When “Groundhog Day” Becomes Reality

On February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel TipsLeave a comment

Tomorrow is officially Groundhog Day in the United States when a groundhog is supposed to determine whether or not winter is going to last longer based on whether the groundhog casts a shadow. The term has also become to represent the notion of every day repeating itself over and over without changing. Ever since the pandemic first caused the world to shut down last March, almost a year ago at this point, we have felt as if we’ve been trapped in our version of Groundhog Day where we keep hoping to be able to travel once again. Depending on where you are located, your ability to travel might be more open than other places. For us, although we can travel within the United States, traveling outside of the United States hasn’t been an option unless we are willing to quarantine for a while after arriving in a location. With the costs and time associated with traveling, we’ve basically been in a constant holding pattern when it comes to travel. (We don’t have photographs of groundhogs, so these other cute animals will have to do.)

We are optimistic that things are going to improve and, as of right now, we are hoping to take our first trip out of the country at the end of April to Portugal. Assuming that we are able to travel, it will have been a year since we cancelled our trip to Turkey last year. Last March, we didn’t think things would last long and were originally hopeful not to cancel our trip. Then we thought that things would be better by October and when that didn’t occur, we were hopeful for December. Each time it seemed like things were getting better, the world would do another revolution only for us to wake up and feel like it was the same as it was back in the beginning. Let’s hope that the groundhog predicts the lack of travel will come to an end early, regardless of whether there will be six more weeks of winter.

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.