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.

Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Vietnam

On January 26, 2021January 26, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn VietnamLeave a comment

Hanoi is a busy city with over 8 million citizens and there are few places where you can escape from the noise. One of those places is the Temple of Literature, which is dedicated to the teachings of Confucius. Unlike pagodas, which are places of worship for Buddhists, the temples in Vietnam are celebrations for famous people in the country’s history. Although Confucius did not live in Vietnam, the country embraced his teachings and creating the Temple of Literature in 1070 and using it as Vietnam’s Imperial Academy soon afterwards.

There are five courtyards in the Temple of Literature and each of them serve a specific purpose. From places where the scholars could relax, to areas of study, and altars dedicated to Confucius. Today, it is a busy place with many tourists visiting and we were fortunate to see many students that were celebrating their graduation from the academy.

The Temple of Literature is not located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, so it is a short taxi ride to get there. It is certainly worth taking the time to visit and walk around this historic site with its amazing architecture and golden statues. Walking the grounds and seeing the different courtyards took us a couple of hours and the highlight was seeing all of the graduating students excited to get their diplomas. It was one of the first things that we saw during our time in Hanoi and it certainly made for a memorable start to a wonderful trip.

Pan-Seared Duck with a Savory Cherry Compote

On January 20, 2021January 20, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Europe, Recipes3 Comments

We have enjoyed many different preparations of duck, especially during our time and Europe. Although restaurants here in Colorado tend to offer various meals of game, it isn’t necessarily easy to find them in the store. While we were living in Frankfurt, our butcher always had lamb, duck, goose, and other gamier items available, but unfortunately it just isn’t the case here. We were able to get a whole duck, but since we were just cooking for the two of us, we decided to cut it into parts which gave us a boneless duck breast and a duck thigh with the leg still on. We often cut up a whole chicken, but duck is a little more difficult, although worth the effort. By cutting the duck into pieces, it allows you to pan sear it as opposed to roasting it and that makes it even more tender. We froze one half of the duck to have at a later date and cooked up the breast and thigh for dinner. Duck goes really well with fruits such as orange or cherry, so we made a cherry compote to go with the duck. The compote (or sauce) was more savory than sweet, which is what we prefer. It was extremely delicious and definitely reminded us of duck that we’ve eaten during several of our travels.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Duck – breast deboned and thigh deboned with the exception of the leg (if you can get two deboned breasts, that would work as well)
1 Shallot – chopped
2 Garlic Cloves – minced
1 cup Cherries – fresh or frozen, pitted
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Cherry Preserves
2 tsp Honey – preferably fresh or organic
2 tsp Rosemary – chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a very sharp knife, score the skin of the duck. Season the duck with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of the rosemary. Let the duck come to room temperature. While the duck is coming up to room temperature, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pot. Add the shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute just to let the garlic bloom. Add the cherries, cherry preserves, chicken stock, honey, and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes while the duck is cooking. When the sauce has slightly thickened, add the butter and lemon juice and keep warm until the duck is finished. Heat the vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat. Place the duck skin-side down and don’t touch it until the skin has released from the bottom of the skillet, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Once the skin is browned and the fat has rendered, turn the heat down to medium and flip the duck over to finish cooking, about another 8 to 10 minutes (or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees). To serve, drizzle the cherry compote over the duck and place the rest in a bowl for people to add more as they eat.