巴黎 – 协和广场和歌剧院

2014.11.3早晨早早起来,天空乌云密布,看来一场雨是难免了。顾不上吃早饭,我先去外面转上一圈。街道上还很安静,转角处就是圣母蒙召升天教堂(Église Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption)。教堂很小,门口放满鲜花和蜡烛,门开着,里面还没有人。小广场对面的时装店已是灯火通明,但显然还没有开门,灯也许是彻夜开着的。

Église Notre-Dame-de-l\'Assomption, Paris
Église Notre-Dame-de-l\'Assomption, Paris
Shops near Place Maurice Barrès, Paris
Shops near Place Maurice Barrès, Paris

走过康朋街(Rue Cambon),就是杜乐丽花园协和广场。协和广场在法国大革命的时候叫做革命广场(Place de la Révolution),路易十六,拉瓦锡,丹东和罗伯斯庇尔都先后在这里被送上断头台。大革命后,这里被改名为协和广场,大概有和那段血腥历史划清界限的意思。广场中央是埃及总督赠送的方尖塔,后面还会提到。方尖塔的南北两侧各有一座喷泉。两座喷泉的形式相同,外围都是六尊手捧金鱼的雕像,金鱼喷出的水柱汇聚在喷泉中央两层的圆台上。圆台的下方各有四座坐像:北面的河神喷泉(La Fontaine des Fleuves)是象征河流与收获的神像;南面的海神喷泉(La Fontaine des Mers)是象征海洋和渔业的神像。喷泉的装饰精细,而阴沉的天气让镜头中雕刻的细节更加清晰。

La Fontaine des Fleuves at Place de la Concorde with Jardin des Tuileries in the background, Paris
La Fontaine des Fleuves at Place de la Concorde with Jardin des Tuileries in the background, Paris
La Fontaine des Mers, Place de la Concorde, Paris
La Fontaine des Mers, Place de la Concorde, Paris

从杜乐丽花园的一侧走回旅馆。杜乐丽花园中陈列着很多雕像,多为古典作品,但也有这样的现代雕塑。

Many Small Cubes by Sou Fujimoto in the Tuileries Garden, Paris
Many Small Cubes by Sou Fujimoto in the Tuileries Garden, Paris

上午的时间是参观橘园美术馆(Musée de l’Orangerie)。橘园美术馆就在杜乐丽花园西南角,靠近塞纳河。大概因为不是周末,人不是很多,完全不用提前买票。

Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris
Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris

橘园美术馆面积不大,也比不上卢浮宫、奥赛博物馆的名气,但是藏品却是相当专精。其中最有名的肯定是莫奈的巨幅《睡莲》。《睡莲》共八幅,分展在两个展厅。这也是《Midnight in Paris》里,“the pedantic one”大肆炫耀的地方之一。展出《睡莲》的展厅不允许拍照,下面的图片来自Internet。

musc3a9e-de-le28099orangerie
musc3a9e-de-le28099orangerie

橘园美术馆地下一层的展厅也有展出很多名作,其中不乏雷诺瓦、塞尚、毕加索、马蒂斯等大家的作品。

A painting by Paul Cézanne, Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris
A painting by Paul Cézanne, Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris
A painting by Henri Matisse, Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris
A painting by Henri Matisse, Musée de l\'Orangerie, Paris

走出橘园美术馆,更觉得秋风瑟瑟,寒意袭人。杜乐丽花园西门两侧各有一座飞马的雕像,但这只是复制品,原件保存在卢浮宫内。正对杜乐丽花园、位于协和广场中央的方尖塔是1831年埃及总督赠送给当时的法国国王路易·菲利普的礼物。这位埃及总督真是出手不凡,这座方尖塔的历史可以追溯到三千多年前的拉美西斯二世时期,原来就矗立于卢克索神庙门前,怪不得我们去卢克索神庙参观的时候,门口只剩下一座方尖塔。

The statue of Renommée riding Pegasus at the west entrance of the Tuileries Garden and the Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, Paris
The statue of Renommée riding Pegasus at the west entrance of the Tuileries Garden and the Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, Paris
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple
La Seine at la Marne by Nicolas Coustou at Tuileries Garden, Paris
La Seine at la Marne by Nicolas Coustou at Tuileries Garden, Paris

中午在家门口的Ladurée吃了午餐,他家的大号马卡龙也很棒。

Macarons in Laduree at Rue Royale, Paris
Macarons in Laduree at Rue Royale, Paris

在旅馆休息的时候,下了一阵雨。再出来的时候是下午三点多,我们准备向北走,去歌剧院的方向。圣母蒙召升天教堂前的小广场雨后积了一层水,反射着建筑的倒影,在黑白照片里看起来别有一番韵味。

Place Maurice Barrès in the early morning rain, Paris
Place Maurice Barrès in the early morning rain, Paris

皇家街的北端是玛德莲教堂(Église de la Madeleine)。教堂供奉的Mary Magdalene是圣经故事和流行文化中颇有故事性的人物。教堂的外观就像一座古罗马的神殿,内部雕梁画柱,有很多镀金的装饰,相当华丽。教堂有三个圆形的穹顶,顶部开有天窗。和其它教堂不同的是,玛德莲教堂没有马赛克花窗,自然采光只有这三个圆孔,所以颇为昏暗。

