Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: travel

  • The road less traveled leads to Queluz: Travel Goals

    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

    February 14th arrived a little cooler and cloudy. 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 the Estoril…

  • Over the River: Travel Goals

    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 time to head over the river. The ferries are large and clean. They move swiftly over the river. We step out onto the dock. Lisbon is…

  • Everyday Gourmet: Travel Goals

    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

    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…

  • Cinderella in Wonderland: Travel Goals

    As a little girl, I read countless fairytales. Cinderella going to a ball in a carriage made from a pumpkin requires imagination. The carriages in the Museu dos Coches are beyond imagination. I walk around the fantastical creations in disbelief. Kings and queens used these rolling masterpieces to make a grand entrance. I don’t know…

  • Hills to Climb: Travel Goals

    There is a train strike in Portugal. Any plans to venture out of Lisbon are on hold. Because we are in town for a month, we don’t feel much pressure. The day will unfold as it will. We take the metro to Restauradores and try to find Foz Palace. From the outside it looks like…

  • When Your Train is Going Nowhere: Travel Goals

    We get up early and head to the train station for a trip to the seaside. I have maps on my phone and lists of things to do. We head into Cais Sodre station and notice that the gates to the train platform are open. The trains aren’t running. A quick translation of the schedules…

  • Lost in Lisbon: Travel Goals

    We start the day with confidence as we no longer feel lost in Alfama. We don’t know all the roads but we can identify landmarks that keep us moving along the rabbit warren of streets with at least some confidence we will end up near the river and reasonably close to our destination. We even…

  • A Short Train Ride to Fairytales: Travel Goals

    Standing on a train platform and waiting with anticipation, we are alert for the train to Sintra to arrive. I check and re-check that we are on platform three. It doesn’t make the train come any faster. Once the train arrives, we select our seats near the large windows and in view of the display…