World heritage site – Gone like the wind

The autumn of Luxemburg

August 28, 2022August 31, 2022Posted in Luxembourg, TravelTagged Luxemburg, Travel, World heritage site

卢森堡的秋天

Luxemburg is a small country in the north of France. I took one day to visit it during my trip of Alsace and Lorraine in the autumn of 2020. I took the TER train from Metz and it only took one and half hours to arrive in the capital of this country, Luxemburg city. Luxembourg is one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe but it has amazingly one of the the highest GDP per capita in the world.

卢森堡是法国北部的一个小国。我在2020年秋天阿尔萨斯和洛林的旅行中特意花了一天时间参观了它。我从梅斯乘坐TER火车，只用了一个半小时就到达了这个国家的首都卢森堡市。卢森堡是欧洲最小的主权国家之一，但令人惊讶的是，它是世界上人均 GDP 最高的国家。

Although this country is extremely small, it has its own railways systems connecting many villages in the country. This train station has a typical German façade in the traditional Moselle Baroque Revival style. It was built at the beginning of 20th century. At that period, German architects preferred to build train stations with a clock tower and a triangle roof-top main building.

虽然这个国家非常小，但它有自己的铁路系统连接该国的众多村庄。这个火车站有典型的德国外观，采用传统的摩泽尔巴洛克复兴风格。它建于20世纪初。在那个时代，德国建筑师更喜欢建造带有钟楼和三角形屋顶主楼的火车站。

I visited the city in late autumn on foot and it was a gloomy and cold morning accompanied by gusts of bleak wind which blew off the frosty dews from twigs. The first view of the city was the tortuous Petrusse valley. I walked from the train station in the south towards the city area and must cross this valley. The leaves of trees in autumn had turned to mixed red and yellow. From faraway, the colorful forest in the valley looked like a polychrome decorating the skyline of the city. At the bottom of the valley, I could see the Skatepark clearly. The visitors could go to the bottom and have a hiking along the valley.

我在两年前的深秋步行游览了这座城市，那是一个阴寒的早晨，秋风萧瑟天气凉，草木摇落露为霜。来到这座城市的第一印象就是眼前蜿蜒曲折的佩特鲁斯山谷。我从南边的火车站向市区进发，必须穿过这个山谷。深秋包含风霜的树叶此刻已经变成了斑驳的红色和黄色。远远望去，山谷中五彩斑斓的森林就像一片点缀城市天际线的彩玉。在山谷的底部，我还可以清楚地看到一个滑板公园。游客亦可以下到谷底，沿着山谷徒步旅行。

There are two bridges connecting to the center of the city. I was standing on one of the bridge and staring at the another bridge called Adolphe Bridge which was the city landmark. This bridge was inaugurated in 1903 and named after Grand Duke Adolphe, who reigned over Luxembourg from 1890 until 1905. Under the bridge, the wild profusion of vegetation is shrouded by the autumn mists.

共有两座桥连接到市中心。我站在其中一座桥上凝视着另一座名为阿道夫桥的桥，它也是这座城市的地标。这座桥于 1903 年落成，以 1890 年到 1905 年期间在卢森堡统治的阿道夫大公命名。桥下茂密的植被被秋天的薄雾笼罩。

Across the bridge Passerelle, I walked along the main avenue towards the historic center Haute Ville which means high city. This area is located at the top of a rock called ‘Bock’. In 963, Count Siegfried named the rocky promontory as the Bock, and established his residence there. Later, a small fort called Lucilinburhuc stood on this spot, and the word “Luxembourg” evolved from this name. Travelers will see this high rising gothic building with a tower first when they cross the bridge Passerelle. The Notre-Dame Cathedral was built in 1613 and the only cathedral in Luxembourg.

穿过 Passerelle 桥，我沿着主干道走向老城区 Haute Ville，它的意思是高城。这片区域位于名为“博克”的岩石顶部。963 年，齐格弗里德伯爵将这片突出的岩石角命名为博克，并在那里建立了他的住所。后来一个名叫Lucilinburhuc的小堡垒矗立在这片土地上，“卢森堡”一词就是从这个名字演变而来的。穿过Passerelle 桥游客将首先看到这座高耸的哥特式建筑。这座卢森堡圣母院建于 1613 年，是这里唯一的天主教大教堂。

Opposite to the cathedral, it’s the famous square of constitution where all the visitors will come and take a photo. It has the beautiful monument “Gëlle Fra”, which includes a golden statue at the top and two bronze statues in below. It was built in 1923 to honor the Luxembourgish volunteer soldiers who fought alongside the French army during the war. Here we could find the Luxemburg national flag waving in the cold wind.

大教堂对面是著名的宪法广场，所有来卢森堡的游客都会来这里拍照留念。它有一座美丽的纪念碑“Gëlle Fra”，顶部是一座金色雕像，下方有两座青铜雕像。它建于 1923 年，纪念在一战期间与法国军队并肩作战的卢森堡志愿兵。这里卢森堡的三色国旗在寒风中飘扬。

I was standing at the edge of the square and enjoyed one of the most imposing views of the city. At the background, the bronze top tower building was the The State Bank and Savings Fund of Luxemburg. Also we could see the familiar Adolphe bridge together with the deep Pétrusse River Valley covered by the giant trees. This is the symbolic scene that always appears at the postcard of Luxemburg.

我站在广场的栏杆边欣赏着这座城市最壮丽的景色。照片背景中的青铜顶塔楼是卢森堡的国家储蓄基金银行，这里还可以看到熟悉的阿道夫桥以及被参天大树覆盖的深邃的佩特鲁斯河谷。这也是卢森堡明信片上经常出现的标志性场景。

In the quarter of High city, there are many historical administrative buildings. Place Guillaume II is the major city square where the town hall of Luxemburg is located at. This neoclassical style building flanked by two leonine sculptures is the city hall. Lion represents the city of Luxembourg, which is reflected on its coat of arms. The history of this square could be traced back to the French Revolutionary Wars in 1797. At that time the original monastery at this place is changed to this square after the visit of Napoleon. Luxemburg’s major language is French and German. Most of its place is named in French.

在高城区，有许多历史悠久的行政建筑。纪尧姆二世广场是卢森堡市政厅所在的最重要的城市广场。这座新古典主义风格的建筑两侧装饰着两座狮子雕塑，它就是卢森堡市政厅。狮子代表卢森堡市，在卢森堡的国徽上也有体现。这个广场的历史可以追溯到1797年的法国大革命战争时期。拿破仑到访后这里原来的修道院被改为这个广场。卢森堡的主要语言是法语和德语，它的大部分地方都是用法语命名的。

In the center of the square, it is the equestrian statue of Grand Duke William II who was the King of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1840 to 1849. The pedestal of the monument shows the coat of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau and of Luxembourg and the ones of the 12 cantons of Luxembourg.

广场中央是 1840 年至 1849 年期间荷兰国王和卢森堡大公威廉二世的骑马雕像。纪念碑的基座上展示着拿骚-奥兰治家族的家徽以及卢森堡12 个州的纹章。

In medieval time, Luxembourg was part of the medieval Kingdom of Germany, and later the Holy Roman Empire. It became a grand duchy in 1815 and half-independent state under the Netherlands. It gained full independence in 1867. The constitution of 1841 created the Assembly of Estates which formed the parliament of Luxemburg nowadays. Most of the administrative and legislative buildings of Luxemburg are located in this area not far from the Place Guillaume II. This building is the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg where he performs most of his duties as head of state of the Grand Duchy. It was first the city hall of Luxembourg from 1572 to 1795. After Luxemburg gained independence, it became the Grand Ducal palace. Now it is used to accommodate the foreign heads of state. There are two guards at the entrance.

在中世纪，卢森堡是德意志王国的一部分，后来就成为神圣罗马帝国的一部分。1815年它成为大公国，在荷兰统治下成为半独立国家。卢森堡最终在 1867 年获得完全独立。1841 年的宪法创建了现在组成卢森堡议会的三级会议。卢森堡的大部分行政立法大楼都位于这里，距纪尧姆二世广场不远。这座建筑是卢森堡大公的官邸，卢森堡大公作为大公国的国家元首在这里办公。1572年至1795年期间，它最初是卢森堡的市政厅，卢森堡获得独立后成为大公宫殿。它现在用来接待外国元首。门口有两个守卫把守。

In 19th century, the Chamber of Deputies of Luxemburg had no regular meeting place, so such a building was built in 1860 next to the Grand Ducal palace for the parliament meeting. The angels at the façade symbolize the legislative power, that is administrated by the Grand Duke in conjunction with the Chamber. The Chamber of Deputies is unicameral and contains 60 seats. Deputies are elected to serve five-year terms.

19世纪，卢森堡众议院没有固定的会议场所，所以1860年在大公宫旁边建造了图中这个建筑，以供议会会议使用。建筑立面的天使象征着由大公与议事厅共同管理的立法权。卢森堡众议院是一院制的，有60个席位。代表任期五年。

At the back of the Square Guillaume II, I could see the statue of Grand Duchess Charlotte which was designed by the French sculptor Jean Cardot. On 29th April 1990, the 2.75-metre high bronze statue was officially inaugurated in the presence of the Grand Ducal family to honor Grand Duchess Charlotte who ruled Luxemburg from 1919 to 1964 and was very popular with the Luxembourgers. She was from the House of Nassau-Weilburg which still ruled Luxembourg today which is a branch of the Nassau family from Netherlands.

在纪尧姆二世广场的后面，我可以看到由法国雕塑家让·卡多设计的夏洛特大公雕像。1990 年 4 月 29 日，这座 2.75 米高的铜像在大公家族的见证下正式落成，以纪念从 1919 年到 1964 年期间统治卢森堡并深受卢森堡人欢迎的夏洛特大公。她来自于今天仍然统治着卢森堡的拿骚-威尔堡家族，这个家族是荷兰的拿骚家族的分支。

The most beautiful part of this city must be this road called the scenic road which connects to the Grund quarter under the ‘Bock promontory’. It is praised as the most beautiful balcony of Europe by the Luxembourg writer Batty Weber. It runs along the Alzette valley on the ramparts built by the Spaniards and the French in the 17th century. The visitors could lean over the remnants of the historical walls to have a superb panoramic view of the valley of the Alzette and the houses of city district of Grund.

这座城市最美丽的地方一定是这条连接“博克角”下的格伦德区的风景走廊。它被卢森堡作家巴蒂·韦伯誉为欧洲最美的阳台。它位于 17 世纪西班牙人和法国人建造的城墙上沿着阿尔泽特山谷延伸。游客可以俯身在当年的残垣断壁上，欣赏阿尔泽特山谷和格伦德区的壮丽全景。

The Casemates Bock is a network of underground fortifications, built in the 18th century. The fortifications are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The Bock itself is the rock on which the first castle stood, founded in 963. Luxemburg used to a military fortification which is important for both French and German. The fortress was of great strategic importance for the control of the left bank of the Rhine and the border area between France and Germany. The fortification is later expanded by Vauban, the famous French military engineer. The subterranean defensive passages were placed on different levels and reached down as far as 40 meters. These impressive defensive works conferred Luxembourg the name of “Gibraltar of the North”.

博客要塞（Casemates Bock）是一个地下防御工事网络，建于 18 世纪。这些防御工事于 1994 年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。博克本身就是第一座始建于 963 年城堡所在的岩石。卢森堡历史上是一座对法国和德国都很重要的军事要塞。它对于控制莱茵河左岸和法德边境地区具有重要的战略意义。这里的防御工事后来由著名的法国军事工程师沃邦扩建。地下防御通道分布在不同的层次，最深可达40米。这些令人望而生畏的防御工程令卢森堡获得“北方直布罗陀”的称号。

This is the black-and-white photo taken in 1867. The Fortress of Luxembourg at that time looks exactly the same with what I have seen now. It’s a miracle that it could be kept well for so long time.

这是1867年拍摄的黑白照片。当时的卢森堡要塞和我现在看到的一模一样。昔日的山河还能完整保存这么久，真是个奇迹。

After the dismantling of the fortress in 1867, 17 kilometers of the casemates were spared, left in good condition. The Bock casemates have been open to the public for visit from 1933. When I walked around the Grund, I always stopped a while and looked at these remnants above me closely. The embrasures (shooting holes) of canons are still kept on the walls. They represented the long history of this city as a strong fortification.

1867年后这些堡垒均被拆除，不过有17公里的炮台完好无损保留至今。博克要塞从1933 年开始向公众开放参观。当我在格伦德区周围散步时，我总是会停下来仔细观察我上方的这些遗迹。一些大炮的射击孔仍然保留在墙上。它们代表着这座城市曾经作为坚固的防御工事的悠久历史。

The Grund is one of Luxembourg City’s oldest neighborhoods. As far back as the 14th century, there is a hospice located in the building that now houses the National Museum of Natural History. All the houses in this area have rooftops made of caesious brick and tiles. They will bring our memories back to the medieval times.

格伦德区（The Grund）是卢森堡市最古老的街区。早在 14 世纪，这里就有一家福利院，如今这座建筑是国家自然历史博物馆的所在地。这个地区的所有房屋都是青砖黛瓦制成的屋顶。它们瞬间将我的记忆带回到中世纪。

The Grund is a lower part of the city and there are many small routes that connect the Haute Ville with the Grund. The Alzette is a small river winding through the Grund. It is a pleasure to walk along the river and deplore the historical buildings in the quarter. The long bridge at the back ground is a two-track railway viaduct towards France.

格伦德区是卢森堡市的低地区，有许多小路连接它和高城区。阿尔泽特（Alzette）是一条蜿蜒穿过格伦德区的小河。沿着河边走走欣赏区内的历史建筑十分开心。背后的长桥是通向法国的两轨铁路高架桥。

Everyone will notice this building firstly when they glimpse through the Grund from faraway. After the original Benedictine abbey was destroyed in 1543, the Neumünster Abbey was built in the Grund. For centuries, its buildings were used as a prison, but today they are the site of the Neumünster cultural and community center.

每个人从远处扫视格伦德区时都会首先注意到这座建筑。这里曾经的原本笃会修道院于 1543 年被摧毁后，这座新明斯特修道院就此建立。几个世纪以来它被用作监狱，但如今它们变为文化和社区中心。

The Grund district is known for its quietness and its atmosphere of a small preserved village. It has a population of less than one thousand. It is quite suitable for travel. I preferred the old brick bridges over the river and some cobbled streets dated back to the 10th century. A gust of light wind whiffled through the trees and blew the yellow leaves into the babbling river. The houses perched at the highland were mirrored in the stillness of water. All the things are so silent except the whispers of winds. Here I could escape the hustle and bustle of the city center totally.

格伦德区以其宁静和保存完好的小村庄而闻名。它的人口不到一千。非常适合旅行。河上的旧砖桥和一些追溯到10 世纪的鹅卵石街道令人感到倾心。阵阵微风拂过，片片黄叶落入潺潺的河水。高地的房屋倒映在寂静的水面上。这里的一切都是那么的寂静，唯有耳畔边风的细语，完全远离城市的喧嚣是多么的美好。

I was standing on one bridge and glanced at the surroundings. Their houses have the irregular shapes rooftops and equipped with chimneys but I am not sure whether these chimneys could be used or not today. The whole town was tranquil and there were only a few pedestrians passing by. Some Luxemburg local people were spending a leisure afternoon in the outdoors cafés at the riverside despite of the coolness of deep autumn.

我站在一座小桥上，环顾四周。他们的房屋有不规则形状的屋顶，并配有烟囱，不过不确定这些烟囱如今还是否使用。整个小镇如此安静，路过的行人寥寥无几。唯有若干当地人不顾深秋的凉意，在河边的露天咖啡馆度过了一个休闲的下午。

The buildings along the river were similar to the houses of German style. For me I liked this kind of old town with small rivers. It was nice to see some ducks frolicking in the stream. I preferred to spend more time in the Grund than the Haut ville. It is more like a scene in a bucolic poetry.

沿河的建筑类似于德国风格的小屋。对我而言我就特别中意这种在水一方的老城，同时也很开心看到一些鸭子在溪流中戏水。旅行途中我自然愿花更多的时间在格伦德区徜徉。这里更像是田园诗中赞颂的场景。

In the old town, I could always find many remnants of the Luxembourg fortress. This is the second gate of Trier constructed in 1590 in order to defend the fortress. It was equipped with a moat and a drawbridge that connected with the upper city. Today the drawbridge no longer exists and in its place it is just a footbridge over the Rue de Treves.

在老城区，我总能发现零零总总的卢森堡堡垒的遗迹。这是特里尔的第二座城门，建于 1590 年能够更好地保卫堡垒。它设有护城河和吊桥与高城区相连。如今吊桥已不复存在，取而代之的是特里尔街上的一座人行天桥。

The Three Towers are the remains of the old fortress of Luxembourg City as well. The square central tower dates from probably around 1200 while two circular flanking towers were added in the 14th century. They are one of the entrances to the old Town. From here I was leaving the old town and on my way back to the train station.

这个三塔建筑也是卢森堡城旧堡垒的遗迹。中间的方形中央塔的历史可能大约在1200 年左右，而在 14 世纪又增加了两座圆形侧塔。它们是老城区的入口之一。从这里我离开老城，踏上了回火车站的路上。

Before I left this city, I passed by this building accidently. Due to its historical façade, I thought it might be a museum or a school. However, it is actually a retirement sanatorium built in 1892. In 1853, Jean-Pierre Pescatore donated half a million francs to Luxembourg City to build it so this building was named by this philanthropist. It was really a great achievement, even today many old people still benefited from it.

在离开这座城市之前，我偶然路过这座建筑。由于它的古老外观，我一度认为它可能是一座博物馆或学校。然而它实际上是一座建于1892 年的退休疗养院。1853 年，让-皮埃尔·佩斯卡托雷向卢森堡市捐赠了 50 万法郎来建造它，因此这座建筑也被这位慈善家命名。这真是一项壮举，直到今天仍有许多老人从中受益。

It has been two years since I visited this city. I still conserved some memories of it, the colorful autumn leaves in the long valley, the undulations of ridges and hills, and the waving flags in the Constitution square. Luxemburg is indeed a small country but it still has many things to be explored as long as you have interests of old buildings and history. It’s a bit cold, cloudy, and misty in the autumn but the beautiful florid colors of fall foliage will bring unique charm to this city.

我游历卢森堡市已经过去两年了，至今还保留着一些残存的记忆比如幽长峡谷的红叶，起伏的山峦，宪法广场飘扬的旗帜。。。卢森堡确实是一个小国，但只要你对老建筑和历史感兴趣，它仍然有很多值得探索的地方。它的秋天冷冷清清，并且云雾缭绕，不过秋叶的绚丽色彩也为这座城市带来了独特的魅力。

Amsterdam, the city built on water

July 30, 2022August 4, 2022Posted in Netherlands, TravelTagged Amsterdam, Travel, World heritage site

水上都市阿姆斯特丹

Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands and it was my last stop in the trip of Netherlands in September 2020. The name of the city originates from The Dam on the River Amstel since the city developed from a small village on the river Amstel. The city owns numerous canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are so many water cities in the world that are compared with Venice but in my opinion, Amsterdam is the one which is most similar to Venice.

阿姆斯特丹是荷兰的首都，这是我 2020 年 9 月荷兰之行的最后一站。这座城市的名字来源于阿姆斯特尔河上的大坝，因为历史上这座城市就是是从阿姆斯特尔河上的一个小村庄发展而来的。它拥有众多运河，这些运河也被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。全球上有如此多的水城号称威尼斯，但在我看来阿姆斯特丹是与威尼斯最为相似的一个。

Firstly, I took train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam central station. This stylish train station is surrounded by canals and behind the station there is a big lake. It is an historical building, and was designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers and opened in 1889. It is a Gothic and Renaissance Revival station building with two turrets and many ornamental details like stone reliefs. When I stepped out of the gate of the train station, I was shocked as I felt that I was in a harbor.

