Free Music at the First Thursday Festivals in Canton

On June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn MarylandLeave a comment

On the first Thursday of the month from May through September, there is a free concert at the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. There are several local bands who play on the main stage and there are also food trucks and vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, and other goods. This was our first time going to the festival, which can get very busy, so it was interesting to see and enjoy some of the live music. The concert goes on rain or shine and on this day, rain was in the forecast, which caused the crowds to gather later than normal, but the rain held off making it a wonderful evening.

One of the Bands

Since the concert is located at the waterfront park, the backdrop to the concert is the water of the bay and the large trees of the park provide a place to find some shade. People come with blankets or chairs and sit on the lawn to listen to the variety of bands that play throughout the evening. The music starts at 6:00 pm and the bands play until almost 10:00 pm. This is the first year since the start of the pandemic that the concerts have been held, so the excitement in the area for their return was very obvious. With three more concerts to be held this summer, we look forward to enjoying them in the coming months.

The Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece

On December 14, 2021December 14, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Greece6 Comments

There are two historic agoras in Athens with fascinating archeological remains. Agoras are marketplaces that existed during the time of ancient Athens and each of these have historical significance. The Acropolis is obviously the most famous place to visit during any visit to Athens, but going to the agoras should certainly be on your itinerary as well. One can certainly imagine the ancient Greek philosophers walking these very same paths thousands of years ago as they contemplated about life, politics, and philosophy.

The Ruins of the Agora Sitting Below the Acropolis

The Ancient Agora of Athens – Located at the base of the Acropolis, walking these ancient grounds with the statues, pottery, and stone walls is truly fascinating. The highlight of the site is the Temple of Hephaestus, which is one of the most well-preserved ancient temples in all of Greece. Among the statues that you will see as you walk the ancient roads is the remaining torso of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. There is also a museum on the grounds with many historical artifacts. Of the two agoras, the Ancient Agora is probably the most striking, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit the Roman Agora as well.

The Roman Agora – Although smaller than the Agora of Athens, it is definitely still worth visiting. One of the most interesting structures on the site is the Tower of the Winds. It is an ancient clock tower where archeologists have discovered an ancient sun dial, wind vane, and a water clock. There are several outdoor restaurants in the area, which makes it a great place to visit during lunchtime where you can have a meal overlooking the ancient ruins.

Athens is such a wonderful city with an amazing history. With so many sites to visit, you should certainly plan at least several days in Athens in order to see it all.

Unique Crafts at European Christmas Markets

On October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, France, GermanyLeave a comment

Other than the crowds, there isn’t much not to love about the Christmas markets that can be found throughout Europe. With beer, wine, savory food, and sweets, they will definitely leave you with your senses satisfied, but the main reason for going to the Christmas markets is to see the unique vendors selling interesting crafts. We found several items throughout our various visits to cities to bring home as a reminder of our time there.

Obviously we were limited on what we could buy without having to ship things home, so we did more “window shopping” than actual shopping. That didn’t stop us for enjoying some of the more unique items that could be found for sale in the markets. In fact, in many cases we had to take a photograph of the items just so that we could remember them better. This year will likely be far different than years past with large crowds and hundreds of vendors selling their items, but hopefully they will occur in some shape or form.

Colorful Details on the Holiday Figurines

We Bought a Mozart Luminary from this Vendor

You don’t have to live in Europe to enjoy European style Christmas markets. We have been to wonderful ones in Denver as well as Chicago and we’re sure that there are ones in most major cities, especially those with a heavy European influence.