Mixing the Old with the New in Historic Cities

On May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge5 Comments

In almost every historic city that you visit, there will be an old town area where the buildings have been preserved. There is often another part of the city that is new and modern and they are usually in different parts of the city so that the traffic associated to tourists and that of the businesses can be kept separate from one another. Every now and then, though, you will find a historic building right in the middle of the modern skyscrapers. It is often a church, but not always as it could just be a historic landmark. The juxtaposition of the two can sometimes be visually interesting.

Church in Chicago with a Skyscraper Rising next to the Bell Tower

Old and New Side-by-Side in Cologne, Germany

Modern Paris as Seen from the Eiffel Tower

We have seen several examples throughout our travels, especially in Germany where so much of the cities were rebuilt after WWII, but it certainly isn’t limited to European cities. We have seen many interesting examples here in the United States, especially in Chicago, which is a city with a rich history of its own. We find the contrasts to be so striking that we often pause to take a variety of photographs to capture the differences and similarities between the old and the new.

Another Bell Tower and Skyscraper Image, but in Denver

Apparently We Really Like Building Towers Transitioning to Skyscrapers

Do You Ever Watch Movies to Prepare for a Trip?

On May 13, 2021May 13, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt, Italy, South America, Travel Tips10 Comments

As we’ve been planning and looking forward to our upcoming trip to Kenya and Tanzania, one of the things we have done is watch a couple of movies that are set in the region. Not documentaries, but actual movies such as Out of Africa or even The Ghost in the Darkness. We don’t necessarily watch them to learn about anything particular, but more to just look forward to the upcoming trip. Obviously, depending on the film, you can end up learning about the culture or history of the country that you are about to visit. Needless to say, we don’t expect our trip to end up being like what is depicted in the movies and sometimes you find out that the director and cinematographer haven’t taken creative license by filming in locations other than the actual place that is supposed to be depicted.

Prior to traveling to Egypt and taking our Nile River cruise, we actually watched the mystery movie Death on the Nile. There are plenty of other movies about Egypt as well, but that was the one that came to our mind at the time. Prior to going to the Amazon Rainforest, watching the movie Medicine Man provides an interesting perspective and just traveling through various parts of South America prompted us to watch Dragonfly. Although we didn’t watch any movies prior to our time spent in Tuscany, there are obviously a plethora of choices of movies to watch to get you in the mood to visit that wonderful region of Italy.

View from Piazzale de Michelangelo in Florence

There certainly isn’t any tremendous benefit to watching movies prior to visiting a location, but we find it a way to relax prior to a trip while getting ourselves excited about the upcoming adventure. It could be that watching movies throughout our lives has given us inspiration to travel, so perhaps that is what drives us to revisit some of them when the time comes for us to finally visit that location. Perhaps we’re unique in watching movies or shows located in our intended destination, but maybe some of you do the same thing as us.

Hearty Salisbury Steak with a Mushroom and Onion Gravy

On May 12, 2021May 12, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Like many recipes that are considered to be traditional American dishes, this recipe is actually a variation of Hamburg Steak that comes from Germany. Although it could be served with something else, mashed potatoes are the natural accompaniment, especially with the rich brown gravy. It s an inexpensive way to feed a crowd, but that doesn't mean that it isn't packed with flavor and something that people will truly enjoy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, German

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef
2 tbsp Bread Crumbs or Panko
1 large Egg
2 cloves Garlic minced
10 oz Mushrooms sliced into quarter-inch slices
1/2 Onion sliced thin
2 cups Beef Stock or Broth
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Instructions

Combine the bread crumbs, ground mustard, paprika, and 1 minced clove of garlic in a large bowl
Add the egg and hamburger to the bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly combined
Make four oval patties, about one-inch thick, with the meat mixture
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then brown the hamburger patties, cooking them about 3 to 4 minutes per side
Transfer the patties to a plate, they will finish cooking in the gravy
Turn the heat down to medium, add the thyme and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes
Add the butter, onions, and remaining minced clove of garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes
Whisk the flour into a 1/4 cup of the beef stock to make a slurry
Add the beef stock, flour slurry, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high in order to bring it up to a slow boil to allow the sauce to thicken
Nestle the patties into the mushroom and onion sauce and cook until the hamburger is fully cooked, about 10 minutes
Plate the individual patties and spoon the mushroom and onion gravy over the top, serve with mashed potatoes

Keyword gravy, hamburger, mushrooms, onions