The Food of Strasbourg, France

On April 5, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France, Recipes12 Comments

We had been in Frankfurt for a couple of months before making our first trip outside of Germany, so we were truly looking forward to trying some foods that were different. We took a train to Strasbourg, which is just across the border from Germany and is a wonderful, historic, city. Having been to France before, we knew the culinary history and were anticipating having some traditional French cuisine. After arriving, we asked the hotel to make reservations at a restaurant that served traditional food for the region. We arrived at the restaurant and they quite proudly had a section on the menu with a variety of food that were considered specialties of Alsace. Unfortunately, it was schnitzel, sausage, cabbage, and potato dumplings, everything we had been seeing on menus throughout our travels in Germany.

What we didn’t realize at the time was that Alsace had been under the control of Germany for a large majority of its history, so it was as much German as it was French, perhaps even more so. Undaunted, we endeavored to find unique meals while we were in Strasbourg and in the end we were treated to some wonderful meals. Needless to say, there was beer, but we also had some very good wine as well since Strasbourg sits on what is considered the wine road of the region. We even went for a wine tasting and purchased a few bottles of wine to take back with us to Frankfurt.

As is true with most cities, you can find a wide variety of food if you are willing to look for it. The one restaurant that we visited didn’t even have a formal menu, they brought a large chalkboard by your table with the day’s specials written on it. The food was so good that we decided to indulge in a dessert, something that we don’t typically do. We had some old favorites, but also tried some things that we had never eaten previously. All-in-all, we really enjoyed the food that we experienced while we were in Strasbourg.

What a Long Strange Trip it Has Been

On March 13, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania8 Comments

Now that our European adventure is over (for now), we thought that we would take the time to trace our steps and truly acknowledge how many wonderful places we were able to visit. In chronological order, here was our trip in a snapshot, it certainly makes our heads spin.

Frankfurt, Germany – It may have been our home, but it was still a wonderful city and we have a lot of incredible memories of our time there.
Old Town Frankfurt
Kassel, Germany – It was the first place that we visited once we found an apartment and is the home of the Brother’s Grimm Museum and is part of the Fairy Tale Road.
Lowenbrau Castle
Heidelberg, Germany – Truly one of the idyllic cities that we visited while in Germany.
Heidelberg Castle
Koblenz, Germany – One of the most amazing train rides that we have ever taken and an amazing city on the Rhine.
Suburbs of Koblenz
Hochheim, Germany – A truly small hamlet experience.
Vienna, Austria – Our first trip outside of Germany and truly a center for the arts.
Cologne, Germany – Amazing Dom and a wonderful old-world city. We had been told that it was a place that we had to visit while we were in Germany and we would definitely agree.
Wurzburg, Germany – Another small town experience that we had been hoping for and one of the best of Christmas Markets that we had visited.
Statue in Wurzburg
Strasbourg, France – Wine, medieval villages, and some of the friendliest people that we had the opportunity to meet, and that is saying a lot.
Prague, Czech Republic – One of the places in Europe that everyone should visit at some point in time. We were there over Christmas and it was spectacular.
View of Prague Castle
Athens, Greece – There are few places in the world as historically important as Athens.
Amazing History
Bucharest/Brasov, Romania – Definitely one of those special places where the experience far surpasses anything that you might read.
Dracula’s Castle
Nuremberg, Germany – An unexpected surprise, so much history, both new and old that it became one of our favorite memories of our time in Europe.
Medieval City with Current History
Paris, France – Not our first visit there, but it is still one of our favorite cities that we have ever visited, even if it was rainy the weekend that we were there.
Eiffel Tower
Dublin, Ireland – A special trip for personal reasons as we flew our mother over to see us and it will hold a special place in our hearts.
The Irish Countryside
Amsterdam, Netherlands – One of our last adventures while we were in Europe and definitely an interesting city full of history and art.
Canal Upon Canal
Florence, Italy – Part of our farewell tour, this is an incredible city that will fulfill any romantic visions of Europe that you could ever dream of.
What an Amazing City
Rome, Italy – So much to see, the history, the arts, the Vatican City, and for us a very special meeting with a fellow blogger.
The Roman Forum is Amazing
Lucca/Pisa, Italy – A quick day trip from Florence, but it rounded out our trip to Italy perfectly.
Pisa is All About the Leaning Tower

So, as you can see, we had about twenty-five weeks in Europe, part of that time finding an apartment as well as working every week, but we definitely made the most of our time. It will be the trip of a lifetime, perhaps several lifetimes, and we are extremely thankful for every moment. Expect details of these wondrous adventures in the coming days and weeks as we plan our next crazy experience.

Soggy Weekend in Paris, France

On February 6, 2017February 6, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France10 Comments

We were determined not to let the weather dampen our spirits as we ventured back to the city of love for a quick weekend trip. Although it was definitely a rainy weekend, we enjoyed our trip as much as if the sun had been shining from sunrise to sunset. Since we had been to Paris before, this trip was about spending time together in a city that was actually the first place in Europe that the two of us ever visited together. Perhaps it didn’t make for the most picturesque of trips, but that wasn’t what this trip was meant to be about. We went into Montmartre and looked over the gorgeous landscape that is downtown Paris. We listened to a nun give a service in the Basilica de Sacré-Cœur, which was actually quite an interesting experience as we don’t normally see nuns lead a service.

The Eiffel Tower is Impressive even on a Rainy Day

Of course there was plenty of food and wine, but we did what we like to do the most while we are in Paris, we walked the streets. Around every corner, whether walking along the Seine or heading into the neighborhoods, the buildings and the scenery are always incredible. Despite the rain, there was a definite feeling of Spring in the air, which is unusual for us as we don’t normally think about a green grass in Colorado until May. We can’t go to Paris without at least walking by the Eiffel Tower, but we decided to retake a photo from our very first visit, at least as close as we could since our daughter was not with us. We did not go to the top again, mostly due to the weather, but also due to our limited time in the city.

We climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, which was actually something that we had never done before and would definitely recommend. Obviously the views are not as astounding as those from the top of the Eiffel Tower or Montmartre, but they are still worth the effort to climb the approximate 250 stairs. One of the priorities for our visit was to buy a piece of art from one of the street artists along the Seine, although there were very few out due to the time of year and the weather. We were about to give up when we came upon a stall with some original oil paintings that were exactly what we had hoped to find. Finding various paintings, etches, or sketches in the different places that we have traveled to during our time here in Europe has become one of the ways that we have chosen to memorialize our time abroad.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the Top of the Arc

The next few weeks will be extremely hectic as we attempt to make the most of our remaining time. Having the opportunity to jump on a train and spend a weekend in Paris is one of the memories that has made the past six months so very special. We have spent many nights reminiscing about the incredible sights that we have seen, people we have met, and food that we have tasted. It will take us as many months to truly share all of our experiences here with all of you, but every moment has made us only want to travel even more during the months and years ahead. Regardless of what the future holds, though, we will leave you with the timeless quote from Rick in the movie Casablanca, “We will always have Paris”.