Interior of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris
Interior of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris
The statue by Charles Marochetti on the altar of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris
The statue by Charles Marochetti on the altar of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris
Reliefs on the bronze doors  of the Église de la Madeleine deplicting the Ten Commandments, Paris
Reliefs on the bronze doors of the Église de la Madeleine deplicting the Ten Commandments, Paris
Overlook Place de la Concorde through Rue Royale from L\'église de la Madeleine, Paris
Overlook Place de la Concorde through Rue Royale from L\'église de la Madeleine, Paris
Boulevard des Capucines, Claude Monet, 1873-74
Boulevard des Capucines, Claude Monet, 1873-74

“梧桐更兼细雨,到黄昏、点点滴滴。”

连接玛德莲教堂和歌剧院的嘉布遣大道(Boulevard des Capucines)是巴黎第二区和第九区的分界线。道路算不上宽阔,两侧是成排的法国梧桐和古式建筑里的现代商户。这里是巴黎的中心,嘉布遣大道也是巴黎核心的大道之一,莫奈有一副同名的印象派作品就是描绘这条大街的景象。

Boulevard des Capucines, Paris
Boulevard des Capucines, Paris

巴黎歌剧院(Palais Garnier)前有个小广场,是地铁路上交通汇聚的地方。因为周围是商业区,行人相当多。我只带了一个定焦的小相机,怎么也没法把歌剧院的正立面全部照下来。巴黎歌剧院是巴洛克式的建筑,自从建成就是世界上最好的歌剧院之一。因为《歌剧魅影》的情节就是在这里展开,也让巴黎歌剧院的名气更大。我们到的时候因为晚上有演出,没有开放参观,但是歌剧院的奢华从门厅就可见一斑,色彩鲜艳的红色布帏,闪闪发光的镀金装饰,布满绘画雕刻的巨柱拱顶,一派辉煌景象。

The façade of the Palais Garnier opera house, Paris
The façade of the Palais Garnier opera house, Paris
Statues at the eastern wall of the Palais Garnier opera house, Paris
Statues at the eastern wall of the Palais Garnier opera house, Paris

绕过歌剧院,离老佛爷越来越近。路边一间巴黎典型的古典建筑里居然是一家苹果商店,而且门口的招牌旗子是纯黑色底上白色的苹果标志,看起来有一种诡异的感觉。

Street view near Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Street view near Galeries Lafayette, Paris

老佛爷和春天百货的名气虽然大,其实和一般的大型百货店也没什么区别,但是里面拜占庭式的建筑风格和装潢确实绚丽夺目。到处可以听到看到说华语的顾客和导购服务。从外面有些阴冷的环境走进来,店里面人太多,又非常的闷热,让我们感觉很不舒服。我们只是在顶层的餐厅吃了一顿还可以入口的中餐。

Galeries Lafayette interior, Paris
Galeries Lafayette interior, Paris

出了老佛爷,雨终于下了起来,一路从旅馆里就带着的雨伞也终于派上了用场。穿过旺多姆广场(Place Vendôme)的时候,好几家酒店和中央的青铜柱都在修缮。巴黎的这些古典建筑在修缮时,都是用和建筑颜色图案相仿的布幔遮掩住,并不露出脚手架,不仔细看还不一定看得出来。昏黄的灯光反射在水中,把石板路映照得晶莹发亮;丝丝的细雨绵绵而落,而巴黎的风物也在秋雨中更加的细腻优雅。

Palais Garnier (Opéra) in the rain, Paris
Palais Garnier (Opéra) in the rain, Paris
Place Vendôme in the rain, Paris
Place Vendôme in the rain, Paris
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Seattle – Olympic National Park

2016.8.14~15We checked out from the hotel in the downtown and set off to Olympic Nation Park in the morning. We planned two full days for it, which we thought it would be enough, but as we went to the west end of the park, it’s almost 5-hour driving from the city. We actually spent a lot of time on the road.

We took I-5 south then turned to WA-16 all the way to the north through Kitsap Peninsula. Another option is to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, the distance would be much shorter but the time required is about the same. While we were driving on the road until we got to Port Angeles, the majestic Mt. Rainier was always in our sight.

WA-16 became WA-3. At the end of WA-3, we were supposed to make a left turn to the Hood Canal Bridge, but we missed it. We then reached a hard 90-degree right turn. Through the morning fog, I noticed the tree-lined street on my left was so lovely. We stopped and found ourselves at Port Gamble. Port Gamble was found by William Talbot and his partners in 1850’s, they form the Puget Mill Company to ship the lumber from Oregon forest to California. They built the down and houses in Maine style, where their home state is.

We stopped by the little museum and walked around the streets. Sometimes, derailing from the planned route can result in a surprisingly wonderful experience. Our founding of Port Gamble is another proof.

Port Gamble, Washington
Port Gamble, Washington
Port Gamble, Washington
Port Gamble, Washington

It took us another 20 minutes to realize we made a wrong turn. We turned back and crossed the Hood Canal Bridge. The view over Hood Canal was nice and Mt. Rainier was at our back now. For the most part, both sides of the highway are covered by the dense jungles. As we closed to Port Angeles, we saw the Discovery Bay and Sequim Bay behind the woods. We arrived at Port Angeles at 1pm and we had the lunch at McDonald’s.

Last time we came to Olympic Nation Park, it’s 10 years ago in April. We tried to get to Hurricane Ridge but were stopped by snow. This time we were here at the height of summer in the early afternoon, even at 1-mile above the sea level, it’s very warm and the sun was harsh. The air was clear, we could see Victoria Island about 30 miles away. We had a hike along the Cirque Rim Trail and eventually got as far as to the Sunrise Point.

