[旅行] Ice Music----Concert in Igloo

        比起大名鼎鼎的Ice Hotel，Luleå的這場演唱會真的是個新興又沒名氣的景點。要不是我剛好看到報導，我根本沒想過也沒聽過這裡。當初我在FB上看到別人分享的新聞，點進去意外看到旁邊另一則報導，就在報導Luleå的冰音樂節，看了非常心動。但離開瑞典在即，又遇到報告卡關，最後一番折騰才決定要去。
        Compared to the famous Ice Hotel, this concert in Luleå is a new and not so famous tourist's site. If it were not for seeing a news article about this concert, I would never thought of coming here. The moment I saw this article, I was immediately attracted to the cool idea of building up all the instruments in ice. However, I was going to leave Sweden, and I had tons of essays to hand out, so I was hesitating whether to go there or not. At last, I decided to go, and it turned out to be an accurate decision.

        接下來就是交通的問題。我們是從芬蘭北部以聖誕老人村聞名的城市Rovaniemi到Luleå。雖然兩地不遠，中間國界也沒有任何阻礙，但是交通非常不方便。我們總共換了兩次車。先從Rovaniemi搭VR火車(事先訂票)到Kemi，接著要從Kemi走到巴士站。巴士站離火車站至少十五分鐘路程，而且外面天寒地凍，當時邊走邊找路邊問人，雖然看到超級大的雪花，卻無暇好好欣賞。搭上往Tornio的bus(不用事先訂票，上車可刷卡但我們付現)，下車後要走約莫10分鐘到往瑞典的巴士站，再搭100號巴士(事先在SJ網站訂票)到Luleå。這邊要小心因為瑞典芬蘭有時差一小時，所以公車時刻表有點混亂，像我們的公車就早到了，所以建議大家還是早點去。雖然我們事先功課沒有做足，但北歐人友善英文好，我們還是順利搭上車到了Luleå。而 Ice Music活動不是在市中心，而是距離市中心大約20-30分鐘腳程的地方，雖然不算太遠，但在一月中氣溫比冷凍庫還冷的狀況真的很辛苦。

        We went from Rovaniemi (Finnish Lapland) to Luleå. The two places aren't far, and there aren't any obstacles in the borders. However, the transportation is really inconvenient. We changed for two times. First. we took the train (VR) from Rovaniem to Kemi (tickets booked in advance from VR website). After we arrived, we walked for about 15 minutes from Kemi train station to Kemi bus station. On our way, we saw really big snowflakes but we were looking for directions and were too cold so we didn't have the mood to appreciate them. After we arrived at the bus station, we took the bus to Tornio (tickets bought on board, accept cards, but we paid in cash). After arriving in Tornio, it took us 10 minutes to walk to another bus station, and we took bus no. 100 (tickets booked in advance on SJ website) to Luleå. There is a time lag of an hour between Sweden and Finland, so the timetable was really confusing. Our bus arrived earlier, so it is better to get to the bus station early. People in Scandinavia have really good English, and they are really nice, so despite our poor preparation for our trip, they showed us the directions and we successfully arrived in Luleå. The Ice Music activity is not in the city center but is located at a place 20-30 minute walking distance from the city center. It sounds not really far, but the weather was freezing in mid January so the walking was really exhausting.