伊始，我从鹿特丹坐火车直达阿姆斯特丹中央车站。这个风格迥异的火车站被运河环绕，车站后面是一个大湖。这是一座历史悠久的建筑，由荷兰建筑师皮埃尔·库珀斯设计，于 1889 年开启使用。它是一座哥特式和文艺复兴式结合的建筑，有两座尖塔和如石头浮雕等许多装饰细节。当我走出车站大门时，着实感到震惊，此刻仿佛自己置身在一个港口中。

Opposite to the train station, there is a neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance Roman Catholic church. This will be the first grand building to be noticed by the tourists when you just got off train. Above its rose window, there is sculpture of the patron saint of the city of Amsterdam placed in a niche. The church is located in the old city center of Amsterdam. Most of the old buildings and beautiful canals are distributed around this area.

火车站对面是一座新巴洛克和新文艺复兴风格的罗马天主教堂。这将是刚下火车时游客注意到的第一座高大建筑。在它的玫瑰窗上方，有一个放置在壁龛中的阿姆斯特丹市守护神的雕塑。这座教堂就位于阿姆斯特丹老城区。大多数古老的建筑和美丽的运河都分布于这个地区周围。

The top of church has a iconic central dome, glowing with reflected gold under the sunset. This is the view of the church from the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, which is a famous street and canal. The canal is also lined with monumental stepped gable houses from the Dutch Golden Age. Here assembles the most traditional street view of Amsterdam. The famous Red Light District is located in the area as well. Bicycle is one of the most important transportation tools in Netherlands. Here along the streets or on the bridges, I could always find so many bicycles. For tourists it’s easy to rent a bicycle and visit the whole city as you want.

教堂上方有一个标志性的中央圆顶，在夕阳下反射出金色的光辉。这是从著名的街区 Oudezijds Voorburgwal 看到的教堂景观。运河两旁矗立着荷兰黄金时代的阶梯式山墙房屋。这里汇集了阿姆斯特丹最传统的街景。闻名遐迩的红灯区也位于该地区。自行车是荷兰最重要的交通工具之一。在街上或桥上，或多或少都能看到一些自行车。对游客来说，租一辆自行车随心所欲地游览整个城市确实易如反掌。

The urban plan of Amsterdam is different with other cities in the world. It consists of three main canals (Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht), which were digged in the 17th century. The interlocked canals form several concentric belts around the city intersected with small waterways and streets so travelers need to cross numerous bridges when they walked in the city center. These canals were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. It is recommended to take a boat tour to see the houses erected in the 17th and 18th centuries at the both sides of canal banks and observes the wild ducks’ frolic in water.

阿姆斯特丹的城市规划与世界其他城市截然不同。它由三条主要运河（Herengracht、Prinsengracht 和 Keizersgracht）组成，在 17 世纪挖掘而成。交错的运河在城市周围形成了几条辐射带，与一众小水道和街道相交，旅行者在阿姆斯特丹老城区行走时需要穿过许多桥梁。这些运河在2010年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。特别建议游客乘船游览，参观运河两岸17和18世纪的房屋以及野鸭在水中嬉戏。

In Amsterdam, I have crossed so many bridges with different styles under my feet. Some bridges are even removable. The bridges and houses in this city are more modern than the ones in Venice. Additionally, I could still find many cars at the roadside of Amsterdam. In Venice, cars are totally not allowed to enter the city. When I immersed myself in the city, I can not stop to compare it with Venice. They have so many similarities.

在阿姆斯特丹，在我脚下穿过了那么多风格各异的桥梁。有些桥梁甚至是可移动的。这座城市的桥梁和房屋都要比威尼斯现代很多。此外我仍然可以在阿姆斯特丹的街边小巷发现很多汽车。然而在威尼斯机动车辆是完全不允许进城的。我沉浸在其中，不由自主地将它与威尼斯相提并论。因为它们有太多相似之处。

It is a pleasurable experience to walk along the canals after dinner. At night, this area is quite crowded with tourists. There are a lot of night clubs, coffee shops, and restaurants for people to spend a meaningful night life. The night of September is a bit colder. When the streetlights are all lighted, it bring a sense of warmness to me. I took a note of the lamp posts of this city. Its appearance is simple not like the richly decorated baroque style in Paris.

晚餐后惬意沿着运河漫步。夜幕来临，这个地区充斥着熙熙攘攘的游客。并有很多夜总会、咖啡店和餐厅，方便人们度过别有意义的夜生活。九月的夜晚有一丝冷意。当街上华灯初照，给我带来一阵温暖。我特别留意了这座城市的灯柱。它的外观简单朴素，不像巴黎那种装饰华丽的巴洛克式风格。

Amsterdam is a city intertwined with modernity and history. Some historical buildings hide in the unimposing corners of the streets. The Oude Kerk in this picture which in English means Old Church is Amsterdam’s oldest building. The building was founded around 1213 and after the Reformation in 1578, it became a Calvinist church, which it remains today. The church is located in the Red Light district In the history it became home to the registry of marriages and stored the city archives and the most important documents.

阿姆斯特丹是一座现代与历史交织的城市。一些古老建筑隐藏在不起眼的街角中。这张照片中的 Oude Kerk 在英文中的意思是老教堂，是阿姆斯特丹最古老的建筑。该建筑始建于 1213 年左右，在 1578 年宗教改革之后到今日，它成为了一座加尔文主义教堂。该教堂位于红灯区，历史上曾是市政婚姻登记处，并存放着城市档案和最重要的文件。

The church has a high brick tower with a crown like tower top. It well preserved the history of the city. The church contains 2,500 graves under which are buried 10,000 Amsterdam citizens. When I walked around this area, there is one interesting thing. The prostitute windows displaying the coquet are directly opposite to the solemn and divine church and there is a Bronze statue in front of the Oude Kerk with inscription saying “Respect sex workers all over the world.” So in Amsterdam, ‘sex’ is a culture of the city as well and the travelers should try to get used to it. Amsterdam is called the capital of sex as well.

教堂有一座高高的砖塔，塔顶有一座皇冠。它很好地诠释了这座城市的历史。教堂内共有 2,500 座坟墓，埋葬着 10,000 名阿姆斯特丹市民。当我在这片地方走来走去时，发现了有一件有趣的事情。展现妓女风情的橱窗就在庄严神圣的教堂对面，老教堂前有一尊铜像，上面撰写着“尊重全世界的性工作者”。在阿姆斯特丹，“性”也是城市的一种文化，旅行者应该尝试习惯它。阿姆斯特丹也被称为性都。

Another historical tower that left impression on me was the Munttoren tower. It stands on the busy Muntplein square, where the Amstel river and the Singel canal meet. Due to its perfect position, when I travelled in Amsterdam, I had passed by this tower and seen it for many times. Originally, It was part of Amsterdam’s medieval city wall built in 1480. Its name means Mint tower because the guard house on side of it was used to mint coins in the 17th Century. It has a symbolic clockwork with four clock faces and a carillon of bells made in 1668. The current carillon consists of 38 bells which chime every quarter of an hour. Every Saturdays, between 2 and 3 p.m., the Amsterdam city carillon player will give a live concert on the bells.

另一座给我留下深刻印象的历史塔楼就是图中这座蒙托伦塔。它位于繁忙的 Muntplein 广场上，Amstel 河和 Singel 运河在这里交汇。由于它的绝佳地理位置，当我在阿姆斯特丹旅行时，我多次经过这座塔并仔细观察过它。最初它是阿姆斯特丹建于 1480 年的中世纪城墙的一部分。因为它旁边的哨楼在 17 世纪曾用于铸币它的名字意为铸币塔。它有一个带有四个钟面的标志性钟表装置和一个 1668 年制造的钟乐器。目前使用的钟乐器由 38 个钟组成，每个钟每15分钟鸣响一次。每周六下午 2 点到 3 点之间，阿姆斯特丹市钟琴演奏家将进行现场演奏。

In the evening, when darkness had fallen, the lights of every house were lightened up and silence enwrapped the streets. At this moment, the stillness of canals was temporarily interrupted by the shuttling boats. I even noticed that some tourists were still in sprits to visit the city by boats at night. I believe definitely this would be a romantic experience for them.

姗姗来迟的夜幕中点亮万家灯火，街道上此时一片寂静。运河上短暂的静谧被穿梭的小船突然打断。我无意中注意到一些游客在夜幕中依然兴致勃勃乘船游览这座城市。这样的秉烛夜游绝对是一次浪漫的经历。

Before the darkness reigned the city completely, I still had enough time to sit at the bench at the river bank and caught a glimpse of the landscape by riverside. I enjoyed the free time during the busy journey. Although I was extremely tired, I still preferred to stay longer in the pleasant environment and leave more imprints of this city in my memory. The beautiful scene along the canal really reminded me the night in the Saint Marc square in Venice. It was really superb!

在夜色完全笼罩城市之前，我还有充足的时间闲坐在河岸的长椅上，一瞥岸边的风景。我由衷享受繁忙旅途中的空闲时间。虽然疲惫不堪，但我还是更愿在这片宜人的景色中多呆一会儿，在大脑记忆中留下更多这座城市的印记。运河沿岸的美景让我想起在威尼斯圣马可广场的夜晚。这种感觉实在太棒了！

When night approached finally, I needed to look for something to fill in my stomach. Pancake is a good choice definitely. I would like to mention the Dutch pancake which is a bit different with the American pancake. Dutch pancake is larger and much thinner than the thick and fluffy American pancakes. The traditional pancake is too sweet with toppings like bacon and cheese. For me I think Dutch pancake is better, its taste is modified and added with salmon, chives, onion and even peppers. The taste is more acceptable for Chinese.

深夜彻底降临，我需要找点美食大快朵颐一番。煎饼绝对是个不错的选择。我特别提一下与美国煎饼有点不同的荷兰煎饼。荷兰煎饼比厚而蓬松的美国煎饼更大更薄。传统的美式煎饼配上培根和奶酪等配料实在有点甜了。对我而言荷兰煎饼的口感更好，它的味道经过改良并添加了鲑鱼、细香葱、洋葱甚至辣椒等调料。华人更能接受这种味道。

**Equestrian statue of Queen Wilhelmina**

Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands so at its street corners, tourists could easily find some symbols representing this country. This statue of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was sculpted in bronze by Theresia R. van der Pant. Wilhelmina, who is the member of the House of Orange-Nassau, was the Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. During the invasion of the Netherlands in the second world war, Wilhelmina fled to Britain and took charge of the Dutch government-in-exile. She frequently spoke to the nation over radio and was regarded as a symbol of the resistance. This statue and the national flag of Netherlands represent the tenacious spirit of the country.

阿姆斯特丹是荷兰的首都，所以在它的街角，游客可以很容易地找到一些代表这个国家的标志。这尊荷兰威廉明娜女王的雕像由特蕾西亚·R·范德潘特用青铜雕刻而成。威廉敏娜女王是奥兰治-拿骚家族的成员，从 1890 年开始就一直担任荷兰女王，直到 1948 年退位。在第二次世界大战德国入侵期间，威廉敏娜女王逃往英国并建立荷兰流亡政府。她经常通过无线电向全国发表讲话，同时也被视为抵抗运动的象征。这座雕像和荷兰国旗代表着这个国家顽强的精神。

This is another national monument which is located opposite to the famous Dam square. A national Remembrance of the Dead ceremony is held at the monument every year on 4th May to commemorate Dutch fallen soldiers in the second World War. The cenotaph made of white travertine stone consists of a main pillar with four chained male figures. Two male sculptures at the both sides represent members of the Dutch resistance and a depiction of a woman with a child and doves flying above represents victory, peace, and new life.

这是另一个国家纪念碑，它位于著名的水坝广场对面。每年 5 月 4 日在纪念碑举行全国死难者纪念仪式，以纪念在第二次世界大战中阵亡的荷兰将士。由白色石灰华石制成的纪念碑由一根主柱和四个带铁链的男性人物组成。两侧的两尊男性雕塑代表荷兰的抵抗而上方一个带着孩子和飞翔的白鸽的女性雕塑则代表着胜利、和平和新生活。

Dam square is the well-known and most important locations in Amsterdam. It derives its name from its original function which acts as a dam on the Amstel River built in 1270. This is the place where you could always find scores of pigeons, busy tourists, and freestyle street performers. The building at the background is the royal palace. The original structure was built as a town hall in the seventeenth century. In history the square is at the water side and thousands of ships stopped here every day. It was a market place as well at that period. In 1808, Louis Bonaparte, the Emperor Napoleon’s brother, also King of Holland took the city hall on Dam Square as his Royal Palace. The bronze statue on the façade of the building represents peace.

水坝广场是阿姆斯特丹最著名和最重要的地点。它的名字来源于它最初是建于1270 年的阿姆斯特尔河上的水坝。在这里，总能看到无数鸽子、忙碌的游客和自由的街头表演者。这个照片的背景建筑是皇宫。它最早是在十七世纪建造的市政厅。历史上的水坝广场就在水边，每天都有成千上万的船只停靠在这里。在那个时期，它也是一个交易市场。1808年，拿破仑皇帝的弟弟、荷兰国王路易·波拿巴将水坝广场上的市政厅作为他的皇宫使用。这座建筑正立面上的铜像代表着和平。

After entering the entrance of the royal palace, visitors will see this grand Citizens’ Hall at first. The hall’s marbled floor is formed of world maps and star charts. The statues inspired by Romans and Greek mythology and the chandeliers in the hall are really magnificent. The plaster statue bearing a celestial globe on his shoulders is Atlas, the Titan in the revolt against the gods.

进入皇宫入口后，首先映入眼帘的是这座宏伟的市民大厅。大厅的大理石地板由世界地图和星图组成。罗马和希腊神话诸神的雕像和大厅里的大吊灯尤为壮观。这座肩负天上星球的石膏雕像是神话中反抗众神的泰坦阿特拉斯。

The architect Jacob van Campen designed this building as a miniature universe. The marble reliefs with the four elements and garlands of flora and fauna together make up the terrestrial microcosm. The four elements are earth, water, fire and air. The figure enthroned at the center of this universe is the Maid of Amsterdam which represents the city. Around her are four child-like small statues depicting the four elements. The two sculptures at her flanks represent the symbol of Wisdom, Minerva, and the symbol of strength, Hercules.

建筑师 Jacob van Campen 将这座建筑设计为一个微型宇宙。四种元素的大理石浮雕和动植物花环共同构成了地表世界。这四大元素分别是地、水、风和火。位于这个宇宙中心的人物雕像是代表这座城市的阿姆斯特丹女神。她的周围是四个孩子般的小雕像，代表了四大元素。她两侧的两尊雕塑分别是代表智慧的密涅瓦和象征力量的大力神。

This is the gallery connecting the citizen’s hall and other rooms. The palace is now used mainly for entertaining and official functions, such as state visits, New Year receptions and other official occasions. The royal family did not live or work here. The arched ceiling of the building is really amazing. I think it may symbolize sky and the numerous delicately decorated reliefs represents the gods. The blue globe above the chandelier looks like earth.

这是连接市民大厅和其他房间的走廊。这座宫殿目前主要用于娱乐和例如国事访问、新年招待会和其他官方场合等公务活动。王室并没有在这里生活或工作。这座建筑的拱形天花板真是美轮美奂。在我的想象中它可能象征着天空，许多装饰精美的浮雕代表着众神而吊灯上方的蓝色球体则看起来像地球。

All of the rooms in the palace had a specific function. This is one of the most famous rooms in the palace. It is called the Burgomasters’ Cabinet or Former Councilors Chamber. In this room, Amsterdam’s four ruling mayors met with a group of previous mayors who acted as a sort of advisory board. Two enormous paintings above the two fireplaces constantly remind them that a good mayor must be honest, incorruptible and steadfast. The large painting called ‘An elephant behind the curtains’ hangs above.

This painting created by Ferdinand Bol depicts this story. The Consul Caius Fabritius Luscinus had to negotiate the release of prisoners-of-war with King Pyrrhus in Greece. When Pyrrhus who wears a turban and crown couldn’t buy Fabritius off with gold and silver, he set a dangerous elephant onto him. Everyone in the painting was afraid, except Fabritius. He wears the white plumed helmet and fearlessly holds his ground.

宫殿中的所有房间都有特定的功能。这是宫殿中最著名的房间之一。它被称为市长内阁或前议员会议厅。在这个房间里，阿姆斯特丹的四位执政市长与担任顾问委员会成员的前任市长进行会晤。壁炉上方的两幅巨幅画一直在不断提醒他们，作为一个好市长必须要秉承诚实、廉洁、坚定的信念。这幅油画名为“幕后的大象”。

费迪南德·波尔创作的这幅画描绘了这样一个故事。法布里蒂乌斯与希腊国王皮洛士就释放战俘进行谈判。当画中戴着头巾和王冠的皮洛士无法用金银收买法布里蒂乌斯时，他将一头危险的大象置于后者的身边。此刻每个人都显得惊惧。只有戴着白色羽毛头盔的法布里蒂乌斯无所畏惧地坚持自己的立场。

In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte made his brother Louis the first King of Holland. This room belongs to King Louis’ bedroom. He ordered this four-poster mahogany bed decorated with gilded bronze from the Jacob-Desmalter firm in Paris. It is shaped like a boat and is therefore called ‘boat bed’. The interior decoration of this room is a bit similar to the style of Versailles Palace. The gorgeous damasks, gilded clocks, crystal chandeliers mark the luxury of royal house.

1806年，拿破仑·波拿巴将他的好兄弟路易推为荷兰的第一位国王。这个房间就属于路易国王的卧室。他从巴黎的 Jacob-Desmalter 公司订购了这张用镀金青铜装饰的四柱桃花心木床。它的形状像一艘船，故此被称为“船床”。这个房间的内部装修有点像凡尔赛宫的风格。华丽的锦缎、镀金时钟、水晶吊灯标志着皇室的奢华。

On the ground floor of the Palace, it is the tribunal space which later served as the king’s chapel. When the building was still a town hall, this was where the death sentence was pronounced. The Tribunal was decorated elaborately with the marble works of sculptor elder Artus Quellinus who was the most important representative of the Baroque in sculpture in the Southern Netherlands. On the wall, there are four huge sculptures of offenders waiting to be hanged.

在宫殿的底层，是曾经的法庭，后来成为国王的礼拜堂。当这座建筑还是阿姆斯特丹市政厅时，这里是宣判死刑的地方。著名雕刻家阿尔图斯·奎里努斯（Artus Quellinus）用大理石雕刻精心装饰着这里，奎里努斯是南荷兰最重要的巴洛克代表雕塑家。墙壁上一共有四座巨型等待被绞死的罪犯雕塑。

On Dam Square, there is a 15th-century church called New Church located next to the Royal Palace. There is a sun dial on the façade. Now, it is no longer used for church services but is used as an exhibition space. The church is also used for Dutch royal investiture ceremonies and royal weddings. As usual, I liked to sit at the benches in the square and look around the old buildings like the palace and the church. It is the heart of Amsterdam and represents the long history of this old city. Besides there were always so many doves flying over the square and left me deep impressions.

水坝广场上，皇宫旁边有一座 15 世纪的教堂。它的正面有一个日晷，被称为新教堂。现在，它已不再用于教堂礼拜，而是用作展览会场。这座教堂还用于荷兰皇室授职仪式和皇室婚礼。像以往一样，我喜欢坐在广场的长椅上，环顾四周的宫殿和教堂等古老建筑。这里是阿姆斯特丹的中心，也代表着这座老城的厚重历史。另外广场上总是那么多的鸽子盘旋翱翔，也给我留下了深刻的印象。

In the city center of Amsterdam, you can easily find such a big shopping mall as well to satisfy your desire of shopping. The Magna Plaza is a modern shopping mall but with a historical appearance. It was built in 1895–1899 in Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance style. The stylish two towers reminded me of a castle or a cathedral however this building was the Amsterdam Post Office in the history. Due to the iconic pear shaped crowns on top of the towers the building is named as ‘pear burg’. Its façade is decorated with polychromatic brick and dimension stone.

