Blog Archive: August 2022

Pilori Oak grove is located on the banks of Lake Ežezers in the region of Latgale. Total area is about 19.6 ha It is one of the rare oak groves in Latvia with a nature protection status granted already in 1928. The oldest oaks are around 300-400 years old. I first learned of this grove at the start of August during a weekend trip to the region of…

Tbilisi by night is very beautiful. Time after time I love to take out my DLSR camera and tripod to experiment with nighttime photography - long exposures, high ISO. Nighttime photography can be very creative.  In today's Piece of Live series - Tbilisi by night from the balcony of our apartment. We are lucky enough living in a place which offers…

It seems that a decent laptop starts with the letter A, at least in September 2022, ASUS, Apple and Acer dominate the top-selling list. Keep reading to learn more A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from…

Lake Ežezers is located in Kraslava municipality, in Ezernieku and Andzeļu parishes. It is the richest island lake in Latvia and even in the whole Baltic region. There are 35 islands in a total area of 77.6 ha and 70 islands formations or shoals. From the lake flows out river Narūta, which is one of the Daugava’s basin rivers. I first visited…

Today was the last day in Riga and Latvia for a while. No More Vilgale, no more Ječi, and no more Riga until Spring 2023 (earliest). QSI school started today in Tbilisi, but we will still skip the first days and should start our new school year on Monday.Back in April we already ordered the MyHeritage DNA test, and today was the day when we…

Kuup coffee shop is a chic place in Rēzekne, which offers coffee roasted in Latgale.  We found this place by a chance, thanks to TripAdvisor when searching for top restaurants in Rēzekne. We arrived here for some 40km from Varakļāni, just to have our morning coffee.  Pastry, coffee and sandwiches. Kuup has its own coffee roastery, they sell both…

The Sacred Heart Cathedral of Rēzekne is located in Rēzekne, Latvia. I briefly visited this cathedral at the start of August 2022, during my birthday trip to the region of Latgale On the site occupied by the church, there existed a wooden temple built in 1685. The church burned down in 1887 during a storm and the following year the works for the…

Yesterday, August 21st I missed a day blogging. And almost missed today too. It happens rarely but it does sometimes happen. This time - just too many travels - Riga, Strenci, Valka, and back yesterday. Riga - Kuldiga - Vilgale - Laidi - Vilgale - Laidi - Kuldiga - Riga today. Tired. The stock market also working against my trades. Bit worried…

Rēzekne Castle ruins are located in the downtown of Rēzekne, Latvia, a city in the center of Latgale. The castle served as a base of the local Livonian order landlords until the 16th century and also as the main military support base for battles against Russians and Lithuanians. Today, fragments of the stone walls and the foundation can be seen…

Yesterday we traveled to Ječi to move the lawn, grill a fish and use it as a camp base before visiting a pebbled beach near Nida close to the Latvian/Lithuanian. Our new favorite shop - LIDL, fish is awesome and the rest is good too. We are lucky to have one LIDL store in Liepaja, about 25 km from our Ječi house.  I love both Nida and Pape,…

Guesthouse Odumiņi is located close to Varakļāni town in the historical region of Latgale, Latvia. We booked a one-night stay here at the start of August 2022, during our weekend trip to Latgale. For a one-night stay here we paid about EUR 100, with the sauna included. The vacation home comes with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, bed linen, towels, a flat…

Varakļāni Palace is located in Varakļāni, in the historical region of Latgale, Latvia. We visited this place shortly at the start of August 2022, during a weekend trip to Latgale. I was not sure what for to look in the area and just googled the top sightseeing objects in Varakļani and this place popped top on the list. Just later I learned…

Looking to upgrade your laptop - take a look at these laptop models with 2.2K display (2240 x 1400) A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. The prices for laptop computers listed on this page are…

Koknese Castle is a complex in Koknese, Latvia, dating from the 13th century. The castle was situated on a high bluff overlooking the Daugava river valley. In 1965 a hydroelectric dam was built downriver, creating a reservoir that partially submerged the castle and flooded the surrounding valley. We visited Koknese castle during a weekend trip to…

After the tile removal in the kitchen and hallway area, it was already agreed - I will re-install laminate there. Additionally, after hydro isolation works in the bathroom I decided I will tile again. I was very scared before the new tile job and measured everything 10 times before applying tile glue. Also, I decided to go for 6mm spacers (…