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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…
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…
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…
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…
DIY Frame House in Latvia: Walls and Rafters Completed
At the end of June 2023, we traveled to Latvia for about two weeks, during which I continued work with our frame house and installed both walls and rafters. In this article, I'm sharing notes and photos from the construction. It was a huge surprise when arriving on site I saw a lot of overgrown grass. It was just a few months ago, we come to Latvia to install this foundation on the grounds crews. The Cost-Saving Way to Build a Frame…
Summer Solstice 2023
In case you wondered how we celebrated Summer's Solstice 2023 - we celebrated it at our rural country house some 25 km from Liepåja in Latvia. Having a lot of fun. I invited my mom to join us for the little party. Just four of us. We bought this little Dacha last year for just EUR 5,000 and now we have a place where to come and celebrate at least Līgo once in a year. I had to spend a good evening trimming grass tonight Having a…
Jerusalem in December: A Must-Visit Destination for the New Year Holiday
Jerusalem is a city steeped in history, culture, and religion, making it a fascinating destination to visit any time of the year. However, there is something particularly special about visiting Jerusalem in the weeks leading up to New Year's. In this article, we'll explore some of the highlights of experiencing Jerusalem before New Year's eve. We arrivied to Jerusalem from Ben Gurion airport terminal and our discoveries could start. After…
Vialand Amusement Park in Istanbul
Vialand Theme Park is a huge amusement park and shopping mall located in Istanbul, Turkey. We visited this theme park at the end of May 2023, during our weekend trip to Istanbul. We paid a 240 USD entry fee for a family of three (also kids pay full fare). After visiting the park I was left with the feeling that the price might be way too overpriced for the attractions we actually used. As we were traveling with our 4-year-old daughter,…
Hotel Baykal in Istanbul
Hotel Baykal is located on the shores of Golden Horn in Unkapani, Istanbul. This hotel is located about 3 km from the historical Sultanahmet area. Free WiFi is accessible in all areas. We booked Hotel Baykal for a 3-night stay at the end of May 2023 during our short trip to Istanbul. At the time of booking, we were just choosing the cheapest options available, and I have to say this was a bargain deal. In total, we paid about USD 160…
Ring in the New Year in Eilat: A Guide to the Top Attractions
Eilat is a city in southern Israel that is well known for its sunny beaches and vibrant nightlife. The city is especially popular during the New Year's holiday season when visitors flock to the area to enjoy the warm weather and festive atmosphere. In this article, I'll explore some of the highlights of visiting Eilat around New Year's. We come to Eilat, especially for New Year's Eve, and booked Herods Boutique hotel, paying about USD 750 for a…
Our frame house has suffered significant damage due to the strong winds
Over the past few weeks, I have been fully engrossed in the laborious task of constructing our frame house from the ground up. Unfortunately, amidst the hustle and bustle of the construction process, I have been remiss in updating our progress on this blog. However, I regret to inform you that our endeavors have taken a devastating blow. This past weekend marked a significant milestone as we completed the roof installation and eagerly commenced…
Elia Monastery near Dedoplis Tskaro
Elia monastery is located in Kakheti, in the southern part of Dedoplistskaro, on a double-peak limestone mountain. The Temple of Saint Ilia Tezbiteli is located on Mount Elia since the sixth century. Many people gather here every August 2, on the day of the great prophet, Saint Ilia Tezbiteli. They overnight on a double-peaked mountain and pray at the bottom of the Elia rock. I first learned about this beautiful place from our German friend…
The Top Beaches to Visit in Tel Aviv: Unwind and Relax by the Mediterranean Sea
Tel Aviv is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel, known for its vibrant culture, nightlife, and beaches. With over 14 kilometers of coastline, Tel Aviv boasts some of the most beautiful and accessible beaches in the country. During our latest trip to Israel I had a chance to spend a day in Tel Aviv's beaches and was left with that white envy feeling, how lucky Israelis are, having such nice beaches just in front of their city…
Savanna Guest House in Dedoplis Tskaro
Savanna Guest House is located on Mosulishvili Street 51 in the town of Dedoplis Tskaro. We booked this guest house for a one-night stay at the start of June 2023, paying about gel 150 for a separate house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a shower, a living room, and a lovely outdoor space. We keep returning to Dedoplis Tskaro because of the Eagle Canyon and this time we decided to extend our stay in the area by booking a guest house. and Savanna…