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

Returned to Port Angeles, we kept on driving to the west, the Pacifica Coast side of the park. Although the map might tell you that it only takes one and half hours, you should plan for longer time. The road, for the most part, running on the north of the park. There are several small branches that allow visitors to explore the valleys. We planned to do that on our way back, so we only made a brief stop at Lake Crescent.

Lake Crescent, Washington
Lake Crescent, Washington

We arrived in Forks at 5:30pm. We checked into Miller Tree Inn B&B. We are not Twilight movie fans, so before coming here, we had no idea that Forks is actually where the story took place in the novels. Since the novels became the best sellers and movies were release later, tourist traffic to this small town has been greatly multiplied, although the movies were mostly filmed in Oregon. Because the house of Miller Tree Inn bears some similarities to the house described in the novels, it’s also called “Cullen House”.

Forks, Washington
Forks, Washington

My plan for the rest of the day was to photograph Rialto Beach‘s famous sea stacks at sunset. The sky looked very promising at Forks, but Forks is 15-mile away from the coast. As we got closer and closer to the beach, the fog got thicker. When we were actually on the spot, the beach was entirely shrouded in the gray and ominous fog. Sea stacks were bare to be seen. It’s no way I could get those picture with sea stacks immersed in the golden color, but the bad weather offered me another opportunity: How to capture the gloomy feeling? The stark difference in color between the white waves of the angry sea and dark cobbles on the beach was also inspiring. I ended up having some very interesting shots but very different from what I had expected.

Rialto Beach, Washington
Rialto Beach, Washington
Rialto Beach, Washington
Rialto Beach, Washington
Rialto Beach, Washington
Rialto Beach, Washington

As we were on our way back to the town after 7pm, the sky got clear again. Weather by the sea is totally unpredictable, especially in the summer. Maybe because Twilight fever has somewhat retreated now, Forks is a quiet town at night, almost no people on the street. We had the dinner at Blakeslees Bar and Grille.

We stayed in Ella’s Suite of Miller Tree Inn. Before the sunrise, we heard some strange noises coming from the surrounding ranch. The next day morning, as we were having breakfast at Miller Tree Inn, (the host cooks breakfast for all guests), the owner said some Elks coming down from the hill and one youth got stuck by the fence. What other creatures could come out from the forest and hills? It’s the Twilight Zone after all.

Forks, Washington
Forks, Washington
Forks, Washington
Forks, Washington

After playing the seek-and-hide game with the owner’s tabby cat for a bit, we checked out the B&B at 9am. The distance between Forks to Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is 30 miles. It will take about an hour to get there because of the winding road, once you leave highway 101 in the park. Hoh Rain Forest is one of the largest temperate rainforests in America. Two short trails loop through the forest near the visitor center. The view of the rain forest was fascinating. I wish we could spend more time there.

Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington

It took us more than 5 hours to drive all the way back to the airport. We skipped all the interesting spots by the road and only made a brief stop at Port Angeles for lunch. Given the distance from the city, you should plan to stay two nights in order to explore the Pacific side of the Olympic National Park.

Hoh River, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hoh River, Olympic National Park, Washington
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Seattle – City

2016.8.13We have been to Seattle several times. This time, we just wanted to take one-day off and have an easy trip, spending one day at the city and the rest days at Olympic National Park. We arrived on Friday night and checked into Sheraton in the downtown. Many people walking on the downtown street at almost midnight. It’s pretty safe around here.

I had a morning walk to the Public Market. There were less tourists before 8am. Locals come to shop as well. After I came back with my wife at 10am, it’s so crowded in the public market, we could barely move.

Flowers in the Public Market, Seattle
Flowers in the Public Market, Seattle
Public Market, Seattle
Public Market, Seattle
First Starbucks, Seattle
First Starbucks, Seattle

All restaurants around Public Market were crowded. Anyone with some specialty had a long waiting line. We finally found a restaurant with open seats in a small alley, named Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar. They intentionally made the restaurant a down-to-earth style. Their food was just OK.

Pike Place Chowder was the restaurant we planned to dine in, but the waiting line was still quite long even after we finish our lunch. We walked back to our hotel and felt having the appetite again. Pike Place Chowder has another site on the top floor of the shopping center just around the corner. We ordered their sampler with 4 different chowders. Probably because we were not hungry, we were not super impressed.

Pike Place Chowder, Seattle
Pike Place Chowder, Seattle

After having a short break at the hotel, we set off to explore the opposite side of the downtown. We walked along Pike St. over highway I-5 overpass. There are some trendy stores and apartment buildings in this area, and much less crowded.

We first stopped at Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room around the corner between Pike St. and Melrose Ave. If you are a coffee lover, you got to be here. Space is huge, with cool decor and awesome atmosphere. The coffee and drink options are plenty and unique, which cannot be found in any other Starbucks stores. I had our best one and half hours in the city.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, Seattle
Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, Seattle

We had some walk around and had dinner at Terra Plata. I like their contemporary arrangement. Food is nice and looks good too. A little pricey though.

Terra Plata, Seattle
Terra Plata, Seattle

We walked back to the downtown center and spent some time in Barnes & Noble, then we continued walking down to the Public Market. Most stores are closed there. There are homeless people hanging around.

Public Market, Seattle
Public Market, Seattle
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Half Moon Bay Excursion

2016.9.4~5We haven’t had long trips for more than a year because of busy work schedule, instead, we have been doing short excursions to local attractions that we oversight before. During the last Labor Day weekend, we went to Half Moon Bay and stayed one night there.