在阿姆斯特丹市中心，你也可以轻松找到这样的大型购物中心满足你的消费欲。麦格纳广场是一个非常现代化的购物中心，不过却具有一幅历史悠久的外观。它建于 1895-1899 年，采用的是新哥特式和新文艺复兴风格。风格独特的两座塔楼则让我不禁想起了某座城堡或大教堂，但这座建筑却是历史上的阿姆斯特丹邮局。由于塔顶标志性的梨形冠冕，这座建筑也被命名为“梨堡”。它的外立面用彩砖和规格石料装饰而成。

Amsterdam is a great place to explore the Dutch art and culture of the Golden Age. You can find many museums in this city. Among them the most representative is the Rijksmuseum which is the national museum of the Netherlands. The museum was founded in The Hague in 1798 and moved to the current building which was first opened in 1885. When I visited Amsterdam, there was a temporary exhibition of the work of Caravaggio. This museum collects many masterpieces created by the greatest Dutch painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer.

阿姆斯特丹也是探索黄金时代荷兰艺术和文化的最好地方。游客可以在这个城市游览许多博物馆。其中最具代表性的当属荷兰国立博物馆Rijksmuseum。该博物馆于 1798 年在海牙成立，后来搬迁到现在的建筑，并于 1885 年首次开放。当我游览阿姆斯特丹时，这里有一个卡拉瓦乔作品的临时展览。这个博物馆收藏了伦勃朗和维米尔等荷兰最伟大的画家创作的诸多杰作。

This museum has a beautiful garden with blooming flowers and small fountains. Even you don’t want to visit the museum, you could still take a short break here. The Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers who also designed Amsterdam’s Central Station designed this garden. The garden consists of four parts. Each part has different style. This garden in this photo is in French-Classicist style.

这个博物馆还包括了一个美丽的花园，里面有盛开的鲜花和小喷泉。即使没有参观博物馆的兴趣，不妨在这里稍作休息。同时设计了阿姆斯特丹中央车站的荷兰建筑师 Pierre Cuypers 设计了这个花园。它由四个部分组成，每个部分都有不同的风格。这张照片中的这个花园是法国古典主义风格的。

The Gallery of Honor is an extended corridor displaying the masterpieces by the great artists of the seventeenth century. The cast iron beams are inscribed with the names of the famous painters of the age. Semi-circular arched wall sections display the coats of arms of the eleven provinces of the Netherlands and their respective capital cities. The section of the gallery displayed the most famous painting created by Rembrandt – The night watch. This painting is extremely large, up to 363 by 437 centimeters. It is famous for its colossal size, the dramatic use of light and shadow and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a static military group portrait.

著名的荣誉画廊是一条延伸的长走廊，它展示了十七世纪伟大艺术家的杰作。铸铁横梁上刻有当时著名画家的名字。半圆形拱形墙部分展示了荷兰十一个省及其各自首府的徽章。这部分的画廊展示了伦勃朗创作的最著名的画作—夜巡。这幅画非常大，足足有 363 厘米 x 437 厘米。它以其巨大的尺寸、对光影的巧妙使用以及对本是静态团体人物的动态描绘而闻名。

Another master piece in this museum is this oil-on-canvas painting called ‘The milk maid’ which was created by the famous Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. It is regarded as “one of the museum’s finest attractions”. The painting shows a milk maid pouring milk into a earthenware container on a table. Vermeer employs light well to depict this woman with downcast eyes and pursed lips. Its artistic effect is similar to the ‘Mona Lisa’. People can not help to think what this woman is thinking when she prepares the food.

这个博物馆的另一件杰作是这幅名为“牛奶女工”的油画，它由著名的荷兰艺术家约翰内斯·维米尔创作。它被认为是“博物馆最好的作品之一”。这幅画描绘了一位牛奶女工将牛奶倒入桌子上的陶制容器中。维米尔（Vermeer）很好地运用了光线来描绘这位眼睛低垂、嘴唇撅起的女人。它的艺术效果类似于“蒙娜丽莎”。让人们不禁联想这个女人在准备食物时内心在思考什么。

Behind the Rijksmuseum, there is a large piece of meadow. The museum square is used for mass events such as festivals, celebrations, and demonstrations. Three major museums including the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum are located near this square. It is recommended to come here and visit the two most influential museums together.

在国立博物馆后面，有一大片草地。这个博物馆广场用于举办节日、庆典、游行等群众性活动。国家博物馆、梵高博物馆和市立博物馆等三大博物馆都位于这个广场附近。建议游客来这里，一起参观阿姆斯特丹最有影响力的几个博物馆。

For me Van Gogh is one of my favorite artist and the best artist and Van Gogh museum is a must-see during my trip in Amsterdam. I have visited Arles before where Van Gogh created most of his work in his life. These works will only be seen in this museum. The building of the museum was a very modern one designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa.

在我心目中梵高是我最喜欢的艺术家也是最好的艺术家，梵高博物馆也是我在阿姆斯特丹旅行期间必去的地方。之前我曾游览过阿尔勒，梵高一生中大部分作品都是在这里创作的，然而这些作品只能在这个博物馆亲眼目睹。整个博物馆是由 Gerrit Rietveld 和 Kisho Kurokawa 设计的非常现代的建筑。

The museum was opened in 1973 and has the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world. At the first floor the sculpture of Van Gogh could be seen. Most of his self portrait was collected here. I remembered in one British science-fiction television program ‘Doctor Who’, Van Goh was invited to visit his art gallery in Museum Orsay. When he saw his paintings and heard the comments of himself from one art master ：’ Van Gogh is the finest painter of all time. His command of color is the most magnificent. He transformed his pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty.’, he was so excited that he could not control his tears.

该博物馆于 1973 年开放，收藏了世界上最多的梵高绘画和素描收藏。在一楼可以看到梵高的雕塑。他的大部分自画像都是在一楼收集的。我依然记得在一档英国科幻电视节目《神秘博士》中，梵高受邀参观他在奥赛博物馆的艺术画廊。当他看到他的画作并听到现代大师对自己的评论 “梵高是有史以来最优秀的画家，他对色彩的驾驭是最为出色的，他把自己曾受的折磨和痛苦转变成美好的艺术”，他激动地潸然泪下。

The whole life of Van Gogh was a tragedy. Although he created so many great works, no one recognized his talent during his lifetime. I believe if Van Gogh could revive and visit his museum in Amsterdam, he would be extremely excited and be proud of himself. The museum of Van Gogh indeed proved his value. This painting is called ‘The Langlois bridge’ created in Arles. The sky was grey when Van Gogh painted this bridge in Provence. This painting had left me deep impression because when I visited Arles, I passed by it as well. The bridge is famous for his painting and is well conserved until today.

梵高的一生是一场悲剧。尽管他创作了这么多伟大的作品，但在他的一生中并没有人认可他的才华。我相信，如果梵高能够复活并参观阿姆斯特丹的属于他自己的博物馆，他一定会无比兴奋并为自己感到自豪。这个梵高博物馆确实证明了他的价值。这幅画名为“朗格卢瓦桥”，创作于阿尔勒。当时梵高在普罗旺斯灰暗的天空下创作了这幅画。这幅画给我留下了深刻的印象，当我游历阿尔勒时，我也曾经过了它。这座桥以他的绘画而闻名，至今保存完好。

One of his most famous paintings must be the ‘Sunflowers’. He created this series of paintings in Arles as well. There ware several versions of ‘Sunflowers’ conserved in the different museums in the world. Van Gogh has used a lot of yellow pigments in this painting. I believe he must be influenced by the golden sunflower fields in Arles.

梵高最著名的画作一定是《向日葵》。他也在阿尔勒创作了这一系列画作。世界上不同的博物馆中保存着多个版本的“向日葵”。梵高在这幅画中使用了大量的黄色颜料。我猜想他一定是受到了阿尔勒金色葵花田的影响。

The ‘Sunflowers’ is so famous that this museum has set a wall with background of sunflowers for visitors to take a picture and share it on Instagram. I think it is a good method to let more people know Van Gogh and his art works. The duplicate of this painting could be purchased in the museum as well which costs 200 euros.

“向日葵”是如此远负盛名，梵高博物馆特意设置了背景就是向日葵的一面墙，供游客拍照并在 Instagram 上分享。我认为这是让更多人了解梵高和他的艺术作品的好方法。这幅画的复制品也可以在博物馆购买，价格为 200 欧元。

When I left the Van Gogh museum and stepped on the meadow, there was a beam of sunlight shining the building in the opposite. The weather is always gloomy in Netherlands so I would feel happy when it’s a sunny day. Sun light will give hope to people who always live in darkness. I like such a large piece of greenery amid the crowded city. It makes the traditional city landscape not so monotonous and more beautiful.

当我离开梵高博物馆，踏上广场上的草地时，一束阳光洒在对面的建筑上。荷兰的天气总是阴沉沉的，所以在阳光明媚的日子里我会感到格外高兴。阳光会给那些生活在黑暗中的人带来希望。我也很欣赏在拥挤的城市中能够看到这么大的一片绿地。它使传统的城市景观看起来不再那么单调并更加美丽动人。

I have spent totally three days in Amsterdam. This is really a memorable experience. I always like cultural and historical cities at water sides. Confucius had said that the clever person prefers water and the kind person prefers mountain. Before I left at last, I took this picture on one bridge. It could best represent this charming city, the peaceful canal, the arched bridge, the clean streets, and the colorful flowers, they looked so amazing under the pleasant morning sun light. I wish I could come here again in the future.

我在阿姆斯特丹共计度过了难忘的三天。我一直钟情于依水而畔的文化和历史名城，子曰：知者乐水，仁者乐山。在我最后告别之前，我在一座小桥上驻足拍下了这张照片。它最能代表这座魅力城市，宁静的运河，小桥流水，干净的街道，五颜六色的鲜花，它们在宜人的初日下显得如此迷人。我也衷心希望我以后能故地重游。

Idyllic landscape in Kinderdijk

April 20, 2022April 22, 2022Posted in Netherlands, TravelTagged Travel, Windmill, World heritage siteLeave a comment

小孩堤防的田园风光

For the love of princess

Before I visit Europe, in my mind, Netherlands is a distant country at the other end of the continent which is famous of tulip and windmill. I never imagine that one day I will have a chance to visit this wonder land like Alice visiting the world that exists in the imagination. Netherlands also means ‘lower country’ due to to its low elevation. Only about half of its land is above sea level. Canal and wetland spread over the whole country and this forms an unique idyllic landscape that you can not find in other places.

游历欧洲之前，在我的脑海里，荷兰是一个以郁金香和风车闻名，位于欧亚大陆的另一端异常遥远的国家。我从未想过居然有一天我会像爱丽丝一样踏足这片神奇的土地，这片曾经只存在于想象中的世界。由于海拔过低，荷兰字面意思就是“低地国家”。它只有大约一半的土地高于海平面。运河和湿地遍布全国，形成了异域独特的田园风光。

In September 2020, after I finished the trip in Brussels, I took the train towards Netherlands directly. My first stop is Dordrecht. It is a small city near Rotterdam. Actually urbanization in Netherlands has reached a high extent so there is not too much difference between city and rural area. The most common scene in the city of Netherlands is the interleaving of canals flowing through many small bridges.

2020年9月，结束布鲁塞尔之旅后，我坐火车直抵荷兰。第一站便是多德雷赫特。这是鹿特丹附近的一个小城市。实际上荷兰的城市化程度很高，因此城市和农村之间没有太大的区别。荷兰城市最常见的景观就是运河交错，小桥流水。

I got off the train at the station of Dordrecht in this cool morning as it is the nearest place towards my dreamed destination Kinderdijk. This is my first time of visiting Netherlands so I was curious of every thing here. I didn’t stay a long time in Dordrecht but I still tried record what I had seen in my camera. There are not many high rise buildings in this city and most of the mansions and resident house look quite modern and new.

这个凉爽的早晨我在多德雷赫特站下车，这是离我梦中的目的地小孩堤防最近的城市。这也是我人生第一次探寻荷兰，故此对这里的一草一木都很好奇。我在多德雷赫特没未逗留很久，但仍然在相机中记下我的所见所闻。这座城市的高层建筑匮乏，大部分的宅邸和民居感官上都崭新现代。

Next in a short while, I took the direct bus from Dordrecht to Kinderdijk and began this fantastic trip. The name Kinderdijk in Dutch stands for “Children dike”. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. Tourists could rent boats to visit this village. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 since it represents the Dutch outstanding technology of handling water. From far away, their silhouettes against the sun light are really amazing, like the giants waving lance in the novel of Don Quixote.

顷刻之间我便乘坐从多德雷赫特到小孩堤防的直达巴士开启这段神奇之旅。 Kinderdijk 这个名字在荷兰语中意思就是“小孩堤坝”。小孩堤防的风车是荷兰最著名的旅游景点。游客可以租船游览整个村庄。它代表了荷兰人民高超的水处理技术，并于 1997 年被列为联合国教科文组织世界遗产。远远望去，在阳光照映下的风车身影真是令人陶醉，他们就像堂吉诃德小说中挥舞长矛的巨人一般。

Kinderdijk is a fascinating village with rural landscape of a total of nineteen 18th-century windmills. These ‘giants’ dancing in the wind are always the icon of Netherlands. These windmills are built to pump excess water into a reservoir from the polder and pump water from the reservoir into river when water level is low. Polder is a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea. Its level will be below the surrounding water level in the long run due to the ground subsidence. As a result, it is a priority for Dutch people to get rid of water from the polder. Even today, this complex system composed of windmills, dykes, reservoirs, pumping stations are still used.

小孩堤防是一个迷人的村庄，共有 19 座 18 世纪建造的风车。这些风中舞动的巨人一直是荷兰的标志。风车的建造是为了将多余的水从圩田泵入水库，并在水位低时将水从水库引入河流。圩田是一片从海中开垦的低洼土地。由于地面沉降，长期以来它的水位将低于周围。因此荷兰当地人的首要任务就是清除圩田中的积水。时至今日，这个由风车、堤坝、水库、泵站组成的一体系统仍在启用。

Among the 19 windmills, two of them are built as museum and open for visit. This Nederwaard Museum in the center of this photo was a wooden windmill built in 1738. If you observe closely, you could find the word ‘Anno 1738’ on the white plaque of the mill. You’ll feel like a time-traveler when you enter through the ancient small wooden gate and stare at those remaining black-and-white photos and items used by real miller families. In the creak of the antiquated wheel axis, everything here breathes the atmosphere of ages past.

19座风车中，有两座被建成博物馆，对外开放参观。这张照片中央的这座内德瓦德博物馆是一座建于 1738 年的木制风车。如果仔细观察，可以在磨坊的白色牌匾上发现“Anno 1738”字样（纪元1738）。从历尽沧桑的木制小门进入博物馆，凝视那些当年生活在此的家庭遗留下来的黑白照片和物品时，人们就会感觉自己如同一个穿越者一般。在陈旧的轮轴的咯吱声中，这里的一切都弥漫着古老的历史气息。

Kinderdijk is situated in the Alblasserwaard polder at the south side of the river Lek. There is a visiting center at the entrance of the village. I walked along the canal from the entrance towards south. There is no need to buy any tickets if visitors just walk on the footpath at the both banks of the canal. 19 windmills are distributed evenly southwards. The distance between each windmill is quite large so I could just take picture with only one of them. Now I was standing at one small pier. It’s like a platform protruding from the path and is suitable for taking a perfect picture.

小孩堤防位于Lek 河南侧的 Alblasserwaard 圩田。村口便是游客中心。我从入口沿着运河一路向南。如果游客只是在运河两岸的人行便道上行走，无需购买任何门票。19座风车向南均匀分布。每个风车之间跨距甚远，无奈只能和它们的一员同框合影。此刻我站在一个小码头上。它就像一个从小径伸出的平台，适合拍摄一幅完美的照片。

On the way, I met a group of local people riding bicycles. Unlike other countries, cycling is a very common mode of transport in the Netherlands. Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths even in the villages around the country. In Kinderdijk, there are some small bridges connecting both banks. They are convenient for the bicycle riders and me as well to cross the canal.

途中偶遇了一群骑自行车的当地人。与其他国家不同，自行车在荷兰是一种非常普遍的交通方式。荷兰人甚至在全国各地的村庄都建立了庞大的自行车道网络。在小孩堤防，有一些小桥连接两岸方便骑手和步行的我穿越运河。

The wide footpath is paved by bitumen flatly. It is well designed for both cyclists and pedestrians. On the road sides, reeds are planted and grow in exuberance. Here is a world away from the hubbub of city life and everything is so refreshing. The weather in Netherlands is not so good compared to the sunny Mediterranean coast. It has a typically moderate marine climate so in September, it is usually rainy everyday. I was fortune enough to see blue sky over this land on the day of my trip.

宽阔的人行道由平坦的沥青铺成。它专为自行车骑手和行人而设计。路边种满了枝繁叶茂的芦苇。此处是一个远离城市喧嚣的世界，眼前一切都是令人耳目一新。不过与阳光明媚的地中海沿岸相比，荷兰的天气实在不敢恭维。它是典型的温带海洋气候，在 9 月整月，通常都是阴雨连绵。我十分庆幸在旅行当天能够目睹这片土地上的蓝天白云。

Dutch culture is closely interwoven with the water. It is easy to find small rivers or canals or ponds in the country. The local people like to walk at the riverside or shuttle back and forth in the canals on small boat. This kind of landscape is extremely close to the southeast of China at the side of Yangtze river. At the start of Autumn, numerous dead reed leaves fall all over the sandbar, and the shallow cold water flows and hits the bank silently.

荷兰文化与水息息相关。在该国小河流或运河或池塘无处不在。当地人喜欢在河边散步或乘坐小船在运河中穿梭。这别样的风光似乎有一种似曾相识的感觉。没错秋天伊始，芦叶满汀洲，寒沙带浅流，这正是落花时节的江南好风景啊！

Netherlands will give people an impression of a country with green, flat landscapes and grazing cows. Of course when I stepped on this land, I would know that such a porotype impression is 100% true. In the south of Kinderdijk, there is a large area of meadow where hundreds of cows live in. Cows do not like soggy meadows so it’s important to exclude the extra water and keep the meadow dry. The cows in Netherlands has a more free and better life as well. Based on statistic, 71 percent of Dutch dairy cows were allowed to graze in the meadow. They are fed by grass of high quality in this land. Holstein Friesians is one famous breed of dairy cattle that originates in Netherlands.

荷兰给人的第一印象一般是一个绿意盎然、风吹草低见牛羊的国家。当我真正踏上这片土地时，我就发现这样的田园风光绝对是真实的。在小孩堤防的南部，有一大片草地, 数百头奶牛在这里生活繁衍。奶牛不喜欢潮湿的草地，排除多余的水并保持草地干燥就显得格外重要。当然荷兰的奶牛也拥有更自由、更美好的生活。据统计，71% 的荷兰奶牛都是放牧而生，它们以这片土地上的优质草料为食。Holstein Friesians就是一种起源于荷兰著名的奶牛品种。

I definitely believe Kinderdijk is an heaven for animals. Many pieces of lands are reclaimed from the sea and lined out for raising livestock. One horse family was browsing on the meadow silently beside the sluiceway. Their territory is separated by the fences so that no one will disrupt their peaceful life. I like the idyllic landscape here. Every creatures could live well in harmony.

我绝对相信小孩堤防就是是动物的天堂。这里许多土地从海中开垦出来，用于饲养牲畜。照片里马儿一家在水闸旁的草地上静静地觅食。他们的领地被栅栏隔开，没有人会干扰他们平静的生活。我尤其倾心这里的田园风光，各种生物都可以和谐相处。

I gave a close-up shot to one of the horses browsing grass. Horse is one of my favorite animals because my Chinese zodiac belongs to horse. I believe that horses will bring luck to me but I did not have chance to observe closely at them before. It’s possible that this horse is the breed of The Dutch Warmblood. It is an athletic breed of competition horse with better stamina and courage.

