Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: Nature

  • 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…

  • Viking Venture: Travel Goals

    Sometimes I just wake up feeling like a kid. On these days I forget the scholarly pursuits and the to do lists and just look for pure fun. We decide to check out Viking World. This small attraction behind Oslo City Hall is a series of video and vr experiences. Interactive computer simulations explain the…

  • Ekenberg Park: Travel Goals

    I love the great outdoors. Find me a forest and l am one happy girl. So when I read that Eckenberg Park has sculptures in a forest, I am intrigued. It is a beautiful sunny day in Oslo and it is unusually warm for the season ……so it seems like a great way to spend…

  • Books, Crockery, and Sunshine: Travel Goals

    I love libraries. Maybe because I am a woman of a certain age who devoured every book I could get my hands on over the last half century. Libraries are places of mystery and opportunity. The national library of Norway is a bibliophile’s dream. It has a coffee shop and restaurant. There are reading rooms…

  • Forest Bathing: Travel Goals

    Nothing seems as good for my soul as a long walk in the woods. The sun is shining on the frozen lake. The water is warming and thawing slowly. But the forest calls me to its shadows. Buds are appearing on the branches. Crocus and bluebells make their colorful entry to the forest floor. The…

  • We were In The Neighborhood: Travel Goals

    When the day’s agenda only involves walking across the street, you can afford to sleep in. This is why retired individuals should consider a long stay in a destination. We can linger over coffee and pastry. We can sleep in if we want or spend an hour talking to strangers. Today, we move slowly after…

  • Ferry and Fortress: Travel Goals

    It is a lazy Saturday in Norway and the sun is shining. Each morning I thank God for the health and ability to travel and experience a new life style. Our day starts slowly. I have some muesli and coffee and catch up on some reading. Eventually we leave the house. We are in no…

  • Parkering: Travel Goals

    Norway is full of surprises. Everyday we find something strange (to us) yet wonderful. Brown cheese is the best! Skiing to town! And amazing public transport….America has a lot to learn. On almost every corner we find a sign that reads “parkering forbudt” which means parking is forbidden. Because public transportation is so wonderful, parking…

  • Chasing the Northern Lights: Travel Goals

    One of the best reasons to come to Norway in winter is to see the Northern Lights. We brave the cold and the snow. We take a boat up the coast far beyond the arctic circle. We encounter six nights with low clouds and wind and snow. With only one night left, we sign up…

  • Traipsing through Tromso: Travel Goals

    I am up early, charting our course. The sun is shining and the snow has stopped, at least for now. It is a beautiful day for exploring the arctic town of Tromso. We start our day at Polaria aquarium, solely based on the fact that it was one of the few places open earlier in…