Summer in Latvia 2025
Summer in Latvia movie is out - Join us on our July (2025) journey through Latvia: installing a bathtub in our countryside cottage, setting up a pop-up store at Bangotnes, celebrating a birthday in Vērbeļnieki, traveling via Riga to Jaunpiebalga, Vecpiebalga, Smiltene, and Valka. From sipping sparkling wine with swallows to running 4K morning…
How To incorporate an LLC in Wyoming for a Crypto Hedge Fund
When setting up Terramatris, our crypto hedge fund, one of the earliest strategic decisions we faced was choosing the right jurisdiction for incorporation. After weighing options like the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands or Panama, we ultimately decided on Wyoming, USA. Here’s why.Many hedge funds gravitate toward Caribbean jurisdictions…
Chateau Ateni. Gori
This time (May 2025), our journey takes us to Gori and the enchanting Chateau Ateni - a hidden gem where authentic Georgian cuisine blends seamlessly with avant-garde natural wines, soulful traditional dance, and even the charming surprise of a small chick farm.What makes this trip extra special is sharing it with our Latvian/Georgian friends,…
Birthday in Thessaloniki, Greece
Turning 40 is a milestone worth celebrating in style, and what better way than in Thessaloniki — a city that seamlessly blends history, culture, and cuisine. From affordable flights and boutique stays to seafood feasts and hidden beaches, our journey turned into an unforgettable week-long adventure.Getting There: Kutaisi to ThessalonikiOur…
Azeula Fortress, Tbilisi Sea, and Ateni Sioni
August ended with yet another packed and memorable weekend in Georgia. This time, our journey took us from the hills near Kojori to the refreshing waters of the Tbilisi Sea, and finally to the historical town of Gori, where we enjoyed a hearty Sunday brunch and paid a visit to the ancient Ateni Sioni Church.I had heard so much about Azeula…
Israel & Cyprus 2025
At the beginning of May 2025, we embarked on a 4-day trip to Israel to reconnect with the Fischer family. We explored beautiful beaches, savored delicious local cuisine, and enjoyed quality time together. From Tel Aviv, we continued our journey to Cyprus to attend one of the largest conferences in the translation industry. While Sandra was…
12 Rounds Boxing Club in Tbilisi
Sometimes even the most loyal gym-goers need to shake things up—and that's exactly what I did this month. After years of training at the "luxurious Axis Tower gym", I decided to take a short break. Not because I had any complaints about the quality or experience—quite the opposite—but because the price difference was just too significant to ignore…
Spring Break in Latvia 2025
Every year, it’s become a beloved tradition for us to head to Latvia during the Easter school holidays—our special spring break getaway. This isn’t just any vacation; it’s a hands-on family adventure packed with progress, nature, and unforgettable memories.In this year’s Spring Break movie, we take you behind the scenes of our latest trip. One of…
Larnaca International Airport
This spring, I took a memorable trip that involved connecting through three countries in less than two weeks—starting in Tbilisi, Georgia, spending a few days in Israel, and finally heading to Cyprus for a short but enriching stay. What stood out most was just how short and easy the flight was between Israel and Cyprus—a route I had never…
Frame House Upgrades: Big Windows, New Porch, and Apple Trees Planted in Latvia
In mid-April, during our kiddo’s Easter school break, we traveled to Latvia for about 10 days — a trip packed with projects, energy, and transformation. A lot of pre-planning had gone into it before we even arrived: we ordered the windows, sourced the plants, and mapped out the main tasks. Once we landed, it was all about execution — and we got a…
Pūre Horticultural Research Station
In mid-April 2025, we took an exciting step toward our vision of a Latvian craft cider brewery by purchasing several Antonovka apple trees and other varieties from the renowned Pūre Horticultural Experimental Station (Latvian: Pūres dārzkopības izmēģinājumu stacija).This wasn’t a random choice. Pūre is one of Latvia’s most respected institutions…
Samshvilde Canyon Hiking
