Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: History

  • Travel Goals: No Particular Place To Go

    I like days where I wake up in a new place with absolutely no expectations and nowhere to be. There is freedom in letting the day unfold without hurry or pressure. So after a leisurely cup of coffee, we walk down the mountain to Sandvika, a small fishing community that used to be the site…

  • Travel Goals: Museum Hopping

    The day has not started well. After walking across town, the museum we want to visit isn’t open (even though it should have been). But, there is a lovely chocolate cafe next door. My husband enjoys a large cup of hot chocolate as we regroup. I have a surprise brown cheese cheesecake that makes the…

  • Travel Goals: Medieval Halls and Military History

    The flowers are blooming in Bergen even if it is only barely above freezing. The sun is shining and things look bright as we start the trek down the steep hill towards the town. Walking the switchbacks, we have a great view of the harbor. The birds sing and the boats roll in from the…

  • Educating for Sanity: Civility

    Civility: a concept that seems to be waning in the United States. From the Latin, the literal meaning is “as befitting a good citizen”. It carries connotations of professional, ethical, respectful and courteous behavior. Incivility, thus translates as behavior unbecoming of a citizen. It is behavior of the barbarians. Incivility runs the gamut of behaviors…

  • Educating for Sanity: Press For Freedom

    I have to admit that I am a compulsive reader. Each morning I try to consume articles from several newspapers on a variety of topics. I vary my sources both nationally and internationally. So I was surprised again and again, over the last seven or eight years, when many of my friends developed very strong…

  • Educating for Sanity: The Nation of Immigration

    So much discussion, attention, and emotion…. Immigration talk has flooded our media sources, emerging as an American campaign issue in 2016 and again in 2024. Let’s move beyond the rhetoric and attempt to understand the topic more deeply, starting with basic definitions. An immigrant is someone who moves permanently to live and work in a…

  • In search of the Shroud: Travel Goals

    You can’t visit Turin without wondering about the mysterious shroud of Turin. The shroud first appeared in France in the 1300’s and was claimed to be the shroud that wrapped the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. While a bishop in the late 1300’s and dozens of scientists have called it a fake, the faithful…

  • Grand Torino: Travel Goals

    With only one more day to spend with the siblings in Italy, we decided to head to Turin (Torino). This often overlooked town was the capitol of the Northern Roman Empire and the domain of the Savoy dynasty. There are more palaces in and around Turin than you will find in entire countries. The Palazzo…

  • Milano At a March: Travel Goals

    It was a priority to see the Last Supper at the Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan. To get the tickets into there Last Supper, we had to take a tour. I may have mentioned that I am generally not a tour person.The walking tour of Milan started at 8:15 am. Our house was at…

  • Retracing Our Footsteps: Travel Goals

    Sometimes you encounter a place you can’t wait to share. I was captivated by Orta San Guilio and couldn’t wait to share it with my family. After excitedly sharing the virtues of a visit, we drove over on a bright Monday morning. The destination did not disappoint. First we trekked up the mountain to visit…