2015-06-29

【Aiden in English】

        The city of Nessebar in Bulgaria is a life-size maze of cobble streets and a Byzantine neighborhood. I believed that it was one of a kind. However, when I arrived in the Cycladic Mykonos of Greece, my original theory was proven far from correct. 

        Like Nessebar, Mykonos had a tiny island built in the shape of a labyrinth for the same reason. Piracy was common when the Island was established in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. To protect itself, the maze was built to confuse invaders and pirates. Navigating the narrow and winding streets was difficult, even with a guide, since the area was cramped and gave off a claustrophobic vibe. The whitewashed paint didn't exactly help, either. 

        Oh, you won't imagine the whiteness of that place (not racist)! The reason behind that was the high temperatures, accompanied by sun kisses in summer. Although I didn't feel much today, the average summer temperature in Mykonos was around 92^oF/33^oC. Not to mention heat waves, which can raise the temperature to 110°F/43°C for several days straight. Everything was painted white for this reason. However, the temperature hadn't reached over 80^oF/27^oC, and that was due to the wind. So, when the meteorologists said today's forecast was 87^oC/31^oC, the tourists felt a cool 75^oF/24^oC. I guess they are as wrong as ever. Imagine what life would be like without a breeze here. This wind was life to the population. The Island was dotted with the Mycenaean windmills. The windmills produced the only source of power for years. Their use has recently decreased since the technology has become more modern. The wind was so important on the Island that the nickname given to the place was the Island of the Winds. The wind god Aeolus would supposedly release the winds over this Island by stretching his wings. Let's talk about aerodynamics. The wind also made a great place for wave surfing. The winds, as the years passed, also provided natural air conditioning. In fact, with the cool air over narrow corridors, the Island's people felt as if they were always shielded inside. 

        Although the White was freaky, this classic Aegean Island looked cozy and crazy. Not to mention those bathrooms. Most people believe living by the azure sea is good. But in Little Venice, the bathrooms were rectangular prisons that bulged out of the quaint houses hanging over the shoreline. Can you imagine using the toilet in a storm?

        The wind and heat shape the charming island of Mykonos, setting the very reason for the difference of its antiquity from the other settlements. The entire island was built to combat them, making it unique at the same time.

【紅霞譯】

        走入保加利亞內塞巴爾“午日城”鵝卵石街道拜占庭“東羅馬”式城區，如同掉進真人大小的奇幻迷宮，我蠻以為是個例現象，但不獨有偶，等我抵達希臘基克拉迪“環島”以後，我才意識到上述結論下得為時過早。

        與內塞巴爾相似，米科諾斯“石堆”島出於同樣原因也把彈丸之地打造成潔白迷宮。追溯到16─17世紀小島始建初期，海盜活動極為猖獗，為了保護自身，迷宮被當成迷惑敵人的有效方式。說實在的，在這裡即使眼下由導遊全程帶路，欲想搞清楚東南西北決非輕而易舉，因為我所涉足的地域狹窄曲徑通幽，猶如身陷囹圄而無法自拔，清一色白花花的外表無濟於事，什麼忙也幫不上。

        對啦，你根本難以想象那裡到底有多白（絲毫沒有種族色彩）！夏季高溫天氣竟然得到太陽無限厚愛，儘管今天我並不覺得怎麼着，但在排除熱浪來襲的前提下，米科諾斯島夏季平均溫度通常保持在華氏92度／攝氏33度左右，否則連續幾天氣溫狂飆至110^oF／43^oC，正因如此，這裡老鄉乾脆把什麼東西都刷成白色。好在到現在為止，氣溫尚未超過80^oF／27^oC，這得歸功於海風。所以說，當氣象員預報氣溫要達到87^oF／31^oC時，遊客感覺只有75^oF／24^oC上下，我認為天氣預報可信性一向極差，還是先來想一下假如沒有海風人該如何過活吧。海風對當地生態必不可少，島上邁錫尼“蘑菇”風車更是隨處可見。從前風車都被用來發電，如今隨着科技水平的提高，風車的使用率已大大減少，不過海風仍然至關重要，難怪米科諾斯島的外號被稱作“風之島”，據說埃俄羅斯“風神”展開雙翅，風呼拉拉地扇到米科諾斯島上。下面再來談一下空氣動力學，風不但有助於帆板運動，而且自古以來一直被視作天然空調，實際上，街道狹長的米科諾斯島飽經涼風洗禮，讓大家心有所屬情有所依。

        雖然白色顯得有點怪兮兮的，可這個古色古香的愛琴“波浪”海小島卻優遊閒適，令人格外痴迷，當然盥洗室另當別論。誰都喜歡臨海而居，但在當地有一處號稱“小威尼斯”的地方，盥洗室不過為一間長方形監獄，凸出古樸民居之外高懸蔚藍色海岸之上，風景獨好。想過沒有，暴風雨來臨如何解手？