        Ice Music顧名思義就是冰音樂，沒錯，該音樂會所有的樂器從吉他到Bass到鼓全都是冰所打造，整個音樂廳就是個冰屋。下午有個樂器解說導覽，主講人就是該節慶的創辦人，除了介紹各種樂器，也把他創辦的心路歷程說出。他原本就是冰雕師傅，在美國科羅拉多州工作數年，後來也陸續到不同地方，近幾年有了冰樂器的想法，卻四處被拒絕。「很多人都覺得我瘋了！」他是這麼說。的確，他一開始遇到不少瓶頸，例如他當時到Ice Hotel辦演唱會，因為觀眾人數過多，冰屋內氣溫升高，樂器開始融化走調，可以想像，當時的狀況多麼混亂。他因此覺得氣餒，卻沒有放棄。最後在火車的終點邊境小城Luleå找到了歸宿。這幾年辦起了冰音樂節。
        Ice Music literally means that all instruments, including the guitar, bass, drums, etc. are made of ice, and the concert hall itself is a large igloo. There is a guided tour (tickets bought in advance on the website) in the afternoon, and the guide is the founder of the Ice Music Festival. Besides introducing the instruments, he tells the whole story of the festival. He has always been an ice sculptor and worked in Colorado for several years. He then worked in several other places. These years, he got the idea of making ice instruments, but was rejected by many people.
        "They thought the idea was crazy!" He said.
        Also, he was met with many frustrations. For example, he held an ice concert in Ice Hotel, but because there were too many audience, the temperature in the igloo rose,  the instruments started to melt and then went out of tune. The situation was a mess and the experience was humiliating. However, he did not give up the idea. At last, he started the festival in the tiny town Luleå, which is the final stop of the train and close to the border.

        導覽行程結束，到晚上的演唱會還有兩小時，除了演唱會冰屋，一旁只有一個木屋，木屋沒有暖氣，裡面雖然有好心阿姨提供熱果汁，卻暖不起我急凍的身體。我問阿姨哪裡有暖氣，阿姨說要走到市中心，我聽了心沉了一半，只好問阿姨哪裡有廁所，先去上個廁所再說。沒想到，人性化的北歐，在廁所居然有暖氣，就這樣我把溫度調到30度，在殘障廁所中度過了兩個小時。勇健的朋友衝到市中心買了三個Max漢堡，我們就在廁所大快朵頤。
        After the guided tour, there are still two hours to wait for the concert in the evening. Besides the igloo, there is only a wooden house to rest, which has no heating. Although we can serve ourselves with hot juice in the wooden house, we were still freezing to death. The closest place to get food and warm up is in the city center. I decided to get to the toilet first, and found that there is heating inside! So I stayed inside the toilet for two hours and my friend went out to get some food three Max hamburgers. This is the first time to have my food inside a toilet!

        音樂會開始，好心的阿姨給了我毯子讓我保暖，來的樂團我沒聽過，但曲風是六七零年代的搖滾。主唱的女兒也在場，雖然天氣嚴寒，但場面溫馨，冰屋不大，卻擠滿了人。一開始工作人員說不可以拍照攝影，但到了中場，主辦人上了台，說了一番話，我始終銘記。
        After the concert starts, the madam in the wooden house provided me a blanket, which was really nice. I never heard of the band, but the music was rock and roll from the 60's and 70's. Although the igloo was not big, but it was filled with people. At first, we weren't allowed to take photos or videos. But in the middle of the concert, the founder went on stage, and said some really inspiring words.

        他一開始請大家拍照攝影，叫大家盡量宣傳上傳，接著又開始說：「其實你們現在看起來穩固的音樂廳，在明年春天就會開始慢慢融化，融化到最後一點都不剩。這些冰化成水，隨著洋流，流進大海，最終跟著水循環喝到肚裡，流進身體。製成這些樂器的水，有一天也會是構成我們身體的一部份，是維繫我們身命的泉源，是我們眼中閃亮的光澤。跟這些冰樂器一樣，我們有一天也都會融化，都會進入大自然的循環裡，化為虛無。但我們也跟這些冰一樣，曾經存在，曾經璀璨，曾經譜出動人樂章。有人問我不會累嗎？為什麼不做沙雕？你難道不冷嗎？我對冰幾近迷戀，我覺得-20度剛剛好，當然，我也喜歡夏天，當陽光普照，我的作品全部融化，我可以離開一切的成敗然後在來年重新開始。我不用為失敗憂煩，當然也不用眷戀於成功。多少成功的建築師一生都消耗在同一個偉大而成功的作品上，而我不需要。我創造這些樂器，給他們聲音，但樂曲由你們領會。」
        The founder went on stage, and allowed everyone to take pictures and videos. He asked us to upload them to the Internet to let more people know.
        Then, he started to say, "The concert hall looks concrete and stable now, but as spring comes, it will start to melt. It will melt into water, and the water will go into rivers, then to the ocean. It will flow around the world with the currents, and through the water cycle. One day it might come back and eventually becomes the water we drink.The water flows into our body, and becomes a part of it. We are made up of water, which is the same water that made up the igloo and the instruments. The water gives us life, and makes our eyes glow. It reminds us that one day we will melt, just like the instruments. We will melt away in the nature. However, like these ice sculptures, we used to live, and used to sparkle. Some people asked me if I was tired of ice and the cold. They were curious that why didn't I choose to do sand sculpture. Well, I like the cold, and -20 is just good for me. Of course, I also like the summer, when there is sunshine, and all my works melt. I can get away with all the failures and successes, and start off the next year. You know some people create some really successful architecture, and get stuck in it the rest of his life. I don't have to. All my failures and successes melt away, and this is what makes this work so fascinating. I create the instruments, and give them a voice. You are the one who interprets them."

