Weekend trip to Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe

12 November, 2020 | Tourism objects | 5 seen

Weekend trips to Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe are quite possible and easily doable. 

I just love to visit Borjomi an area during the fall season, the scenery can turn very spectacular, leaves are turning yellow, orange.. see Autumn in Borjomi

So did happen at the of September 2020, we decided to for an easy weekend trip to Borjomi, booked a nice family-run hotel in Borjomi - hotel Rustaveli 

Once arrived on site, it turned out we are the only guests, got complimentary wine from the hotel owner David, who latter recommended us to visit Sapara monastery near Akhaltsikhe the next day.

The next morning we headed to the famous mineral water park in Borjomi, as it was raining we decided to get back to the car and drive up to the women's monastery. 

Next, our road took us to Akhaltsikhe, during our ride, we discovered a pretty awesome Atskuri monastery. Next, stop at Rabati complex, but before that ordered some grilled meat for takeaway at Sergos Duqani.

About an hour at the monastery complex and we wanted already to return back to Tbilisi, but as our grilled meat was not yet ready yet, took some short…

St Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Karosta / Liepāja

10 November, 2020 | Churches and Monasteries | 32 seen

The St Nicholas Naval Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral church located in Karosta in the north of Liepāja, Latvia.

I have visited this cathedral just a couple of times, but always have been impressed by the glory of the place. 

It was at the start of November 2020, I got my new DJI Mavic Air 2 drone and I wanted to make some nice aerography, as we happened to be in the area, it was agreed to film and photograph this cathedral

St Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Liepāja

The cathedral was built on the style of 17th century traditional Russian churches with a central dome representing Christ with 4 smaller domes representing the four evangelists on designs made by V. Kosyakov. It was built to serve as the cathedral church of the Russian navy stationed in Karosta. The cornerstone was laid in the presence of a number of dignitaries including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. The cathedral was completed two years later in 1903 and was formally consecrated and dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers in the presence of the Tsar himself.

St Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Karosta…

BalticInvestors.com - Your gateway to investments in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

9 November, 2020 | Drupal Development | 15 seen

After a long time of thinking, on the late-night of November 8, 2020, I finally launched my latest brainchild - BalticInvestors.com  - a website dedicated to investment opportunities in the region of Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

At this website, we are going to cover investments in stock, real estate, and alternative investments, like peer to peer lending. Also agricultural land and forestry. 

BalticInvestors.com website

Those of you who follow my personal blog for a longer time - already now I'm a keen investor in the Baltic stock market and have some good background with peer to peer lending platforms. Despite I personally prefer larger markets, like the US stock market, I still feel very interested in Baltic investment opportunities. 

The final push to launch a separate website for covering investments in the Baltic, come after I bought a flat at online auction, see: Today I bought my first flat on online auction site

For the next year, it's planned to write bi-weekly in-depths articles, on topics like - top dividend stocks in Baltics, Investing with mutual…

Rudbārži Palace

6 November, 2020 | Tourism objects | 23 seen

Rudbārži Palace is a palace in Rudbārži parish in Skrunda municipality in the historical region of Courland, in western Latvia.

The estate was, from 16th century to 1661, owned by the family of Eberhard von Goes  and from 1778 till 1920 by the von Fircks noble family.  Schloss Rudbahren was originally built (within the Courland Governorate) in 1835 for Baroness Thea von Fircks and was remodeled in 1882–1883. The structure was severely damaged by a fire set by revolutionaries in 1905 but rebuilding began in 1908.

Rudbarzi palace

During the Latvian independence struggle of 1919, Rudbārži Palace was a base for the Oskars Kalpaks Battalion (the 1st Latvian Independent Battalion). The bodies of Kalpaks himself and other officers who fell in the actions of March 1919 against the Bolsheviks were brought from the place of skirmish to lie in the Hall. In 1937 a rest home for Latvian soldiers was established there,[4] and a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the building. Following further destruction in 1938, there was a second reconstruction. During…

Rabati Fortress complex from a drone flight

5 November, 2020 | | 5 seen

Rabati Castle is a medieval fortress built in the 9th century under the name "Lomisa Castle" in the city of Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia, recently globally reconstructed. One of the main attractions of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region along with Vardzia caves

We have been visiting Rabati occasionally here and then, so did happen at the end of September 2020, we were on a day trip to the Borjomi, when decided to come here, luckily I was equipped with my DJI Mavic mini drone and made a few nice drone photos.