我特意给其中一匹正在安静吃草的马拍了一张特写。马是我最喜欢的动物之一，我的十二生肖就是马。我也相信马会给我带来好运，不过以前却没有机会仔细观察它们。这匹马可能是荷兰温血马的品种。它是一种运动型的跑马，具有较好的耐力和勇气。

I took around 2 hours to finish my trip in the country side of Kinderdijk. I seemed to gain endless energy from this magic land. Followingly, I walked around their residence area in Alblasserdam without any rest. The rural areas of Netherlands including their houses and streets really impressed me. These small canals which surfaces are interspersed with water lily pads extend to every corner of the neighborhoods. Small mansions with span-new walls and windows are lined up neatly along both banks.

大约 2 个小时在小孩堤防乡村的旅行戛然而止。而我似乎从这片神奇的土地上获得了无尽的能量。随后无需任何休息，我又在位于Alblasserdam的居住区周围四处漫步。荷兰的乡村包括他们的房屋和街道均给我留下了深刻的印象。这些水面散布着睡莲的小运河蜿蜒延伸到社区的每个角落。两岸一字排开的小宅邸，它们的墙壁和窗户都如此焕然一新。

The urban landscaping in the community is fantastic. There are always many trees, meadows, and water ponds. I love the cozy environment here. Under the umbrage of willows, I could tranquilly observe the ripples on the water, the frolics of swans, and overhear the whispers of the wind.

社区的景观绿化也异常完善包括许多树木、草地和水塘。这里舒适的环境令我由衷赞叹。在柳树的树荫下，我静静地观察水面的涟漪，天鹅的嬉戏，并且聆听风的低语。

In the afternoon, I bade farewell to the windmills in Kinderdijk and headed towards my next destination Rotterdam. The public transport system in Netherlands is really convenient. Boat or called water bus is one main mode of transportation is well. In the water bus station Alblasserdam, travelers could take the waterbus No.20 towards Rotterdam Erasmusbrug. In Netherlands, you just need to buy one OV chipcard then you can go anywhere with just one card. It covers all the public transport like metro, bus, ferry, water bus and even train.

午后我告别了小孩堤防的风车，前往下一个目的地鹿特丹。荷兰的公共交通系统绝对方便。船或称为水上巴士是也一种主要的交通方式。在水上巴士站 Alblasserdam，旅客可以乘坐 20 号水上巴士前往鹿特丹 Erasmusbrug站。在荷兰游客只需购买一张 OV 芯片卡就可以去任何地方。它涵盖了所有公共交通工具，如地铁、公共汽车、渡轮、水上巴士甚至火车。

Lastly I would like to highlight that Kinderdijk is a really fantastic and worthy place to see the beautiful landscape of windmills but it is not the only one. Zaanse Schans is also one recommended place to see the similar scenery. As for which one is better, I could not make comments easily. It depends on your personal experience when you explore them by yourselves in reality. After that definitely like Alice you will find a new world that only existed in your dream before.

最后寄语，小孩堤防是一个非常值得旅游的地方，那里有美不胜收的风车风景，但它不是唯一参观风车的地方。桑斯安斯风车村也是观赏类似风景的推荐地点之一。至于哪个更好，我不能妄下结论。也许当你真正自己去探索它们时，才会有一些自己的观点。不过肯定的是，探寻之后你会像爱丽丝一样发现一个以前只存在于你梦中的新世界。

The summer trip in the capital of Europe

March 30, 2022April 3, 2022Posted in Belgium, TravelTagged Belgium, Travel, Victor Horta, World heritage siteLeave a comment

欧盟之都夏日行

Victory

Brussels is the capital of European union and it is the first stop of my graduation trip in Low countries in September 2020. This was my first time of visiting Belgium and I had quite a high expectation of it. I took Flix Bus from Lille and it took around 1.5 hour to arrive at the city center of Brussel. When I was a child, I knew the legend story of the ‘Peeing Boy’. This time on my way, I really could not hold up the excitement in my heart.

布鲁塞尔是欧盟的首都，它也是我在低地国2020年9月毕业之旅的第一站。这是我第一次来比利时旅游，故此抱有很高的期待。我从里尔乘坐 Flix巴士，大约 1.5 小时抵达布鲁塞尔市中心。在我的孩提时代，我就知晓“撒尿小孩”的传奇故事。路途上我便难以抑制心中的激动心情。

Brussel is famous of its architecture art. When I walked around the central boulevards, I took notice of its buildings which were somewhat similar of Paris. The first one is the former Brussels Stock Exchange building built in 1873. It combines the neo-Renaissance and Second Empire architectural styles. The Ionic column and entablature decorated with bas-relief is always my favorite. There is one interesting point: the two monumental lion sculptures on each side of the main entrance’s staircase represent the two stock market trends “bull and bear”.

布鲁塞尔以其建筑艺术而闻名。当我在中央林荫大道上来回穿梭时，便感觉到它的建筑与巴黎的相似处。我所见的第一眼是建于1873年的前布鲁塞尔证券交易所大楼。它结合了新文艺复兴和第二帝国的建筑风格。艾奥尼亚柱和浅浮雕装饰的柱顶一直是我的最爱。有一处很有意思：正门楼梯两边的两尊巨大的狮子雕塑代表了股市中的牛市和熊市。

In each city of Belgium, the unique city square in the city center justifies the aesthetic wealth and highly successful blending of architectural and artistic styles that characterizes the culture and society of Low countries. The square in Brussel called Grand place has been a marketplace since the 12th century. It is an enclosed area and surrounded by guild houses and market halls, which are still mostly built of wood. It is highly recommended to have a drink at the cafeteria in the square and admire the splendid beauty at the same time. The square has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

比利时的每个城市中心独特的广场彰显了低地国家文化以及建筑美学和艺术风格的高度成功融合。布鲁塞尔的广场被称为大广场，自 12 世纪以来一直是城市的集市。这里是一个封闭的区域，周围环绕着中世纪公会房屋和市场大厅，大多是用木头建造的。强烈建议在广场的咖啡厅小酌一杯，欣赏四周华丽的风景。该广场于 1998 年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。

It is a cobbled rectangular market square, surrounded by Baroque guildhalls in the west and the city’s Town Hall in the south, and the Brussels City Museum in the north. In this picture, the neo-Gothic building with steep-sloping roof and spires is the King’s House in 1860 which houses the Brussels City Museum. It collects paintings, sculptures, and tapestries from medieval times. It is called the King’s house because the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was crowned King of Spain in 1516. This building has a neoclassical arched portal and is decorated with the baroque style’s small elliptical oeil-de-boeuf windows. Many green-colored bronze statues are easy to be identified and have a stark contrast with the grey color of the main body.

它是一个鹅卵石铺就的长方形集市广场，西边是巴洛克风格的工会大厅，南边是城市的市政厅，北边是布鲁塞尔市博物馆。在这张照片中，装饰有陡峭屋顶和尖顶的新哥特式建筑是 1860 年的国王居所，里面是布鲁塞尔市博物馆。它收集了中世纪的绘画、雕塑和挂毯。因为神圣罗马帝国皇帝查理五世于 1516 年加冕为西班牙国王，所以被称为国王之家。这座建筑有一个新古典主义风格的拱形门户，并装饰着巴洛克风格的小椭圆法式天窗。许多绿色青铜雕像清晰可见，与主体的灰色形成鲜明对比。

This square is called the ‘Grand place’ but obviously it is not so large. At this moment, I was standing in the center of the square on the historical stone-paved ground. Usually this place is extremely crowded however during this special period of coronavirus, most tourists are forbidden to coming Europe and I seemed to be the only one existence here. Behind me, a number of guildhalls and a few private houses are reconstructed after the bombardment of 1695. Their stylish golden facades with their rich sculptural decoration including pilasters and balustrades and lavishly designed gables are based on my favorite Italian Baroque with some Flemish influences. I enjoyed the special feeling of standing or sitting in squares and looking around the old buildings like I have done it before in Venice, Paris, Florence etc. Feeling the culture of the city is the meaning of travel.

这个广场被称为“大广场”，但显然它并没有那么宏大。此刻，我站在广场中心历史悠久的石板地上。通常这个地方人潮涌动，但是在这个特殊的新冠时期，大多数游客被禁止进入欧洲，我似乎成为这里独一无二的存在。在我身后，这些工会大厅和私人住宅在 1695 年的轰炸后重建。它们时尚的金色外墙以及丰富的雕塑装饰，包括壁柱和栏杆以及设计奢华的山墙均是我最喜欢的在佛朗德地区影响下的意大利巴洛克风格。我喜欢在威尼斯、巴黎、佛罗伦萨等地静静地坐在广场上环顾老建筑的特殊感觉。感受城市的文化韵味是才是旅行的意义。

The tallest building in the square is the town hall which was built between 1401 and 1455. It is very large building and is difficult to take the picture of its whole appearance. I tried to zoom in and record the numerous small statues on the façade clearly in my camera. These statues represent the local nobility and saints. The most spectacular thing is the 96 meters tall tower and is capped by a 2.7 meters statue of Saint Michael slaying a demon. Saint Michael is the patron saint of the city.

广场上最高的建筑是建于1401年至1455年之间的市政厅。这是一座非常庞大的建筑，很难拍下它的整体外观。我试着将镜头放大，把立面上无数的小雕像清晰地记录在我的相机里。这些雕像代表了当地的贵族和圣徒。最壮观的是96米高的塔楼，塔顶是2.7米高的圣迈克屠魔雕像，圣迈克也是这座城市的守护神。

When I was in the square, I was so busy in scrutinizing the every details of the buildings of different styles that I felt only two eyes were not enough for me. On the eastern side of the square, it’s one building close to French style, the House of the Dukes of Brabant. It is actually a set of seven guild-houses combined behind the same monumental façade and named after the nineteen busts of dukes of Brabant on the facade’s pilasters. It currently houses a restaurant and the square’s only hotel. Visitors could find the golden seals of the merchant trades that worked here centuries ago so it represents “Recovery of Trade and Industry.”

在广场上我忙于审视不同风格的建筑的每一个细节，顿时有种目不暇接的感觉。在广场的东侧，是一座接近法式风格的建筑——布拉班特公爵府。它实际上是一组由七个公会房屋组成的合体，位于同一巨大的立面后面，并以正立面壁柱上的 19 尊布拉班特公爵半身像命名。它目前设有一家餐厅和广场上唯一的旅馆。游客可以在这里找到几个世纪前在此间忙碌的商贸协会的金印，这些建筑也代表着“贸易和工业的复苏”。

In the south east corner of the square, there is a block of houses named in French. The house with a golden statue of a rider mounting on a horse is named of L’arbre d’or which means the tree of gold. It is House of the Corporation of Brewers dated from 1698 and is now converted into a brewery museum. Another houses at the right side of the L’arbre d’or is named of Le Cygne which is a romantic name, means swan. However, in the history of 17th century, it was the House of the Corporation of Butchers. It is very famous because Karl Marx wrote the Manifesto of the Communist Party in this house.

在广场的东南角，有一栋皆是法语名的房屋。这座装饰着一尊骑在马上的骑手的金色雕像的房子法语叫做 L’arbre d’or ，意思是金树。它是 1698 年的啤酒公司，现在改建为啤酒博物馆。 L’arbre d’or 右侧的另一座房子名曰Le Cygne，这是一个浪漫的名字，意思是天鹅。然而，在 17 世纪时期它是屠夫公司。它在历史上大名鼎鼎，卡尔马克思曾在这座房子里撰写了共产党宣言。

The house at the rightest side is the Maison de l’Étoile which means the house of the star. At the archway of this houses towards the square, the monument of Everard t’Serclaes can be found on its wall. It was created in memory of Everard t’Serclaes, a Belgian hero, who led the local people dispelling the Flemish troops out of the city. He breathed his last breath and died in the Maison de l’Étoile. It is said that touching the hand of his statue brings good luck and health so don’t miss it when you visit Brussel.

上图最右边的房子是 Maison de l’Étoile，意思是星辰居。在这栋房屋通往广场的拱门处，可以在墙上发现 Everard t’Serclaes 的纪念碑。它是为了纪念英雄 Everard t’Serclaes 带领当地人民将佛兰德军队驱赶出城市。他生前最后的弥留时刻就是在星辰居。据说触摸他的雕像的手会带来好运和健康，所以访问布鲁塞尔时一定不要错过它。

Brussel is good place of shopping as well. In the city center, there is one shopping arcades which is similar to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. The Galleries Royal is a long gallery of two upper floors designed by Belgian architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, and established in 1846 as a fashionable place for shopping and chocolate tasting. Belgium is very famous for its chocolate so around this area you can find many stores of the most prestigious Belgian chocolate brands for example Pierre Marcolini.

布鲁塞尔也是一个购物天堂。在市中心，有一个类似于米兰维多利亚长廊的购物商场。这个皇家画廊是由比利时建筑师让-皮埃尔·克鲁伊森纳设计的两层长廊，建于 1846 年，是游客购物和品尝巧克力的绝佳场所。比利时以其巧克力而闻名天下，畅游此地遍寻例如 Pierre Marcolini等众多负有盛名的比利时巧克力品牌。

Here is the end of the gallery. We can find many Italian Renaissance architecture elements here, for example, the utilization of columns, pilasters, and entablatures as an integrated system. It has one arched glass-paned roof which allows sufficient sunlight coming in.

这是画廊的尽头洋溢着众多意大利文艺复兴时期的建筑元素，例如柱子、壁柱和柱顶等系统的使用。它还拥有一个拱形的玻璃屋顶，让充分的阳光照射进来。

There are so many architecture master pieces in Brussels. However, when we talk about this city, the first impression will be this famous statue called Manneken Pis which means little pissing man. It is a naked little boy urinating into the fountain’s basin. The statue was designed by the sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy and put in place in 1618. The Manneken Pis is located in the corner of one street, just a stone’s throw away from the Grand Place. It originates from the legend in the 14th century. Brussels was under siege by a foreign army who conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Julianske happened to discover the plot. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. Manneken Pis is dressed in different costumes and changed several times each week. It is an unique feature of this city. Honestly saying, at the first glance, I was a bit disappointed because the statue was too small and always surrounded by tourists…

布鲁塞尔有众多建筑杰作。然而，当我们谈论这座城市时，第一印象一定是这座名为 Manneken Pis 的雕像，即撒尿小童。小男孩肆无忌惮在喷泉的水池里小便的雕像由雕塑家 Jérôme Duquesnoy 设计，并于 1618 年安置在这里。撒尿小童位于一条街道的拐角处，距离大广场仅一箭之遥。它起源于14世纪的传说。当时布鲁塞尔遭到外国军队的围攻，他们策划在城墙上放置炸药的阴谋。也许上天有眼一个名叫朱利安斯克的小男孩碰巧发现这一切。他迅速在燃烧的导火索上小便，从而拯救了这座城市。如今撒尿小童身着不同的服装，每周都会更换几次。这也成为了这座城市的独特之处。不过乍一看，确实有点令人失望，这座雕像实在太小了，而且总是被趋之若鹜的游客围个里三层外三层……

After several hours’ walk, I decided to find a place to fill my stomach. This restaurant is called Nooedzee, Mer du Nord is a bit different with the usual ones. It has a very large blue name plaque with a symbol of fish on it so people will think that it is fish shop. All the tables are outside the store maybe because of coronavirus. Their menu is written in French on the blackboard by hands. People just order at the counter and tell them your names. Then the food is served based on your names. I tasted the fish soup with cheese, oyster with lemon and fried cod which is suggested by the staff. The food ingredient is extremely fresh but the amount is too small. Anyway this is my first taste in Belgium and it’s always imporatnt to keep a good mood..

几个时辰的奔波后，我决定找个地方大快朵颐一番。这家名为Nooedzee, Mer du Nord的海鲜餐厅与通常的海鲜餐厅有些不同。它有一个很大的蓝色牌匾，上面有一个巨大的鱼的标志，路人们也许会误判它为鱼店。可能因为新冠疫情它所有的桌子都陈列在餐厅外面。他们的菜单是用法语手写在黑板上的。人们只是在柜台订购并告知店员你的名字。然后根据姓名上菜。我品尝了工作人员推荐的搭配奶酪的鱼汤、牡蛎和炸鳕鱼。这里的食材确实非常新鲜，不过分量略少。不管怎么，这是我在比利时的第一次的品尝, 保持好的心情才是最重要的。

In every city of Europe, there are many squares with hundred years history. You don’t need to look for them intentionally. When you pass by them occasionally, you will be amazed by their elegances. The Place des Martyrs is a historic square which name represents the martyrs of the September days of the Belgian Revolution of 1830. It symbolizes the sacrifice of 466 persons who died in the fights of September 1830 for the independence of Belgium from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. This neoclassical square was designed in 1773. It is paved by cobble stone. Walking around the square, I could discover some monuments memorizing the heroes of Belgium.

在欧洲的每个城市，都有众多具有百年历史的广场。无需刻意探寻也许当你偶遇之时，就会被这种优雅而折服。这座烈士广场也是一个历史悠久的广场，其名代表着1830 年比利时九月革命的烈士。它象征着 466 名在 1830 年 9 月为比利时脱离荷兰独立而战死的烈士。这座新古典主义的广场最早设计于 1773 年，由鹅卵石铺成。走在广场上，可以看到许多纪念比利时英雄的纪念碑。

Next, I was travelling along one street called Royale Street. There are many historical buildings relating to the creation of Belgium Kingdom and the royal family on this street. The first one is this high rising column that looks like Trajan’s Column in Rome. It commemorates the creation of the Belgian Constitution by the National Congress of 1830. It was erected between 1850 and 1859 according to a design by Joseph Poelaert. At the top of the column is a statue of Belgium’s first king Leopold I and at its base, the pedestal is surrounded by bronze statues personifying the four freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution including freedom of education, association, worship, and press. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame lies at its foot. Brussel is the capital of Belgium so there will be some landmarks relating to government.

接下来，我沿着名曰皇家大街的主干道继续我的旅行。这条街上有许多与比利时王国以及王室建立有关的历史建筑。第一个便是这个神似罗马图拉真之柱的高耸的大立柱。它是为了纪念 1830 年国民议会制定的比利时宪法。它是根据约瑟夫·波拉尔特的设计于 1850 年至 1859 年之间竖立于此。柱子顶部是比利时第一任国王利奥波德一世的雕像，基座周围环绕着青铜雕像，体现了基本宪法保障的教育、结社、宗教和言论等四项自由。燃烧着长明火焰的无名战士墓就在它的脚下。布鲁塞尔是比利时的首都，故此拥有大量与政府有关的地标。

Neoclassical architecture is very popular in Belgium during the period of Austrian occupation in the mid-18th century and existed through periods of French and Dutch occupation, until the birth of Independent Belgium. This royal square is a typic neoclassical architecture and built between 1775 and 1782. The Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine proposed to build it like the Place Stanislas in Nancy so its design follows the Place Stanislas with a statue in the center of the rectangular and symmetrical square surrounded by pavilions in the corner. The statue represents Godfrey of Bouillon the leader of the First Crusade waving the standard.

新古典主义建筑在 18 世纪中叶奥地利占领时期的比利时非常流行，并同时存在于法国和荷兰占领时期。这座皇家广场是一座典型的新古典主义建筑，建于 1775 年至 1782 年之间。奥属荷兰总督洛林的查尔斯·亚历山大王子提议将其依照南锡的斯坦尼斯拉斯广场一样建造。因此其设计完全沿用了斯坦尼斯拉斯广场的理念，在对称的正方形的广场中央有一尊雕像，四角楼阁环抱。雕像代表第一次十字军东征的领袖戈弗雷挥舞着胜利旗帜。

During the period of constructing the Royal square, Brussels Park is another part of the urban project as well. It is formerly known as the Royal Park because it lies on the site of the gardens of the former Palace of Coudenberg. This entrance is directly opposite to the Royal Palace of Brussels. It has a monumental fountain.