        沒有月光的冬夜，天氣陰冷，今晚沒有倫敦跨年的人擠人、沒有冰旅館的雕梁畫棟、沒有名樂團、沒有極光、沒有月光沒有星光、甚至沒有暖氣，我的手腳凍到覺得快要壞死，台上的搖滾卻熱情如地獄之火。主唱說，當年基督教傳到北國，用永久在地獄烈火中燃燒來勸人為善，但北國人民卻不大領情。這裡如此嚴寒，讓地獄顯得溫暖而美好。倒數幾天回台，沒有把握最後時光好好玩遍東歐南歐，在沒有人聽過的北方小鎮，搖滾！
        It was a freezing mid winter night. There were no crowds, no art masterpiece, no famous bands. no auroras, no moonlight, no stars and even no heating. My fingers and toes were numb, but the rock and roll on stage was burning as eternal fire in hell.
        The singer said, " In the old days when Christianity was introduced to the North, people were not really threatened by hell. It is so freezing cold here, and the eternal fire in hell sounds nice and warm."
        It was my last days in Sweden. I did not make use of the last days to tour around Europe, but stayed in this remote little town and ROCK!

[旅行] 北極圈聖誕假期 基律納 Kiruna

Christmas Break Itinerary 行程大綱
Uppsala  →(by train) → Kiruna  →(by train) → Abisqo  →(by train) → Narviq  →(by bus, but CS host came to pick us up) → Tromso → (Flight back to Uppsala)

基律納，瑞典在北極圈內的城市，過去以鐵礦聞名，而對於觀光客來說，近年的冰旅館(Ice Hotel)則是不能錯過的景點。從南部上來的話通常都得搭隔夜火車，我當時造訪適逢聖誕假期，火車坐得滿滿的。然而瑞典國鐵(SJ)在冬天特別容易延遲，當時我們就是因為積雪，整個列車大改道，本來要換車變成不用，但是卻在某個地方枯等了好幾個小時。就這樣，我們的行程大幅耽擱。一翻折騰，終於抵達我們的目的Kiruna，-16度，還好，比想像中暖一些。

Kiruna, a city in the Arctic circle, used to prosper because of its iron mine. For visitors, it is the Ice Hotel that makes this city so special. If you come to Kiruna from a southern city in Sweden, mostly you will come by an overnight train. When we visited Kiruna, it was during the Christmas break so the train was packed with passengers. The Swedish railroad (SJ) often delays in winter due to heavy snow. Our train was delayed for couple of hours. Because of the delay, our travel plans had to be changed. The journey to Kiruna was exhausting but we finally made it there. It was -16 degrees, warmer than what we had thought.

