Nürnberg, Germany, an Unexpected Surprise

On January 9, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany9 Comments

We decided to take a quick trip to Nürnberg this weekend and we were pleasantly surprised by the charm of the city. At this point, we find that we don’t have time to investigate some places before we travel there, so we simply make our plans, read a few reviews of places to see and then let the place reveal itself to us. We didn’t have many preconceptions about what we would see when we went to Nürnberg, but we did expect it to be similar to Köln or Frankfurt, but it was smaller and prettier than we expected. The old town is surrounded by a stone wall with a castle sitting on the hill overlooking the city and still has some of its medieval architecture.

Before traveling to Germany, our only thoughts of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) were associated with the famous trials of the NAZI leaders which took place in the city. We made sure to take time to visit the courthouse, which is still in use today, and learn more about the momentous events that occurred within those walls. Trying to understand how the role of justice has changed when it comes to war and atrocities that are committed by a country and how other countries can come together to impose punishment on those in charge is actually a relatively new concept. For all of us who grew up knowing that cruelty, genocide, and torture can be held accountable at a global level can thank those who put the policies in place at the end of World War II. Whether some countries can still escape this justice is obviously something to be debated at a different time.

One of the Ornate Doors inside of the Courtroom

It was a cold weekend, which is par for the course at this time of year, and we even woke up to snow on Sunday before heading back to Frankfurt. Nürnberg was also the place where punishment was dealt throughout the history of Germany, so perhaps there was some slight coincidence to the decision to hold the war trials in the city, but the main reason was due to the fact that the city had not been destroyed like so many others. Visiting the executioner’s house and the castle were definitely highlights of our visit as well as seeing the various churches and cathedrals that are always a centerpiece of old world cities.

It was a quick weekend trip and we enjoyed every minute of it. At some point we need to take a break and get some sleep, but that isn’t going to happen for a few weeks at least. We will relish some of these unexpected journeys in the years to come as much as we enjoy those trips that we have spent weeks planning and making sure that we know in advance everything that there is to see and do. So, here is to unexpected journeys in 2017 🙂.

Stained Glass Window inside of the Cathedral

A Time for Reflection

On January 4, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland11 Comments

As another new year starts and we look back on 2016, there is a lot for us to consider and to reflect upon. To say that it was a tumultuous year would be an extreme understatement, but at the same time, it was a year of tremendous opportunities. We have travelled more in a single year than any other time in the past, but we have sacrificed much in order to see the places that we have seen. As we think about the previous year, here are a few measurements points that have stood out for us as we look forward to an exciting 2017:

Countries that we have visited – We visited eight different countries this year and all but one of them were countries that we had never visited before. Iceland, Peru, Bolivia, Germany, Austria, France, Czech Republic, and Greece were all wonderful experiences for different reasons.
Strasbourg

It was our first trip to South America together and now we each have visited five different continents. We hope to make it to all seven continents at some point, but it has been an eye-opening experience to see the various cultures across so many different lands.

We travelled on five airlines last year that we had never travelled on previously, Iceland Air, Bolivian Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Czech Airlines, and Aegean Airlines. We didn’t always have the best of experiences, but there were surprises as well. Of all of those airlines, Bolivian Airlines was probably the greatest surprise for efficiency and ease to use. There were also the typical suspects for travel such as United Airlines and Lufthansa, which provide reliable service, but do not make it easy to gain loyalty points.

We have learned to say phrases in several new languages, including German, Czech, Greek, and Icelandic. We cannot say that we can speak conversational German, but we can definitely communicate enough, even when talking to someone who speaks no English, to express ourselves satisfactorily.

Within the countries that we have visited, we have been to fifteen different cities, including a couple within the United States. We met so many amazing people in each of the places that we have visited and we enjoy continuing to hear about the adventures in their lives as well as sharing our own with them.

All in all, 2016 was an incredible year. We sold our home, quit one of our jobs, temporarily moved out of the country to Germany, and travelled extensively. One would think that we would spend 2017 sleeping so as to get some much needed rest, but we expect the next few months to be as busy as the previous twelve months. We are definitely counting our blessings and wishing our best thoughts to everyone in this new year that has just now dawned. Perhaps a little belated, but Happy New Year to everyone! We truly wish you all of the best in the year ahead.

The Gift of a Christmas Cookie

On December 21, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes2 Comments

Being here in Germany, away from family and friends, we are missing the normal exchanging of gifts that would normally occur. We decided to do something personal for the friends that we have made since arriving and chose to bake some chocolate chip cookies in order to share a little of our memories with our new friends. It is a simple recipe and that is fortunate since we couldn’t find some of the same things that we would have normally used, but even so, the cookies turned out just fine. In fact, we would say that they were quite delicious, although we have learned that cookies or biscuits or not quite as common here as they are in the United States. They certainly love their sweets, but it is more about candy, cakes, and pastries than it is about a plate of cookies to be left by the fireplace for Santa to enjoy. What we enjoyed the most was the faces of our friends as they tasted these tempting treats. Sure, the cookies were good, but sharing something personal was even sweeter. We hope that you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose-flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stove. Whisk the eggs, sugars, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then fold into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. We didn’t have baking soda, so we left that out and brown sugar here is more like a granulated sugar, but it worked equally as well. We also couldn’t find chocolate chips, but we did find chocolate chunks and even chopping up a block of chocolate would have worked. Place heaping spoonful’s of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about an inch to two inches between each cookie. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is still soft. This batch makes about 30 to 36 cookies.