在建造皇家广场期间，布鲁塞尔公园也是城市项目的另一部分。它以前被称为皇家公园，位于前库登堡宫花园的遗址上。这个公园入口就在布鲁塞尔皇宫的正对面，有一个巨大的标志性喷泉。

The royal palace of Brussels is just in the south of royal square. This area is the location of old Coudenberg Palace, a very old palatial that dated back to the Middle Ages but was ruined in a fire. The new palace is built on its original site. It is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians and houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King’s Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King’s Military Household and the Intendant of the King’s Civil List. The Palace is also the location of receptions of foreign Heads of State during official visits. However the king and his family don’t live here. Their residence is in the Royal Palace of Laeken in northern Brussels.

布鲁塞尔王宫就位于皇家广场的南面。这个地区是旧库登堡宫的所在地，这是一座非常古老可以追溯到中世纪的宫殿，但在一场大火中被毁。新宫殿建在原址上。它是比利时国王和王后的官方所在地，同时也是法院内阁首脑、皇家军事首脑和文职大臣的工作场所。布鲁塞尔王宫也是接待外国国家元首的官方地点。然而，国王和他的家眷却不住在这里。他们的私人住所位于布鲁塞尔北部郊区的拉肯皇宫。

This building has an impressive façade. Its main color is gray with classical decoration and its style especially the flat roof really looks like a French building. The entrance of the palace is free and it’s worth of visiting it that records the history of Belgium. I enjoyed the cozy environment in this area. There are many open spaces. I could walk around freely and take the pictures in the preferred angle.

这座建筑的外观令人印象深刻。它的主色调为灰色，古典的装饰风格。特别是平铺的屋顶感官上极其接近法式建筑。参观宫殿的是免费的，这座记录比利时历史的宫殿值得一游。我很中意这片区域的舒适环境。放眼望去有诸多空地可以自由走动并以喜欢的角度进行拍摄。

**The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium**

In this old royal district, there are many museums. The most representative one is the Royal Museums of Fine Arts. It collects over 20,000 drawings, sculptures, and paintings, which date from the early 15th century to the present. The museum was founded in 1801 by Napoleon Bonaparte. On its façade, 4 sculptures of figures atop the four main piers represent 4 forms of arts: Music, Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting. The three rondels represent the greatest Belgian artist at that time: Rubens, Van Ruysbroek, and Jean de Bologne.

这片曾经的皇家区域还包括众多博物馆。最具代表性的是皇家美术博物馆。它收集了从 15 世纪初至今的 20,000 多幅素描、雕塑和绘画作品。该博物馆由拿破仑于 1801 年创立。在正立面上的顶上4 个人物雕塑代表了 4 种艺术形式：音乐、建筑、雕塑和绘画。这三个圆盘浮雕代表了当时最伟大的比利时艺术家鲁本斯、范鲁斯布鲁克和博洛尼亚的让。

The museum is famous of collection of Early Netherlandish painting. This is one of the Netherlandish master piece drawn by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The theme of this painting derives from one famous Greek mythology. In the story, Icarus flies with wings made by his father Daedalus who uses feathers secured with beeswax. However he ignores his father’s warnings and flies too close to the sun, melting the wax, and falls into the sea and drowns. In this picture, his legs can be seen in the water just below the ship.

这个博物馆以收藏早期荷兰绘画而闻名。这是荷兰画家老彼得·勃鲁盖尔绘制的杰作坠落的伊卡洛斯。这幅画的主题来源于一个著名的希腊神话。在故事中，伊卡洛斯用他的父亲代达罗斯制作的翅膀飞翔，代达罗斯用蜂蜡固定的羽毛。然而他无视父亲的警告，飞得靠近太阳，从而融化了蜡掉进了海水里淹死了。在这张名画中，可以看到他坠落之后的腿掉入船下方的水中。

When I continued to walk along the Royal street, I passed by one small garden and took a short break inside it. Opposite the garden, there is one cathedral called the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon. It was built in the 15th century with a Brabantine Gothic exterior and two Baroque chapels. Numerous small turrets and pinnacles make it different with other churches. In Europe, there are so many churches so most of time tourists could only pass by and leave a glimpse on them.

继续沿着皇家大道前行，途中路过一个小花园，顺便稍作休息。花园对面是一座名为萨布隆圣母教堂的大教堂。它建于 15 世纪，拥有布拉班哥特式外观和两个巴洛克式教堂。众多的塔楼和小尖塔令它与其他教堂卓尔不同。在欧洲旅行，教堂实在数不胜数，大部分时间作为匆匆过客只能留下短暂的眼缘。

The urban design in the low countries is superb. Even in this limited space in the city center, there is one small garden with benches for people to rest. This small garden called Square of Petit Sablon was built in 1890. It is surrounded by a wrought-iron balustrade, decorated with 48 bronze statuettes which represent the ancient crafts once practiced in Brussels. There are ten statues decorating the rear of the park, illustrating the country’s celebrated scholars and humanists the 16th century. The statues of the Counts of Egmont and Hornes in the fountain symbolize the fight against Spanish tyranny in the 16th century. The pedestal is decorated with the coats of arms of their families. The travel in Brussel is interesting. I just walked slowly and stopped when I found the new attractive elements.

低地国家的城市设计绝对是首屈一指。即使在市中心有限的空间里，也能创造出一个带长凳的小花园供人们休息。这座名为小萨布隆广场的小花园建于 1890 年。它被锻铁栏杆环绕，栏杆上装饰着 48 个青铜小雕像，这些小雕像代表了曾经在布鲁塞尔奋斗过的古老工艺人。公园后侧装饰着十尊雕像，展示了比利时 16 世纪著名的学者和人文主义者。喷泉中央埃格蒙特伯爵和霍恩斯伯爵的雕像象征着 16 世纪比利时与西班牙暴政的斗争。基座则装饰着他们家族的徽章。布鲁塞尔的旅行新奇有趣。安步当车般走走停停，不时发现新的惊喜。

At the end of the Royal street, there is a huge building standing on the high land of 20 meters’ height. It was the Palace of Justice, built between 1866 and 1883. It was the largest building constructed in the world in the 19th century. It’s a court building including the Belgium’s supreme court of law. This magnificent building suffered heavy damage during World War II even today most part of it is under renovation. Its dome and façade is covered in scaffolding.

在皇家大街的尽头，20米高的高地上矗立着一座巨大的建筑。它就是建于 1866 年至 1883 年之间的司法宫。它是 19 世纪世界上建造的最大的建筑。如今也是一座法院大楼，包括比利时的最高法院。这座宏伟的建筑在二战期间遭受了严重破坏，即使在今天，大部分建筑仍在翻新，它的圆顶和正立面被脚手架如包粽子般完全覆盖。

Even from far way, I could still distinguish this immense grey building with a large golden dome. Its style is a mixture of different styles. The interior of the building is decorated lavishly. It has a monumental marble staircase with Roman columns. The statues at the two flanks are Demosthenes, the famous orator of ancient Athens and Lycurgus, lawgiver of Sparta who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society.

即使在远方，我依然可以辨认出这座巨大的灰色建筑的轮廓以及金色的大圆顶。它的风格是不同风格的混搭。建筑内部装饰华丽。它有一个装饰着罗马立柱的巨大大理石楼梯。两侧的雕像分别是古雅典著名演说家德摩斯泰尼和确立以军事为主的斯巴达立法者莱库古斯。

Brussel is a large city with so many travel attractions that I had to take two days to visit them. My first day trip focuses on historical buildings in the city center. My second day trip includes some parks, gardens and private houses in the suburb. It was a sunny morning. Firstly, I visited this botanical garden. It’s an Italian garden with an orangery of a French geometry and a rotunda of French baroque style with dome and columns. The middle terrace in an Italian style, has a star-shaped rose garden and an Iris garden. I like this kind of green landscape interspersed in the crowded city.

布鲁塞尔是一个有诸多旅游景点的大城市，不得不花足足两天时间一一便览。我的第一天旅行着重于市中心的历史建筑。第二天行程包括郊区的一些公园、花园和私人住宅。这是一个阳光明媚的早晨。首先探足的便是这个植物园。这是一个意大利花园包含一个法式几何形状的橘园和一个带有圆顶和柱子的法国巴洛克风格的圆形大厅。中庭为意式风格的星形玫瑰园和鸢尾花园。我十分欣赏在拥挤的城市里点缀着绿色景观的布局。

In the east of city, there is a district of middle-class residential area. There are some gardens around this area. Marie Louise square is one of the elegant gardens with ducks swimming in the pretty tree-lined pond surrounded by greenery. A jet of fountain water comes out of a small island in the center of the pond. The garden is named by the French queen Marie-Louise, the wife of Napoleon.

城东有一片中产阶级住宅区。区域周围有诸多花园。玛丽路易丝广场就是其中一个风格优雅的花园，鸭子在绿树成荫的美丽池塘边嬉戏。一股泉水从池塘中央的一个小岛上喷涌而出。这座花园由拿破仑的妻子法国女王玛丽-路易丝命名。

There are numerous eclectic style mansions around the park. In front of the houses, there is a large surface of lawn decorated with bronze statues. I believe that the residents in these house must have a pleasant life every day when they open the window and face the greeneries and beautiful view outside.

公园四周环布风格各异的住宅。这些房屋前有一大片草坪，上面装饰着青铜雕像。脑补一下这里的住户每天打开窗户，面对外面的绿色植物宜人的风景，心情一定是舒畅无比的。

Then I passed by a series of common resident houses of Art Nouveau style. Nouveau means new in French so it means new art or modern art. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and flowers. This house only has three floors. Each block is separated by a rail fence. Although the court yard is very small, there is still a small area left for planting roses. Green moss leaves marks on the upper step and the rose vine looks like a green curtain in the yard. The small balconies are designed in different forms and their walls are painted in different colors. This kind of house is more interesting compared with the monotonous high-rise condominiums in Asian countries.

接下来我无意间路过了一列新艺术风格（Art Nouveau）的普通民居。Nouveau 在法语中的意思是新的，所以它代表着现代艺术。它通常受到自然形式例如植物和花朵的蜿蜒曲线的启发。这列房子只有三层。每个街区都由围栏隔开。庭院虽小，却留有一小块地种植玫瑰，宛然一种苔痕上阶绿,草色入帘青的感觉。小阳台被设计成不同的样式，墙壁也被涂上了不同的颜色。这种房子比亚洲国家单调的高层住宅有趣多了。

Continuing towards the east of the city, at noon I arrived at another landmark of Brussels, the Cinquantenaire Park which means the Fiftieth Anniversary. It is comprised of a set of gardens dotted with monuments and museums and dominated by a U-shaped triumphal arch with three arches. At this moment, I was standing at the large esplanade in front the arch, a very good place of taking pictures.

继续东行晌午时分我来到布鲁塞尔的另一个地标——五十周年纪念公园。它由一组散布着纪念碑和博物馆的花园组成，并以一个带有三个拱门的U形凯旋门为主。此刻我站在拱门前的大广场上，这是一个非常适合拍照的地方。

The most notable building in the park is of course this arcade. At its top, there’s a bronze quadriga entitled of Brabant Raising the National Flag and several sculptures representing the major cities and province of Belgium like Antwerp, Liege, Namur… This monument was built in 1880 for the 50th anniversary of the independence of Belgium. The pedestal in both directions bears the inscription: “This monument was erected in 1905 for the glorification of the independence of Belgium”. (One direction is in French and another direction is in Dutch.)

公园里最著名的建筑当属这个拱廊。在它的顶部，有一个名为国旗飘扬的青铜四尊马车和几座代表比利时主要城市和省份的雕塑，如安特卫普、列日、那慕尔……这座纪念碑建于 1880 年，以纪念比利时独立 50 周年。两个方向的基座上都刻有铭文：“这座纪念碑于 1905 年树立于此，以此纪念比利时独立的荣耀”。（其中一个方向是法语，另一个方向是荷兰语。）

In the suburb of Brussels, there are some Art Nouveau style private houses which are listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. They illustrate the outstanding local architecture arts to the utmost. The Stoclet Palace is a private mansion in the east of Cinquantenaire Park, very far away from the city enter. It was designed by the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann for the Belgian financier Adolphe Stoclet between 1905 and 1911. It is built in the Vienna Secession style. I have never seen this kind of style before. The artistes of this style resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists in protest against its support for more traditional artistic styles. It is a kind of transition from Art Nouveau toward modernism. This house has a tower of stacked cubic forms with minimum ornament on the façade. Of course from my view I could not get its aesthetical value but it is listed as UNESCO heritage site in 2009 due to its influence on modernism in architecture. This house is still a private house owned by the Stoclet family and not open for visit.

在布鲁塞尔郊区，有一系列被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产的新艺术风格的私人住宅。它们最好地展示了当地优秀的建筑艺术。这座斯托克莱宫是一座私人住宅，位于五十周年公园东边，离市区已经很远。它是由奥地利建筑师约瑟夫霍夫曼在 1905 年至 1911 年间为比利时金融家阿道夫斯托克莱设计的。它采用维也纳分离派风格建造。我以前从未见过这种风格。这种风格的艺术家曾经从奥地利艺术家协会辞职，以抗议其支持更传统的艺术风格。这种风格是一种从新艺术风格运动向现代主义的过渡。这所房子有一座堆叠的立方体塔，立面上的装饰朴实无华。当然，孤陋寡闻的我无法理解它的美学价值。但由于它对现代主义建筑的影响，它在 2009 年被列为联合国教科文组织遗产。这所住宅如今仍然是斯托克莱家族的私人住宅，不对外开放。

Before I visited Belgium, the only private residence that I visited was the house designed by Gaudi. This time, I was standing in front if the house of Victor Horta’s former house and workshop. Horta was an excellent Belgian architect and designer, and one of the precursors of the Art Nouveau movement. Four of his designed houses in Brussels are listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Among the 4 houses, this museum is the most important with display of furniture, utensils and art objects designed by Horta. He has a great reputation of brilliant joining of the curved lines of decoration which can be expressed in his design of the balcony.

在游览比利时之前，我曾经参观的唯一私人住宅就是高迪设计的房子。这一次，我站在另一个大师维克多霍塔的故居前。霍塔是一位杰出的比利时建筑师和设计师，也是新艺术运动的先驱之一。他在布鲁塞尔设计的四栋房屋于 2000 年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。在这四栋房屋里，这座霍塔博物馆是最重要的，它展出霍塔设计的家具、器皿和艺术品。他以出色的装饰曲线设计而享有盛誉，这可以在他设计的阳台中得到体现。

This is the living room of Horta’s house built in 1898. Horta is good at using steel frames , large windows, and skylights above stairways to bring light into the structures. His style is totally different with Gaudi. He prefers the single plain color theme in his design. The design like wooden floor, wooden door frame, and metallic doorknob is a bit closer to the modern interior decoration.

这是霍塔建于1898年的房子的客厅。霍塔擅长使用钢架、大窗户和楼梯上方的天窗为整个结构带来充足的光线。他的风格与高迪完全不同。他更喜欢在设计中使用单一的纯色主题。木地板、木门框、金属门把手等设计更接近现代室内装饰。

This is his bedroom. The wall and carpet is in dark blue which has a contrast with the yellow furniture. Horta is a great designer who designed large projects like Brussels central station. However all the furniture in his house like chairs and wardrobes are designed by him as well. Generally his room is arranged in relatively simple way. He like the big glass window that looks like a modern floor-to-ceiling window as well. Due to his great ideas of open floor plan, sunlight could come into the house easily and create a cozy environment.

这是他的卧室。墙壁和地毯是深蓝色的，与黄色的家具形成鲜明对比。霍塔是一位伟大的设计师，他还设计了布鲁塞尔中央车站等大型项目。同时他的所有家具，如椅子和衣柜，也是他自主设计而成。总体来说，他的房间布置得比较简单。他也喜欢很接近现代落地窗的大玻璃窗。由于对开放式设计的使用，阳光可以轻易进入房间创造出一个舒适的环境。

Brussels is large city and it has a perfect urban development plan with a good transportation system as well. For tourists it is easy to travel all the sites that I mention above in two days. Belgian city is not so famous compared with France and Italy. But there are different elements like parks, museums, palaces, squares and private houses for you to explore the history of Belgium. The trip could also widen your visions especially if you have not any ideas of the Art Nouveau. So don’t miss it as your next travel destination after the coronavirus ends.

最后补充一句布鲁塞尔是一座大城市，拥有完善的城市规划和良好的交通系统。对于游客来说，两天内游览我上面提到的所有景点易如反掌。与法国和意大利相比，比利时城市并没有那么出名。但也包括如公园、博物馆、宫殿、广场和私人住宅等不同的风格元素供游客探索比利时的历史。旅行还可以拓宽视野，特别是如果你对新艺术运动一无所知的话那么布鲁塞尔一定是你新冠病毒结束后的下一个旅行目的地。

In the morning light of Antwerp

February 20, 2022February 22, 2022Posted in Belgium, TravelTagged Antwerp, Belgium, Travel, World heritage siteLeave a comment

朝行安特卫普

Yanni in the morning light

In the morning of September 10th, 2020, I was on my way back to France from Amsterdam. My planned trip was from Amsterdam to Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, then Lille. In September, the weather in Low countries is usually rainy. I was really favored by the God that when I arrived at Antwerp, it was a sunny day with little breeze. I could bask in the warm morning sunlight freely when I just stepped out of the gate of station.

2020年9月10日早晨，我踏上从阿姆斯特丹返回法国的归途。计划的旅行路线是从阿姆斯特丹到比利时的安特卫普、根特、布鲁日，最后是法国里尔。九月初，低地国家的天气通常淫雨霏霏。可是我真的受上天眷顾，到达安特卫普之时，天气晴朗，风轻云淡。刚迈出车站大门，就自在地沐浴在一抹温暖的晨光中。

Antwerp station was one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. I was stunned by its elegant designs when I got off the train. The architecture style of the station is eclecticism. It knits together the materials of the past (stone and marble) and the present(metal and glass). It was constructed in 1895. Its façade combines the neo-classical architectural elements characterized by the simple geometric forms and the Doric columns and the neo-renaissance architectural elements characterized by order and symmetry.

安特卫普车站被评为世界上最美丽的火车站之一。刚下火车，它优雅的设计就令我感到震撼。车站的建筑风格是折中风格。它将代表过去的建筑材料（石头和大理石）和代表现代的建筑材料（金属和玻璃）结合在一起。始建于1895年，它的立面结合了以简单几何形式和多立克柱为特征的新古典建筑元素和以秩序和对称为特征的新文艺复兴建筑元素。

The luxury design of the entrance hall of the station was really amazing. The staircase is decorated with marble balustrade like a Baroque palace. The big clock installed on the semi-circular glass panel is decorated with the gilded coat of arms of the city. There are many columns and arcades that makes me feel like that I was inside a renaissance building in Florence. The vast dome above the waiting room hall was designed by Louis Delacenserie and the vast (185 meters long and 44 meters high) iron and glass trainshed was designed by Clement van Bogaert. The principal designer Louis Delacenserie drew the inspiration from Lucerne Station in Switzerland. If I have a chance to visit Lucerne in the future, I will compare the difference and similarity of both stations firstly.

车站的入口大厅的豪华设计令人闻之瞠目。楼梯上装饰着大理石栏杆，宛如一座巴洛克式的宫殿。安装在半圆形玻璃面板上的大钟装饰着镀金的安特卫普城市徽章。众多柱子和拱廊仿佛将我置身于佛罗伦萨的一座文艺复兴时期的建筑中。候车室大厅上方的巨大圆顶由比利时建筑师Louis Delacenserie 设计，巨大的（185 米长和 44 米高）钢铁玻璃候车棚由 Clement van Bogaert 设计。车站首席设计师 Louis Delacenserie 从瑞士的卢塞恩车站汲取灵感设计了本站。愚以为若以后有机会去卢塞恩旅游，首先就会比较两个站的不同和相似处。

The most spectacular architecture of the hall is the 75-metre-high dome decorated with different types of marbles. The huge dome of the hall remind me of the Pantheon in Rome. At this moment, I felt like I was standing under the cupola of a cathedral.