Oceano Hotel and SpaWe checked into Oceano Hotel and Spa at 3pm. We fell in love with the hotel once we stepped into the lobby. The lavishly furnished lobby lounge has a high glass ceiling and furniture throughout the hotel retains the distressed look but in fact well maintained. Our room is on the third floor. It’s spacious and has a balcony with panoramic views of the harbor.

The hotel and Sam’s Chowder House that we went to a couple of months ago sit on the opposite side of the harbor. We had a short walk to the restaurant. We stopped at the Harbor Village at the back of the hotel but found that only a handful stores were open. On our way back, we bought a cup of chowder and a beer at Barbara’s Fishtrap right across the street. We took a rest and enjoyed the view on our balcony.

Pumpkin field by highway 1 near Half Moon BayOur activity before the dinner was going to see tide pool at Moss Beach, which is only two and a half miles to the north. The low tide is at 6:40pm. On our to the beach, we saw a beautiful pumpkin field by highway 1. Weren’t they matured too early well before the Thanksgiving?

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve was established by the State of California to protect flora and fauna around the Moss Beach. We parked our car at Lake Street, walked along the bluff trail to the Cypress Ave. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is mostly covered by dense Cypress trees. Even without the tide pool, hiking in the forest and along the bluff is a nice experience.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

Going down two flights of stairs, we got to the beach. The tide pool on this side is a bit of small and we had to walk 30 feet over thick seaweeds. Somehow I had an unearthly feeling whiling plodding forward in the seaweeds by the beach. Sea anemones and hermit crabs were everywhere, several larger crabs could be spotted too, but didn’t see any starfish.

Sunset on Moss Beach
Sunset on Moss Beach
Sunset on Moss Beach
Sunset on Moss Beach

Wearing flip flops or wet boots is recommended. We didn’t. Standing on the slippery rocks, surrounded by seaweeds, we witnessed one of the clearest and complete sunset we’ve ever seen.

La Costanera RestaurantLa Costanera RestaurantDriving north for another 2 miles, we had our dinner at La Costanera. The location is perfect for this Peruvian restaurant. Their dishes have the Peruvian look but lack the charm and passion that real Peruvian food brings.

La Costanera is right next to the three-quarter-mile-long Montara Beach. It’s 10 o’clock after our dinner. We walked down to the beach. There were still two groups of people around their campfires under the cliff, but beach were all ours.

Half Moon Bay HarborHalf Moon Bay Harbor

The next morning, we get up early, before the crowd comes, we had a walk around the harbor. This is an advantage of living by the sea. The air was cool and soft. All we heard were seagulls cawing, seals barking and gannets diving into the water for fish.

We had the breakfast at Ketch Joanne. Their plates come with big portions.

After the big breakfast, it’s time to have some exercises. Driving north for 5 miles, only a couple of minutes north to the La Costanera restaurant, we park the car on the east side of highway 1 across Gray Whale Cove State Beach. Montara Mountain, positioned between Montara and Pacifica, offers various options of hiking trails, from easy ones along the coastal lines to more challenging one to reach the mountain summit.

The trail rose quickly to about 200 ft onto the coastal ridge. We took the easy Gray Whale Cove Trail to the south. The trail is almost flat and winding along the coast. There are a series of bluffs providing breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. We turned back at Montara Mountain Peak Trail junction, climb the Montara Mountain for half a mile and eventually descended to Gray Whale Cove State Beach through a steep slope of the mountain.

Montara Beach
Montara Beach
Overlook Gray Whale Cove State Beach from Montara Mountain
Overlook Gray Whale Cove State Beach from Montara Mountain

We checked out from the hotel at noon. At the summit on Route 92, we turned right to Skyline Blvd. This is the first time that we drove on this road. While running along the ridge of the mountain, at this section, I saw no vista point that allows us to have a clear view of the San Francisco Bay. The annual Kings Mountain Art Fair was holding among the redwoods every Labor Day weekend. It’s some place we can visit next time.

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巴黎 – 荣军院和香榭丽舍

2014.11.2自从我们到达巴黎以来的好天气,今天终于晴转多云,开始阴沉下来。上午的时间准备去参观荣军院和罗丹博物馆,下午我们要搬到协和广场附近的另一家酒店。

乘坐C线地铁到荣军院只有两站。我们出发的比较早,地铁上乘客不多,和我们一起出站的只有我们两个和后面两三个人。快到出站楼梯的时候,我似乎觉得后面的几个人跟的很近。开始的时候也没有在意,毕竟这几天在巴黎都没有碰到什么情况。走在楼梯上的时候,我无意中回了一下头,发现其中一个女的已经无声无息地紧紧跟在我们后面,她的手已经搭在老婆背在身后的包上。我意识到碰到小偷了,赶忙拉着老婆加快了脚步。随行的几个人看到已经被我觉察,装做问路的样子,我没有搭理,几步之间就走出了站台。

旅游中最重要的就是不要为小的不愉快影响游玩的心情。亚历山大三世桥两侧的荣军院和大、小皇宫之间视野开阔,大气而不失优雅。紧邻塞纳河的右岸是两排绿树成行的绿地,靠河一侧的小路叫Port des Champs-Élysées。沿着小路前行,一侧是塞纳河边停泊靠岸的游船,另一侧是洒满金黄树叶的草地,没有了阳光灿烂,这样一个秋日似乎更适合体会巴黎的浪漫。不过此处也常有三五成群的游民活动,我在后面几天也曾碰到,最好结伴而行。

