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Bird Watching Tower on Sloka Lake
Bird watching tower on Sloka lake actually is a floating platform which is a very popular tourist attraction among the locals and bird watchers. Discovered in the early May 2018, during our "living in Jūrmala" series. Bird watching tower on Sloka Lake The bird watching tower actually is just one point from Sloka lake walking trail: The trail winds through diverse forest settings along the coastline of the lake populated by numerous…
Saint Peter and Paul Monastery Complex of Bolnisi
Saint Peter and Paul Monastery Complex of Bolnisi was built in 2012 and is located on Mount Elia close to the Bolnisi town in Georgia. First discovered and kind of visited in mid-December 2018, during a day trip to Bolnisi region. Originally I thought that at this place is located Bolnisi Sioni, and once we let our Tbilisi apt I just entered Bolnisi church in Google navigation. Huge was my surprise arriving at the real Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral…
Mangaļsala Pier
The Mangalsala Dam or the Eastern Mole has been built between 1850 and 1861 and rumor has the Russian Empire's Tsar actively followed the developments (back in those days there were two tsars ruling the Empire, Nicholas I and Alexander II). Mangalsala is the first part of the Riga city which is crossed by all ships entering the Daugava river. The length of the mole is 2240 meters. The sea part of the eastern mole was formed by pile…
HP ProBook 450 G5 (2RS04EA) Laptop Review
At the end of 2018 I got a new laptop - HP ProBook 450 G5 - in today's gadget review article series I will write down my humble observations. In short - gosh it feels so good owning a ProBook from HP. I bought this laptop at local ALTA OK store in Tbilisi, Georgia, just shortly before Christmas shopping craze in December 2018. Paid about USD 750 for this model. The sales price for Intel Core i5 8GB HP ProBook 450 G5 on Amazon is about $770. …
Mosque in Kvemo Bolnisi
There is not much information available online about Kvemo Bolnisi mosque in Georgia, except that the construction of the Mosque in Kvemo Bolnisi village started in 2005 and ended in 2007. The Mosque started functioning the same year. It was in the mid-December 2018, we were on a day trip to the Bolnisi (and surrounding area), after making stops at Bolnisi Sioni and Tsughrughasheni Church we discovered a green roof mosque. Unfortunately this…
Borjomi Likani Hotel, SPA and Health Centre
Luxury 5 star Hotel Borjomi Likani is located 177 km away from Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia) in the middle of the coniferous park in Borjomi city, famous of its naturally carbonated mineral water from springs in the Borjomi Gorge of central Georgia. Hotel Borjomi Likani is located on the former territory of once popular Sanatorium of 4th department in Likani. Guests from all over the USSR used to gather here to spend time with family and…
Tsughrughasheni Church
Tsughrughasheni is a Georgian Orthodox church in the Bolnisi District, Georgia. It is situated approximately 2 kilometers from Bolnisi Sioni basilica, on the right bank of the Bolnisistsqali River. The church was built in 1212–1222 supposedly by King George IV Lasha of the Bagrationi Dynasty. Tsughrughasheni church in Georgia I first discovered and visited Tsughrughasheni church and monastery in mid-December during a day trip to Bolnisi. It…
Hotel Baltvilla in Baltezers
Baltvilla is a 4-star hotel located some 15 km from the city center of Riga, on the shore of a lake with a private beach area and on the Via Baltica highway (E67). Baltvilla is located 4 km from Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum. Free WiFi is provided throughout the hotel and wide private parking is available for guests free of charge. We opted for Baltvilla hotel during our latest trip to Latvia at the end of 2018 (pre-New Year) -…
Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral
Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox basilica in the Bolnisi village of Bolnisi District, Georgia. The cathedral was built in 478–493. It is the oldest extant church building in Georgia. Bishop David was the overseeing church leader for the construction of Bolnisi Sioni. It took me more than 7 years of living in Georgia to visit for the first time Bolnisi and Bolnisi Sioni at the end of December 2018, though I was familiar that there…
Zip Line Tbilisi (Georgia)
Zip Line Tbilisi is another cool thing to do while in Georgia. I might be late to the party, as discovered Zip Line Tbilisi just at the end of 2018, but seems it was first opened for a public already back in June 2017. It was during our latest trip to the Tbilisi Botanical garden when I noticed strange cables going from Narikala fortress into the botanical garden. Zip Line Tbilisi Visitors and locals of Georgia's capital Tbilisi can now…