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Bodbe Monastery
The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe is a Georgian Orthodox monastic complex and the seat of the Bishops of Bodbe located 2 km from the town of Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia. Originally built in the 9th century, it has been significantly remodeled, especially in the 17th century. The monastery now functions as a nunnery and is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of…
Albergo Celide Hotel Review in Lucca, Italy
Albergo Celide is a four star hotel located in Lucca, Italy, we stayed here overnight at the end of 2015, although this is a four star hotel, speaking of staff members I can call it barely one star hotel. Probably arriving to this hotel requests that you arrive in a suite or evening gown, since we arrived here from Milan after some 5 hour drive and were in our casual clothes staff members probably thought that we are some…
Tortuga Snack Bar in Portofino, Italy
In today's restaurant reviews series I would like to mention some small but very stylish snack bar in Portofino, Italy - Tortuga Snack Bar We made a stop in lovely Italian Riviera village of Portofino at the end of 2015, this place inspired me a lot and I made a few HDR photography here. Tortuga Snack bar we made a short stop to enjoy delicious Italian cappuccino, and with the permit from bar staff members I was allowed to make some…
Common Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)
Let me introduce you with a really interesting fungus (mushroom) you can find across deep forests in Europe and North America - Common Stinkhorn, also known by its Latin name - Phallus impudicus. At the end of this post you will learn how you can prepare a medicine out of this fungus! Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus, known colloquially as the common stinkhorn, is a widespread fungus recognizable for…
Summer in Latvia
Ask me - what does Latvia associates to me - and I will answer - haystacks and mild Summer nights. Unfortunately last summer (2015) I didn't find any haystack in Latvia at all (instead they are using hay rolls), but I did enjoyed some wanderings in cornfields (and, yes, they are great for photography) In today's Piece of Life photo project series - allow me to introduce you - Latvia in Summer. Margret Cornfield in…
Portofino - picturesque harbor village in Italian Riviera
Portofino is an Italian fishing village and vacation resort famous for its picturesque harbor and historical association with celebrity and artistic visitors. I paid a short, but very remarkable visit here at the end of 2015, during a short 7 day trip around Italy. We arrived to Portofino from Genoa (Read my first impressions: A Little Bit From Italian Riviera (Somewhere Around Genoa) Portofino - Italian fishing village…
Fixing holes in the floor with plaster mixture + second layer of paint
Welcome back to the home remodeling series, in today's article I'll show how I patched a holes in a hard wood floor using ... a plaster mixture. But before that, please take a look on More Paint Job - Base layer for Kitchen's Floor and How to Patch and Plaster in your old Rural house After I painted first base layer of paint I noticed that wooden floor is in really bad condition and it has a huge holes on it, since we were not into a…
A Little Bit From Italian Riviera (Somewhere Around Genoa)
Just shortly we landed at Milan/Malpensa airport and stayed at lovely Holiday Inn Express hotel, in the next morning we started to head to Genoa. Unfortunately I did not paid much attention to all the small town lets located next to the sea, and know by writting these lines I wonder what names does actually these lovely places bear. The fun fact - we stopped in Genoa for just 5 minutes (and we even didn't know back then that we are…
Old New Year's fireworks in Tbilisi
While there is a good reason to visit St Mark's square in Venice, Italy (that's exactly we did this New Year) - the chances to photograph New Year's fireworks turned much brighter from our Tbilisi's apartments balcony. Shortly before clock turned twelve on night between January 13 to January 14, we made a moka coffee, I installed a tripod and enjoyed amazing Old New year's firework.. Piece of Life! Fireworks in our Tbilisi apartments…
Holiday Inn Express Milan-Malpensa Airport Hotel (Case Nuove, Italy)
We stayed overnight at Holiday Inn Express Milan-Malpensa Airport hotel just shortly we landed at the airport and took our rental car from FireFly. It turned out that FireFly office was just some 200 meters from this hotel, so we didn't had much driving for the first day from during our seven day trip in Italy. OK, we drove to the nearby town of Ferno to have a Italian style supper at Osteria San Martino. If you are traveling by car…
Osteria San Martino in Ferno, Italy
This was the first time I ate at the real Italian restaurant, and my first experience was more than satisfactory. Shortly after we landed at Milan/Malpensa airport, took our rental car, and checked in at nearby hotel, we started to explore TripAdvisor for some lovely place to have a Italian supper. Osteria San Martino popped up, so it was all about of entering right coordinates to TomTom device. This restaurant was located some 20 minute drive…
Railroad crossing in Skrunda municipality, Latvia
Skrunda is actually a very lovely small Latvian town, you can find here both Soviet military heritage (Read: Skrunda-1 Abandoned Soviet Military Ghost Town In Latvia) , delicious Latvian cuisine (Bistro 'Elvi' In Skrunda) or just enjoy a lovely walk near river Venta (Read: Skrunda Open-Air Stage and Park). In today's Piece of Life project series I would love to show a beautiful place where poppy field meets railroad - a railway…
Milan–Malpensa Airport
