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Big Ben
The Elizabeth Tower is the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It contains the Great Clock, a striking clock with five bells. The tower is nicknamed "Big Ben", a name which was originally applied only to the largest bell of the clock. The tower was officially called the Clock Tower until 2012, when it was renamed to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Probably one of the most recognizable tourist attractions…
Enguri Dam
The Enguri Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Enguri River in Tsalenjikha, Georgia. Currently, it is the world's second-highest concrete arch dam with a height of 271.5 meters (891 ft). It is located north of the town of Jvari. It is part of the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Station (HES) which is partially located in Abkhazia. In the past, I had heard about this damn but didn't expect I will actually visit it during our few-day trip to Svaneti at…
Khobi Central Park
Khobi is a small town in western Georgia with a population of 4,242. The settlement of Khobi acquired the status of a town in 1981 and currently functions as an administrative center of the Khobi District within the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. I first visited this small town at the end of September 2023, during a few-day trip to Svaneti, we made a stop at what seems a central square of the city, found a nice cafe, and enjoyed some light…
Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted Airport
Featuring 3 international restaurants, the Radisson Blu is just a 2-minute walk from Stansted Airport Terminal. Guests can enjoy stylish, non-smoking, modern rooms featuring free Wi-Fi and a fully equipped gym. We booked this hotel for a night's stay back in August 2023, while traveling from London to Riga, we chose this hotel because it is directly connected to the airport with a passage, which is awesome. For our night stay we spent about EUR…
Dadiani Palace
Dadiani Palace is an interesting site to visit once in Zugdidi, there is actually located the histroy and architecture musem. The Dadiani Palaces History and Architecture Museum is considered to be one of the most eminent palaces in the Caucasus. It is a Neo-Gothic building. I had heard so much about this place, but finally visited and took off my bucket list at the end of September 2023, during a few-day Svaneti trip together with my mom. We…
Installing Hardwood floors for our Frame House In Latvia
In October 2023, we enjoyed a week-long school break from the British International School in Tbilisi, Georgia. Seizing the opportunity, we made plans to travel back to Latvia to advance our DIY project involving a Frame House. In preparation for our trip, I had already placed orders for OSB (Oriented Strand Board) and hardwood flooring from local suppliers. We had coordinated the delivery, with an agreed-upon date of the evening of October 18…
Mestiatour guesthouse in Mestia
This guest house is located in the picturesque village of Mestia. Free Wi-Fi and free parking are provided at Mestiatour Guest House. We booked here one night stay but two separate rooms for the price of GEL 200 at the end of September 2023, during our few-day Svaneti trip The private and dormitory rooms are heated and simply furnished. We got a nice room in the third floor, with nice views towards Mestia. Simple and cozy. From the…
Hotel Intourist Palace Batumi
Intourist Batumi Hotel is located in the popular Black Sea resort of Batumi, 300 metres from the nearest beach. We booked a one-night stay here at the end of October 2023, paying a little less than EUR 80 (breakfast included). After arriving here from Parapgraph Resort Hotel in Shekvetili it felt a little bit outdated, but for the price paid - Hotel Intourist Palace is an excellent choice in the heart of Batumi. Legend says that Yalta…
10K Challenge: Conquering Tbilisi Marathon with Caucasus Translations and Terramatris
On October 1st, 2023 Tbilisi Marathon was held (organized by Heildebergcement and I participated in running 10 kilometer distance setting my personal record, finishing in 1 hour 10 minutes, and 1 second. After our successful start at Tbilisi Fun Run in early spring, we decided to challenge ourselves one more time and most team members from Caucasus Translations joined the race. Before the race, I took 4 training sessions on running 10K,…
Art Cafe Qartuli in Khashuri / The Georgian
Ar Cafe Qartuli also called The Georgian is a lovely roadside restaurant near the town of Khashuri (located next to Khashuri - Borjomi highway) which serves typical Georgian cuisine. The pricing is quite affordable, the cuisine is delicious and the interior is nice. When traveling form Tbilisi to Borjomi, I highly recomend to take a stop here, just after finished the Khashuri circle. they have it all - khinkali, khachapuri, badrijaani, even…
Last chance workout on the trails around Turtle Lake before Tbilisi Marathon
After our successful start at the Tbilisi Adventure run back in April I gathered everyone from the Caucasus Translations office for the Tbilisi Marathon Run in October (2023). This time we applied for a 10K distance. To test my limits I started to train for the 10K run at the gym on a treadmill. Surprisingly my results were quite good, and maybe that's why Olga (Latvian explat), after seeing some of my Facebook posts invited me to join her for…
Sweet Home garage apartment in Borjomi
Sweet Home apartment is located on Rustaveli street 51, Borjomi. What really makes this place stand out - this is a kind of garage apartment or more precisely apartment built a top of a garage. We booked this place for a one-night stay at the end of August 2023 and paid GEL 80, in cash. At the start, I was a bit skeptical about this place, but once I saw the inside interior I was truly fascinated. Kind owner even offered as a free parking…
