Prisoner of Hopes

Category: Hardships

  • Along the Cladagh: Travel Goals

    Sitting at home this morning and arranging photos from a recent trip to Ireland, I sorted pictures taken from County Fermanagh. We stayed within a few miles of the border with Northern Ireland and found ourselves in Fermanagh several times during our trip. It rained a lot during our stay so the grass was green…

  • Derry Girl: Travel Goals

    I love the television series “Derry Girls”. The sitcom follows the antics of five friends during the 1980’s in Derry, Northern Ireland. It makes light of coming of age in a town rocked with sectarian violence. Five friends rely on each other as the struggle to make sense of a world that makes no sense.…

  • Leaving in a Jet Plane: Travel Goals

    I used to love air travel. It seemed glamorous and uncomplicated. Over the last two decades, while prices have gone up, the experience has definitely lost its luster. Perhaps I am jaded or turning into an old curmudgeon. Or perhaps profit motive and misguided security measures have ruined the experience. I used to call a…

  • Ships Ahoy: Travel Goals

    The Bygdoy maritime museum complex is an all day adventure. We opt to visit all three museums in the complex. We start with the Norwegian Maritime Museum where we get to see a man building a Viking ship using ancient methods (and a few power tools). It is fascinating to see the overlapping construction and…

  • Viking Venture: Travel Goals

    Sometimes I just wake up feeling like a kid. On these days I forget the scholarly pursuits and the to do lists and just look for pure fun. We decide to check out Viking World. This small attraction behind Oslo City Hall is a series of video and vr experiences. Interactive computer simulations explain the…

  • Remembrance: Travel Goals

    The Holocaust Center in Oslo is located in the former home of the Norwegian Nazi party leader, Vidkun Quisling. His mansion seems in gross excess compared to most Oslo city dwellings. It is now a center that commemorates the forced removal of over 700 Jewish citizens during World War II. Many of the deportees, especially…

  • Military History: Travel Goals

    We aren’t sure what to expect at the Akershus Festning (Fortress). We walked by the large park/military complex when we first arrived in Oslo (two weeks ago). But it is much bigger than it appeared from our walk along the harbor. The walled fortress houses a castle, a resistance museum, a military museum, outdoor amphitheaters,…

  • Tromso Love Is True, But I Hate Their Airport: Travel Goals

    I mention in each travel day post that I dislike air travel. It feels chaotic and uncivil in ways other forms of transport avoid. Each airport and airline has its own system that you can’t know if you have not been there before. Sometimes your experience is different due to the people you encounter. Add…

  • The Struggle: Travel Goals

    Excitement is high as we land in Tromso. It is beautiful. Mountains and fjords merge together under a cloudy sky. Dramatic is the only word to describe the landscape. Here we disembark. We wait impatiently for others to leave the ship. Many only have a few hours to experience Tromso and we will stay a…

  • Into the Arctic: Travel Goals

    I wake up quite early and realize it had been snowing through out the night. Steady sleet pounds the windows and I smile. Just as dawn breaks, I emerge onto the upper deck. Today we cross the artic circle and venture far beyond. We entered the boat in Bergen and will not disembark completely until…