Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: mountains

  • Hike On: Travel Goals Ireland

    When the kids said they wanted to go to Ireland to hike, we gladly rented a farmhouse. I picked a part of the country known for iconic hikes. We went earlier and spent a few weeks exploring counties Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim, and Fermanagh. It is beautiful country with miles of walking and hiking trails. We…

  • Stairway to Heaven: Travel Goals Ireland

    Today we take an iconic hike in Ireland. The “stairway to heaven” or cuilcagh boardwalk trail is in county Fermanagh. It is just over the border into Northern Ireland and about twenty minutes from our rented farmhouse. I have been waiting to do this hike the whole trip. I waited until our kids arrived because…

  • Donegal Drive: Travel Goals Ireland

    My favorite days in Ireland are unplanned ramblings. We know we want to spend time in Donegal, but it is more of a general idea than a plan. We say goodbye to the sheep standing in the driveway and head out along rural roads. We wander remote one lane roads until we find a lovely…

  • Jump: Travel Goals

    Norwegians love skiing. In Tromso, they ski to work. In Oslo it is warmer, so they have indoor skiing and they have snow machines to maintain cross country trails. But the king of the mountain is the Holmenkollen ski jump. We take the tram up the mountain to Holmenkollen and then walk uphill to the…

  • Into the Arctic: Travel Goals

    I wake up quite early and realize it had been snowing through out the night. Steady sleet pounds the windows and I smile. Just as dawn breaks, I emerge onto the upper deck. Today we cross the artic circle and venture far beyond. We entered the boat in Bergen and will not disembark completely until…

  • Travel Goals: Forest Bathing

    We hike down the hill this morning to catch the Floibanen funicular to Floyen. The cars are modern and clean. It is a rare and sunny day in Bergen and the locals are flocking to the mountain. We go along. At the top, we enjoy the views of Bergen and the surrounding fjords. Smaller towns…

  • Travel Goals: All Aboard to Bergen

    After my breakfast of brown cheese (I am developing a taste for the stuff) and whole grain bread washed down with dark coffee, we pack up and head downstairs to the train station. As it turned out, the Comfort Hotel Grand Central was an excellent location to spend a few days while we transitioned to…

  • Last Day Is Always Bittersweet: Travel Goals

    Our last day in Italy. Where did the time go? We decided to stay fairly close to home as we needed to pack and prepare for a morning flight. Although we had connected trains in the town of Domodossola, we had yet to visit. It seemed like a great destination. The town sits next to…

  • Zermatt Alpine Adventure: Travel Goals

    I don’t usually think about bucket lists. Anywhere I am, is a worthy travel adventure as long as it is out of my ordinary. However, Zermatt and its wonderful Matterhorn have been on my wish list for decades. It seems unreal that we are on our way this morning. The road over the Simpson pass…

  • Between a Rock and a Foggy Place: Travel Goals

    It is still raining in Lesa. We head to Varese where there are a few indoor museums. The weather there should be clear and we will be able to visit the Sacred Mountain of Varese. We head out and the rain stops as we get farther down the road. It is looking pretty good, until…