大厅里最壮观的建筑就是75米高的圆顶，上面装饰着不同类型的大理石。大厅的巨大圆顶不由得让人想起罗马的万神殿。此刻我恍惚有种站在某个大教堂的圆顶下的错觉。

Outside the train station, there is a district of China town. As a Chinese, I was excited to see this Chinese style golden Pagodepoort (which means pagoda gate or paifang) in the land out of China. The Chinese character on the gate means the Chinese market in Antwerp. Another traditional Chinese element is the pairs of stone lions at the gateway. Antwerp Chinatown’s archway was the second Chinatown archway in Europe.

车站外有一片唐人街区。作为一个中国人，在海外看到这类中国风格的金色牌坊还是略感激动。大门上的汉字安市华埠也许通安特卫普中国市场之意。另一个中国传统元素就是门口的一对石狮子。安特卫普的拱门是欧洲的第二座唐人街拱门。

Antwerp is famous of Flemish arts. The most well-known local painters are David Teniers and Peter Paul Rubens. Their statues in the city square of Antwerp are worshipped by visitors all around the world. Near the train station, the first statue that was seen immediately was the statue of David Teniers. He was a Flemish Baroque painter, born in Antwerp in 1610. He is an innovators of painting and remembered as the leading Flemish genre painter of his day. From this statue, I was walking towards a notable pedestrian street called Meir with many shops and historical sites and started my trip in Antwerp.

安特卫普以佛拉芒艺术而闻名世界。当地最著名的画家是大卫·特尼尔斯和彼得·保罗·鲁本斯。他们的雕像自然在安特卫普的城市广场上接收各地游客的膜拜。火车站附近，第一眼映入眼帘就是大卫·特尼尔斯的雕像。他是一位佛拉芒巴洛克风格画家，1610 年出生于安特卫普。他是巴洛克绘画的创新者，被世人铭记为引领潮派的佛拉芒流派画家。从这座雕像出发，我走向一条名为 Meir 的有众多商店和历史遗迹的著名步行街，开启了我的安市之旅。

The historical city center is just in the west of the train station so it was convenient to visit all the monuments within few hours. The first famous building on this street is called palace in Meir. It is a beautiful rococo palace with three wings around a small courtyard. This building traced back to 18th century is used for reception of important rulers such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Willem I of the Netherlands and it is also used as the Belgian Royal House. Nowadays after so many years, it becomes a museum but when I arrived the museum was closed temporarily.

历史悠久的老城区就坐落于火车站的西边，几个小时以内就可方便地参观所有的古迹。这条街上第一座著名的建筑叫做梅厄宫(Paleis op de Meir)。这是一座美丽的洛可可式宫殿，三翼环绕着一个小庭院。这座建于 18 世纪的建筑曾用于接待拿破仑·波拿巴、荷兰威廉一世等重要统治者，它也被用作比利时王室驻地。如今时过境迁，它已经摇身一变成为了博物馆，遗憾的是，在我造访之日博物馆暂时关闭了。

Another well-known building in the Meir street is this ordinary-looking residential house. When we talked about the painting of Belgium, the painters that we can first remember must be Rubens and Van Dyck. Peter Paul Rubens is definitely the forever pride of this city. His house Rubenshuis not fat away from the royal palace is well preserved. Rubens purchased the house in 1610 and renovated it on the basis of designs by himself. After the renovations, the house had the outlook of an Italian palace, which reflected the unique artistic ideals of Rubens.

Meir街上另一座著名的建筑就是这座平凡无奇的民居。当我们谈到比利时的绘画，耳熟能详的画家一定是鲁本斯和范戴克。彼得保罗鲁本斯绝对是这座城市永远的骄傲。他曾经的居所，离王宫不远保存完好如初。鲁本斯于 1610 年购买了这座宅院，并在自己设计的基础上对其进行了翻新。整修后的房子呈现出意大利宫殿般的外观，体现了鲁本斯独特的艺术思路。

Rubens is regarded as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. His Baroque style painting emphasized on movement, color, and sensuality. He ran a big art workshop in Antwerp so he had very close relationship with this city. Most of his works are history painting which are conserved in the reception room of his house. This photo shows his self portrait. From these artworks, you could get the insights into his talent heart even after 400 years.

鲁本斯被认为是佛拉芒巴洛克艺术传统中最具影响力的艺术家。他的巴洛克风格绘画强调运动、色彩和感性。这位德国画家曾在安特卫普开设了一家大型艺术工作室便和这座城市结下不解之缘。其大部分作品都是历史画，保存在鲁本斯故居的客厅。这张照片里展示的是他的自画像。即使400年后你也可以通过他的艺术作品洞察他天才的内心。

Through the entrance of the house, there is a Roman arch of triumph leading to a garden. This is the place where the artist, who acted as the official diplomatic role at the court of the Spanish Netherlands, grew his plants. Rubens designed everything of the house by himself based on Italian Renaissance palace architecture so we can find many elements of renaissance here. As an admirer of Renaissance building, I appreciated his design of Italian style which gave me a similar resonance.

穿过住所入口，一个通向花园的罗马凯旋门赫然出现。这是这位在西班牙荷兰宫廷担任外交官时期种植花卉的地方。鲁本斯根据意大利文艺复兴时期的宫殿建筑自主设计了这座房子的一切，所以众多文艺复兴元素遍地可寻。作为文艺复兴建筑的崇拜者，我由衷欣赏他的设计，这种意大利风也会引起我的共鸣。

Rubens created most of his works in this studio in the picture. There are many bas-reliefs and pillars on the façade of the studio. It looks like the palace in the street of Garibaldi in Genova. Outside the studio, it is the garden designed by Rubens based on his painting “Strolling in the Garden” . It’s an oasis of quiet in the bustling city. Rubens planted sunflowers, orange and fig trees in his garden. He could sit down at the window side and watch the shadows of garden in his spare time. After visiting this place, I think Rubens really had an admirable life. He could live in his own world leisurely and enjoyed the life in his own way. If you are interested in Flemish art or his life, Rubens house will definitely be a wonderful place to visit.

鲁本斯在照片中的这个工作室创作了他的大多数作品。工作室的正立面装饰有许多浅浮雕和廊柱。它看起来就像热那亚加里波第大街上的一座宫殿。画室外，是鲁本斯根据他的画作《漫步花园》设计的小花园。这里是繁华都市中的一片宁静绿洲。鲁本斯在他的花园里种植了向日葵、橙树和无花果树，在闲暇之余坐对当窗木，看移三面阴。参观完他的住所不由得一声感叹，鲁本斯的生活真的很令人羡慕。他可以自在地活在自己的世界里，以自己的方式享受生活。如果你对佛拉芒艺术或者这种生活感兴趣，鲁本斯故居绝对是一个值得游览的好地方。

Rubens is so famous that his bronze statue is placed on the Groenplaats place since 1843. There are numerous bars, cafes and fast food restaurants around this historical square. It is recommended to have a cup of coffee here and stare at the high rising cathedral in the back of the square.

鲁本斯大名享誉世界，他的铜像自 1843 年起就被放置在格罗恩普拉茨广场上。这个历史悠久的广场周围有许多酒吧、咖啡馆和快餐店。推荐在这里喝杯咖啡，遥望广场后面高高耸立的大教堂。

It is weird that Rubens’ figure is depicted as one Roman cavalry instead of a painter. He hold a sword around his waist and wore his iconic wide-brimmed hat and kept a gesture of fighting. There are several Latin words CIVI OLIM SUO – S.P. Q.A. – SUMPTIB. PUBL. ET PRIV. – P. – MDCCCXXXX on the base of the statue. It reminds me of the statues of Roman Emperors.

尤为奇怪的是，鲁本斯的形象被描绘成一位罗马骑士而不是画家。他戴着标志性的宽檐帽，腰间手握一把剑，保持着战斗姿势。几个拉丁字母 CIVI OLIM SUO – S.P. Q.A. MDCCCXXXX 刻在雕像的底座上，不由得让我想起了罗马皇帝的塑像。

In the photo above, it is the most famous church in Antwerp called The Cathedral of Our Lady. The church has a very tall bell tower, up to 123 meters. In Belgium, one of the special view points to be noticed by the travelers is the bell tower (belfry) in the city center. The belfry of this cathedral is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites however when I arrived, it was under restoration and forbidden to visitors.

在上面的照片中，它是安特卫普最著名的教堂，叫做圣母大教堂。教堂有一座非常高的钟楼，高达123米。在比利时，游客着重参观的景点就是老城区的钟楼（也叫做belfry）。这座大教堂的钟楼同时也被列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录，但是我再一次乘兴而来，败兴而去，它这天正在修缮中，禁止游客参观。

It took totally 169 years to complete this church, from 1352 to 1521. It is really a miracle to build the highest building in the low countries at that time. It shows the ultimate gothic architecture art in the mean time. Also this church contains the superb Baroque art. Visitors could wander in this artistic mecca and focus on the magnificent large altar paintings by Rubens. On this photo, the painting in the choir above the main altar is called ‘The Assumption of the Virgin’. Rubens has a wonderful master of the colors in this painting.

这座教堂从1352年伊始到1521年，足足用了169年才建成完工。在中世纪就建造出了低地国家最高的建筑绝对是一个奇迹。它同时也展示了高超的哥特式建筑艺术并且包含了精湛的巴洛克绘画艺术。游客徜徉于这片艺术圣地专注欣赏鲁本斯宏伟的大型祭坛画。这张照片上，主祭坛上方的合唱团中的这幅画被称为“圣母升天”。世人皆惊叹鲁本斯的妙手丹青尤其是其对色彩的把握更是如火纯青。

Don’t forget that this church has an awesome dome. In the palace or church in Europe, the paintings on their ceilings always impress me. In the tower of this church, there is a huge circular painting on the ceiling as well. This beautiful painting’s diameter of 5.8 meters is created by Cornelis Schut. Its name is also ‘The Assumption of the Virgin’. Antwerp Cathedral is dedicated to the mother of Christ – the Virgin Mary so many artworks in the church is related with her. This painting depicts the story of Mary ascending into heaven.

另外这座教堂还有一个令人赞叹的圆顶。在欧洲的宫殿或教堂里，他们天顶上的壁画总会留下深刻的印象。在这座教堂的塔楼内，天顶上也绘制了一幅巨大的圆形画。这幅美轮美奂的画作直径 5.8 米，由 Cornelis Schut 创作。它的名字也是“圣母升天”。安特卫普大教堂是用于祭拜基督之母——圣母玛利亚，教堂里的许多艺术品自然都与她息息相关。这幅画描绘了圣母升天的宗教故事。

Another stylish church in Antwerp is the St. Charles Borromeo Church. This church has a very beautiful façade of Baroque style. Rubens contributed a lot to the decoration and design of the church. It was built between 1615 and 1621 by the Jesuits. There are many small sculpture of Jesus and the saints in the niches on the façade. The emblem of the Jesuits ‘IHS’ etched on a crucifix was at a conspicuous position above the entrance. ‘IHS’ is called a ‘Christogram’ and is an ancient way of writing the word ‘Jesus Christ’. This emblem hold by angels was designed Rubens.

安特卫普另一座别具风格的教堂是圣查尔斯博罗梅奥教堂。这座教堂拥有非常漂亮的巴洛克风格外观。鲁本斯对教堂的装饰和设计贡献良多。它由耶稣会士于 1615 年至 1621 年间建造。正面的壁龛中有许多耶稣和圣徒的小雕塑。耶稣受难像上雕刻的耶稣会会徽“IHS”位于入口上方的显眼位置。 “IHS”被称为“基督象征”，是一种古老的书写“耶稣基督”这个词的方式。这个天使环抱的标志是由鲁本斯设计。

Rubens has designed the altar surrounded by black marble as well. There is a pulley system to hang religious paintings on the altar. The Antwerp Jesuits used this system to change paintings periodically. Nowadays the paintings will be changed on important days like Easter Monday and the Feast of the Assumption.

鲁本斯同时还设计了黑色大理石环绕的祭坛。有一个滑轮系统可以将宗教画挂在祭坛上。安特卫普耶稣会士使用这个系统定期更换画作。如今，这些画将在复活节星期一和圣母升天节等重要节日进行更换。

**The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library**

Behind the St. Charles Borromeo Church, there is a building with Dutch letters ‘stadsbibliotheek’. Many European languages are similar so I could roughly guess out the function of this building is city library. It is named after the Flemish writer Hendrik Conscience and the statue in this photo is him. Visitors could walk in freely and find out Antwerp’s history. Here there are more than 1 million collections of books about Dutch literature and the cultural history of Flanders.

在圣查尔斯博罗梅奥教堂后面，有一栋带有荷兰字母“stadsbibliotheek”的建筑。众多欧洲语言都是如此相似，所以我可以大致猜出这座建筑的功能是城市图书馆。它以佛兰德作家亨德里克命名，这张照片中的雕像就是此公。游客可以自由进出了解安特卫普的历史。这里有超过100万册关于荷兰文学和法兰德地区文化史的书籍。

The city center of Antwerp is steeped in history. In Belgium, another special viewpoint to be noticed by visitors is the triangle roof house in the grand squares. These old houses are the guild houses in medieval times. They are used by guilds for meetings historically. The Low Countries used to have guildhalls in every city, like Brussel, Antwerp, and Ghent.

安特卫普老城区历史悠久。在比利时，另一个值得游客驻足回首的便是是大广场上的三角形顶房屋。这些老房子属于中世纪的商贸公会。历史上它们被公会用于会议。低地国家曾经在每个城市都设有公会大厅，比如布鲁塞尔、安特卫普和根特。

If you want to look for the remnant of the sealed history, please move to the guild houses of Sint-Joris and de Valk that can be found in the Grote Market. It is a big square situated in the heart of the city quarter near the Scheldt river. It means Great Market Square. Historically many English merchants would come here and do business with merchants from the Hanseatic cities in north Germany. From the end of the fifteenth century, Antwerp overtook Bruges as the most prominent city of the Low Countries. This square is the most representative place of Antwerp. The city hall of Antwerp is located in this square.

若要追寻那段尘封的往事，请移步Grote Market广场上的Sint-Joris 和 de Valk 的公会之家。这里是一个宽阔的大广场，位于斯海尔德河附近的老城区。Grote Market意思是大市场。历史上，许多英国商人来这里与德国北部汉萨同盟城市的商人做生意。从十五世纪末开始，安特卫普取代布鲁日成为低地国家最出名的城市。这个广场也是安特卫普最具代表性的地方。安特卫普市政厅就坐落在这个广场上。

In the center of square, there is a bronze statue of a man throwing a huge severed hand. The statue was designed by the Belgian sculptor Jef Lambeaux and inaugurated in 1887. This statue is tribute to the great soldier Silvius Brabo. According to legend, there was a giant who built a fortress along the Scheldt River. The giant forced passing boats to pay a toll, If the travelers refused, the giant would cut off one of their hands and tossed it into the river. When Brabo arrived, he dueled with the giant bravely and chopped off the giant’s hand, which he threw into the river just like the giant once did. The name of the city ‘Antwerpen’ in Flemish also means ‘hand throwing’.

广场中央，有一尊男子投掷巨大断手的铜像。该雕像由比利时雕塑家 Jef Lambeaux 设计，于 1887 年落成。这座雕像纪念伟大的士兵布拉博。相传，有一位巨人在斯海尔德河沿岸建造了一座堡垒。巨人强迫过往的船只支付过路费，如果旅行者拒绝，巨人就会砍掉他们的一只手，然后把它扔进河里。当布拉博路过时，他勇敢地与巨人决斗并斩断了巨人的手，就像它一样，将手扔进了河里。“安特卫普”这个名称在佛拉芒语中也有“投掷手臂”的意思。

When tourists continue walking towards west, there is a castle standing at the riverside of Scheldt. It was built between 1200 and 1225, which was Antwerp’s oldest building. At that period, Antwerp belongs to county of Flanders, which was subordinate to the king of France. The name Het Steen in Dutch stands for ‘The Rock’. In history, Het Steen became the museum of archeology and maritime history as well. At the entrance, there is a bas-relief of Semini, above the archway. Semini is the Scandinavian God of youth and fertility. In medieval time, people have realized the importance of fertility. More population means stronger strength for one country.

当游客继续一路向西，有一座城堡矗立在斯海尔德河畔。它建于 1200 年至 1225 年之间，是安特卫普最古老的建筑。曾几何时，安特卫普属于法兰德斯郡，隶属于法兰西国王。它的名字Het Steen 在荷兰语中代表“岩石”。在历史上，Het Steen 城堡也成为了考古和海洋历史博物馆。在入口处，拱门上方是塞米尼的浅浮雕。塞米尼是斯堪的纳维亚神话里的青春和生育之神。在中世纪，人们已经意识到生育的重要性。人口越多，国家实力越强。

The museum of archeology and maritime history was moved to this building in the recent years. The Museum aan de Stroom was open in 2011. It was obvious a modern building which looked totally different compared to the old buildings in the city center. This postmodern Art Deco building was made of Indian red sandstone and curved glass panel. It collects mostly the maritime documents of international trade and shipping, art and culture work of the port of Antwerp.

近年来，考古和海洋历史博物馆搬到了途中这座建筑。 Museum aan de Stroom 博物馆于 2011 年开放。很明显，与市中心的古老建筑相比，这是一座完全迥异的现代风格的建筑。这座后现代装饰艺术风格的建筑由印度红砂岩和弧形玻璃面板制成。它主要收集了安特卫普港的国际贸易和航运、艺术和文化的海事文件。

When I arrived at the port of Antwerp, I was far away from the historical city center and there is nothing more special to mention. Antwerp is linked to the North Sea through the River Scheldt so it is one of the most important port in the world, second largest port in Europe. It is a quite influential city and is famous of diamond industry as well. For tourists who are interested in diamond, they can visit the diamond district in Antwerp.

到达安特卫普港时，距离历史悠久的老城区已经相距甚远，没有什么特别的景点值得一提的。安特卫普通过斯海尔德河与北海相连，因此它是世界上最重要的港口之一，也是欧洲第二大港口。它是一个颇具影响力的城市，钻石业独步天下。如果对钻石感兴趣的游客可以去安特卫普的钻石区游览片刻。

However for me I just enjoyed a pleasant half day in the city area which was good enough. If people asked me about this city, I would tell them excitedly that in one summer morning, I have visited the house where Rubens had lived and walked through the alleys with many towers and the medieval court yards. Of course, no matter what happens, travel in a good mood is always the most important because the golden year does not come again and it is difficult to return to the morning of yesterday.

然而对我而言，我只是在老城区度过了悠然自得的半天，这已经足够了。如果有人向我提及这座城市，我会兴奋地讲述，在一个美好的夏日清晨，我徘徊于鲁本斯的住处，穿行于塔楼遍布的深院小巷。当然，无论发生什么，带着好心情去旅行永远是最重要的。毕竟盛年不重来,一日难再晨。

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The brilliant summer of Ghent

January 23, 2022January 24, 2022Posted in Belgium, TravelTagged Belgium, Gent, Ghent, World heritage siteLeave a comment

根特的璀璨夏日

Colors of the wind

Time has passed fast. This is my first blog in the new year of 2022.Now due to the spreading of covid-19, I have to stay in Singapore but I always miss my trips in the last two years. During my graduation trip in 2020, I have visited many fairy-tale cities in Europe. Ghent is one attractive, ancient and splendid city in north Belgium which is a tale of the Flemish Region. It owns numerous medieval buildings that are now still well preserved and restored. The belfry and town hall, were listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1999. Its name derives from Ganda, the Celtic word which means ‘confluence’.