Port des Champs-Élysées, Paris
Port des Champs-Élysées, Paris

天空虽然阴沉,但桥塔顶部的四座女神像依旧金光闪闪,分外夺目。

Pont Alexandre III and Les Invalides, Paris
Pont Alexandre III and Les Invalides, Paris

亚历山大三世桥于1900年巴黎世博会之前完工。为了不影响桥两岸的视野,特地把桥拱压低。除了桥塔上的神像,桥面上的浮雕、灯柱和天使雕像无不细腻精美。亚历山大三世桥常被认为是巴黎最优雅华丽的桥梁。

Lamp posts and statues on Pont Alexandre III, Paris
Lamp posts and statues on Pont Alexandre III, Paris

我们穿过亚历山大三世桥向荣军院走过去。道路两旁是宽阔的草坪,看起来相当的气派。从草坪这端向回望去,大、小皇宫和亚历山大三世桥头上的女神像一览无余。

Esplanade des Invalides, Paris
Esplanade des Invalides, Paris
Overlook Grand Palais through Pont Alexandre III from Left Bank, Paris
Overlook Grand Palais through Pont Alexandre III from Left Bank, Paris

向前一直走到荣军院,这里始建时是路易十四时期的军队医院,后来拿破仑的灵柩搬到此处。巨大的圆顶既能震慑荣军院庞大的建筑群,从北面望去,又与正面的门洞相得益彰。夜晚圆顶的灯火点亮的时候,灯光一路延伸到亚历山大三世桥,生动地诠释着巴黎“city of light”的美名。

我们只是在荣军院稍做停留,倒是门口的青铜大炮和草地上的松柏更吸引的我们的注意。松柏被修剪成整齐的圆锥型,枝叶紧实,一个人靠上去不成问题。高矮不一的松柏零星点缀在荣军院门前的草坪上,便似一个个的哨兵,与荣军院的起源颇为相合。

The cannons of Les Invalides, Paris
The cannons of Les Invalides, Paris
Statue to the right side of the entrance to Les Invalides, Paris
Statue to the right side of the entrance to Les Invalides, Paris
Jardin des Invalides
Jardin des Invalides

绕过荣军院向东再向南,走一两个路口,不要10分钟,就到了罗丹博物馆。罗丹博物馆没有面向大路的入口,建筑上也与周围楼宇没什么区别,毫不显眼。进了门才发现今天免门票 – 每个月的第一个星期日,巴黎的博物馆都是免费开放。

罗丹博物馆最初是毕宏宅邸(Hôtel Biron),后来成为罗丹的工作室。一进门的建筑前方是一个月季和松树园,一侧陈列着罗丹最大型的作品之一《地狱之门》,另一侧的花园中是《思想者》和《巴尔扎克》。室内展出的多为小型作品或是模制品,比较有名的有《上帝之手》,《吻》,《青铜时代》等等。秋日的斜阳从落地窗照进来,映射在地板上,温暖而写意。

dscf0515
dscf0515

罗丹博物馆中更为独特的是建筑后侧花园和草坪间的雕像展览。数十件雕塑或散落于树林之间,或矗立于水池中央,或以浓密的绿篱为背景。秋风中落叶姗然而下,厚重的雕塑掩映于落叶与树影里,满眼的秋凉和宁静。

Garden of Orpheus, the sculpture garden in Musée Rodin, Paris
Garden of Orpheus, the sculpture garden in Musée Rodin, Paris
Garden of Orpheus, the sculpture garden in Musée Rodin, Paris
Garden of Orpheus, the sculpture garden in Musée Rodin, Paris
The garden of the hôtel Biron, Musée Rodin, Paris
The garden of the hôtel Biron, Musée Rodin, Paris
Le café du Musée Rodin, Paris
Le café du Musée Rodin, Paris

我们乘地铁回到酒店,结账出来,打的去新的旅馆。这家在协和广场边的旅馆叫Meliá Vendome,除了位于市中心,乘地铁去OpenStack的展会也非常方便。从左岸搬到右岸,旅馆周围的环境也从人声鼎沸的各色小店变成高档的时装店和餐馆。

住下后的第一件事还是熟悉周围环境。旅馆的街角就是另一个圣母教堂,圣母蒙召升天教堂(Église Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption)。在街角右转,沿圣奥诺雷街(Rue Saint-Honoré)向东,街道虽然狭窄凌乱,但一路都是时装名品店,据说是巴黎不逊于香榭丽舍和蒙田大道的时尚街道之一。中途经过凡登广场和圣洛克教堂(Église Saint-Roch),走到圣奥诺雷街与科莱特广场(Place Colette)。这里已经是卢浮宫的侧面,沿着歌剧院大街望去,可以远远看到巴黎歌剧院

Avenue de l\'Opéra with the Place de l\'Opéra at its northwest end, Paris
Avenue de l\'Opéra with the Place de l\'Opéra at its northwest end, Paris

回到旅馆和老婆一起出来在旅馆东北面的地方转了一圈。我们先是在圣奥诺雷街上的一家小面包店吃了一些午餐。走上皇家街(Rue Royale),一转角就看到一家Ladurée。从规模和装潢看,像是总店的样子。按说中国的蛇年已过,不知道为什么橱窗还装潢成蛇的图案。慕名而来的食客很多,门口还要排队。我们决定改天再来品尝。