Kiruna Itinerary
Ice Hotel Tour → Dog Sledding Tour
Skiing Lesson → LKAB (iron mine) Tour

因為是聖誕節假期，雖然觀光業理論上還是會營業，但各種交通工具和店家非常有可能不開門。第一天是平安夜，由於我們第一站是要去冰旅館，事先也問過到那邊的巴士當天的班次，然而到了巴士站乾等發現根本沒有公車。幾番確認之後，才驚覺當天根本不會有公車到那！雖然內心憤怒，但還是只能緊急應變。我們先回到市中心，想著為了晚上的Dog Sled Tour要領點現金，到了ATM卻發現難不成連ATM都放假？很多台ATM都故障了，我們無可奈何之下到超市採買了一些食物順便Cash Back，幸好可行，接著便準備找餐廳吃午餐。前面提過，因為當天是聖誕節，因此很多餐廳沒開，我們在天寒地凍中找了好久，最後決定回到超市，卻發現超市居然關門了！唉，怪我們剛剛急著領錢太大意，超市今天只開到中午。最後在這種沒錢沒食物零下氣溫快斷糧的狀態下，我們好不容易找到間開張的Kebab店果腹。

Because it is Christmas break, people in the tourism industry should be still working. This is Sweden, however, so all transportation or shops could be closed. The first day we arrived was Christmas eve and the first stop we were going was the Ice Hotel. We inquired the bus company in advance and they told us that the bus should be operating on a weekend schedule, but we found out at last that the bus would not come that day. We were furious, but we could only go back to the city center first and get some cash for our dog sled tour at night while figuring our what to do. The ATM, however, seemed to be also on vacation. We tried many and they didn't work. We had no other means but to go to the supermarket and get cash back while getting some food. We were lucky enough to buy some food in the supermarket and find a kebab restaurant for our starving stomachs.

沒有公車到Ice Hotel，我們只能自己想辦法，而當時唯一的辦法就是搭計程車。就這樣，在這個物價比台灣貴五倍的國度，我第一次搭了計程車。不太久，我們到了冰旅館。在冰旅館的導覽開始前，我們先走到附近的一間木造老教堂Jukkasjärvi kyrka，當時以夜幕低垂，教堂關閉，只能在微微的燈光中想像木造教堂的風采。在寒夜裡，我們離開木教堂，回到冰旅館。我第一次聽到冰旅館，是在暑假的瑞典文課。當時的老師說，他每個瑞典朋友都沒去過，他的每個學生都去過了。冰旅館是個每年都長的不一樣的旅館，沒錯，因為她每年冬天建成，春天就付諸流水，待隔年冬天又是另一番風貌。旅館該有的她一應俱全，從房間、酒吧到教堂冰旅館都有，而且幾乎都是冰製成，沒有其他建材輔助。所有的顏色都是冰後打燈而非染色，因為那裏的冰來自附近純淨的河水，而沒有必要為了建造旅館汙染河川。客人晚上就是睡在冰屋裡，每個房間獨一無二，下午開放參觀晚上休息用。而人就睡在冰上，不過你有個睡袋，而那個睡袋據睡過的人說出乎意料的保暖。不過我實在對於-5度以下的旅館沒太大興趣，況且住一晚不便宜，因此拍照留念即可。而讓我們頭痛的交通問題，則是在連絡Dog Sled Tour之後由Tour的人來接送解決。

Since there were no buses to the Ice Hotel so the only way we could get there is by taxi. That was how I first ever got on a taxi in Sweden, a country which price levels is five times more expensive than mine. We got there in 30 minutes and we decided to sign up for a tour in the Ice hotel. There was some time left before the tour started, so we decided to visit a wooden church called Jukkasjärvi kyrka. It was already evening when we arrived, so the church was closed, and we could only see it from the dim light in the darkness. We walked back to the Ice Hotel in the chilly winter wind. The first time I heard about the Ice Hotel is in the Swedish class in summer. My Swedish teacher said none of his Swedish friend has ever visited the Ice Hotel but all of his students have been there. The Ice Hotel looks different every year because it is built from the winter ice and it melts into the river in spring. Everything in the hotel is made of ice, including the rooms, the bar and the chapel. The colors are lights because they do not want to pollute the water with chemical colors. Guests in the hotel live in rooms, like igloos, and every room is unique in design. They sleep on ice beds, but they get a cozy sleeping bag, which made them feel warmer than they originally imagined. Still, I was not interested in staying in a -5 degrees hotel, so taking a tour was enough. After our visit, we contacted the dog sled tour to pick us up.

