Trip in Spain 4＿Madrid

在馬德里的這幾天，恰好碰上城市兩百週年紀念日。下午六點開始，一大堆人往廣場聚集，擠得水洩不通，所有人都引頸期盼著 據說是世界知名特技表演團免費舉辦的多媒材演出。

這場演出結合了燈光、投影、煙霧火炬，最恐怖的是身著戲服的演員（可能扮的是恐怖警察、軍隊什麼的），還會擠入人群中「施暴」。
感覺整個演出運用創意描述關於馬德里的歷史，可惜一句也聽不懂的巨響旁白對我們來說負擔太大了，考量看完整個表演才要回市區外的旅館，可能要拖到凌晨兩點，於是我們就提前離開了。

說真的，馬德里是這一趟下來最不喜歡的城市，沒有什麼東西贏得我的青睞。

在這個西班牙之旅的最後一站，好不容易嚐到 Paella 西班牙海鮮飯！
口味正如這幾天來其他的西班牙菜，有點太鹹，不過蠻香蠻好吃的。最懷念的其實是在巴塞隆納一家不知名小店吃的海鮮（右圖）新鮮的墨魚薄油煎過幾上檸檬汁，配上清爽的沙拉，唉呀真是人間美味！

Trip in Spain3_Sevilla

第一次看到「正統」Flamenco，悲憤的表情、充滿力量的肢體，搭配上蒼涼的吉他和歌聲，
令人印象非常深刻。可惜的是酒吧的免費表演吸引了太多人潮，坐在後面看不清楚舞者的腳步。

來到倫敦後，因緣際會跟一個來自委內瑞拉的同事一起去上Flamenco的課，看到舞蹈教室裡的練習，才更加明白這其實是一種非常需要手、腦、腳、腰 各部分 協調的一種舞蹈。來自法國常常、有著一頭黑髮，總是搭配黑流蘇披巾、黑長裙、黑襪黑鞋的美女老師，總是在教課時強調輕、重、緩、急，要明確地做出來才能顯出這種舞的味道。看著老師和在教室裡抱著木吉他伴奏、配唱的樂師討論節奏，然後翩然起舞，腳步聲、拍掌聲成為樂音裡的另一重樂器，實在是令大家如癡如醉！！



Sevilla夜晚的河邊，坐滿了品嚐海鮮、小酌的人們。
最特別的是我們碰到一小群在抽煙的高中生，卻是特別的友善、熱情，
用破英文搭配我的破西文跟我們扯了很多話題，挺可愛的。

Trip in Spain 2 ＿Granada

We took the night train from Barcelona to Granada.
With all these big luggues and small space, it was supposed to be a trip that get people on their nerves, but we were lucky that we met some interesting and friendly people on the train.

They are: a couple from Australia and Mexico and three young students from Barcelona. They invited us to have a glass of white wine together and we started to talk in three languages once at a time: Spanish, English and Mandrine. We talked about why we are on the train;about how big Mexico is; about the Politics in Spain; about where to go if we ever have chance to visit Italy and Greece (because the Australian guy studies Ancient History)... it was indeed a very lovely evening.

Look out from the train/ all the luggage we have to carry with.


Arrive Galanada is just the begining of more challenges! It was not until we stepped off the bus that we realized the Guesthouse we booked is literaly up on the hill.
只緣身（旅館） 在此山中，雲深不知處...
Since there are no body to ask for help, we made up our mind to move all the things we bring on our own. When we finally arrive the top of the hill, we couldn't find NO 28! To the right, we saw NO 98; to the left, we saw NO 10! Where are numbers in the middle!!

站在山頂上望著遠方的美景（請想像托斯卡尼豔陽下的美麗小山丘），心情真是複雜呀。
Susan and me decided to find help seperately. I stay near our luggages;talked to people live near by; and called the gurest house we booked to ask for help (but they can't explain where they exactly are nor could I tell them where we are...) and Susan went forward to see if she can find the right number. While I was busy trying to use my poor Spanish to ask for direction, Susan appeared from another hill after 20 minutes, with two strong men who worked in the guesthouse! I felt so relifed! (and feel quite sorry for them that they have to carry these lugguges for us to walk up and down the hills too)

I guess this kind of experience is one of the most interesting memories one can have in traveling, isn't it!? //



The view from our Guesthouse and the hill we first arrived
(can you imagine how difficult it was now?)

Trip in Spain 1＿Barcelona

在抵達倫敦前，和北京的同事一起在西班牙旅行了幾個城市。
一直以來就對西班牙有種莫名的嚮往，這一次更是深深的愛上這個國家。

四月的燦爛陽光、人們舉家盛裝赴宴的熱情、滿街色彩大膽的櫥窗、高第的建築...
這一切，都使我們對 Barcelona念念不忘，希望未來還有機會回去！





for more pictures, please click on the Flicker album : )