2018-07-21

【Aiden in English】

        Wow, the Mediterranean Romance is actually almost over. I haven't really been counting the days, but sometimes time flies faster than even you can expect. There's something psychological about the perception of time after crossing over the halfway point, and now I'm racing towards the finish line. 

        My flight home is in sixty-eight hours.

        But let's not get shaken by the impending doom. I'm still hoping to go out with a bang. That includes two powerhouse stops in Marseille and Barcelona, today being the first of the two. And not going to lie, based on previews, these two highlights look REALLY similar, even though one is French and the other Spanish. Two coastal cities, winding streets were full of religious and historical-rich attractions around every bend. The real difference only appears at a closer look, like the language and food. 

        So, what is so special about French culture? Well, it starts with the language. Not going to lie, I'm not the biggest fan of French. People say it's a beautiful language, but sometimes it sounds like some folks speaking as if they're trying out their tongue for the first time. However, it's undeniable that the sound of a bunch of French speakers yelling at each other is fun to listen to.

        Next is the food. It's undeniable that French food is among the best in the world. Bouillabaisse and Pieds et paquets, what else do I have to say? The city itself, in its tiny cobblestone streets, had an abundant amount of bakeries, selling everything from Navettes to Pastis. That's why we had lunch in a local store. The smells wafting out of the kitchens were too enticing. 

        I guess the most impressive of all would be the unique views. There isn't a much more perfect bayside than Marseille. No beach, no Boardwalk, just the city and the water meeting, with the occasional army of boats. The best way to describe it would be a giant war between colors. Red and blue, clashing along the coast. Red roofed buildings, blue crystal water, not much more contrast in a city than that. 

        Cities like it make me wish I wasn't on a cruise. Not only do they deserve a week, but tours don't serve them justice. You need a couple of days just to walk around the city, explore the nooks and crannies, just like I did in Rome. I guess this is another thing to add to my bucket list.

【紅霞譯文】

        哎呦，地中海浪漫之旅真地快要結束了，我倒沒掐算過日子，但“年怕中秋月怕半，星期就怕禮拜三”，時間有時比想象快得多，一旦指針跨越中軸線，心理往往有種緊迫感，現在的我正朝着終點線衝刺。

        再有68小時我便打道回府。

        但何苦為即將面對的無奈而感到沮喪，好戲還在後頭呢，接下來要向包括馬賽和巴塞羅那在內的旅遊勝地邁進，今個兒先去其中一個。坦率地說，根據預覽信息，雙方主要景點似乎大同小異，儘管一個在法國而另一個在西班牙。兩座海濱名城山迴路轉曲徑通幽，宗教影響與悠久歷史滲透到各個角落，只有近距離接觸方才發現彼此之間在語言食品方面截然有別。

        歸根結底，法國究竟有何拿手的東西？還得從語言開始，說句心裡話，我對法語並不感冒，大家公認它優雅悅耳，但有時怎麼反倒覺得講法語的人像初次卷着大舌頭似的，然而當一幫法國人相互爭吵時，語調果真好聽。

        其次食物，法國餐飲在世界上名列前茅已是不爭的事實，馬賽本土的普羅旺斯魚湯和羊蹄羊肚卷不是有口皆碑嗎？城區上下，鵝卵石鋪就的街頭巷尾點心鋪一家挨着一家，從船形橙花餅乾到法式茴香酒，兜售的玩意簡直五花八門，這也是為什麼我們要拿當地風味小吃打點今天的午餐，從廚房散發出來的香味令人垂涎欲滴。

        依我看，獨特的景致恐怕最難以忘懷，打着燈籠滿世界都難找到比馬賽更加完美的海灣，沒有沙灘，未設棧橋，海水與城市相依相擁，星羅棋布的船隻若隱若現，用競相鬥艷來描述美輪美奐的場景實不為過，海岸線上紅藍交織，紅彤彤瓦頂藍瑩瑩海水，兩種色彩渾然天成。

        瀏覽馬賽之類的城市當該別乘遊輪來去匆匆，若不花上一周時間你沒法得出公正結論，光是在城裡四處邊走邊瞧就需要幾天工夫，如同羅馬假日我所經歷的那樣，看來馬賽應該納入本人出遊計劃之中。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

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)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

France(出遊法國)

Europe(歐洲掠影)