Dog Sled Tour分為早上和晚上，我們選擇晚上是因為可能可以看到極光，但是不幸沒有遇到。晚上氣溫真的非常非常的低。當時除了包緊，幾乎沒有別的選擇，而且包緊還是覺得寒風刺骨。但是狗可不這麼覺得。牠們像嗑藥般亢奮，吠個不停。當天由負責人拉著狗，帶我們一路狂奔至大雪中的小屋，在小屋中生火吃三明治之後再狂奔回去。

There are dog sled tours both in the day time and at night. We chose to go at night because we might see the northern lights, but sadly we didn't wee them. It was really really cold at night. The only way to keep warm is to wear A LOT. Despite wearing like an Eskimo, I still felt freezing. The dogs, however, were hyper and kept barking. Under the control of our guide, the dogs dragged our sled all the way to a wooden house in the middle of the forest which is covered with snow. We set up fire and ate sandwich and then went back by dog sled.

第二天聖誕節當日，我們早上去報名初級滑雪課程。第一次，我像是電影或海報上的人一樣，身著重裝，包的緊緊，帥氣的在腳上套上滑雪裝備，準備帥氣的滑雪。但可惜帥氣需要天分加上練習，偏偏我兩者都沒有，只能像是走路般痛苦的練習划行。更別說從山坡上滑下來了！我自然跌倒了，還爬不起來。

The second day was Christmas. In the morning, we took ski course for beginners. Since I have never skied before, it felt like being in a movie poster. I thought I looked cool until I started to fall down. It was so difficult for me to learn to ski instead of walk with my ski shoes.

中午我們再度展開尋找餐廳大戰，千辛萬苦之後我們找到了間泰國菜，果然泰國人不過聖誕節，店裡面高朋滿座，懶的在家裡做聖誕大餐的人還不少。我們當時看到泰國餐館除了主餐外還有沙拉吧，我們實在不想活在斷糧的陰影之下，於是決定多點一份主餐外帶，並順便多帶些沙拉吧走。想到自己不文明的行為覺得非常丟臉，但是為了怕斷糧還是偷偷的打包，這時只見泰國店員過來問我們需不需要塑膠袋！當下真的是又羞愧又感動！我們立刻問他們晚上開到幾點，聽到是八點，立刻決定晚上再來吃！

We had to look for another restaurant that is open on Christmas day so that we could get lunch. Luckily, we found this Thai food restaurant. Since we did not want to run out of food again, we decided to buy some food to-go and secretly bring some salad bar with us. We felt embarrassed to bring salad with us since the salad was meant for dine-ins. Still, the bad experience of not being able to find food in the cold was so vivid that we still tried to put the salad in our to-go box. Surprisingly, when the waitress saw us packing food, she wasn't angry and offered a plastic bag! We were so grateful and asked if the restaurant is open at night. By knowing that the restaurant will be open till eight, we decided to come again for dinner!

晚上在吃飯前，我們造訪了著名的鐵礦場。比起礦場給人辛苦、勞累、工作環境糟糕的印象，Kiruna的鐵礦廠出奇的現代化。我們搭著乾淨新穎的大巴到地底下的礦場，參觀這礦場的歷史及現況，老實說參觀時完全讓我擺脫對礦工那種悲情的印象，他們的工作場所和所有瑞典辦公室一樣都有可以Fika(下午茶)的地方，簡直比我之前在101辦公的環境還棒。解說員說當地的鐵礦非常好，還邀請我們拿小塊的回去當紀念，他說就把這些紀念品當作退稅吧！

Just before dinner, we visited the iron mine which made Kiruna prosper. Compared to mines which usually leave people the impression of bad working conditions and environment, the iron mine in Kiruna is modern. We took a new bus to the underground where the mine is, and there was a lady introducing to us the history and the news of this mine. There working environment is the same as most Swedish workplaces--they got places to fika! The guide said the quality of the iron in Kiruna is really good and she invited us to take some small pieces back as souvenirs. Actually, she call these souvenirs tax rebates!