Discovering Jaffa: A Memorable Day Trip from Tel Aviv
Jaffa is an ancient port city near Tel Aviv in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon, and Saint Peter as well as the mythological story of Andromeda and Perseus, and later for its oranges. Today, Jaffa is one of Israel's mixed cities, with approximately 37% of the city being Arab. We had a chance to visit Jaffa and meet with our Latvian friend there at the start of 2023 during our latest…
The Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Israel
The Carmel Market (also, the Shuk Hacarmel) is the largest market, or shuk, in Tel Aviv, Israel. It’s a vibrant marketplace where traders sell everything from clothing to spices and fruit to electronics. Visiting the Carmel Market is a fascinating thing to do in Tel Aviv. The hustle and bustle, vibrant noises, and its reputation as the largest shuk in Tel Aviv all combine to make the Carmel Market a favorite. I first visited this market at…
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv is located on Dizengoff Street 98. It featured an outdoor swimming pool, a terrace, a restaurant, and a bar. We booked this hotel for a 2-night stay at the start of 2023, before returning back to Tbilisi. We paid about USD 430 for a 2-night stay here. Thsi small hotel has an excellent location, from here we were able to explore the neighbourhood, visit the Tel Aviv beach and more. The property is…
The Nachlaot Pearl/ King Salomon apartment in Jerusalem (Be'er Sheva Street)
The Nachlaot Pearl / King Salomon room is an apartment we booked via Airbnb for a two-day stay in Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The price we paid seemed a bit high, paying about $350 for a small studio room, but as we didnt know what to expect from Jerusalem rental market and were not into extensive reserach, we agreed to book this place. And the stay was actually really excellent. We agreed to book over AirBnB insetad of…
Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry Moonstone Mine in Sri Lanka
During our latest trip to Sri Lanka at the start of 2022, we visited this small and interesting Moonstone Mine - Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry. We were taken here by our driver / guide we ordered back in the hotel for the day trip to Galle. Moonstone is a fascinating gemstone that is found abundantly in Sri Lanka. This gemstone has been revered for centuries for its unique beauty, metaphysical properties, and historical…
Paul French Restaurant on Paliashvili street (near Vake Park in Tbilisi)
There is a lovely French restaurant and bakery located on Paliashvili Street near Vake Park in Tbilisi. We keep heading here for delicious French-style desserts and one of my favorite vegetable soups. We come here occasionally, after visiting Vake Park or during the lunch break at the office nearby. There are several Paul Restaurants located across the city, check out my previous review about Paul restaurant on Abashidze Street Latelty…
Jerusalem - Tel Aviv Train via Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
The highly anticipated new high-speed train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv via Ben Gurion Airport is now operating. The final destination of the Jerusalem train is Tel Aviv. The new Jerusalem to Tel Aviv train service is officially called King David Line. I have traveled by train from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The ticket price per passenger was about ISL 15. The train station is actually located inside the terminal…
Statue of Medea in Batumi
The Statue of Medea is located at Europe square in the Batumi city center. The Statue is dedicated to Medea, Colchian Princess from Greek mythology. Statue was opened to the public back in 2007. I have visited for many times Europe square and the statue of Medea, especially in the recent years when a McDonalds is opened next to the monument, so I decided add this pictursque place to the blog. A must have place to visiti once in Batumi:…
Grill Town Restaurant in Batumi
Grill Town restaurant in Batumi is among one of my best finds in recent years. Located close to the Sheraton Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue in Batumi. We first discovered this restaurant in some of our previous Batumi trips, so this time it was a no-brainer to visit this place. During our latest visit here in April 2023, it turned out to be the restaurant 1 year anniversary and we got some free Sangrias and very smiling staff members. Grill…
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport, is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the busiest airport in the country. It is located 45 kilometers (28 mi) to the northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometers (12 mi) to the southeast of Tel Aviv. I first visited it back in 2009, flying with Turkish Airlines from Riga (via Istanbul), and also have flown a direct flight by EL AL from Tbilisi and…
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