Prisoner of Hopes

Category: History

  • Stranded: Travel Goals Italy

    Stranded: Travel Goals Italy

    Sometimes things are not as you want them to be. You just have to take a deep breath and deal with them as they are. We wanted to take the ferry to Intra and then on to Isola Madre, the last Borromean island we haven’t visited. It was market day in Intra…and I love market…

  • Been There: Travel Goals Italy

    Been There: Travel Goals Italy

    I am a contrary traveler. I don’t mean to be, but I almost never enjoy the “it” places. I read the guidebooks and “just to say we have been there”, we dutifully go to the “must see” places. I am almost always disappointed. I don’t like crowds. I don’t like the so called “ugly” tourists…

  • In Search of Counts and Kings: Travel Goals Italy

    In Search of Counts and Kings: Travel Goals Italy

    It is still raining on the banks of lake Maggiore. Today we take a long drive to the city of the Kings of Savoy, Venaria Reale. It is sunny there. The drive takes just under three hours as we rejecte the autostrade in favor of backroads.. We see farm houses and vineyards as we meander…

  • Rainy Day In Milano: Travel Goals Italy

    Rainy Day In Milano: Travel Goals Italy

    Today was a washout. It rained all night and all day. Outside adventures at the Lake looked dismal. I searched the radar for anywhere dry and came up empty. So we headed to Arona, parked blocks away from the train station, and walked through the flood to buy a round trip ticket to Milan. We…

  • Convents, Cable Cars, and Clothing: Travel Goals Italy

    Convents, Cable Cars, and Clothing: Travel Goals Italy

    The day is overcast as we drive around the lake to Santa Caterina del Sasso. An ancient monastery along Lake Maggiore, Santa Caterina is carved into the rock. It hangs above the lake as if suspended by magic. After parking and trying to decipher signs that seem to suggest the monastery is in two different…

  • Climbing the Sacred Mountain After Sailing to the Island of Silence: Travel Goals Italy

    Climbing the Sacred Mountain After Sailing to the Island of Silence: Travel Goals Italy

    Saturday in Northern Italy is marked by hordes of men on bicycles taking over the roadways. These biker gangs are problematic because the roads are narrow as they curve up and down the foothills of the Alps. The general rule I’ve determined is the narrower the road and the more blind curves, the more cyclists…

  • Along the Via Novara: Travel Goals Italy

    Along the Via Novara: Travel Goals Italy

    We start out with no expectations for the day. We are visiting the Italian city of Novara for no other reason than our wonderful neighbors’ family is from the area. We want to explore and send pictures to honor our friends since they can’t be here with us. The town has about 100,000 people and…

  • Lost in Time: Travel Goals Italy

    Lost in Time: Travel Goals Italy

    Isola Pescatori, the island of the fishermen, was meant to be a brief stop. We sought out a quiet restaurant on a remote alley, away from the tourist boat crowds. The waiter took us up flights of stairs and seated us in a window overlooking the rooftops. The pasta was fresh and regional, accompanied by…

  • Isola Bella- The Beautiful Island: Travel Goals Italy

    Isola Bella- The Beautiful Island: Travel Goals Italy

    The day started slowly. We changed plans again and again. Finally we decided to go to Stresa to see if we could find spots on the Centovalli rail and boat excursion to Switzerland. The people at the travel agency were great and so helpful. We laughed and chatted, only to find out that the tracks…

  • Angera Unplanned: Travel Goals Italy

    Angera Unplanned: Travel Goals Italy

    I am up with the dawn no matter where in the world I find myself. My husband is up with the owls and does not like mornings. This makes for some interesting travel logistics. Multi-room lodging is usually best, so I can get up and move about without waking him. But after three hours, if…