Laduree at Rue Royale, Paris
Laduree at Rue Royale, Paris

皇家街很短,一端是玛德莲教堂,另一端是就是协和广场。两侧自然是名店荟萃,其中还有北京人熟知的马克西姆餐厅(Maxim’s)。

Rue Royale and L\'église de la Madeleine, Paris
Rue Royale and L\'église de la Madeleine, Paris
Overlook Place de la Concorde through Rue Royale, Paris
Overlook Place de la Concorde through Rue Royale, Paris

香榭丽舍大道起于协和广场、终于凯旋门。我们在协和广场转了一圈,就径直走上这条巴黎最著名的大街。

Place de la Concorde at dusk, Paris
Place de la Concorde at dusk, Paris

从协和广场到富兰克林·罗斯福大街之间的一段并没有什么商户,两侧是林荫道。每到岁末年初,香榭丽舍大道都会彩灯飞扬,庆祝节日。我们来的时间略早,只看到道路两旁摆放的一排排集装箱,大概是为了布置节日装饰用的。

香榭丽舍大道的西段是巴黎最顶级的商业区,其热闹繁华无需多言。可惜我们不是血拼的风格,也就是Window Shopping一下,喝一两杯咖啡而已。

The Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe at night, Paris
The Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe at night, Paris

走走停停快两个小时,我们终于来到凯旋门。凯旋门是拿破仑为了彰显自己的军功、迎接得胜回朝的法军凯旋而下令修建的。两面门墩上的四座雕塑和门上的六面浮雕记录的是法国大革命和拿破仑时期的重要事件,门墩和拱顶的内侧刻有得胜的战役和将领的名单。从一侧的门墩沿着螺旋的扶梯可以登上凯旋门的顶部。凯旋门高50米,从顶部可以清楚的看到从凯旋门所在的戴高乐广场辐射而出的12条大道和巴黎埃菲尔铁塔一侧的名胜。可惜的是这次出发时没想到会走这么远,没带着三角架,只能手持相机凑合拍一下夜景。

Paris as seen from the top of Arc de Triomphe, Paris
Paris as seen from the top of Arc de Triomphe, Paris
Eternal Flame at the Arc de Triomphe facing the Champs-Élysées, Paris
Eternal Flame at the Arc de Triomphe facing the Champs-Élysées, Paris

下了凯旋门已是晚上八点,做地铁回到协和广场。我们没有觉得有什么不安全,小心看好身上的东西是应当的。

回到酒店呆了一会儿感觉又饿了,于是快十点钟跑出去吃饭。隔一条街的一家法式餐馆叫L’Ardoise,人还是很满,但也是到了快打烊的时间。我们在这里小吃一餐。

L\'Ardoise, Paris
L\'Ardoise, Paris
L\'Ardoise, Paris
L\'Ardoise, Paris
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巴黎 – 塞纳河

2014.11.1今天上午的计划是登巴黎圣母院的钟楼。前一天在旅馆吃早饭的时候,墙上悬挂的照片吸引了我。那是西岱岛和圣路易岛在晨曦中的景象,清冷、安静,却令人神往,让我也忍不住想试一下。

早晨七点从旅馆出发,沿着塞纳河边一路上行,走过大主教桥,前方就是圣路易岛。圣路易岛上名胜不多,以住宅区为主。岛的西端面向左岸的一侧是一排临河的住宅楼,河畔是一列耸立的桦树,是一处常常出现在照片里的景致。这里河岸的人行道很宽,有几处可以驳船的码头。前一天是万圣节,大概也是有人庆祝的,河畔上很多酒瓶的碎片。我在这里照了几张照片,但是都不太满意。大概是取景角度太低,而且也没有那种清冷的感觉。

The southern side of Île Saint-Louis, Paris
The southern side of Île Saint-Louis, Paris
Notre Dame on Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis, Paris
Notre Dame on Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis, Paris
Notre-Dame and Pont de l\'Archevêché that connects Île de la Cité with the Left Bank, Paris
Notre-Dame and Pont de l\'Archevêché that connects Île de la Cité with the Left Bank, Paris

吃过早饭,我们于九点半赶到巴黎圣母院,排队等待登上钟楼。在我们前面大约有三十几个人。十点钟楼开门,一次大概放进十几个人;到十点二十左右,终于轮到我们。

Gallery of Notre Dame de Paris
Gallery of Notre Dame de Paris

从北钟楼的入口沿螺旋形的楼梯上行,就到达两座钟楼底部的走廊。这里距离地面46米,巴黎的全景尽收眼底。天空万里无云,虽然不适合摄影,但是正合适远眺。从左到右可以看到的著名景点有,圣叙尔比斯教堂、荣军院、埃菲尔铁塔、拉德方斯新区、圣礼拜堂、歌剧院、圣厄斯塔什教堂、圣心教堂和圣雅各伯塔。

Overlook Paris from the tower of Notre-Dame de Paris
Overlook Paris from the tower of Notre-Dame de Paris

这一条连接南北钟楼的走廊上最有名的要算是栏杆转角处的怪兽雕塑。它们栖息于钟楼之上,用最好的视角注视着千年来这座城市的事世变迁。由于早晨逆光的缘故,怪兽在照片里都比较暗,也许在傍晚或阴天的时候才更适合拍照。走廊很窄,上方有钢丝网保护。栏杆上雕刻的花饰、卷叶,以及探出的引水兽处处可见。

