[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] 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.