Everyone Loves a Historic Castle

On October 16, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn England, Germany, Photo Challenge, Romania, Spain6 Comments

In just about every city in Europe it seems that you will find a palace, cathedral, and a castle. Obviously, these fortifications were an important defense system for the local citizens and for the country as a whole. Although many of them are in various states of disrepair, a majority of them have been restored to their original grandeur. Regardless of their condition, travelers flock to these grand locations and some of them have even been converted into hotels. A few of them have that fairytale feel that create images of princesses meeting their prince charming, but conditions were likely not nearly as nice as the romantic images of films and books.

Although we certainly have many more castles to visit, we have enjoyed seeing the ones that we have. Just like choosing a favorite location isn’t really possible, we aren’t able to pick our favorite castle. Could it be the first castle we ever visited, Warwick Castle in England, or could it be Bran Castle in Romania with its ties to Dracula? Perhaps Heidelberg Castle in Germany would be our favorite with its idyllic scenery? The Alhambra Palace and Fortress is also something special to see with its Islamic architecture. Whether you have a favorite castle or not, it is likely that you have seen many of them during your travels. Maybe our favorite will be the next one that we discover on a future trip.

Driving on the Wine Road Outside of Strasbourg

On October 2, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France4 Comments

We truly enjoyed our time in Strasbourg and, even though it was after the vineyards had been harvested, we also enjoyed driving on part of the wine road. There is something beautiful about seeing all of the vines lined up in rows, but perhaps that is just because of the thought of the wines that they produce. Although there are certain regions that are synonymous with growing the grapes that produce excellent wines, these days you can find vineyards almost anyplace and they are definitely worth visiting. When you meet the people who run these vineyards, you appreciate the passion that they have for the grapes that they grow and wines that they produce. Alsace is definitely proud of the wines produced in the region and we tasted several wonderful varieties. Doing a full tour of the entire wine road is definitely something that we hope to do some day in the future.

Würzburg, Germany

On September 21, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany13 Comments

We truly enjoy getting out of the larger cities and going to some smaller towns, so our trip to Würzburg was a perfect example of that. It has the old-world charm, friendly people, and wonderful food. The Residenz is definitely the largest thing to see when visiting, but just walking the streets of old town is also fascinating. We were there in late November, so the Christmas markets were also going with a wonderful variety of crafts and food on display.

One of the reasons that we like going to a smaller town is that it makes you feel even more like a local as there aren’t usually any other tourists around. This was definitely the case during our time Würzburg as we enjoyed listening to a local band playing holiday music and watched the excitement of the local children as the holiday season kicked off. We even entered a raffle that benefited the local school and actually ended up winning a bottle of wine.

One of the most interesting facts about Würzburg is that it was the location of the witch trials that occurred in the 1600’s, Germany’s equivalent to Salem, Massachusetts. Unfortunately it was much larger as over 600 accused witches were burnt during the trials. On a happier note, construction began on the Würzburg Residence (Residenz) about a hundred years later, which is now a focal point within the city.

Located almost exactly halfway between Frankfurt and Nuremberg, Würzburg is definitely a wonderful place to spend a couple of days. If you are able to visit during the holiday season, we would recommend it as the town certainly embraces the spirit of the season as the locals come out to celebrate together.