Rabati fortress complex

In May 2011, the reconstruction of the Rabati fortress began, which was accompanied by the restoration and completion of many buildings that were destroyed in time immemorial. For this purpose, the Government of Georgia allocated 34 million lari from the state budget. As part of the project, the Akhmediye Mosque, the mosque minaret, the madrasah, the Jakeli castle, baths, the citadel, the walls of the fortress and the Orthodox Church were updated on the territory of the fortress. The tunnel leading to the Potskhovi River was also restored.…

October 2020 Dividend Income Report - $89.35

4 November, 2020 | Investments | 14 seen

Welcome to the forty-second (#42) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in October 2020.

Last October we managed to get out of Georgia and come to Latvia, seems we have will stuck here for some time.

Also, another, bigger and better, drone is now in my arsenal (DJI Mavic Air 2)

Golden Autumn in Latvia / Forest house in Ķemeri

From the perspective of dividend income - we keep struggling and last October was pretty bad if compared to the previous years, we keep suffering from trimmed dividends, and by the end of the month, we barely took $89. Relying on dividends these days is very hard.

Compared to the previous October in 2019, when we took $200 in dividend income, our monthly dividend has decreased by -55.63%  (-$112.01). A year ago we did set a goal to take at least $300 this month, now this didn't happen. 

Luckily, an additional $548.24 was made from options trading.  

As options trading is not a passive form…

Kazdanga Mill lake (Dzirnezers) from a drone flight

3 November, 2020 | | 4 seen

Kazdanga Mill lake (Dzirnezers, Dzirnavu ezers in Latvian) is located centrally located in Kazdanga, Latvia.

First discovered back in 2015, I have been returning here quite often, so did happen last time at the end of October 2020 I come here with a DJI Mavic Mini drone

Kazdanga mill lake

Located in a very close distance to the impressive Kazdanga manor Kazdanga Mill Lake and its surroundings is a must-have attraction while you are in Kazdanga.

Kazdanga mill lake

There is a nice pontoon footbridge built across the lake, see: Pontoon Footbridge Over Mill Lake In Kazdanga

Laidi Village from a Drone flight

30 October, 2020 | | 11 seen

Laidi is a village in Laidi parish, Kuldīga municipality. Laidi village is located some 28 km from the county center of Kuldiga and 167 km from Riga.

There is located a parish administration, primary school, library, doctorate, pharmacy, post office, shop, open-air stage.

Laidi village from a drone flight

The settlement was formed around the center of the former Laidi manor (Laiden) and Valtaiķi parish, and grew up in the post-war years as a village council and collective farm "Spartaks".

The buildings of Laidu manor (castle, manager's house, carriage-barn) and the park are architectural monuments of national significance

Laidi Manor

Built in the early 19th century by the local German nobility, it has housed the Laidi primary school since 1921.

Sapara Monastery

29 October, 2020 | Churches and Monasteries | 8 seen

Sapara Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastery located in the Akhaltsikhe District of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, Georgia.

I had a chance to visit this monastery at the end of September 2020 and capture really awesome drone photography / catching colors of the fall

Sapara monastery from a drone flight

It has existed from at least the 9th century, and has numbered among its monks many important figures in Georgian ecclesiastical history. At the end of the 13th century Sapara became a possession of the Jakeli family, whose leader, Sargis Jakeli, was adept at staying on good terms with the Mongols, which enabled Samtskhe to enjoy a peace unusual for the time. When he grew old, Sargis took monastic orders and changed his name to Saba. His son Beka built the largest of the 12 churches here, St Saba's Church, named after the saint whose name his father had adopted, one of the most architecturally important churches of its time. The 14th-century frescoes inside are of high quality

Sapara monastery complex in Georgia

From the end of the 16th century…

Ķemeri Forest House

27 October, 2020 | Museums | 18 seen

Ķemeri Forest house is really cool outdoors tourism attraction located close to Jūrmala

The park centre is located in Ķemeri, in the “Forest House” . We first discovered this place back in Spring 2018 and made some nice hiking in the area, see: Hiking Trails in Kemeri National Park (Near Forest House)

We have been returning here for a few more times ever since. 

Forest House in Ķemeri

The history of the “Tree House” dates back to the summer of 1933, when in the newly constructed building, a centre for sports and recreation (arch. Fridrihs Skujiņš) was opened, pleasing the visitors with “a exemplary shooting range, various American sport type apparatus, ping-pong, bowling alley, billiards, chess and bridge premises, good beer, delicious tea and coffee”.

Later the sport centre was changed into a restaurant “Fun mosquito”, which was operating up until World War II and offered fine meals for the resort guests, and the dinner entertainment included dancing and cabaret.