        海風熱浪把米科諾斯島打造得魅力十足，並雕飾出自己的民族本色，米科諾斯島人始終為弘揚獨特的古韻遺風做出不懈努力。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2015: Delos, Apollo and Artemis(希臘提洛島·太陽神和月神誕生之地)

2013: Drama Camp-1(戲劇夏令營之一)

2012: Fat Friday(逍遙星期五)

2011: Drama-Sports Camp-2(文體營之二)

Chora Port (喬拉“村莊”港 06-29-2015)

Nea Mykonos (新米科諾斯島 06-29-2015)

Uninhabited Dilos (無人居住的隱蔽島 06-29-2015)

Ferry (輪渡 06-29-2015)

Fishing Boats (漁船)

Chora Marina (喬拉遊艇碼頭)

Chora Marina (喬拉遊艇碼頭 06-29-2015)

Mykonos Windmill Villa (米科諾斯風車莊園)

Kato Myli Grain Windmills

(卡托·米利“下風車”06-29-2015)

Boni's Windmill (博尼“好”風車)

Windmill & Panachra Church

(風車與帕納克拉“完美無瑕”教堂)

Cycladic Architecture (環島建築)

Church of Panagia Paraportiani

(帕納吉亞·帕拉波爾蒂阿尼“側門聖母”教堂 06-29-2015)

Ornos Bay (奧諾斯“鳥”灣)

St. Nikolas Church (聖尼古拉“人民的勝利”教堂)

Monastery of Panagia Tourliani in Byzantine Pattern w/ Conglomeration of Whitewashed Chapels Resembled by a Frosted Wedding Cake, the Most Important Monastery of Mykonos & the Patron Saint of the Island 

(帕納吉亞·圖爾洛斯“聖母·新港”修道院·米科諾斯島最重要的修道院及該島的守護神，拜占庭式且結合粉白禮拜堂，好似打霜的婚禮蛋糕)

Monastery of Panagia Tourliani in 1542

(新港聖母修道院·建於1542年)

Bell Tower, a Towering Marble Spire @  Monastery of Panagia Tourliani

(新港聖母修道院·大理石鐘樓 06-29-2015)

Courtyard of the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, a 3-Aisled Cruciform Byzantine Church

(新港聖母修道院·三通道十字形拜占庭式教堂庭院 06-29-2015)

Hand Carving Altar Screen @ Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, Featuring an Imposing Gilded Wood-Carved Altarpiece in the 18^th-Century Baroque Style 

(新港聖母修道院·18世紀嘆為觀止的巴洛克風格鍍金木雕手刻祭壇屏風)

Medieval Doorway @ Monastery of Panagia Tourliani

(新港聖母修道院·中世紀古門) 

Ano Mera Village (阿諾·梅拉“上方區域”村)

Little Venice w/ the Large Rocks or the Petrified Corpses of the Giants across the Island

(小威尼斯“水城”·島上大石頭據說是巨人的石化屍體 06-29-2015)

Little Venice, Originally a Haunt for Pirates in the 16^th-17^th Centuries, Now Blending Venetian & Cycladic Architectural Styles

(小威尼斯·16—17世紀海盜的聚集地，現已融合了威尼斯和基克拉迪建築風格)

Monument to Manto Mavrogenous, a Prominent Greek Heroine of the Greek War of Independence

(曼托·馬夫羅根諾斯“先知·黑鬍子”紀念碑——希臘獨立戰爭中傑出的女英雄)

Chora, w/ the Rocky Coastline Meeting the Deep Blue Aegean Sea

(喬拉鎮·岩石海岸線與深藍色的愛琴海交匯 06-29-2015)

Chora Rocky Beach (喬拉岩石海灘)

Houses in White (白色房屋 06-29-2015)

Window Shopping @ Matogianni Alley

(閒逛最擁擠的黑鬍子胡同 06-29-2015)

Kalafatis Beach w/ Venus Hills in Distance

(卡拉法蒂斯“填縫工”海灘與背後金星山 06-29-2015)

Sailing @ Kalafatis Beach (卡拉法蒂斯海灘·航海 06-29-2015)

Kalafatis Beach along the Aegean Sea

(愛琴海畔卡拉法蒂斯海灘 06-29-2015)

Wind Surfing (風帆衝浪)

Island of the Winds (風之島)

Restaurant Ano Mera (上方餐廳)

Bar @ Restaurant Ano Mera (上方餐廳·吧檯 06-29-2015)

Huge Eggplants @ Restaurant Ano Mera

(上方餐廳·巨型茄子 06-29-2015)

午餐：辣味煙熏高達“半軟奶油”奶酪肉丸開胃菜、希臘巨人豆、希臘菲達“羊乾酪”沙拉、希臘羊肉串與無袋皮塔餅

蒲公英、毛蕊花、野黃瓜、野胡蘿蔔

攀莓、球薊、海綿花、星辰花

Crosslinks(相關博文):

Nessebar—Pearl of the Black Sea, BGR(保加利亞內塞巴爾—黑海明珠)

Greece(出遊希臘)

Europe(歐洲掠影)

6th Grade(初中一年級)