

We made a stop in lovely Italian Riviera village of Portofino at the end of 2015, this place inspired me a lot and I made a few HDR photography here. Tortuga Snack bar we made a short stop to enjoy delicious Italian cappuccino, and with the permit from bar staff members I was allowed to make some interior photos as well.

Tortuga snack bar in Portofino, Italy

This place offers spectacular view to boat decks

Tortuga Snack bar

Lovely interior at Tortuga Snack bar

Outdoor tables at Tortuga snack bar

Tortuga snack bar in Portofino, Italy

Common Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)

20 January, 2016 | DIY | 91 seen

Let me introduce you with a really interesting fungus (mushroom) you can find across deep forests in  Europe and North America - Common Stinkhorn, also known by its Latin name - Phallus impudicus.

At the end of this post you will learn how you can prepare a medicine out of this fungus!

Phallus impudicus

Phallus impudicus, known colloquially as the common stinkhorn, is a widespread fungus recognizable for its foul odor and itsphallic shape when mature, the latter feature giving rise to several names in 17th-century England. It is a common mushroom in Europe and western North America, where it occurs in habitats rich in wood debris such as forests and mulched gardens. It appears from summer to late autumn. The fruiting structure is tall and white with a slimy, dark olive colored conical head. Known as the gleba, this material contains the spores, and is transported by insects which are attracted by the odor—described as resembling carrion. Despite its foul smell, it is not poisonous and immature mushrooms are consumed in parts of France and Germany.

…

Summer in Latvia

19 January, 2016 | | 7 seen

Ask me - what does Latvia associates to me - and I will answer -  haystacks and mild Summer nights. Unfortunately last summer (2015) I didn't find any haystack in Latvia at all (instead they are using hay rolls), but I did enjoyed some wanderings in cornfields (and, yes, they are great for photography)

In today's Piece of Life photo project series - allow me to introduce you - Latvia in Summer. 

Margret

Cornfield in Latvia

Ancient trees alley

Cornflower field in Latvia

Cornfield

Cornfield

P117 - Skrunda - Aizpute road

Hay roll

Freshly cut hay