Chimera overlooking River Seine, Notre-Dame de Paris
Chimera overlooking River Seine, Notre-Dame de Paris
Overlook Sacré-Cœur with Saint-Jacques Tower in the foreground from Notre-Dame de Paris
Overlook Sacré-Cœur with Saint-Jacques Tower in the foreground from Notre-Dame de Paris
Rooftops of Left Bank and Église Saint-Sulpice, from Notre-Dame de Paris
Rooftops of Left Bank and Église Saint-Sulpice, from Notre-Dame de Paris

我们在这一层停留了大约半个小时,然后从另一侧沿着南侧钟楼内的螺旋楼梯登上钟楼的最顶层。钟楼呈方形,中间是隆起的尖顶,四周可以供游人远眺。

Overlook River Seine to the east with the spire of Notre-Dame de Paris in the foreground
Overlook River Seine to the east with the spire of Notre-Dame de Paris in the foreground
Apostles on the spire, Notre-Dame de Paris
Apostles on the spire, Notre-Dame de Paris
Overlook River Seine and La Défense from the top of the bell tower of Notre-Dame de Paris
Overlook River Seine and La Défense from the top of the bell tower of Notre-Dame de Paris

从早晨开始排队到游览完毕,大约花了两个小时的时间。我本来对地标建筑登高兴趣不大,但是有蜿蜒的塞纳河美景,又从不同的视角欣赏巴黎丰富的人文景观,登巴黎圣母院塔顶远眺绝对值得一游。

从巴黎圣母院出来,老婆回旅馆顺路购物,我先在圣母院广场又逗留了一会儿,然后准备去蓬皮杜文化中心那边转一圈。

The rose window of the west façade of Notre-Dame de Paris
The rose window of the west façade of Notre-Dame de Paris
The tympanum of the central portal, the Portal of the Last Judgement, Notre-Dame de Paris
The tympanum of the central portal, the Portal of the Last Judgement, Notre-Dame de Paris

穿过Pont d’Arcole,进入巴黎的第四区。巴黎的右岸一直为政府和贵族所占据。果不其然,过桥后右侧立刻就是巴黎市政厅(Hôtel de Ville)。巴黎市政府从1357年搬到这里,650多年来就再也没挪过地方。继续向北,又是巴黎典型的商业街道。路上行人不少,倒也不算很繁华。再走两个街区,就到了蓬皮杜中心。巴黎市中心的主要景点距离并不远。

Metro sign on Rue du Renard, Paris
Metro sign on Rue du Renard, Paris

蓬皮杜中心以暴露在建筑之外的彩色管线闻名。除了现代艺术博物馆,还包括一个图书馆和音乐声学研究中心。其建筑设计颠覆传统,与巴黎古式的风格毫不搭界,兴建初期争议很大。不过这样的例子在巴黎的建筑中并不少见,埃菲尔铁塔和卢浮宫前的金字塔都是明证,而且都已经成为经典。这一次我们没有计划参观现代艺术博物馆,我只是在外面转了一圈,反而觉得紧邻的斯特拉文斯基喷泉(Stravinsky Fountain)更有意思。

Le Centre Pompidou, Paris
Le Centre Pompidou, Paris

斯特拉文斯基喷泉是蓬皮杜中心边的一个大水池,其中点缀着十几座色彩鲜艳的雕塑,或旋转或喷水,代表俄罗斯作曲家斯特拉文斯基(Igor Stravinsky)不同的作品。远处占满整面墙壁的是Jef Aérosol的街画作品,”Chuuuttt”。作者这幅画的意思是希望我们能够花几分钟的时间,透过城市工业的喧嚣,聆听人类自己生活的声音。喷泉后面另一侧是圣梅里教堂(Saint-Merri)。教堂看起来颇为老旧,后来才知道它最近还上了世界文化遗址基金会的濒危建筑名单。教堂外壁在绚丽的喷泉雕塑和诙谐的壁画映衬下显得更为晦暗。

Stravinsky Fountain by Le Centre Pompidou, Paris
Stravinsky Fountain by Le Centre Pompidou, Paris

走出蓬皮杜中心附近的小巷,Boulevard de Sébastopol是穿过巴黎市中心的南北向大路。它的起点是位于塞纳河边的沙特莱广场(Place du Châtelet)。其中央的棕榈喷泉(Fontaine du Palmier)和胜利纪念柱是由拿破仑下令修建,用以昭示他在法国对外战争中的赫赫战功。广场的斜对面是圣雅各伯塔,法国大革命前是周围屠户修建的教堂,在法国大革命中教堂被拆除,只留下雕饰精美的塔楼。

Rue Quincampoix near Le Centre Pompidou, Paris
Rue Quincampoix near Le Centre Pompidou, Paris
La Place du Châtelet and La Fontaine du Palmier, Paris
La Place du Châtelet and La Fontaine du Palmier, Paris

与沙特莱广场隔河相望的是位于西岱岛上的巴黎古监狱(Conciergerie),连接两岸的是Pont au Change。早在12世纪,这座桥上就有珠宝商和货币兑换所的商店,桥也因此而得名。Conciergerie中世纪时是法国皇家的城堡,14世纪改用为监狱。作为巴黎最大的监狱,特别是在法国大革命时期,关押过不少大人物。建筑靠近塞纳河的一侧塔楼上,悬挂着一座金光闪闪、美奂美伦的大钟,这是巴黎最古老的公共时钟。

Paris’s first public clock on Tour de I\'horloge, Conciergerie, Paris
Paris’s first public clock on Tour de I\'horloge, Conciergerie, Paris
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

