Tangiers Morocco- A World of its Own

On July 26, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn morocco5 Comments

One of our favorite travel memories was when we went to Tangiers for a day while staying in southern Spain. We remember being a little nervous about going because we weren’t sure about the cultural differences. Having spent time in India helped calm some of the nerves and the more that we read about it, the more we knew it would be a highlight of our trip. Tangiers is truly a melting pot as it is the crossroad between Europe and Africa. Centuries of people travelling through Tangiers to bring goods for sale has made it one of the most tolerant cities in all of northern Africa.

Walking through the streets of the medina (old city) is definitely an amazing experience. The varied architecture was extremely interesting to see and at the highest point was the Kasbah (fortress) with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike some of the other medina that we’ve read about, we were not accosted by beggars or people trying to sell us trinkets. We definitely enjoyed the markets and came home with some wonderful saffron. We came close to buying a hand-made rug from one of the shopkeepers, but ended up deciding not to. After eating an incredible meal in a tiny family owned restaurant, we purchased a tagine from one of the nearby shops.

We did stop to watch a snake charmer at one point, which a little touristy, but still created a wonderful memory. Tangiers is more than just the old city, the heart of the city is quite modern and is home to a lot of ex-pats. There are also plenty of hotels to choose from if you want to spend several days there, but we were there for just one day. Hopefully we’ll return one day to see more of Morocco as the people were extremely friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed what time we did have there.

Costa del Sol – The Spanish Riviera

On July 18, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Spain11 Comments

We spent two weeks in Spain a couple of years ago and we chose the town of Estepona as our “home base” while we were there. We had rented a car, so it was the perfect location to launch from to get to all of the surrounding cities and towns. In addition to being able to get out to the surrounding area, it was a gorgeous destination in and of itself. Estapona is a short drive from Marbella, which is the playground for the rich and has vacation homes for many celebrities in the area.

The beaches are wonderful and there are resorts all along the coast from Malaga to Estepona, but we were there during the off-season, as usual, so it wasn’t too crowded. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping in the area as well with shops that offer everything from clothing to souvenirs. We could have spent hours just wandering through the various shops and talking to the owners who were extremely friendly and welcoming.

It isn’t all just sunbathing and shopping, though, the food in the area is absolutely fantastic. We’re huge lovers of seafood and it is truly a food-lovers paradise. We were told by everyone that we had to visit the mountain town of Benahavís, which is located a short drive from Estepona as you drive toward Marbella. It is renowned for its restaurants and is considered the gastronomical center of Costa del Sol. We were not disappointed, we only wish we’d have had time to go there more than once as there were several restaurants that we wanted to try, but ended enjoying dinner at a lovely little family owned restaurant.

Eating and drinking our way through Estepona, Marbella, Benahavís, and Malaga was truly a wonderful experience. Although we spent a lot of time driving and going to cities like Granada and Seville, when we were at the resort area, it was more of a true vacation than actual travel. We were able to truly relax and decompress, which made our trip to Spain an incredibly rewarding experience. Clearly we hope to visit there once again and, when we do, we will make it one those vacations where you simply sit on the beach, get tanned, eat and drink too much, and watch the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea.

Potato Salad – A Summer Favorite

On July 13, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes8 Comments

As summer turns up the heat, we cool things down by preparing a nice batch of cold potato salad. It is creamy, refreshing, and can be paired with just about any entrée. It is also perfect for summer picnics or any large gathering. We happened to serve it with some halibut that we’d dusted with Old Bay Seasoning and then breaded, but it could have just as easily been served with hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else. The key to a good potato salad is to not over cook the potatoes, but to get them just to the point that a knife slides easily through them and then immediately cooling them off so that the cooking process stops. If you over cook the potatoes, they will become too soft to mix with the sauce. This is one of our favorite side dishes, so we hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes – cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Brown Mustard
1/2 Stalk of Celery – finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion – finely chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs – chopped
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
2 to 3 tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes into cold, salted, water and heat to a boil. Boil at a slow-rolling boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife easily penetrates the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the hot pan to help get any excess water off of the potatoes, then put the potatoes into a bowl and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. If you are in a time crunch, you can put them in the freezer until they are chilled (not frozen). In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, onion, celery salt, milk, salt and pepper, stirring until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the egg to the potatoes and gently toss with the mayonnaise mixture until all of the potatoes are fully coated.