Milan - Malpensa is one of the major airports serving city of Milan in Italy. Just to mention, there is another airport serving city of Milano- Bergamo. Milan–Malpensa Airport, formerly City of Busto Arsizio Airport, is the largest airport for the Milan metropolitan area in northern Italy. It serves 15 million inhabitants in Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria. The airport is located 49 kilometres …
David Gareja Monastery Complex
David Gareja Monastery complex probably is among top tourist attractions in Republic of Georgia you should visit. Located in the desert, bordering with Azerbaijan this place provides very spectacular views. Best ways to get here is either by using your own vehicle or hiring a driver or booking a trip.The monastery complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face.David Gareja…
Udabno - Almost Forgotten Village in Georgian Desert
Udabno is a small village located in distance some 50 km from Tbilisi. The chances you will visit this place is huge if you are visiting one of the most famous Georgia' s landmarks - David Gareji monastery complex. The main road from Tbilisi will take you through Udabno village if you are visiting David Gareji. When I first was at Udabno back in 2011 it seemed as completely abandoned place, but at the end of December, 2015 it looked that some…
More Paint Job - Base layer for Kitchen's Floor
Those of you following my blog have noticed I'm featuring home remodeling series here, it all started back in the Spring/Summer of 2015, when we inherited a lovely but very badly managed country house in rural Latvia. In today's photo series I will show you how using the most cheapest floor paint I gave a new life to a rundown wooden plank floor in our rural's house kitchen. But before that, take a look how it all started in this kitchen:…
Wine Tunnel Near Kvareli in Georgia (Winery Khareba)
Wine Tunnel owned by a winery Khareba is located close to the town of Kvareli, in region of Kakheti, republic of Georgia. It features not only exotic manmade tunnel built in the rocks, but it also has a large territory offering interesting attractions related to Georgian heritage. Guests can book a wine tasting tour here and will be provided with best selection wines from winery Khareba. I first visited this wine tunnel in the middle of…
Neighborhoods of Tbilisi - Varketili
In today's photo article I will speak about another neighborhood in Tbilisi - Varketili. Varketili is most probably famous because of the Varketili metro line connecting this part of city with city cente.In today's article most of the pictures are focused around exactly at this metro station. Varketili is probably not the most tourist visited place in Tbilisi, if you are hoping to find lovely wood carved balconies here or enjoy a swim…
Giant Plane Tree in Telavi
There is a biggest tree in Georgia located in the city center of Telavi (Region of Kakheti). It's not only giant, it is more than 900 years old as well.I discovered this tree back in October , 2015, during a day trip to region of Kakheti, we made a 5 minute stop here, I got an opportunity to photograph it with my mom posing next to it.The Giant Plane tree in Telavi, Republic of GeorgiaIt's width is about 12 meters and height 46 meters.The Giant…
Expo Georgia Exhibition Center in Tbilisi
One of my first memories from Georgia are very related with Expo Georgia Exhibition center, back in April 2011 when I first arrived to Georgia, just shortly I had an opportunity to visit a fair held here - Caucasus Tourism Fair. Back then I realized how important this venue place is for doing business in Georgia.Caucasus Tourism Fair 2014Georgian - Latvian Business ForumIf you are up to meeting new prospects or looking for some strong ties -…
East Point Shopping Mall in Tbilisi
There is a new and modern shopping center recently built and opened for public in Tbilisi. Meet East Point. Located in suburbs of Varketili (neighborhood of Tbilisi) next to Kakheti highway on the road to Tbilisi Airport. More than 150 clothing, shoes and accessories fashion retailers under one roof for your unique taste. Bowling and 8-ball pool in a very exquisite environment. A huge entertainment area specially built for children, 10…
Christmas Charity Winter Fair in Tbilisi 2015
Christmas charity Winter Fair was held in Tbilisi's Radisson Blu Iveria hotel on December 5, 2015. Winter fair was organized by International Women's Association Georgia (IWAG) and as in all previous year we paid a visit here and bought a lot of goodies. Money spent on such fairs goes to the charity, Read more: Christmas Charity Winter Fair in Tbilisi Sheraton Hotel (2014) Christmas charity fair in Tbilisi (2013) In this…
Podnieku Lake Near Kalvene in Latvia
Podnieku lake is located close to the Kalvene in Western Latvia. We headed here while returning back from Liepāja (probably we were eating paella's and empanadas at Tex-Mex Klondaika restaurant prior).This lake seems in past has been some popular recreational area, there were a lot of camping sites and rumor has it here even was a cafeteria. Nobody knows for sure what happened to this place and why any development tasks has stopped. I…
Akhali (New) Shuamta Monastery Complex
If you are traveling to the region of Kakheti in Georgia and your road is leading through the Telavi town, there are a few interesting tourist sites to visit and one of them is monastery complex Akhali Shuamta. We arrived to this site just shortly we paid a visit to another Dzveli Shuamta monastery. In fact that's a good idea to visit both monastery complexes together. The monastery was founded in the XVI century by…
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At the start of April 2026, during our roughly five-day trip to Berlin, we finally visited the famous Berlin Zoo for the first time - or at least the first time I can actually remember. There is a chance my mom might have taken me here sometime in the early 1990s, but if so, those memories are long gone. This visit felt completely new, and…
Berlin Brandenburg Airport
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