Catherine’s Gate and St. Nicholas Church in Brasov, Romania

On February 8, 2021February 8, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Romania2 Comments

Brasov is a wonderful town in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania in Romania. For the people of Romania it is a destination to get away and, depending on the season, either go hiking or go skiing at one of the resorts nearby. There are several interesting sites to see when visiting Brasov and among them are Catherine’s Gate and St. Nicholas Church. They are both located in the same part of the historic area of Brasov and each features some fascinating architectural details.

Turrets and the Coat of Arms on Catherine’s Gate

Walking Toward St. Nicholas Church and It’s Gated Wall

We walked from our hotel that was located on the town square into the historic area of Brasov in order to see Catherine’s Gate. The gate was built in 1559 after the original gate was destroyed by a flood. St. Catherine’s Monastery was previously on the site, which is how the gate received its name. As with most medieval towns, the gate was there to protect the town from invaders as well as to collect taxes from citizens who entered into the town. The four small corner turrets that surround the central turret symbolize the fact that they had an autonomous judicial system and self-rule. Above the gate is the town’s coat of arms, which is a crown on an oak tree with the roots exposed.

Murals on the Stone Wall Inside of the Church Gate

We continued on to see St. Nicholas Church, whose bell tower could be seen throughout the old town area. The church sits atop a small hill that is just large enough to let it rise above the other nearby buildings. To get to the church, you pass through a gated wall with murals painted on the inner wall. The church itself was originally established in 1292 and the stone church was erected in the late 1400’s. Above the main door and just below the actual bell tower, is a colorful mural of St. Nicholas, for whom the church is named. Adjacent to the church is a large cemetery with many large headstones.

We really enjoyed our time in Brasov and took the time to get into the countryside to see many interesting historic sites. The people of the town were extremely friendly and we enjoyed walking the streets and eating at some of the many restaurants located there. If you get the opportunity to visit Brasov, you should definitely take time to see Catherine’s Gate and St. Nicholas Church.

Seeing the Same Places in the Past and Present

On January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France, Mexico, Washington DC, YellowstoneLeave a comment

Although we really enjoy exploring places that we’ve never seen before, there are times when we do go back to the same location. A few of the places that we’ve visited, there has actually been quite a bit of time that has elapsed between our visits. In some cases, there can be striking differences and in other cases the locations seem identical. The time of year can also change the appearance of the location.

The Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument in 2001

Sidewalks Along the Reflecting Pool and the WWII Memorial in 2019

The National Mall in Washington D. C. – The first time that we traveled to Washington to go to all of the tourist locations, including the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument was in the summer of 2001. We then visited it once again in the summer of 2019 and as much as it was the same, some things had clearly changed. In 2019, there were sidewalks along the reflecting pool and the WWII Memorial had been added between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Completely Different View of the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in 2015

Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in Yellowstone National Park – Although we have visited Yellowstone many times in all of the different seasons, but we actually went to the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces during our first trip in 2000 and then returned to see it in 2015. During our second visit, we actually hiked a trail that took us to the other side of the terraces, which gave us a completely different perspective.

The Same View of Eiffel Tower in the Winter of 2017

The Eiffel Tower in Paris – We love the city of Paris and it was actually the first place that we visited outside of the United States back in 2007. We visited Paris in Autumn and the trees had changed colors making the trail leading to the Eiffel Tower that much more dramatic. When we returned 10 years later in the winter of 2017, we purposely tried to retake the same photograph. During our second visit, there were gates limiting access to the Eiffel Tower and on the day of our visit it was actually closed to visitors due to security concerns.

The Arch at Cabo San Lucas in 2008 During the Day

The Arch in Cabo San Lucas – Our first trip to Cabo was in 2008 and we ended up buying a timeshare during that particular trip. Because of that, we have returned to Cabo many times with our last trip being in 2017. We tend to go in the fall as the weather is quite comfortable and there aren’t any bugs. We don’t always take a boat out to the arch, but we actually did on our first and last visits. It is certainly beautiful and is the landmark that most people associate to Cabo.

Do you ever go back to the same locations many years apart and compare and contrast the differences in the experiences? Not only does the place change, but you change as well, making how you view a place as different as the changes that have occurred to the location itself.

German-Style Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

On January 27, 2021January 27, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes5 Comments

One of the side dishes that we enjoyed quite often while in Germany was braised red cabbage with apples. It was slightly sweeter than the braised cabbage that we were used to having and found it to be quite refreshing. We had it served with schnitzel, pot roast, duck, and other meats as it is a perfect compliment to gamier entrees. The only other side dish that we had as often as red cabbage was spätzle, which was often served along with the red cabbage. We served it with our pan-seared duck with a cherry compote, which was a wonderful combination. We used a granny-smith apple, but it could be done with any other apple that holds up to cooking. It was definitely a meal that reminded us of our time in Europe.

INGREDIENTS

1 Medium Red Onion – thinly sliced
1 Head Red Cabbage – cored and sliced
1 Granny-Smith Apple – cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 cups Chicken Broth – preferably homemade
1/2 cup Apple Juice
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 to 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the onions and about a teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions until they are tender and translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cabbage, apple, chicken broth, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to the onions and stir to mix. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the cabbage for an hour.