Our go-to hiking spot in Georgia has always been Birtvisi Canyon. With its striking rock formations, narrow passages, and unbeatable views, it’s a place we return to again and again. But last Sunday, we felt like trying something new.So we picked a place we’d heard about but never explored properly: Samshvilde Canyon.In fact we almost find it few…
How I Upgraded XTRF on Ubuntu with PostgreSQL 14 (and Fixed Every Broken Dependency)
Upgrading an XTRF instance—especially one that has aged alongside older OS and database stacks—is never a walk in the park. In this article, I’ll walk you through the real-world path I took, upgrading from Ubuntu 18.04 all the way to 22.04, aligning PostgreSQL to a supported version, and overcoming the nuanced issues involved in deploying XTRF on…
David Baazov Museum of History of the Jews of Georgia and Georgian-Jewish Relations
Tbilisi is a city full of hidden corners, rich history, and quiet treasures, one of which I recently discovered: the David Baazov Museum of History of the Jews of Georgia and Georgian-Jewish Relations.Over the years, I've gradually learned that Georgia has a deeply rooted Jewish presence. There's even a Jewish Quarter in Tbilisi, which I came…
Postcards from Marseille
It’s been nearly two years since our last trip to Marseille, a sun-drenched jewel on France’s southern coast that left an indelible mark on our memories. That summer of 2023, we set out to explore the city’s vibrant beaches and winding old town, arriving and departing through the bustling hub of Marseille St. Charles train station. As I sit…
Fish Market near Gori
This Fish Market is located about 2 kilometers outside Gori, right off the Tbilisi highway, that we hit up at the end of March 2025. Me and a few friends drove over from Kabitskhevi because someone swore the smoked fish there was worth it. Spoiler: they weren’t wrong.The place isn’t hard to spot—just a little setup with a fish farm, a small shop,…
Plage des Catalans: A Shrinking Memory in Marseille
Plage des Catalans, a sandy crescent tucked along Marseille’s coastline, holds a special place in my travel tapestry. I first visited this beach in the summer of 2003, a carefree stop during my early adventures in the city. Back then, it felt like a haven—close to the bustling port yet offering a slice of Mediterranean calm. When I returned…
From Paris to Marseille by High Speed Ouigo Train
Traveling from Paris to Marseille is a rite of passage for anyone craving the thrill of France’s high-speed rails. Twenty years ago, in the summer of 2003, I first made the 900-kilometer journey by TGV, marveling as the countryside blurred past in just three hours. That memory—of speed, comfort, and the promise of Marseille—stuck with me. So…
Gladius Jiu Jitsu Club in Tbilisi
For the past few years, we have been proud members of the Gladius Jiu Jitsu Club in Tbilisi, Georgia. It all started when we decided to enroll our then 4-year-old daughter in their kids’ jiu jitsu program. What began as a way to channel our little one’s boundless energy has turned into a rewarding journey that we’ve stuck with ever since. At…
Aix-en-Provence station
Aix-en-Provence railway station is one of two serving the city of Aix-en-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southeastern France. The other station, served by long-distance high-speed TGV trains on the LGV Méditerranée line, is Aix-en-Provence TGV, and lies about 12 km southwest of the city centre.Amodest yet charming stop on the TGV…
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LEGOLAND Berlin Review: A Fun Family Activity in the German Capital
When planning a family trip to Berlin with children, most travelers immediately think about the Berlin Zoo — and rightly so. But if you are spending a few days in the German capital with younger kids, another solid half-day activity is the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre BerlinWe visited it in April 2026 together with our 7-year-old daughter during our…
Ādģēri: The 30K Mistake That Turned Into a Long-Term Experiment
In 2023, we bought Ādģēri in an online auction.Price: just over €30,000.Financing: ~6% interest.Total expected payment over ~5 years: ~€40,000.Status (April 2026): more than half already paid.On paper, it was a bad deal.Realistically, we overpaid by at least 5–6× relative to what the property was objectively worth at the time. No serious buyer…