最後一天早上要趕火車，我們在去車站的路上順道參觀了Kiruna自己的木造教堂，這次有進去參觀。就在這樣靜謐莊嚴、散發著聖潔且微微的木頭香的氛圍中，我們告別了北極圈的第一站。

During the last day in Kiruna, we had to catch a train to Abisqo. Before going to the train station, we visited Kiruna kyrka, the wooden church in Kiruna. The church was open, and the interior decoration was simple but solemn. In the fragrance of wood, we had to say goodbye to our first stop in the Arctic circle.

[旅行] 烏普薩拉的小橋流水 Bridges in Uppsala

        待在烏普薩拉半年，這座城市最讓我心醉的，莫過於小橋流水。就像世界上大多數的城市一樣，烏普薩拉有條河，名叫Fyrisån，而越過這條河的每座橋長的都不同，各有各的特色，隨著四季變換，展現不同風情。我不是橋梁或建築的專家，只能用拙劣的知識和普通的美感加以傳遞。

        I lived in Uppsala for six months, and one of my favorite parts of this city is the bridges across the river. Like most cities in the world, Uppsala has a river that crosses over the city named Fyrisån. Every bridge that connect the two sides of Fyrisån look different and has its unique style. The alternation of seasons makes the scenery picturesque. I am not an architecture specialist, so I can only use my limited knowledge to interpret the beauty of the bridges in Uppsala.

St Olofsgatan Bridge

        這是我最常走的橋，上面是柏油路，非常普通，但是一旁的花會隨四季變化，當時拍照是秋天。而橋畔便能欣賞到大教堂的壯麗，一旁紅透的樹讓景致更美。

        This is the bridge I walk on the most. It seems ordinary since it is an asphalt road. However, the flowers on the side of the bridge expresses different kinds of beauty in different seasons. The picture was taken in autumn. On the bridge, one can see the grand cathedral and also the trees that turn red beside it.

Red Trees beside the Cathedral in Uppsala

St Olofsgatan Bridge from the side

        這是另一種，我稱之為石板橋，十足中古歐洲風情。烏普薩拉是座古色古香的城市，因此很多建設都會讓人有置身電影場景的錯覺。

        This is another kind of bridge. The bridge is covered with flagging stones and on the top it is covered with a stone path as well. This kind of path is a common ancient European style of road. The stone paths make Uppsala, which is already an ancient city, look like a scene in a movie.

        最後一種，是幾何形狀的，通常是比較小的橋，姑且稱之幾何橋。這幾座橋連接的都是小巷弄，而小巷中的小店往往令人流連忘返。

        The last kind of bridge is constructed as geometric shapes. These bridges are narrow ones and most of them connect small alleys. I enjoy walking through them to explore little stores in the alleys of this amazing city.

最後，放上一張母女在金秋時照片以紀念這趟旅程。

        Finally, this is a picture of my mom and I standing on the bridge enjoying the colorful autumn leaves.

[旅行] 瑞典人的渡假勝地 哥特蘭島 Gotland Sep. 20-22, 2013

        Gotland(哥特蘭島)，並不是什麼舉世聞名的渡假勝地，也不位於熱帶，他的地位有點像是瑞典的澎湖，歷史悠久並在當地頗負盛名，大多的遊客都是瑞典人。
        Gotland, not a world famous paradise for vacation, nor is it a tropical island. Yet, Gotland is definitely one of the most popular places where the Swedes spend there vacation. It is an island that has rich historical heritages and also scenic views.

