Prisoner of Hopes

Category: travels

  • Crowded (Why the Peña Palace Was a Pain): Travel Goals

    I was so looking forward to our return to Sintra. Our last visit was relaxing and I was charmed by the old town. This trip I felt more prepared and was determined to hire a tuck tuck. I braced myself for the rush of drivers and tour operators that accost you when you exit the…

  • Built on a Hope and a Prayer: Travel Goals

    Mafra Palace is enormous. I don’t actually have an adequate word to describe how big it is. King John V made a vow to build a monastery if his wife had a child. The building, now a UNESCO world heritage site, was built to honor the vow of hopes and prayers for Princess Barbara. Construction…

  • Piddling At The Park: Travel Goals

    Some days you just need to piddle. I am an expert piddler. Before you get concerned, let me define piddling. To piddle is to stay busy doing nothing in particular. You set about your day doing things that catch your interest, but that are not particularly useful or productive. Piddling is best done at a…

  • The road less traveled leads to Queluz: Travel Goals

    While officially in the middle of a train strike, we head to Rossio station full of hope. There appear to be at least some trains running. We have decided to visit Queluz, Portugal. It is close enough that if we have to find an alternative route home, we will be able. Queluz is not an…

  • Valentine Adventure: Travel Goals

    February 14th arrived a little cooler and cloudy. Valentine’s Day is usually like that. . . a lot of hype about a cold day in the “F” month. This day, however, we finally got to take a train to Cascais. The seaside beckoned out the windows of the train as we moved along the Estoril…

  • Over the River: Travel Goals

    Over the river…. The Ponte de 25 Abril bridge goes over the river….. the Christo Rei stands vigil over the river…..the best seafood is over the river….. Today is time to head over the river. The ferries are large and clean. They move swiftly over the river. We step out onto the dock. Lisbon is…

  • Everyday Gourmet: Travel Goals

    Gourmet: high quality and/or rarity, crafted to deliver exquisite taste and presented in a pleasing fashion. Thus begins our daily adventure. We have no destination in mind other than to seek out high quality experiences and/or rarities. Our first stop is the market. I am disappointed that there aren’t a lot of stalls. We give…

  • Ado at the Zoo: Travel Goals

    I love zoos. When I was a kid, my parents would take us to the zoo for the whole day. St. Louis has a world class zoo. It is free and available to everyone in order to promote conservation and love of animals. As an adult, I still visit the St. Louis zoo as often…

  • Cinderella in Wonderland: Travel Goals

    As a little girl, I read countless fairytales. Cinderella going to a ball in a carriage made from a pumpkin requires imagination. The carriages in the Museu dos Coches are beyond imagination. I walk around the fantastical creations in disbelief. Kings and queens used these rolling masterpieces to make a grand entrance. I don’t know…

  • Hills to Climb: Travel Goals

    There is a train strike in Portugal. Any plans to venture out of Lisbon are on hold. Because we are in town for a month, we don’t feel much pressure. The day will unfold as it will. We take the metro to Restauradores and try to find Foz Palace. From the outside it looks like…