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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Rīta Putni is located in one of the most picturesque places in Latvia - Koknese county Bilstini just a few minutes away from Perse and Daugava river, where an impressive view of Koknese castle ruins can be seen. I first heard about this place, or more about its products - quail eggs, a few years ago back in Georgia,…

Baznīckalns or Church hill in Daugavpils is said to be one of the main tourist attractions in the city. This was one of the rare times I visited Daugavpils and I must admit I didn't had any clue what should we see here and just Google for the top attractions and Church hill or Baznickalns was atop of the list. Every…

It was already past 8 PM, I was just finished tiling the bathroom at our Vilgāle apartment when my fiancee and kiddo arrived to pick me up. My best part gave me the drone and said - it's a beautiful evening to fly a drone. I looked around and agreed. The Vilgāle lake was covered in mist, the Sun was setting.…

A few weeks ago I did the tile job in the kitchen and hallway for our Vilgāle apartment. In the end, I was not happy with the result, not happy with the tile job (which could be done better), and not satisfied with the visual looks.  At one point I decided to list this apartment for sale as it is, with asking price…

Guesthouse Pirts Baudas is located in Ilzenes parish, Aluksnes county. The property is 24.1 km from Alūksne, and guests benefit from complimentary WiFi and private parking available on site. We booked this place during our day trip to Valka and the area. I thought this place will be much closer to Valka, but it…