On ferry to Gotland

Arrived around midnight

        可以搭船或飛機到哥特蘭島，夏天是旺季，我們星期五晚上出發，星期天下午返回，船班並不多，最便宜的票也不好搶，建議及早預訂：訂票網站。我們是搭船，在斯德哥爾摩的Nynäshamn港口上船，而有火車直接到Nynäshamn。比較值得注意的是，搭船通常要提早30分鐘check-in，我們當時就差點來不及趕上。住宿的部分，我們是透過booking.com預定，我們六人住可容納八人的公寓，價錢相當划算。
        Travelers can choose to either take a plane or a ferry to Gotland. Summer is the high season, so if you would like to go to Gotland in summer and especially on weekends, you should book earlier. We took the Friday night ferry from Stockholm to Gotland and we came back to Stockholm on Sunday afternoon. The website for booking the ferry tickets is here. The port in Stockholm is called Nynäshamn and there are trains that directly arrive at Nynäshamn. Note that travelers need to arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in. Regarding accommodation, we booked a house through booking.com.

At the balcony of the apartment we lived in

        Gotland本島交通還算便利，各大景點都有公車。然而，如果要安排到大導演Ingmar Bergman落腳拍片的Fårö(法羅島)，則須搭船，而且島上交通並不方便，沒有公車。幸運的，我們到的那個周末正好是Fårönatta，有一系列活動，因此有大眾運輸工具。平日去除了走路或騎車外，可以試著搭便車，多人的話可以搭計程車，有駕照則可以考慮事先租車。
         Transportation in Gotland is quite convenient. There are buses to almost every sight. However, if you plan to visit Fårö island, where the world-famous director Ingmar Bergman filmed most of his movies, you will need to take a ferry there. The transportation on Fårö island is really inconvenient. Luckily, we visited Fårö island during Fårönatta, which involved plenty of celebration and activities on the island. There were buses to most of the sights. If you visit Fårö island in other days, you might need to take the taxi or rent a car. Hitchhiking is also a choice.

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (1)

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (2)

        Gotland其實是個省份，首府Visby在中古世紀時可是重要的貿易商港，因此島上有不少古蹟。Visby四處都是紅瓦屋和石頭鋪成的路，教堂雖已在歲月的磨損中只剩遺跡，但站在其中仍能感受當年繁華之景。Gotland本島有公車，但其實只要住在市區，景點大多能夠走到。
        Gotland is actually one of the provinces in Sweden. The capital Visby was a large trading port during the medieval ages and thus there were a lot of historical sites on the island. In Visby, almost all the houses have red tile roofs and the roads were stone paved. The churches were worn and torn through the ages but standing there, I could still feel how prosperous it was in the past.

        我們第二天前往法羅島，從Visby市區搭乘公車前往乘船處，再搭乘小船到法羅島。若有租車，可以開車上船。我們參觀了Ingmar Bergman的博物館，詳細記錄這位出生於Uppsala的大師如何和法羅島結緣。當然，我們也造訪了Ingmar Bergman拍片的許多場景，其中有許多特色海灘，寂靜而美麗。

        We visited Fårö island on the second day. We took a bus from the city center of Visby to the port and then we took a small ferry to Fårö island. If you rented a car, you could also drive your car on board. We visited Ingmar Bergman museum. The museum displayed how this Uppsala born director met and fell in love with Fårö island. We also visited many of his movie scenes around Fårö island. Most of them were beaches, which was serene and beautiful.

        瑞典雖非美食天堂，但來到Gotland勢必要去嘗嘗當地有名的下午茶小點厚煎餅(saffranspannkaka)配咖啡也是種浪漫的饗宴。

        Although Gotland is not known for its food, travelers should still try its most famous dessert called saffranspannkaka. Eating it with coffee is the best afternoon tea in Gotland.

        如果你看膩了歐洲大城市的繁忙，如果你厭倦了教堂和城堡，哥特蘭島這個靜謐、古典又有人情味的美麗島嶼，值得你的駐足。
        If you are tired with the hustle and bustle of large cities or the numerous castle and churches in Europe, I strongly recommend Gotland. The island itself was quiet and historical and the people there were far more than friendly. It was definitely worth the visit.