时光荏苒,岁月如梭。转眼到了2022年，这是我在新年的第一篇博客。目前由于 covid-19新冠的肆虐，我不得不苟且在新加坡，但我总是心念过去两年的旅行。尤其是2020年的毕业旅行，我曾踏足欧洲众多童话般的城市。根特就是比利时北部一座迷人、古老而充满活力的城市。ta记录了佛兰德地区的历史并拥有许多中世纪建筑，时至今日仍然保存完好。古城的钟楼和市政厅于 1999 年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。根特的名字来源于凯尔特语甘达，意思是“汇合”。

I took the train from Antwerp and got off at the station Gent-Dampoort which was the nearest station to the city area. Illuminated by the warm sunlight of September, the River Leie reflected the silhouette of the colorful houses arranged orderly along the river side. This is my first glimpse of this ancient city. I will say I would love it at the first sight. In the first half of the 20th century, this section of riverside was known as a favorite place for numerous painters.

我从安特卫普乘火车，在距离市区最近的车站 Gent-Dampoort 下车。在九月暖阳的照耀下，Leie河倒映着沿岸排列整齐的五颜六色房屋的轮廓。这是我与这座古城的首次邂逅，确实令我一见倾心。在20世纪上半叶，这一段河边盛景也是无数画家的最爱取景之地。

It is a pleasure to walk along the Scheldt and Leie Canals that surround the city center. The handrails on the river bank are decorated with beautiful flowers. The high rising ancient steeple-roofed castles just stand in the other side of water silently. This castle named Geeraard de Duivelsteen was built in the 13th century and was named after the knight Geeraard Vilain. It served as defense of the city’s port for hundreds years.

沿着环绕老城区的Scheldt和Leie运河漫步是一种享受。河岸上的栏杆上装饰着灿烂的花朵。高高耸立的古老尖顶城堡静静地矗立在河的彼岸。这座名为 Geeraard de Duivelsteen 的城堡建于 13 世纪，以骑士 Geeraard Vilain 的名字命名。它曾作为城市港口的防御工事而存在几百年。

This castle has a grim and intimidating appearance. Through the centuries in the medieval time, it has been used as an arsenal, a monastery, and a bishop’s seminary. In 1623, it became a madhouse for the mentally ill people. This anecdote creates a quaint and eccentric atmosphere to this building with name of devil (Duivelsteen in Dutch means devil).

这座城堡有着冷峻而令人生畏的外观。在中世纪过去的几个百年，它一直被用作武器库、修道院和主教的神学院。 1623年后，这里成为精神病患者的疗养院。这些成年轶事也为这座名为恶魔的建筑营造了一种光怪陆离的氛围。

During my trip in Europe, I was always interested in the statues of celebrity because they usually represent one brilliant piece of story of the city. At the end of the canal, there was a bronze statue of Lieven Bauwens. He was a Belgian entrepreneur and industrial spy who brought a spinning mule and skilled workers to Belgium during the booming industrial revolution. He was largely respected by the Flanders because he started textile plants in Ghent in 1800 and promoted the textile industry in the area.

在欧洲旅行期间，我一直对名人雕像特别留意，因为它们通常代表了这座城市的时代剪影。在运河的尽头，有一尊列文·鲍文斯的铜像。他是一位比利时企业家和商业间谍，在风起云涌的工业革命时代他曾将纺纱骡子技术和纺织技术工人带到比利时。由于 1800 年他在根特开设了纺织厂，并促进了该地区的纺织工业，他也特别受到佛兰德斯人的拥戴。

Most medieval buildings concentrate in the city center. Among them, the tallest is this Saint Bavo Cathedral. The construction of the Gothic church began around 1274. It has two high spires with height up to 89 meters. We can find the two interesting posters on the wall of entrance, stating: Lam gods is here. Van Eyck is here. The cathedral is noted for the famous religious art piece Ghent Altarpiece created by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. It is also called The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

大多数中世纪建筑集中在市中心的老城区。其中，最高的就是圣巴沃大教堂。这座哥特式教堂的建造始于 1274 年左右。它有两个直达云霄尖顶，最高可达 89 米。在教堂入口的墙上我发现了两张有趣的海报，上面写着：神的羔羊在此。范艾克在此。这座大教堂以休伯特和扬·范·艾克创作的著名宗教艺术作品《根特祭坛画》而闻名。它也被称为神秘羔羊的崇拜。

In Flanders area, Dutch is the most language used. The Ghent Altarpiece is called Het Lam Gods in Dutch. The famous Flemish painters and brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck completed this masterpiece in 1432. It consists of twelve interior panels which measures 5.2m x 3.75 m. It depicts the scenes of the God flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The central panel of the lower shows a religious ceremony of an adoration of the Lamb. Lamb of god is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. In that part, John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So it is why the art piece is called Lamb Gods.

在佛兰德地区，荷兰语是使用最多的语言。根特祭坛画在荷兰语中被称为 Het Lam Gods（就是海报里的Lam Gods）。著名的佛兰德画家休伯特和扬·范·艾克兄弟于1432 年完成了这幅杰作。它由 12 个内部面板组成，尺寸为 5.2 米 x 3.75 米。它描绘了上帝，和两侧的圣母玛利亚和施洗约翰。下部的中央面板显示了崇拜羔羊的宗教仪式。神的羔羊是约翰福音书中的对耶稣的称呼。在那个章节，施洗约翰看到耶稣并感叹道：“看，神的羔羊，除去了世人的罪孽。这就是为什么这件艺术品被称为神的羔羊。

There are three medieval towers overlooking the old city center. Another extremely tall building is the belfry of Ghent. It is the symbol of the city, memorizing the city’s independence. In north France and Belgium, there are numerous bell towers with the similar style. They represent the architecture arts of Flanders and Wallonia under the influence of the former County of Flanders. The construction of the tower began in 1313. There is a gilded dragon installed at the top of the building in 1377. At medieval time, the ringing bell was to remind the citizens of Ghent of enemy or a battle won.

根特有三座中世纪塔楼可以俯瞰老城区。另一座高耸入云的建筑就是根特钟楼。它是根特标志性建筑，以纪念城市的独立。在法国北部和比利时，有许多类似风格的钟楼。它们代表了受前佛兰德公国影响的佛兰德和瓦隆的建筑艺术。钟塔的建造始于 1313 年, 并于1377 年在建筑物的顶部安装了一条镀金的龙。在中世纪，钟声长鸣是为了提醒根特的公民有敌人入侵或战斗胜利。

Now I was standing in the square of Sint-Baafsplein which was the heart of the city. In Europe, square is always the cultural and historical place for leisure and assembly. From this square, visitors could sit at the terrace of cafeteria and look up at the top of the bell tower. This is very popular place for tourists. There are some small shops selling postcard around the square. The gothic building adjoining the belfry is the Cloth Hall. It used to be the meeting place of the wool and cloth traders. It is really an amazing experience to sit in the square under the warm sun light peacefully and keep my eyes on the flowing fountain and the roaring trams passing by.

此刻我站在市中心的圣巴夫广场上。在欧洲，广场一直是休闲和集会的文化和历史场所。从这个广场上，游客可以坐在餐厅的露台上，仰望钟楼的顶部。它是非常受游客欢迎的地方。广场周围有一些卖明信片的小店。毗邻钟楼的哥特式建筑是织物馆。这里曾经是棉毛商人的交易地。在温暖的阳光下安然坐在广场上，注视着面前流淌的喷泉和轰鸣经过的有轨电车，真是一种奇妙的体验。

Under the belfry’s shade, the tourists could have a drink in front of the Gent theatre. Its façade contains some beautiful sculptures in the niche and some colorful frescos. The theatre NTGent is the home of the Royal Dutch Theatre. It is the ideal place for the classic music lover. In the center of the square, the fountain with the statue of Jan-Frans Willems is just in front of the theatre. As a cofounder of the Flemish Movement, Jan-Frans Willems opposed the government’s language policy in favor of the French-speaking people.

在钟楼的阴影下，游客们可以在根特剧院前小酌一杯。它的正立面含有一些壁龛中美丽的雕塑和色彩缤纷的壁画。根特剧院是荷兰皇家剧院的所在地。是古典音乐爱好者的理想去处。在广场的中心，装饰着扬-弗兰斯·威廉斯雕像的喷泉伫立在剧院的前面。作为佛兰芒语运动的联合创始人，扬-弗兰斯·威廉斯一直反对政府的有利于法语群体的语言政策。

I enjoyed relaxingly walking around the city center with so many old buildings in this cozy afternoon. Without notice, I passed by their city hall where parked many bicycles. It is one historical monument of the city and reflects the brilliant history and evolution of the city starting from the late 15th century until present. It combines many architectural styles like Gothic ornaments and Renaissance design elements. It has a unique rooftop with many triangle windows. The city hall is indeed an impressive building but my attention was drawn by the man blowing bubbles. In the small cities in Europe, I could always see some people playing instruments leisurely or having fun in the street. The rhythm of carefree life style in these cities is totally different compared with the metropolis that I have lived.

在这个舒适的下午，在如此多古老建筑环绕的市中心漫步真是令人愉悦的放松。不经意之间经过了根特的市政厅，那里停着许多自行车。市政厅是这座城市的历史古迹之一，反映了这座城市从 15 世纪末到现在的辉煌历史和演变。它结合了各异的建筑风格，如哥特式装饰和文艺复兴时期的设计元素。市政厅有一个独特的屋顶以及许多三角形窗户确实令人印象深刻，但我的注意力却被被那个吹泡泡的艺人所吸引。在欧洲的小城市里，我总能看到一些人悠闲地弹奏乐器，或者在街上玩耍。这种悠闲的生活节奏和我一直住过的大都市截然不同。

Next I followed the track of tram and stepped on this arch stone bridge. I had to say that this city always gave me infinite surprise. Along the river bank, there was an amazing view close to the fairy-tale world that I always imagined in my mind. From the Saint Michael’s Bridge, I could see many stylish houses, the Ghent’s iconic bell tower and the massive Gothic church.

接着我沿着电车的轨道，踏上了这座拱形石桥。不得不说，这座城市总是给我无限惊喜。河岸两边，一直在我脑海中浮想联翩的童话世界在我眼前栩栩展开。从圣迈克尔桥上，众多极具特色的小房子，根特标志性的钟楼和巨大的哥特式教堂映入我的眼帘。

The history of this magnificent church called Saint Michael could be traced to 11st century. The construction of the current Gothic church started from 1440. Due to a series of delays and fund deficiency, the tower could not be finished. Until 1828, a flat roof was built over the unfinished tower. The church includes many paintings by Baroque artists like van Dyck. It was located at the west of the Saint Michael’s Bridge. Many boats passed through the bridge and arrived at the famous Graslei.

这座宏伟的圣迈克尔教堂的历史可以追溯到 11 世纪。如今的哥特式教堂的始建于1440年。由于一系列的延误和经费不足，最终塔楼始终无法完工。到 1828 年，最后在未完工的塔楼上建造了一个平顶。这间教堂里有许多巴洛克艺术家如著名的范戴克的画作。它位于圣迈克尔桥的西边。许多小船经过此桥，抵达了著名的格拉斯莱码头。

The most iconic view of Ghent must be the Graslei which is always displayed on postcard. Graslei is a vibrant quay in the right bank of river Leie. It’s a medieval port which history dated back to fifth century when Ghent was the center of the wheat trade in the County of Flanders. It is a well known landscape of the well preserved medieval houses with stepped gable and cafeteria. Most local people prefer to relax at the riverbank, dangling their legs over the quay comfortably and bask themselves in the pleasant sunlight. It is definitely a romantic experience to sit down here with the lover appreciating every detail of the city, isn’t it?

根特最具标志性的景观一定是在明信片上反复出现的格拉斯莱。格拉斯莱（Graslei）是一个充满活力的码头，位于 Leie 河的右岸。这是一个古老的港口，它的历史可以追溯到五世纪，当时根特是佛兰德郡小麦贸易的中心。这一片区域是中世纪保存完好的阶梯式山墙房屋的著名景点。众多当地百姓也喜欢在两岸放松身心，双腿舒适地悬搭在码头岸上，沐浴在宜人的阳光下。坐在这里和挚爱欣赏城市的每一个细节绝对是一种浪漫的体验。

It is recommended to take a boat trip from the Graslei. Along the Leie River, you must admire the Flemish Renaissance buildings at the banks. Most of them are the guild houses in the medieval times. The canal in Ghent is not so long compared to the Grand canal in Venice so the boat trip usually takes just 40 minutes.

非常推荐从格拉斯莱乘船游览根特。沿着Leie河便可欣赏河岸边的佛兰芒文艺复兴时期的建筑。其中大部分是中世纪的商会房屋。与威尼斯的大运河相比，根特的运河并不长，因此乘船游览通常只需 40 分钟。

In the north of Graslei, there is a little bridge called Grasbrug. It’s an intersection of waterway here. Visitor could stand on the bridge at dusk and take the pictures of the appealing façade of the buildings along the Graslei. You could totally immerse yourself in this poetic ambiance of the misty scene.

在格拉斯莱以北，有一座小桥叫格拉斯布鲁格。这里是水路的交汇处。黄昏时分，游客站立桥头，纷纷拍下格拉斯莱沿岸迷人景色。水光潋滟，景色空濛，人们完全沉浸在根特的诗情画意中。

Following the babbling river, next I stopped in front of one castle built at the river side. At its top I could find the yellow dragon flag of the Flanders county. The Gravensteen which means Castle of the Counts was a medieval castle dating from 1180. It was a unique castle with the style of Syrian crusader. It was the residence of the Counts of Flanders until 1353 and subsequently converted to prison and cotton factory. It is now a museum. The castle is fortified by an oval-shaped enceinte with 24 small round watch towers.

顺着潺潺的河流，接下来我驻足在河边的一座城堡前。它的顶部，佛兰德公国的黄龙旗清晰可见。 Gravensteen 意为伯爵城堡，是一座建于 1180 年的中世纪城堡。这是一座独特的叙利亚十字军风格的城堡。 1353 年之前它一直是佛兰德伯爵的住所，随后被改建为监狱和棉花工厂。它如今是一个博物馆。城堡由一个带有 24 个小圆形瞭望塔的椭圆形城廓加固而成。

The castle overlooks this small square called Sint-Veerleplein. This square was a marketplace but also the site of executions and burnings of the victims of the Inquisition in the medieval time. Now visitors could have a rest in the cafés and taste the pancakes here. The architecture of the surrounding is quite exceptional.

城堡俯瞰着这个名为 Sint-Veerleplein 的小广场。这个广场曾经是一个市场，也是中世纪宗教裁判所处决和焚烧受害者的地方。游客可以在咖啡馆休息，品尝这里的煎饼。广场四周的建筑非常独特。

Everyone will no doubt notice this extraordinary building with Neptune sculpture. It is the old fish market, built in 1689. The two reliefs at the gateway depict allegorically the two main rivers in the city, Scheldt (male) and Leie (female). In the city’s history, fishmongers sold their goods here. The old Ghent people seem to be reminiscent of their passes. The poster at the gate is an advertisement in Dutch saying: Toch zomerbar oude vismijn which means still the summer bar, the old fish market.

大家无疑都会注意到这座装饰有海王雕塑的神奇建筑。这其实是旧鱼市，建于1689年。门口的两幅浮雕寓意着城市中的两条主要河流，Scheldt和Leie。在根特的历史上，鱼贩在这里出售他们的商品。老根特人似乎很怀旧, 门口赫然可见的是荷兰语的广告：Toch zomerbar oude vimijn，意思是这里是夏日酒吧，曾经的老鱼市。

Kraanlei is a riverbank at where the fish market is located. It took its name from a wooden crane (kraan). In the 16th century, it was used for unloading barges. At that time, the region of Flanders is one of the most prosperous in Europe. There are frequent commerce in the riverbank. Ghent is also called Mediaeval Manhattan during that period.

Kraanlei是鱼市所在的河岸。它的名字来自木制起重机（荷兰语：kraan）。在 16 世纪，这里是被用于卸载驳船的地方。当时，佛兰德地区是欧洲最繁华的地区之一。沿河商业频繁。在那个时期，根特也被称为中世纪的曼哈顿。

At Kranlei, there are two stylish baroque houses ‘The Flute Player’ and ‘the Seven Works of Mercy’. The two fresco decorated houses stand with each other. There is a red relief of flute player at the top of the gable of the house at right. For the house at left, only six paintings are created on the façade. They represent 7 compassionate acts in Catholic belief. It is said that since this was originally an inn, the fourth work (hosting the strangers) was done in the building itself.

在 Kranlei，有两个别具一格的巴洛克风格房屋“长笛演奏家”和“七种慈善”。两座壁画装饰的房屋互相倚靠。右侧房屋山墙顶部有吹笛者的红色浮雕。左侧的房子，只在立面上创作了六幅画。它们代表了天主教信仰中的 7 种慈善的行为。据说由于这里原本是客栈，所以第四项慈善行为（收容陌生人）对应的就是这座建筑本身。

Next I arrived at a large square which is not far away from the Kraanlei. Every Friday morning the square is filled with market stalls. It is a local tradition dating back to 1199 so this square is called Vrijdagmarkt which means Friday market in Dutch. In the center of square, it is the statue of Jacob van Artevelde. He was a Flemish statesman and political leader, known as The Wise Man and the Brewer of Ghent during the Hundred Years’ War. He was remembered due to his exploit of revitalizing the trade and industry of Ghent.

接下来我来到了离Kranlei不远的一个大广场。每个星期五早上，广场上都挤满了熙熙攘攘的摊位。这是一个上至1199 年的当地传统，因此这个广场被称为 Vrijdagmarkt，在荷兰语中意为周五市场。广场中央是雅各布·范·阿特维尔德的雕像。他是一位佛兰德政治家和政治领袖，在百年战争期间被称为“智者”和“根特缔造者”。他因振兴根特的贸易和工业而被人们铭记。

In Europe there is a pilgrims’ way leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James in Santiago de Compostella, Spain. There are many churches dedicated to St James in different countries. They become meeting places for local residents and pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. This Saint James church in Ghent is one of them which history could be traced back to 11th century. This church contains many Baroque elements and art. It locates near the Vrijdagmarkt.

在欧洲，有一条通往西班牙圣地亚哥孔波斯特拉的使徒圣詹姆神殿的朝圣之路。在不同的国家有许多纪念圣詹姆的教堂。它们成为当地居民和朝圣者前往圣地亚哥德孔波斯特拉中途的聚会场所。根特的这座圣詹姆教堂就是其中之一，其历史可以追溯到 11 世纪。这座教堂包含许多巴洛克元素和艺术。它位于 Vrijdagmarkt 附近。

Except the old buildings, city parks in Ghent worth a visit as well. Most parks are in the south of the city. The King Albert Park was a neo-baroque park built on the former Gent-Zuid train station in 1930. After the death of King Albert I, it was officially called King Albert Park. In the center of square, it is the War memorial.

除了古老的建筑，根特的城市公园也值得一游。大多数公园都位于城市的南部。阿尔伯特国王公园是一座新巴洛克风格的公园，于1930年在原根特南火车站建立。阿尔伯特一世国王去世后，他被正式称为阿尔伯特国王公园。广场中央是战争纪念碑。

The last place I visited in Ghent is this Citadelpark which is extremely near the Gent-Sint-Pieters station. At the last moment, I just sat here cozily and waited for the arrival of the train. I enjoyed its relaxing environment, the white swans swimming in the lake and the doves pecking on the green grass. Ghent is not a well-known travel place but it has its unique charm and elegance that deserves to be explored by travelers. Even today I still immerse myself in the memory of this city full of aesthetic feeling. There is no need to look for its beauty specifically. Its pulchritude exists in every corner of the city.