回到旅馆再出来吃午饭已经是下午两点。我们选了西岱岛上新桥边的一家小餐馆,La Taverne D’Henri IV。他家店面很小,走到门口我还不能确定是这一家。咸肉拼盘看起来很诱人,味道也很好。

La Taverne D'Henri IV, Paris
La Taverne D'Henri IV, Paris
La Planche Charcuterie, La Taverne D'Henri IV, Paris
La Planche Charcuterie, La Taverne D'Henri IV, Paris

吃过饭的计划是乘BatoBus去埃菲尔铁塔。午饭时喝了点儿酒,在下午和煦的阳光下不禁有些微醺,也没多想就登上了新桥下出发的塞纳河游船。这也让我们有了一次计划之外又是意料之中的塞纳河之旅。

游船上有广播介绍经过的桥梁和岸边的名胜风景,但是一路并不停船靠岸。从新桥出发,游船先是顺流而下,一直到埃菲尔铁塔,在德比尔哈克姆桥(Pont de Bir-Hakeim)调头。

The Zouave statue at Pont de l\'Alma, Paris
The Zouave statue at Pont de l\'Alma, Paris
Tourist boats on the Seine River against Musée de l\'Orangerie on the Right Bank, Paris
Tourist boats on the Seine River against Musée de l\'Orangerie on the Right Bank, Paris

游船随塞纳河上行,到达新桥时,从西岱岛和圣路易岛的左岸一侧继续前行。我们在网上看到的塞纳河游船的视频,大多是天气阴霾,甚至淫雨霏霏,可见遇到个好天气并不容易。而我们在巴黎多雨的季节,却有个不可多得的晴天。两岸黃色亮眼的梧桐掩映着乳白色的古老建筑,游人在河边岸旁闲坐,船上船下的人都是无比的惬意。

Musée d\'Orsay from the Seine river, Paris
Musée d\'Orsay from the Seine river, Paris
Pont des Arts and Pont Neuf, Paris
Pont des Arts and Pont Neuf, Paris
The southern side of Île Saint-Louis, Paris
The southern side of Île Saint-Louis, Paris

到达奥斯特里茨桥,游船折返,再从西岱岛和圣路易岛的右岸一侧回到新桥终点。

Dancing on the banks of Port Saint-Bernard, Paris
Dancing on the banks of Port Saint-Bernard, Paris
Notre Dame on Île de la Cité and the eastern end of Île Saint-Louis, Paris
Notre Dame on Île de la Cité and the eastern end of Île Saint-Louis, Paris

下了船,转头再去做BatoBus,原来BatoBus的登船地点是在右岸新桥下面的河边。BatoBus成人票一天16欧元,两天18欧元,比我们刚刚乘做的Vedettes du Pont Neuf游船还贵,坐的很满,完全不如地铁划算。如果乘船游览塞纳河是必须的旅游项目,建议乘坐专门的游船,再乘地铁去往各个游览点。

BatoBus的路线和Vedettes du Pont Neuf游船一致,但是全程有八个停靠码头,在埃菲尔铁塔脚下就有一站。时间已是下午五点,天色已暗,但是埃菲尔铁塔周围还是很热闹。

Pont d\'Iéna near Eiffel Tower at sunset, Paris
Pont d\'Iéna near Eiffel Tower at sunset, Paris

等待登塔的游人几乎把埃菲尔铁塔正下方的广场挤得满满当当,草坪上也是人满为患,再加上横七竖八的栏杆,我们走出很远也没有找到适合照相的机会。我们走到草坪一侧布尔多奈大道(L’avenue de La Bourdonnais)上的Le Dôme坐下来喝了一点儿咖啡,店员是一如既往的爱搭不理。休息片刻,再走回埃菲尔铁塔,仍然是灯火通明,人声鼎沸。埃菲尔铁塔登塔的时间一直到午夜,但是九、十点钟就会停止售票。

Under the Eiffel Tower, Paris
Under the Eiffel Tower, Paris

我们走过耶拿桥到夏乐宫的一侧,这里是远望埃菲尔铁塔最好的地点。每到整点,埃菲尔铁塔会在黄色灯光的背景下,闪烁起千万盏银白色的小灯,持续几分钟,为这个热闹的景点再增添几分活力。

Eiffel Tower and Pont d\'Iéna at night, Paris
Eiffel Tower and Pont d\'Iéna at night, Paris

我们沿着塞纳河走到德比利行人桥(Passerelle Debilly),又回到左岸。前面不远就是地铁C线在阿尔玛桥(Pont de l’Alma)的一站。地面上的站台只是一间小屋子,幸好有人指点,我们买了回程的地铁票。二十分钟时间就在圣米歇尔(Saint-Michel)站下车回到旅馆,每人只要1.7欧元,非常方便。

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San Diego

2016.2.11~13First-time visit San Diego downtown, Gaslamp Quarter. What a vibrant town at the night!

Seaport Village, San Diego
Seaport Village, San Diego
Seaport Village, San Diego
Seaport Village, San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego
San Diego Downtown, from San Diego Convention Center
San Diego Downtown, from San Diego Convention Center
From San Diego Convention Center
From San Diego Convention Center
Spanish Village Art Center, San Diego
Spanish Village Art Center, San Diego
Balboa Park, San Diego
Balboa Park, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
San Diego Skyline, from Centennial Park
San Diego Skyline, from Centennial Park
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Lights of the Valley

2015.12.24This street in San Carlos has the best Christmas light of the valley.

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