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Roof Works, Part 5 - And once more let's remove old roofing
Think roof works are cool? In fact - roofing is one of the hardest works in construction and if you have decided by your own to replace your old roofing - think again! Anyway - let me show - how once again (See: Replacing Roof - Part 1: Removing old roofing) we removed old wooden shingles from our rural house back in Summer of 2015. This time I hired two workers to help me out with demolishing works and ...…
Actual Price Index at Tbilisi Market - March 2016
Yup, another hipster style article about actual prices for consumer goods at local Tbilisi market (Bazroba). It has been a while since I decided to measure how lari/dolar exchange rates influence actual prices, if you, just like me are an expat living in Georgia - you most probably have faced the consequences of weak lari against US dollar. Thus - I don't believe that foreign currency should affect local economy. National…
Chops by the River - Restaurant & Grill
Chops by the River restaurant and grill is now among my favorite Tskenti restaurants, and allow me to say among Tbilisi restaurants as well. Located in village of Tskneti this restaurant offers single priced grill menus and very pleasant atmosphere. I have heard of this place by some friend before, but the circumstances that made us actually to visit this restaurant was a little bit strange. As an active outdoor lovers we were…
Juliet's House in Verona, Italy
As testified by the coat of arms on the internal arch-way of the court-yard, this house belonged to the “Dal Cappello” or “Cappelletti”. The building, dating back to the 13th and renovated in the last century, features the balcony where Romeo promised his beloved Juliet eternal love in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.I had a chance to visit World famous Juliet's balcony on January 2nd, 2016 - it was a very rainy and cold day In VeronaJuliet's…
Guest House Hapi in Jūrmala
If there is a reason I will remember Hapi guest house in Jūrmala, then probably its green walls and super unprofessional staff attitude will be among top of them. Hapi guesthouse in Jūrmala We stayed here for one night back in August 2015 and ... I can not even express my disappointment in words how unprofessional and meanwhile expensive this so called guest house was. We paid about EUR 40 for stay in this place... EUR 40 is not much,…
Lawn Mowing - The Never Ending Story Continues
Our roof works were still in the middle, and I noticed that grass have grown again. It was just recently when I trimmed backyard territory, but this time I decided it's time to completely trim all our land (about 0.57 hectares). I asked to our worker, could he handle this task in one day. He agreed, so in the next day - I took a day off from any home remodeling works, instead did some work for customers and photographed how grass is…
Failed attempt to complete Tskneti - Turtle lake hiking route
About a year ago I discovered very cool hiking route in Tbilisi, heading from Turtle lake to Tskneti town. The total distance for this route was about 7 km and it offered very spectacular landscape views. I have completed this route several times - last time together with my dad in May, 2015. At the start of February I decided to offer this route as a possible photo / hike route for Georgia Expat Photographer club members,…
Cafe Laboratory Review in Tbilisi
Cafe Laboratory is located at the top floor at the high end shopping and business center Merani on Rustaveli avenue, Tbilisi. I was doing some photography in Vere neighborhood, when I received a call and invitation from my beloved one, she insisted we should meet at this place, enjoy some cup of tea/coffee, also she knew I'm with camera so most probably something good for my Tbilisi restaurant review series might happen So I…
Restaurant Greppia in Verona
It was a very cold, grey and rainy day in Verona, when on the way finding Juliet's Balcony I realized it would be great to find some local restaurant, order some meal and what's important to warm up. I noticed a few signboards with direction arrows located around streets of Verona, when I decided to take the bait and actually followed those arrows. (A smart marketing from Greppia restaurant) Greppia restaurant in Verona We were not the only…
Lurji (Blue) Monastery
The Lurji Monastery also known as "Blue Monastery", is a 12th-century Georgian Orthodox church built in the name of Saint Andrew in the Vere neighborhood of Tbilisi, Georgia. The popular historical name lurji ("blue") is derived from its roof, adorned with glazed blue tile. I first discovered this church by accident after went photographing another church (Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the…
Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the Theologian in Tbilisi
Church of St. John the Theologian (Russian: Церковь Иоанна Богослова) is located in Vere neighborhood, Tbilisi. Tis was already second Russian Orthodox church I have visited in Tbilisi. Read more about Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi, and I know for sure there is another Russian church (at least in Tbilisi). I didn't enter inside this church, just tried to make some panorama photos here. Located at the end of…
Cafe Cinema in Tbilisi
Cafe Cinema is sharing one building with Carrefour store on the Kolhoznaya square (I know there is a new name for this square, but I never can remember the name). I have been going shopping for groceries time by time to this Carrefour store (although I prefer either Tbilisi Mall or recently opened East Point - both located in suburbs of Tbilisi), and just recently I discovered that there is not only Carrefour located in this building,…
