Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: Portugal

  • In Search of the Order of Christ: Travel Goals Portugal

    In Search of the Order of Christ: Travel Goals Portugal

    Templar knights…the very words evoke images of adventure and piety. The warrior priests who vow to take back and defend the holy land against the infidels are the stuff of legends. With my head full of images from books and film, we took the train to Tomar. Tomar was a city built as a Templar…

  • Class: Travel Goals Portugal

    Class: Travel Goals Portugal

    The Palacio Fronteira was an interesting stop on a lazy day. We are not usually guided tour fans. (We prefer a self paced visit.) So with some hesitation, we joined the guided group and entered the house of a man who was raised to nobility due his service to the king on the battlefield. The…

  • 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…

  • Sea and Sanctuary: Travel Goals Portugal

    Sea and Sanctuary: Travel Goals Portugal

    Setúbal is an ancient seaside town. Nearby is Troia beach, where the Greeks may have landed so very long ago. It is certain that the Romans were here. Archeological remains show human settlement thousands of years prior to the birth of Christ. Throughout the centuries the sea has been a source of sustenance and a…

  • 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…