2017-07-10

【Aiden in English】

        The capital city of Bratislava, the only stop in Slovakia on this trip, was unfortunate to have us for only three hours. Therefore, Mom and I would make the most of our time docked before sailing to Hungary. I would say that the Slovak Republic deserves much more appreciation than this, as it should have somewhat equal status to its recently divorced partner, the Czech Republic. Many cultural aspects shared between these two countries are similar, but there are also significant differences. For example, the division of the country was due to ethnic differences, and its dissolution continued from there. The Czech Republic held the koruna as its currency, while Slovakia accepted the euro.

        Certainly, Bratislava was not the most exciting stop on our river cruise of Viking Ingvi. However, this is most likely a one-and-done situation. Even if city walking tours and panoramic drives were available, Mom and I would still ensure we used every minute on land. Fortunately, Bratislava is a relatively large city with numerous nooks and crannies to explore.

        Large European cities typically have two distinct sections: the old town and the new town. No one likes the new town, so most tourists focus on the cobbled roads and the stone Schloss Kirche. Mom and I took off after being set down from a short walk-through town, featuring nothing in particular. To us, walking another few miles around town is not rare. We usually spend about an hour or more at each stop on our own if the tour allows us extra time. Therefore, we spent a good hour twisting and turning our way back to the port.

        Like anywhere else on the Danube, the city is half alcoholic, minus the addiction part of it. Slovaks enjoy drinking wine, beer, brandy, champagne, liquor, and coffee, a type of alcoholic beverage in its own right. 

        Therefore, people make up excuses to drink alcohol excessively. For example, wine has wisdom (and water), beer has freedom (and water), and water has bacteria. It doesn't add up, but whatever.

        And that about sums up the fantastic city of Bratislava: Creative alcoholics running out of coffee houses and off bridges into the not-so-blue Danube River. But with all joking aside, the capital city of Slovakia is much too big a city to explore in one day, so all we can get is a snapshot. Don't worry; Mom got many of those.

【紅霞譯】

        首都布拉迪斯拉發“榮耀城”是我們途徑斯洛伐克唯一駐足的地方，遺憾的是逗留時間僅有三個鐘頭，這麼一來，我和媽媽在動身前往匈牙利之前只能抓緊行動。我承認斯洛伐克共和國值得多花些功夫，它與最近分道揚鑣自立門戶的捷克共和國不相上下，兩國文化大同小異，但在意識形態上迥然有別，比方說兩個聯邦政體之所以各奔東西是因為種族分歧；至今捷克仍然以克朗為貨幣，而斯洛伐克早改用歐元。

        比起“海盜·豐饒神”號河流遊輪此行所到各處，榮耀城壓根兒算不上最火爆的地方，不過它依舊不失為我們人生旅程中不可多得的寶貴經歷。我和媽媽藉助徒步近觀與驅車遠遊兩種方式，儘量多走多看，好在榮耀城規模很大，有不少好玩的景點任我們隨意獵奇。

        從總體上來說，歐洲城市通常分成兩個部分：老城與新城，沒人喜歡新城，因此遊客呆的地方不是鵝卵石狀的羊腸古道就是堅如磐石的城堡教堂。榮耀城老城布局平平，只待稍加定位，我和媽媽便立刻上路。對我倆而言，多走幾里地如同家常便飯，其實如若沒有更多富餘時間，一般情況下我們每到一個地方起碼要走上個把鐘頭，在這裡也不例外，蜿蜒曲折的石徑引領我們走近歷史穿越時空。

        有幾件新鮮事物值得一提，除了令人恐怖的雙關語“想死你”（起先我蠻以為“噎出毛病”），榮耀城堪與歐洲其它各大都市相比擬，城市規模宏宏，幾乎快趕上維也納，儘管人口僅有維也納的三分之一，也就意味着街上很多民眾不是當地人而是觀光客，街道兩旁的商店要麼餐廳要麼咖啡館或禮品店。榮耀城一共有五座橋梁，於是人們浮想聯翩，乾脆稱它為五橋之都，還好沒被叫成“一百八十家餐廳之城”。

        與多瑙河上所有地方一樣，排除酗酒成性者以外，斯洛伐克人喜歡喝葡萄酒、啤酒、白蘭地、香檳、白酒以及自己製成像酒似的咖啡，並為酗酒找出不少開脫的理由，譬如：葡萄酒充滿智慧（含水）、啤酒富有自由（含水）、水少不了細菌，千萬別疊加在一起，不過水（誰）怎麼着都成，對不？

        最後將美景如畫的榮耀城歸納如下：異想天開的酒鬼從咖啡廳跑出來衝下大橋跳入不太藍的多瑙河。說正經的，斯洛伐克首都太大，一天絕對逛不完，因此當務之急就是攝影留念，別擔心，媽媽差不離一鍋端下。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2017: Esztergom, the Old Capital HUN(匈牙利艾斯特根“哨所”城·舊首都)

2017: Lower Danube, Slovakia-Hungary(斯洛伐克—匈牙利多瑙河下游)

2017: Bratislava, Beauty on the Danube(斯洛伐克布拉迪斯拉發·多瑙河奇葩)

2017: Bratislava, Little Big Capital(斯洛伐克布拉迪斯拉發·迷你之都)

2016: Dublin, the Pale in Ireland(愛爾蘭都柏林·蒼茫大地)

2016: Dublin, UNESCO City of Literature IRL(愛爾蘭都柏林·文學城)

2016: Avoca, IRL's Oldest Weaving Mill(愛爾蘭阿沃卡·最老的紡織作坊)

2016: Glendalough Monastery, Ireland(愛爾蘭格蘭達洛“兩河谷”修道院)

2016: County Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland(愛爾蘭威克洛·花園之郡)

2014: Bug Show @ Soccer YMCA Camp(昆蟲到訪基督教青年會夏令營)

Bratislava Castle (榮耀城堡 07-10-2017)

Honorary Courtyard w/ a Statue of Svätopluk @ Castle 

(城堡·榮譽庭院與雕像《聖人一世》07-10-2017)

Baroque Gardens of Bratislava Castle

(城堡·巴洛克花園 07-10-2017)

Napoleon Statue @ Embassy of France

(法國大使館·雕像《新城獅子》 07-10-2017)

Man at Work (《當班》 07-10-2017)

Old Slovak National Theater

(斯洛伐克國家劇院舊樓 07-10-2017)

Palugyay Palace (國家劇院舊樓 07-10-2017)

St. Michael Street (神賜街 07-10-2017)

Michael's Gate (神賜門 07-10-2017)

Bell Tower of Old Town Hall (舊市政廳·鐘樓 07-10-2017)

Courtyard of Old Town Hall (舊市政廳·庭院 07-10-2017)

Courtyard of Old Town Hall (舊市政廳·庭院 07-10-2017)

Statue of Ludovít Stur on Mostová 

(忠誠廣場·雕像《倔強的領主·剛直》 07-10-2017)

Hotel Vinaren (魅力酒店 07-10-2017)

Trinitarian Church (三位一體教堂 07-10-2017)

Carnevalle Restaurant (狂歡餐廳 07-10-2017)

Nice to Meat You! @ Carnevalle Restaurant

(狂歡餐廳·很高興吃掉您！)

Wisdom (智慧)

Old Bridge & Apollo Bridge (老橋與太陽神橋 07-10-2017)

Viking Ingvi on the Danube 

(多瑙河上“海盜·豐饒神”號 07-10-2017)

Crosslink(相關博文):

Slovakia(出遊斯洛伐克)

Europe(歐洲掠影)

8th Grade(初中三年級)