Giorgi Leonidze Park (Former Alexander Garden)
Ok, I just learnt this place is renamed after Georgian poet Giorgi Leonidze, although I most often call this park - Alexander Garden. Parks of April 9 and Giorgi Leonidze (former Alexander Park) were cultivated in 1859 by the project of the architect O. Simenson. In 1865 the garden got its final form. It covered about 36.000 m2 areas. The garden was named in honour of the Emperor Alexander I. In the 30-eth of the XX…
Carpe Diem Café in San Bonifacio
I have never kept in secret my love for the local restaurants and cafes where tourists barely step their foot in. We did find a few great local Italian restaurants during a week long trip in Italy and when we arrived to San Bonifacio (checked in at our hotel, see Best Western Soave Hotel, San Bonifacio ) we decided to explore our options and find some great restaurant nearby. It was alright late night on January 1st - and after…
Best Western Soave Hotel, San Bonifacio
We booked this Best Western franchise hotel in San Bonifacio, Italy through secret deals on Hotwire, on January 1st, 2016, we chose this hotel because of it's close location to Verona and affordable price (about $60). I love using Hotwire, in most cases there are great value deals, but it was not like this time. We got a small, bad equipped room from Hotel Soave. No, I'm not complaining, our stay was pretty OK. But it was far from the…
Barbarestan - Wine Shop and Restaurant in Tbilisi
Vintage lovers and hipsters - rejoice, I just discovered another "fashionable" not to miss place in Tbilisi - Barbarestan - wine shop and restaurant on Aghanashebeli avenue. Well this place actually didn't pop up on my radar by accident - I have heard of this place before, mostly positive reviews, but the real reasons I wanted to visit this place, on a lovely Saturday morning we couldn't decide where should we go today - so after this epic…
Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi
Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Church is located in the neighborhood of Marjanishivli in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. Commonly referred to just as "Russian Church". Along with the church of St. Vladimir in the neighborhood of Vera it is one of two churches in Tbilisi, where the service is performed entirely in Church Slavonic language. Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi Originally built in 1864 by the donations of…
Shopping in Tallinn: Ülemiste Mall
Ulemiste shopping mall is the biggest in Estonia, it features more than 210 stores and has a parking lot capable of handling 1300 cars. I don't remember actually why we chose exactly Ulemiste as our shopping destination in Tallinn, most probably somebody recommended it because of Ulemiste being the largest one. We get here by using public bus leaving somewhere from the city center (Don't remember anymore bus number, but ticket…
China Inn Restaurant in Tallinn
Are you looking for a Chinese restaurant in Estonian capital city of Tallinn? China Inn restaurant located in Tallinn's Old Town might be the right answer. First discovered this venue back in Summer of 2015, during a two day trip to Tallinn. Chinese food is among my favorite food of the World - here at China Inn in Tallinn you can get the same you would get in any other regular Chinese restaurant across the Globe. That's one of the reason…
Estonian War of Independence Victory Column
The War of Independence Victory Column is located in Freedom Square, Tallinn,Estonia. It was opened on 23 June 2009 as a memorial for those who fell during the Estonian War of Independence, through which the people of Estonia will be able to commemorate all those who had fought for freedom and independence. The pillar is 23.5 m high and consists of 143 glass plates. The memorial incorporates the Cross of…
Saint Ekvtime Takaishvili Church in Tbilisi
There is a small church located on Baku street 1, Tbilisi (on the right side from David Aghanashebeli avenue, first cross-street before Tamar Mephe avenue). I have wondered about this church for the couple of the last 3 years, while been living in this neighborhood. It was day 131/365 from my photo project, when I decided I'll go and photograph exactly this church and probably will learn more about it. So I went... Saint Ekvtime…
Georgian Tavern Tbilisi in Tallinn
Georgian cuisine lovers rejoice - I have just found another restaurant of Georgian food, this time in Estonian Capital city Tallinn. Discovered by accident during wanderings around Tallinn's Old Town, tried once back in Summer 2015. Shortly I left St Michael's Swedish Church I noticed my darling was sitting on the stairs and finger pointed above her head - I smiled - something so familiar, something close. Georgia Tavern…
St Michael's Swedish Church in Tallinn
St Michael's Church or St Michael's Swedish Church is a Lutheran church used by the Swedish congregation in the old town district of Tallinn, Estonia. We were off in the streets of Old Tallinn wandering what should we see, and I noticed this church and decided to go inside to adjust my church interior photography skills, at this point I didn't yet realized it is a Swedish church nor I had a clue what…
Castle Carrarese of Este
It was January 1st, 2016 when we visited Castle Carrarese of Este, during our drive from Venice to Modena. It was our second stop after we enjoyed a cup of cappuccino at lovely Candiana town. Read more: Bar Rialto in Candiana) The castle overlooking the town of Este consists of large master towers and massive walls, about a kilometre long, which embraces the extreme southern edge of the Euganean Hills. This mighty monument bears…