Prisoner of Hopes

Category: Uncategorized

  • Down by the Riverside: Travel Goals Portugal

    Down by the Riverside: Travel Goals Portugal

    In the evening, the air is different. A breeze moves in and the sailboats head upriver. In the approaching sunset, a faint glow emanates from behind the clouds. The light shifts subtly, and a chill descends on the riverside. It is calm by the river. People laugh and talk. Lovers hold hands as they watch…

  • Acting Like Children: Travel Goals: Travel Goals Portugal

    Acting Like Children: Travel Goals: Travel Goals Portugal

    I love a good park. Parque das Nacoes was created in 1998 as the site of the Lisbon World Exposition. It is a large modern park along the banks of the Tagus. After several failed attempts to exit the Oriente metro, we eventually found our way to the central section of the park. We had…

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

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

    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…

  • Mafra,Built on a Hope and a Prayer: Travel Goals Portugal

    Mafra,Built on a Hope and a Prayer: Travel Goals Portugal

    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 Portugal

    Piddling At The Park: Travel Goals Portugal

    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 Us to Queluz: Travel Goals Portugal

    The Road Less Traveled Leads Us to Queluz: Travel Goals Portugal

    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 Portugal

    Valentine Adventure: Travel Goals Portugal

    February 14th arrived a little cooler and cloudy for Portugal. 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…

  • Over the River: Travel Goals Portugal

    Over the River: Travel Goals Portugal

    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 finally time to head over the river. We head to the ferry docks and marvel once again at how affordable and accessible public transportation is in…

  • Everyday Gourmet: Travel Goals Portugal

    Everyday Gourmet: Travel Goals Portugal

    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 Portugal

    Ado at the Zoo: Travel Goals Portugal

    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…