Prisoner of Hopes

Category: travels

  • Cavorting in Cavan: Travel Goals

    “As I walk the road from KillashandraWeary I sit down For its twelve long miles around the lakeTo get to Cavan townThough Ougher and the road I goIs a scene beyond compare”- Cavan Girl On the words of a song and an attempt to avoid the rain, we head to Cavan. The lake country is beautiful.…

  • Pilgrimage: Travel Goals

    From a modern perspective, it is hard to envision a time when religion completely dominated the landscape. Yet in Ireland the past is everywhere. It is hard to cross a field without noticing some remnant of religious life. From Neolithic tombs to abandoned monasteries, religious architecture is hard to miss. As a historian, I understand…

  • Ennis on Adrenaline: Travel Goals

    Landing in Ireland is always a little magical. I always know there is a fine misty morning awaiting. The first shiver of cool air and a breath of soil and sea welcome me home. Ireland is in my dna. I have never lived here, but if memory can be passed down through generations then something…

  • Expect The Unexpected: Travel Day Zen

    My motto when traveling is to expect the unexpected. Perhaps I am over sensitive to things that may go wrong. Over the years, I have taken a lot of flights (solo, family, and as a group leader). I have seen a lot of mishaps. It is rare to fly without at least one delay. Most…

  • Zoological Meandering: Travel Goals

    I love zoos. Where else can you go to see animals frolic, listen to children laugh, learn science, and also help conservation efforts world wide? I especially love zoos that take wildlife management and animal quality of life seriously. Today’s zoo have come a long way and are continuing to evolve. We like to visit…

  • When the Culture Gap Seems Wide: Travel Goals

    We have been home for almost a month and Norway seems a distant memory. I finally have the photos digitally organized and labeled. My photo book has been ordered. I have even created a dvd slide show of our adventures. But what I have really done is stored memories that help us bridge a culture.…

  • 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…

  • We Haven’t Got Munch Time: Travel Goals

    We have only a few hours before we leave Oslo for the airport. We have said goodbye to our apartment and turned in the keys. The hotel that we stayed at on our first nights in Norway graciously agrees to hold our luggage so we can zip across town to the Munch Museum. Munch is…

  • Final Impressions: Travel Goals

    Last days in a place are always a little bitter sweet. I spend a little time either trying to figure out if there are places we need to see before we go or places we need to revisit. Today feels random. I want to return to Frogner park to get a picture of the “angry…

  • History and other Unexpected Encounters: Travel Goals

    Travel brings many joys, but for me finding new (to me) and unexpected experiences is what it is all about. In the University of Oslo’s history museum, we encounter a lot of surprises. For example, did you know that Viking weapons were painted with bright enamel? The spear shafts were actually ornately patterned. I never…