Forest house from a drone flight

During the Soviet era, it hosted a children’s sanatorium. Now, it is the ĶNP…

Another Daytrip to Kakheti in Georgia

23 October, 2020 | Travel guides | 6 seen

I have said it already several times in the blog - day trips to the region of Kakheti are quite possible and easily done from Tbilisi

Day Trip to Kakheti in Georgia

In today's article, I'll share our route details and discoveries from the latest day trip to Kakheti on October 3, 2020

We left Tbilisi and headed to Telavi via Gombori Pass, here we made a stop at Ujarma fortress where I made some cool drone photography, see: Ujarma Fortress from a drone flight, our next stop is Italian restaurant Enzo's ezo at Chateau Mere close to Telavi. 

From here on we head to the Lopota lake side to find some cool vineyards for more drone videography, see: Daytrip to Kakheti / Ujarma fortress / Alazani river / Vineyards in Georgia / DJI Mavic Mini

it was agreed to head back home, but using the other highway, now we go to Gurjaani - Chalaubani to return back to Tbilisi

Quite a good day trip

Church of Saint George near Borjomi from a Drone flight

22 October, 2020 | | 13 seen

The Sadgeri St. George Church is the XV century monument. It is located in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, in the village of Sadgeri in Borjomi municipality, on the high bank of the river.

I have been heading ever since I remember myself in Georgia, the place is really cool, tranquil and cool. But when taken from a drone flight, the place gets completely another view. See it yourself

Church of Saint George from a drone flight

Look at that massive rock church is standing

The church is a hall type and it has no apse. It is covered with a cylindrical vault of uneven outline. The temple is built of grey ashlar. Between the stitches is a thick layer of solution, that is bordering the squares like a frame. The facades are adorned with twisted shaft trims, which environs reliefs and apertures. There are two entrances, from the west and from the north. Both entrances are decorated with a framed double-twisted shaft with a rectangular outlined portals and the relief image of the cross at the top of the apertures.

nearby view of the valley and mountains

Majori Beach from a Drone Flight

20 October, 2020 | | 10 seen

About two years ago (back in 2018) we rented a little space next to the beach in Dubulti. We lived there for more than 6 months. Photographing the Baltic sea was part of our everyday routine.

Now, two years later we have returned to the town of Jūrmala in Latvia.

Not looking to stay here 6 months, rather than just 10 days for our Covid-19 self-isolation. We rented a spacious 2 storey house next to the beach and I was eager to fly a drone around the area:

Majori Beach from a Drone flight

Here we can see Baltic beach hotel and Former bath-house of Emilija Racene in Jurmala

River Lielupe and the Baltic sea near Majori
Golden Autumn at Majori beach, Latvia
Taken October 17, with a DJI Mavic Mini drone

Top 20 Best Selling Intel Core i9 processor Laptops 2021

19 October, 2020 | Laptop Reviews | 31 seen

Intel Core i9 laptop processors are getting more affordable and in 2021 we will see even more prices going down.

For an updated version see: Top 20 Best Selling Laptops with Intel core i9 2023

With their high number of cores, high power draw, high thermal output, high performance, and unique desktop socket, LGA 2066, they are intended to be used by enthusiasts. A mobile version based on the standard BGA1440 socket was released in 2018, featuring six hyperthreaded cores and 12 MB of cache. It has been proven to attain 5 gigahertz under ideal conditions. It is rumored that the next generation of Intel CPUs will feature the Core i9 9900K, an eight-core hyperthreaded processor, while the Core i7 9700K will also feature eight cores without hyperthreading. The top-end model may have 28 cores.

Intel Core i9 powered laptops come with the price attached. You should be willing to spend about $2,500 in 2021, to get one.

Top 5 Best Selling Intel Core i9 (Gaming) Processor Laptops

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on…

Atskuri Fortress

15 October, 2020 | Military Heritage | 19 seen

Atskuri is a medieval Georgian fortress located on the right bank of the Mtkvari  River, approximately 30 kilometres from Borjomi, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

We discovered this fortress by accident while driving to the town of Akhatiskhe. As I was equipped with my DJI Mavic mini drone I made some cool aerography here

Atskuri fortress

Built on a massive rock back in the 9th century, Atskuri Fortress was an important stronghold for the defense of Georgia during the Middle ages.

The fortress was probably situated near the town of Atskuri, of which no traces have been found. First mentioned in the 9th century, the fortress was significantly damaged in the 16th century when it was occupied by the Turks. It was rebuilt in the 17-18th centuries.

Reconstruction works at Atskuri fortress

Set on the top of high cliff, the fortress occupies a vast area, and is made of several parts, with the citadel at its highest point. The fortress territory includes also ruins of a church with remnants of frescos. The water-supply tunnel connects the fortress with the river.