我在根特参观的最后一个景点就是这个城堡公园，它非常靠近圣彼得火车站。最后时刻，我唯有安逸地坐在这里，等待火车的到来。这里放松的环境，湖中自在嬉耍的白天鹅和啄食绿草的鸽子令我赞叹不已。根特并不是一个知名的旅游胜地，但它有着独特的优雅和魅力，值得旅行者去一探究竟。时至今日，我仍然沉浸在对这座充满美感的城市的美好回忆中。无需特意追寻它的美，它的动人存在于城市里的每一个角落。

The city of Savoy under Alps

February 10, 2020December 30, 2021Posted in Italy, TravelTagged Torino, Travel, Turin, World heritage siteLeave a comment

阿尔卑斯山下的萨瓦城

Turin is the city in the south of mountain Alps. It is the last stop before I went back to France. Due to its proximity to the mountain, I could immediately feel the icy chill eating into my bone after I alighted at the Porta Nuova station. When I looked over the Alps mountain, I could perceive the bright morning sun light splattering on the leafs and feel the more fierce coldness from the mountain.

都灵是阿尔卑斯山南麓的城市，是我回法国前的最后一站。此地旁山而立，在Porta Nuova站下车后立刻能感觉到被凛人的寒意肆意侵蚀。清晨远眺雪山，林表明霽色，城中增暮寒。

Menuet Luigi Boccherini

Turin is not a big city. Most of the attractions are in the north of the train station. This is the entrance of the museum of of the Italian Risorgimento. Risorgimento means the political and social movement that consolidates different states of the Italian peninsula into the single unified state in the 19th century. The museum actually is one part of the Palazzo Carignano from 1878. This is the picture of its façade.

都灵不是个大城市。大多数景点都在火车站的北边。这是意大利Risorgimento博物馆的入口。Risorgimento这个词是指19世纪将意大利半岛的不同国家合并为一个统一国家的政治和社会运动。这座博物馆实际上是1878年卡里尼亚诺宫的一部分。这是它正面的照片。

This is the rear façade of the Palazzo Carignano. It used to be a private residence of the Princes of Carignano. This is a Baroque style building. From 1848 to 1861 the palace was used as the House of Deputies of the Subalpine Parliament.

这是卡里尼亚诺宫的后面。它以前是卡里尼亚诺王子的私人住所。这是一座巴洛克风格的建筑。从1848年到1861年，这座宫殿曾被用作下阿尔卑斯议会的众议院。

This is the Egyptian museum which is close to the Palazzo Carignano. I don’t know why Turin exhibits the Egypt culture. It collects more than 30,000 ancient Egyptian antiquities, like the famous Bembine Tablet, books of the dead, and Papyrus Map. If you are a fan of ancient Egypte, this will be a superb place.

这是靠近卡里尼亚诺宫的埃及博物馆。我不知道为什么都灵会展示埃及文化。它收集了30000多件古埃及文物，如著名的贝姆比碑、亡灵之书和纸莎草地图。如果你是古埃及的爱好者，这里会是一个好地方。

The most famous palaces in Turin are located at Piazza Castello. This is the façade of the Palazzo Madama. There is a scuplture representing the Sardinian troops, erected by Milanese exiles during the triumphant visit to Milan of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, 15 January 1857. It was the first Senate of the Italian Kingdom.

都灵最著名的宫殿位于城堡广场。这是马达玛宫的正面照。在1857年1月15日奥地利皇帝弗朗茨·约瑟夫（Franz Joseph）访问米兰期间，米兰流亡者与此建立了一个代表撒丁岛军队的雕塑。这座宫殿是意大利王国的第一个元老院。

This is the rear part connecting to the palace.

这是连接宫殿的后侧。

On the square, there is another palace, the Palazzo Reale di Torino, which entrance looks very common, not like a royal palace. It is a historic palace of the House of Savoy , a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. The House of Savoy-Carignano led the unification of Italy in 1861 and ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until 1946. In 1946, the building became the property of the state and was transformed into a museum. In 1997, it was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

城堡广场上还有另一座宫殿，都灵皇宫，它的入口看起来很普通，不像皇宫。这是萨瓦的历史宫殿。萨瓦王朝建于1003年，疆域位于历史悠久的萨瓦地区。萨瓦卡里尼诺家族在1861年领导了意大利的统一，并在1861年到1946年期间统治意大利王国。1946年伊始，这座建筑成为国家财产，并被改造成博物馆。1997年都灵王宫被联合国教科文组织列入世界遗产名录。

This is the staircase connecting the entrance and the Hall of the Swiss guard. There are always many reliefs on the wall in the palace of Italy.

这是连接入口和瑞士卫队大厅的楼梯。意大利皇宫的墙上总是装饰着许多浮雕。

This is the place of transit and reception. The hall rise up two floors and is dominated by a monumental fireplace in polychrome marble and a large painting of the Battle Saint-Quentin by Palma the Younger to celebrate the victory of Emmanuel Philibert. The Battle of Saint-Quentin of 1557 was between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg empire at Saint-Quentin in Picardy. A Habsburg Spanish force under Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy defeated a French army under the command of Duke Louis Gonzaga and Duke Anne de Montmorency. In the 17th centuary, the room was known as the Hall of Saxon Glory.

这是客人中转和接待的地方，瑞士卫队大厅。大厅足足有两层楼高，占据大厅主位的是一个彩色大理石的壁炉和一幅为庆祝Emmanuel Philibert的胜利而创作的圣昆廷战役的巨画。1557年的圣昆廷之战是法兰西王国和哈布斯堡帝国在皮卡迪的战役。哈布斯堡王朝的西班牙军队在萨瓦的Emmanuel Philibert公爵领导下击败了Louis Gonzaga公爵和Anne de Montmorency公爵指挥的法国军队。在17世纪，这个房间被称为撒克逊人荣耀的大厅。

Next is the chamber of the cuirassiers. It is called chamber of dignities but in the 17th century, the decoration is destroyed in a fire then the antechamber is named from the military order in charge of the its security, the cuirassier.

下一个是胸甲骑兵室。它以前被称为贵宾室，但在17世纪，它的装饰在一场大火中被摧毁，然后这个前厅便以负责其安全的军人中选名命名为“胸甲骑兵”。

This is the most beautiful gallery in the palace. The scupltures of cavalry were standing orderly in two columns. There are many weapons of medieval times like spears, sabers, pistols, panoply of cavalry displayed in the glass-fronted board. We could learn some histories about the battles of medieval at that time.

这是宫殿里最漂亮的长廊，战争长廊。骑兵雕塑整齐地排成两列。这里展览了许多中世纪的武器，如长矛，军刀，手枪，以及陈列在玻璃面板上的全套骑兵装备。我们可以了解一些中世纪战争的历史。

This is the other gallery , Daniel Gallery designed by architect Carlo Emanuele Lanfranchi. The decoration here looks like the palace of Versaille with glittering crystal chandeliers and magnificant frescos on the dome.

这是另一个长廊，由建筑师卡洛·伊曼纽尔·兰弗朗奇设计的丹尼尔画廊。这里的装饰看起来很像凡尔赛宫，穹顶上有闪闪发光的水晶枝形吊灯和宏伟的壁画。

There are many rooms in the palace. This is the most important room the throne room. It became the room of king from 1831. The color theme in the room is depressing due to the influence of gilded ceiling, red canvas, and the dark light. I don’t like it at all. It is like the scene of The masque of the red death by Edgar Allan Poe.

宫殿里有许多房间。这是最重要的房间，王座室。它从1831年起成为国王的房间。由于镀金的天花板、红色的帷幕和黑暗的光线的影响，房间的色调很沉闷，我一点也不喜欢。就像埃德加·爱伦·坡小说里的红死魔假面舞会的场景一样。

This room has the red color as well, quite monotonous. It was used to hold the wedding before but after some renovation work, it became the private audience room of the king.

这个房间也是红的色调，很单调。它以前是用来举行婚礼的，但经过一些翻新工程后，它变成了国王的私人接待室。

This is the splendid ballroom. The function was fixed during the reign of king Carlo Alberto. Now it was still christmas period so there is a christmas tree. There is one piano that could autoplay music, quite amazing.

这是一个华丽的舞厅。卡洛·阿尔贝托国王统治期间它就确定为皇家舞厅。现在还是圣诞节期间，所以房间里有一棵圣诞树。这里还有一架可以自动播放音乐的钢琴，挺神奇的。

At the ground level, there is one chapel. Inside there is one Antonio Bertola Altar which houses the Holy Shroud which is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. It was believed that the image depicts Jesus of Nazareth and the fabric is the burial shroud in which he was wrapped after crucifixion. The holy shourd was kept in the central urn from 1694 to 1993.

在底层，有一个小教堂。教堂里有一座安东尼奥·贝托拉祭坛，里面有一块亚麻布长短的圣衣，上面印着一个人的背面形象。据称这幅背面描绘的就是真主耶稣，那一块织物就是耶稣在十字架被钉死后的裹尸布。从1694年到1993年期间，圣衣一直保存在祭坛中央的瓮中。

After the visit of the insides of palace, people could take fresh air at the garden behind the palace. The garden is not large but there is a beautiful fountain here.

参观宫殿后，游客可以在宫殿后面的花园里呼吸新鲜空气。花园不大，不过有一个美丽的喷泉。

After I left the royal palace, I walked sluggishly around the area until I found this building. On the map, it shows that it is the Turin university but it looks like a palace or an art gallery. The design is similar with the gallery in Florence.

离开皇宫后，我在附近信步闲游，邂逅了这座建筑。在地图上，它显示是都灵大学，但它看起来像一座宫殿或一座艺术展厅。设计与佛罗伦萨的展厅相似。

In Turin, it is easy to see the top of this building even far away. The tall building Mole Antonelliana is the landmark of this city. It was built in 1863. It now houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, and is believed to be the tallest museum in the world. The 2 euro coin use the pattern of this building as well.

在都灵，即使很远的地方也能够很容易看到这座建筑的顶部。这个高耸的建筑 Mole Antonelliana 是这座城市的地标。它建于1863年。现在是国家电影博物馆的所在地，也是世界上最高的博物馆。2欧元硬币就采用了这座建筑的图案。

On the way from train station to the royal palace, there is one small square Piazza San Carlo. There is a monument of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580. He was regarded as the hero of his family since he recovered the savoyard state invaded and occupied by France when he was a child and made Italian the official language in Piedmont.

从火车站到皇宫的路上，有一个小广场圣卡罗广场。这里有一座Emmanuel Philibert的纪念碑。他从1553年至1580年期间担任萨瓦公爵。他自小就致力于恢复被法国侵略和占领的萨瓦土地，并使意大利语成为皮埃蒙特的官方语言，他也因此就被视为萨瓦家族的英雄。

On the square, there are two churches called San Carlo Borromeo and Santa Cristina. They mirror each other, really a strange idea of design.

广场上有两座教堂，分别叫圣卡洛·博罗密欧和圣克里斯蒂娜。它们互相对称互成镜像，真是一个奇怪的设计。

**Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte – Palazzo Lascaris**

This is another palace near the square. It is the regional council of Piemont area. It looks stylish with the ondulating balcony and the arching brim on the window.

这是广场附近的另一座宫殿。它是皮埃蒙特地区的地区委员会。波浪形的阳台和窗户上的拱形边缘看起来很有特点。

This is the end of the trip in Italy for me. For all the tourists travelling between Italy and France, they need to use the tunnel of Fréjus. This fountain is built to memorize the workers who died in the construction.

意大利之行到此戛然而止。对于所有在意大利和法国之间旅行的游客来说，他们需要使用弗雷朱斯隧道。这座喷泉是为了纪念在建筑此隧道中牺牲的工人。

When I left the fountain, it was late afternoon. I finished this unforgettable trip in Italy lasting 7 days and took the Flixbus back to France. On the way home, I could see the beautiful Alps mountain with snow on the summit among the clouds. It was the last day of 2019. Good luck in the upcoming 2020!

当我离开喷泉时，已经是傍晚了。我在意大利为期7天的难忘之旅也就此终了，乘坐Flix 巴士回法国。在回家的路上，我可以看到积雪浮云端的美丽阿尔卑斯山。这是2019年的最后一天。希望在即将到来的2020年好运连连！

Christmas trip in Pisa

February 7, 2020December 30, 2021Posted in Italy, TravelTagged Pisa, Travel, World heritage siteLeave a comment

比萨的圣诞之旅

Pisa is a famous city in the west of Florence. It is well known in the world due to its leaning tower. In the Chistmas of 2019, I just took one hour train from Florence to visit this beautiful town during the christmas.

比萨是佛罗伦萨西部的一个著名城市。它的斜塔天下闻名。2019年圣诞节期间，我从佛罗伦萨坐了一个小时的火车参观了这个美丽的小镇。

Caprice No. 24 For Solo Violin – Paganini

The city straddles the Arno river. Along the river sides, I could see many old buildings that could be traced back to the medieval times. This is the picture I took on the bridge of Solfreno.

这座城市横跨阿诺河。沿着河边，可以看到许多追溯到中世纪的古老建筑。这是我在索尔弗雷诺桥上拍的照片。

At the south bank of river, this small church could be found just near the bridge. It is the Santa Maria della Spina built round 1230 with the Pisan Gothic style. This church is extremely small, even lower than the common 4 level house. Compared with the huge church in Milan and Florence, it looks like a toy.

这座小教堂就在河的南岸的桥边。它是建于1230年左右的圣母玛利亚教堂，是比萨式的哥特风格。这座教堂非常之小, 甚至低于普通的四层住宅。与米兰和佛罗伦萨的巨大教堂相比，它看起来就像个玩具一样。

This is another bridge called Ponte di Mezzo. The fluttering flag in the wind is the flag of Tuscany. This is one of the two major bridges connecting both sides of the river.

这是另一座叫Mezzo的桥。风中飘扬的旗帜就是托斯卡纳的区旗。这是连接河流两岸的两座主要桥梁之一。

The most famous view points are in the square Piazza del Duomo. The square is dominated by four great religious edifices of medieval architecture: the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry, the Campanile, and the Camposanto Monumentale. In 1987, it was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This day is a sunny day in cold winter. At the center of square, I basked in the warm sun light at ease and gazed at the streaming crowds around the bell tower like the King of Tuscany browsing through his citizens.

比萨最著名的景点就是此处的Duomo广场。广场上有四座中世纪的宗教建筑：比萨大教堂、比萨洗礼场、钟楼和坎波桑托纪念碑。在1987年，它被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。这是一个晴朗的冬日，在广场中央，我悠闲地沐浴在温暖的阳光下，凝望着钟楼周围川流的人群，就像托斯卡纳国王在巡视着他的臣民一样。

Of course, all the people come here because of the leaning tower which construction could be traced to 1173. M The height of the tower is 55.86 metres from the ground on the low side and 56.67 metres on the high side with nearly 4 degree lean. From my view at the field, it toppled seriously, looks like falling down at any time. This tower is also famous for the story which was taught in the physics class when I was in high school. Galileo Galilei had dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass.

当然大家都是因为比萨斜塔慕名而来。斜塔的历史可以追溯到1173年。塔低侧距地55.86米，高侧距地56.67米，倾斜近4度。在我看来，它倾斜得确实很严重，好像顷刻都会坠落下来。这座塔也因初中时在物理课上学的故事而闻名。伽利略从塔上同时扔下了两个不同质量的铅球，以证明它们的下降速度和铅球质量无关。

The Battistero di San Giovanni is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical building in the square. The baptistery was designed by Diotisalvi, whose signature can be read on two pillars inside the building, with the date 1153. Its façade looks elegant with white columns and brown dome. There is an interesting small bronze scuplture on the top of the dome.

圣乔瓦尼洗礼堂是广场上一座罗马式天主教建筑。洗礼堂是由迪奥蒂萨尔维设计的，他1153年的签名依然可以在建筑物内的两根柱子上看到。洗礼堂正面看起来甚是优雅，白色的柱子和棕色的穹顶，穹顶顶部有一个有趣的小青铜浮雕。

**Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta**

This cathedral is the Pisa Cathedral. It is a notable example of Romanesque architecture, in particular the style known as Pisan Romanesque. It was built in in 1063. The interesting point of this church is the bronze griffin on the cathedral roof. It seems that the designers of the buildings in Pisa prefered to add some unique elements at the top.

这座大教堂是比萨大教堂。它是典型的罗马风格，也是代表性的比萨式罗马风格。它建于1063年。这座教堂的有趣之处在于大教堂屋顶上的青铜狮鹫。比萨的建筑设计师似乎特别喜欢在顶部添加一些别样元素。

On this square, I could see the city surrounded by the city walls. It is heard that the wall was built in 11 century. The walls were built to protect the cathedral and baptistery from assault of other city state. The visitors could climb on the walls and discover more beauties of this medieval city.

在这个广场上可以看到包围这个城市的城墙。这个城墙建于11世纪。修建它是为了保护大教堂和洗礼堂免受其他城邦的袭击。游客们可以登上城墙，发现更多这座中世纪城市的美。

When I walked along the city wall, I found this Roman relic near the Porta a Lucca. It is the Baths of Nero, the only Roman remaining still standing in the city. The building on the picture is the laconicum, the dry sweating room.

当我沿着城墙走的时候，我在卢卡门附近发现了这个罗马遗迹。这是尼禄的浴池，它是唯一一个仍然屹立的罗马遗迹。图片上的建筑是古罗马浴室的发汗房。

**Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria**

There are some interesting buildings in Pisa as well that display the art of architecture in the region. This is a church near the roman relic in the picture above. Its name is Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. The design of the façade is similar with the one in Florence.

比萨也有很多展示了该地区建筑艺术的房子。这是上图罗马遗迹附近的一座教堂。它的名字叫圣卡特里娜亚历山大。它正面的设计与佛罗伦萨的教堂非常相似。

This is another church in the Piazza dei Cavalieri called Chiesa Nazionale di Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri which was built in 1565. The façade is similar with the house of Medici family in Florence with white marble column. The bulding has a sculpture on the top of the roof as well. Maybe it is the characteristic style of Tuscany.

这是卡瓦列里广场的另一座教堂，名为圣斯蒂芬骑士教堂，建于1565年。正面与佛罗伦萨的美第奇家族住宅相似，采用白色大理石柱。建筑物的屋顶上也有一个雕塑，也许这就是托斯卡纳地区的特色风格吧。

This is the major building in piazza dei Cavalieri. It was built between 1562 and 1564. Now it becomes a school. There are some busts sitting in the niche on the wall of façade. The art of Italien sculpture is always so fantastic. The omniform sculptures are on every building in every place.

这是卡瓦列里广场上的主要建筑。它建于1562年至1564年间，现在变成了一所学校。正面墙上的壁龛里有许多半身像。意大利的雕塑艺术总是那么奇妙，在每个地方的每栋建筑上都有各种各样的雕塑。

Italy is the country famous for the opera. The theater of Verdi is the theater built in 1865. It takes the name from the famous musician Guiseppe Verdi. When I passed the gate, I catched a glimpse of the posters. The opera to be played that day was the Swan lake.

意大利也是以歌剧闻名的国家。这座威尔第剧院是建于1865年的剧院。它的名字来自于著名的音乐家朱赛佩威尔第。当我路过大门时，瞥视了一眼墙上的海报。当天要上演的歌剧居然是《天鹅湖》。

Pisa is a small city and it only takes half day to finish the visit. At four o’clock , I took the train and returned to Florence. The station is decorated with Chistmas tree with still remaining the atmosphere of festival. Although the trip was not as amazing as the one in Florence, it was worth enough to see the old buildings here especially the famous leaning tower. Anyway I will always treasure every place that I have visited.

比萨是一个小城市，只需半天就可以游完。四点钟，我乘火车返回佛罗伦萨。火车站装饰着圣诞树，还弥留了一丝节日的气氛。虽然这次旅行没有像佛罗伦萨那么惊艳，但参观这里的老建筑物特别是赫赫有名的斜塔还是很值得的。不管怎么样我将永远珍惜我曾踏足的每一个地方。