2018-07-22
【Aiden in English】 Well, I suppose all good things come to an end. While I do miss my cozy bed... delicious Chinese food... and favorite television, there are some experiences I don't want to ever end. But first, Barcelona awaits. Oddly enough, Barcelona, normally the highlight of most trips, is the shortest stop we're having, and not because of the time in port, but the time we must disembark the next morning. Furthermore, we arrived in Barcelona at noon, so all shore excursions were four hours, at the longest. For a city so large, that pretty much meant a drive around the coastal city with minor photo stops. The stops include a massive cathedral under construction, a small Spanish village, and a few glimpses of the city from higher areas of the Montjuïc.
Sagrada Família or the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, in my opinion, the highlight has been in the works for almost one and a half centuries, with the original architect, Antoni Gaudi, dead for ninety-some years. Not only does it have one of the most unique styles I've ever seen, but it may also be the coolest, most audacious church I've ever caught sight of as well. The best way to describe it is a melting piece of carved cheese. Really good cheese. It isn't a surprise for its melting looks: the temperature was unbearable. However, that didn't dampen my view of the cathedral. My first thought was: that's very big. Indeed it was, and it continues to grow, scaffolding stretching higher and higher into the sky. The church itself was a gothic-styled masterpiece, with arches and towers, Angels, and God sculptures.
Unfortunately, the immense amount of tourists walking around the area meant that the visit only included the exterior. It did give a good sense of the overall wonder, stunning from essentially every angle.
Not going to lie, Barcelona looks extremely like Marseille. Narrow streets, carved fountains, medieval churches, appealing bakeries, dignified Louis Vuitton, luxury Gucci, street-side vendors, you name it. If anything, Barcelona is a bit greener. But during the trip through the old town, I felt much more connected, most likely due to the tour being the last one of the cruise.
This cruise was very special. Not only were the destinations awesome, but the people were as well. I met many others with similar interests, mostly sports, and held conversations about pretty much anything we could relate to. We explored the ship, which has midnight ice cream runs and played cards into the dawn. I have yet to experience such immediate bonds with anyone, anywhere, ever.
And with that, I have to slowly drag my feet off the MS Oosterdam, a sad smile on my face, with only the memories and phone numbers to mark the past twelve days aboard.
【紅霞譯文】
得嘞,原來所有美好都會結束,儘管我十分懷念自己舒適的床鋪、可口的中餐、追賽的電視,有些經歷情願永無終結,幸虧巴塞羅那正迎候我們到來。
滑稽的是,巴塞羅那原為本次出遊的重頭對象,結果反倒變成我們逗留最短的地方,況且並非由於時間有限,而是因為明早咱得打道回府,再說今天中午時分遊輪方才拋錨,因此岸上遊覽的時間僅有四個鐘頭。言外之意,要想轉遍這座地域寬闊的海濱城市,我們只能以車代步,偶爾在名勝古蹟前停下來攝影留念,納入行程的景點包括尚未竣工的大教堂、西班牙民俗村以及從地勢較高的猶太山觀賞秀麗景色。
依我看,聖家堂得算全城的制高點,被大興土木修造了差不多一個半世紀,建築師“無價之寶·喜悅(高迪)”本人早已離世九十來年。且不說其建築風格獨領風騷,它可能是我迄今所見到的最時尚最奇異的教堂,用融化切妥的奶酪來形容巴塞羅那毫不為過,好一個了不起的奶酪!變成眼前這個樣子實在不足為奇,畢竟溫度高得難以忍受,然而絲毫無損它在我心中的光輝形象。乍看上去聖家堂極其高大,不僅如此,而且還將持續增長,腳手架高聳入雲,建築本身堪稱哥特式傑出代表,拱門塔樓刻有天使及上帝畫像。
遺憾的是教堂前參觀的遊人川流不息,我們僅沿着外周貓個大概齊而已,從每個角度看過去都攝人心魂。
坦率地說,巴塞羅那很像馬賽,街道狹窄,噴泉美觀,教堂老道,點心饞人,路易·威登氣派,古馳奢華,地攤腳踩腳碾,簡直要什麼有什麼。如果硬要區分兩者差異,那麼巴塞羅那綠化得比較棒,驅車穿過老城,我感覺格外親切,極有可能因為這是整個航線中最後一站。
這條遊輪非常特別,不僅各個目的地都值得稱讚,而且生源也挺不錯。我結識了不少臭氣相投的朋友,多數緣於體育運動,大夥海闊天空暢所欲言,不是一起攛掇探索遊輪,就是胡吃海喝冰激凌宵夜,拱豬搓牌狂歡到凌晨,我從未在任何地方與任何人度過如此親密的日子。 說到這裡,我不得不慢慢離開“荷蘭·東方羅盤點”號遊輪,臉上露出傷心的苦笑,十二天遊輪生活留下的只有記憶和電話號碼。 Today in History(歷史上的今天):
2018: Port of Barcelona, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那“船歌”港) 2018: Barcelona—Public Arts, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—公共藝術) 2018: Barcelona—Emblematic Thoroughfares(西班牙巴塞羅那—地標建築)
2018: Barcelona the City of Gaudi, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—高迪之城) 2018: Barcelona—Gaudi's 7 Masterpieces, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—高迪七大傑作) 2015: PSC B-Ball Camp─Just A Game(費城運動俱樂部籃球營─比賽就是比賽)
2014: Two Summer Camps(兩種夏令營) 2013: 水上派對(Pool Party @ Maplewood) 2012: Camp Report(夏令營簡訊)
Palau Nacional (國家宮)
Montjuïc (猶太山 07-22-2018) Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (城堡之地國家藝術博物館 07-22-2018)
Arcos de Sos (拯救靈魂拱門 07-22-2018)
Cafe (咖啡館 07-22-2018) Casa de las Conchas (貝殼之家 07-22-2018)
Casa del Francés (法蘭西之家 07-22-2018) Sagrada Família (聖家堂 07-22-2018)
Bird View of Sagrada Família (鳥瞰聖家堂)
Flamenco Tablao de Carmen (西班牙舞蹈·《卡門》) Iglesia de San Félix, Torralba de Ribota (媚城──幸運教堂 07-22-2018)
Poble Espanyol (西班牙村 07-22-2018) Tower of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Utebo (第八城-聖母教堂塔樓 07-22-2018)
Royal Caribbean MS Symphony of the World's Largest Passenger Ship (皇家勇者遊輪·海洋交響曲號─世界最大的客輪 07-22-2018) Crosslinks(相關博文):
Spain(出遊西班牙)
Europe(歐洲掠影) 9th Grade(高中一年級) |