2015-07-05

【Aiden in English】

        The theme of the trip to adventure the World Heritage in Southern Europe is sort of how time moves on, and the future comes faster it seems. Following the theme, time did move on, and I had to leave. Fortunately, this ending came with many memories. 

        The Greek Isles offered a type of tropicality unlike any other. The balance of relaxation in the sun and the lush history of Greek mythology really provided times of “ahhh…s” and boredom. But this was a perfect balance of learning and having fun. Like Crete with the amazing ruins of Heraklion, Santorini stunned the audience with dazzling beaches and catastrophic caldron. However, Istanbul in the Republic of Turkey was quite the opposite. This city also was the only city in the world to be split by the border of two continents. Instead of natural beauty, the city of Istanbul radiated man-made architectures mixed with towering minarets and grand mosques, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It’s spectacular to see what religion could drive people to do and inspiration indeed motivated human beings beyond the limits. Nevertheless, if you haven’t gone to Italy, you can’t say that you know the Mediterranean Sea. 

        After the 21-day cruise in South Europe, we stayed in Rome for two more days. The Colosseum was unmatched, and the streets of Rome seemed like a complete category of their own. Rome flourished in culture and life, which brought a new meaning to “awesome”. From the delicious and classic pizza that the world loved, to the hazelnut gelato that I loved, Rome was a city you had to visit. I couldn’t help wondering how the tiny ancient buildings were still around. The blend of modern and history was almost too perfect. Of course, it wasn’t just the buildings that were left to stay. The Tiber River flew through the west side of the city, leading to the giant Castel of St. Angel that towered over the many bridges. It’s simply amazing to tourists who witnessed Great architects worked on the city. To be honest, every building seemed to be an architectural feat of its own. The city had many styles, from ancient temples to medieval churches to a gigantic castle. 

        There were people everywhere during the day. A mixture of tourists and locals roamed the streets. Bad buzz! As I looked around every angle, I saw people. Churches that would’ve been astonishing in the US were so common around here that mom actually stopped taking photos for once. The ground and piazzas were a wonder of its own. It was usually full of a slippery marble, but sections of the street were cobblestone. The party of Rome would carry into the night, where more people would come out of the houses than going back in. Rome was all too much like NYC. People were out well past midnight. People were so enthusiastic that this city might as well be the city that never slept. Rome is the New York City of Italy where Mom and I got lost so many times that I needed hands and feet to count. Somehow we always ended up where we wanted to be, with or without help. The people there were really friendly as always, giving us smiles wherever we went.

        And the food in Rome was world-class, top of the notch, best of the best of the best, etc. I tasted the finest food on earth (technically the 2nd behind Chinese cuisine), and I guess my friends weren’t bragging that Italian food. It was certainly palatable. There were so many new flavors and combos, and my mouth wasn’t ready for so many tastes. The pizza was so different than American’s, not greasy, tasty, and not too much cheese. The pastas were phenomenal as well, providing all kinds of rich flavorful bites. You could imagine any kind of pasta and they would have a variety of all. The restaurants were street side. So when you smelled something good, it’s probably from one of the plates to your left or right. Needlessly to mention gelato, it was made especially in Italy because there was nowhere else like Italy. 

        There is really no place like these, and I would like to remember the memories I have of here. Looking out photos is cool, but in person, well, you won’t know until you experience it by yourself.

【红霞译文】

        随着时间推移，以探寻世界文化遗产为主题的旅游生涯转眼功夫已接近尾声，我不得不收拾行囊踏上回家的路，惆怅之余，十分庆幸自己收获了许多难以忘怀的记忆。

        希腊群岛别具热带风情，我一边沐浴在阳光雨露的怀抱，一边饱受古希腊神话历史熏陶，连连惊喜中伴有丝丝倦意，好在一切寓学习于娱乐之中，从不会感到虚度此行。克里特岛独拥伊拉克利翁千古遗迹，圣托里尼岛更有绚烂迷离的海滨以及摄人心魂的火山口，然而天下唯一横跨欧亚大陆的伊斯坦布尔却独树一帜，暂且不谈自然风光，单凭圣索非亚大教堂和蓝色清真寺那些高耸入云的宣礼塔和雄伟奇壮的伊斯兰教堂足以让世人惊叹穆斯林的民族力量，宗教神威集中表现在它能激发信徒战天斗地，敢叫日月换新天。当然不管说什么，如果没有涉足意大利，你无法得以认知地中海的真实面目。

        经过廿一天游轮南欧跋山涉水，我们最后重归罗马两天，角斗场无与伦比，市区街道无不承载着历史积淀，可以说整个罗马集文化精粹与生活内涵之大成，令前来观光的游客大开眼界。从备受世人追捧的美味小吃皮萨，到自己念念不忘的榛子手工冰淇淋，耳听为虚眼见为实，无论怎样你至少应前来一睹为快，那里有些小得不起眼的古代建筑保留至今，触动我内心深处，言而总之，罗马完美地融合了现代气息与古代遗风，让人们回首过去，让历史告诉未来。毋庸置疑，这种时光旅行所涉猎的并非建筑本身，罗马西城台伯河小桥流水，带你走近坚如磐石的圣天使城堡，并见证大师们巧夺天工的聪明才智。坦率地说，这里每一栋建筑都非同寻常，堪称传世杰作，其构造风格迥异有别，从古代神庙到中世纪教堂再到近代大城堡，里面所涉猎的形式包罗万象。

        白天的时候，罗马城区车水马龙，远道来访的游客与外出走动的市民汇成滚滚洪流，了不得呀！从不同的角度看过去，遍地人山人海。教堂多如牛毛，如果把当地的教堂搬到纽约，即使极为普通很不起眼的恐怕也会鹤立鸡群，难怪妈妈出现审美疲劳，借机放松一下。毫无夸张地，这里连路面街心花园都蕴藏着浓重的文化潜质，要么由锃明瓦亮的大理石铺就而成，要么用娇小玲珑的鹅卵石来装饰美观。罗马大街小巷到处洋溢着温馨欢乐，叫人流连忘返，从这个意义来看，罗马无疑是纽约的翻版，夜半歌声灯红酒绿，一个彻头彻尾的不夜城。既然罗马算作意大利的纽约，难怪我和妈妈经常迷路，但不知怎么搞的，我们总能摸索出窍门或经当地好心人指点找到要去的地方，罗马人热情如故，彼此相遇总是笑容可掬。

        罗马吃的东西举世闻名，恐怕打着灯笼也找不出比它还棒的地方。在烹饪技术上，我觉得意大利美食仅次于中国佳肴，因此其他哥儿们夸耀意大利饭了不起并非言过其实，因为味道确实不错，不过一下子面对五花八门的新式食谱各色配料，我还真有点招架不住。意大利正宗皮萨跟美式山寨皮萨有着本质区别，既不油腻，还可口好吃，又没有过多奶酪。意大利面条沁人心肺，其色香味体主导世界新潮流，在当今社会里没有最霸气，只有更霸气。餐馆饭店遍地开花，因此只要闻到香味，你准保猜得出不是街道左边的馔玉就是马路右边的珍馐；这里的意大利特产手工冰激凌更因其风味经典而天下无双。

        世界上再也找不出第二个罗马，我会努力把所见所闻铭记在心，照片固然逼真，但亲身感受这里的一切才是最佳选择。