Champ de Mars
The Champ de Mars is a large public greenspace in Paris, France, located in the seventh arrondissement, between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. The park is named after the Campus Martius ("Mars Field") in Rome, which was dedicated to the god Mars. The name alludes to the fact that the lawns here were formerly used as drilling and marching grounds by the French military. We visited Champ de Mars,…
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. Constructed from 1887, it is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. I first visited this iconic place back in 1990 or 1991, together with my mom and brother. back then I was about 5 year old, but I still remmebr that trip from Latvia to France with bus. Quite good memories. One of my first foreign trips. Now,…
ABC Land - Children's party service in Tbilisi
ABC Land children's party service is located in Saburtalo, Tbilisi on University Street N8. I first heard about this place some time ago from another expat family here in Georgia, but first visited together at the start of September 2023, when we (our kid) got invited to a birthday party from our class at British International School in Tbilisi. ABC land is located in a separate 5 or 6-story building, unlike kids' entertainment centers which…
Luxembourg Gardens
The Jardin du Luxembour, known in English as the Luxembourg Garden, colloquially referred to as the Jardin du Sénat (Senate Garden), is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Creation of the garden began in 1612 when Marie de' Medici, the widow of King Henry IV, constructed the Luxembourg Palace as her new residence. The garden today is owned by the French Senate, which meets in the Palace. It covers 23 hectares (56.8 acres) and is…
La Fregate French Restaurant in Paris
La Frégate is set on the Left Bank of the Seine in central Paris between the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens and the Musee d'Orsay. This stylish brasserie is said to be built on the site of the house occupied by Field Marshal D'Artagnan, the character that inspired Alexandre Dumas to write The Three Musketeers. La Frégate has a lovely décor with ornate frescoed ceilings, pale lemon Louis XVI chairs, tables laid with crisp white linen while soft…
Boutique Hotel Sainte-Beuve in Paris
Boutique Hotel Sainte-Beuve is located in the heart of Paris on a small and quiet street of Rue Sainte-Beuve 9 in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. The hotel is conventionally located within walking distance of neighborhoods Montparnasse and Saint Germain Des Prés, 200m from the Luxembourg Gardens. We booked about a 2-night stay here at the start of July 2023. Paying about EUR 700. For getting here we used the Bolt ride-sharing app from Paris…
Louvre
The Louvre or the Louvre Museum, is a national art museum in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward) and home to some of the most canonical works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval…
Shumi winery and vineyards near Tsinandali in Kakheti, Georgia
Founded in 2001, Shumi Winery is a leading producer of high-quality Georgian wines. Its large estate is located in the Kakheti wine region’s famous Tsinandali village. A nice stop when traveling to the region of Kakheti. There is a wineshop, restaurant, and of course vineyards at the territory complex. Shumi Winery takes its name from an old Georgian word that means authentic, undiluted wine. The winery’s griffin logo refers to “Phaskunji”, a…
Latvian Villa Kursa near Sighnaghi in Georgia
Villa Kursa offers friendly accommodation near Sighnaghi, in the village of Anaga, some 6 km from Sighnaghi center and 9 km from Bodbe Monastery. The property features a large terrace, a garden as well as a shared lounge area. Guests can enjoy a mountain view from Villa Kursa. Family rooms at the property come with free Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. We booked a two-night stay here at the end of July 2023, paying GEL 200 via booking.com I've…
Swimming Pool and Spa at Tbilisi Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore Hotel is a 5-star hotel located in the heart of Tbilisi on Rustaveli Avenue. For the past few years, we have been heading here for its indoor swimming pool. There is also a small gym and a simple spa center with a Steam room and Finnish sauna. Small and cozy swimming pool with whirpool and few waterfalls. Not very deep, maybe 1 meter 20 or even less. Kid friendly There is an outfoor restaurnat next to the pool, offering great…
From Riga to Disaster: Repairing Our Wind Damaged Frame House in Latvia
Just after we finished most of the framing for our frame house in Latvia, we left for a weekend in Riga. After spending good 4 or 5 days in the nation's capital we found a huge surprise when returned - high wind, the storm has damaged our building and the looks were not good. Our frame house has suffered significant damage due to the strong winds I called to my assistant and together we fixed most of the damage in just a few couple of hours.…
Jomardi X Park And Rafting
"X Park" run by “Jomardi” Rafting Club is located nearby Tvalivi village on the left side of Pshavis Aragvi River at 900 meters above sea level. I have been familiar with the Jomardi Rafting Club since 2011 when I took my first rafting ride here in Georgia. At the start of June 2023, my better part had a birthday, and we agreed to celebrate it together with the office employees by having a rafting ride. Great for party, great for team building…