All 6 entries tagged Travel

在伦敦过新年

这几天出来玩，过着居无定所的日子。。。现在在伦敦朋友家，昨晚玩到4点多，现在中午12点了，居然是我第一个起床。昨晚去了西敏斯特，在泰姆士河边，站在高出，前面对着london eye,后面是big ben，人山人海。快到12点的时候全部人一起倒计时，12点整伦敦眼周围开始放烟花，持续了15分钟，火树银花，好美。。。回去再传照片上来。大家新年快乐，美梦成真！

: 01 Jan 2005 13:03 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

in london now

i'm in London to celebrate the New Year!
Gonna count down for the new year tonight under the big ben with friends.
hope it be a good night!

: 31 Dec 2004 19:09 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

静静的湖水透心凉＝the tranquil lake water

Follow-up to 阳光灿烂的第二天=a sunny second day~ from Crystal Palace

Lion很好心地安慰我，还跟我道歉，因为杯子是他弄丢的，我一直说没关系。虽然不见了保温杯，但我还是释怀了，丢了也没办法，大概注定跟了我四年的杯子要在异乡离我而去吧。没事了，甩甩头，继续上路。

现在我们位处湖边，前面望过去是崎岖的石路，也许不是路，很久没人走过的感觉。不过这样也有趣，像在探险一样。我们边走边注意着地上的石块，一不小心就会摔跤。沿途风景很美，蔚蓝的湖水静静地躺在群山的怀抱中，用掌心接起一瓢水，再让它顺着指尖滑落，清澈透明，一点杂质都没有。四周一个人都没有，唯一的动静就来自我们的脚步声，远处湖心鸭子的戏水声，海鸥似的白色鸟儿偶尔俯冲下水声，风吹着掉光叶子的树枝沙沙声。

漫步与此，似乎身处仙境，远离人类吵杂社会，心灵也获得片刻安宁。真想在这待着永远不离开了，然而三点一到，太阳便迫不及待地要回到她山后的窝，我们也只得加快脚步，要赶在天黑前回到小镇。

俗话说，无风不起浪，但这却是无风也微波层层。突然间湖水就晃动起来，然而一丝风也感觉不到。微微的浪波从湖心一直向我们这边的岸涌来，我们惊讶地瞪着湖心，微波虽美，也无心欣赏了，只怕突然从湖底会钻只水怪出来。过了片刻，水渐渐趋于宁静，又像什么事都没发生过一样了。

背着光照了这张照片，没想到效果还挺好，呵呵。

快接近keswick的时候又出现了大片农场，又是养羊的地方。在一个小山坡上，一头羊看着我们两个异乡的年轻人，脸上露出惊讶的神情。不知道当时脑筋怎么了，我突然举起相机，对羊说：“hi，take a picture。” 羊就专注地看着镜头，成功照下，我竖起拇指对它说“great, thanks a lot!” 它也就低下头继续吃草。what a magnificent and successful communication!
[to be continued….]

: 24 Dec 2004 21:08 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

阳光灿烂的第二天=a sunny second day~

突然想用中文来记下自己的见闻,这样可能更真实一点,并且比较好表达:)

2004年12月7日, 星期二,晴
因为昨晚睡得早，而且昨天没走多少路，今天很早就醒，确切地说是被冻醒，因为昨晚中央暖气关了．被冻醒的滋味特别难受,七点多,我艰难地从床上爬起来,哆嗦着穿上衣服.还好热水没断,刷牙洗脸时还是挺舒服.

去茶水间冲杯夏桑菊喝,走回房间时往外不经意望了一望,突然呆了,外面蓝天白云,小鸟叽喳欢快地叫着,估计也是好多天没见到这么好的天气了.我赶忙推门出到院子里.一派欣欣向荣的景象啊,与昨天下午的keswick相比,完全是天堂和地狱.太阳刚出来,地面昨天下过雨,还是湿的.才八点,整个小镇还很宁静,偶尔有一两辆车开过,溅起阵阵水花.

房屋都很低矮,但整齐干净,阳光照着洁白的墙壁,好像都会发光了,更别说玻璃; 树都只剩下光棍枝头,秋风把叶子都扫光了,这种冬天的景象,虽然有点落寂,但由于阳光的出现,好像又降生机.小镇是安静的,与世隔绝,管理丹顿的女人说,keswick也是因此才吸引人的.

这天气多么适合旅游啊,昨晚的阴翳已被阳光一扫而空,我兴冲冲跑回室内.找到lion的房间,敲门没人应,里面居然没人.一会儿才见他从浴室出来,这人还挺讲究,早上起床还得先沐浴.[待续]

随便拿了点饼干巧克力当早餐，啃了个苹果，九点半出发了。

出门前又跟管理员碰了面，她牵着好大一条狗准备出去溜狗。突然从柜台底下钻出来，一脸和善，但是太突然，下了我一跳。这里人就是喜欢养狗，家家户户，起码两只。

今天我们本来打算坐环湖的巴士，坐3/4圈，再走路回来。可是巴士居然只开到11月31号。想坐launch游湖，居然也没有开。我们先走到镇中心的tourist info centre看看有没有最新消息，还好没让我们失望，现在还有一趟绕湖的巴士，不过只开到湖的最南边，再原路绕回。

这里坐巴士非一般的贵，买return ticket一个人都要七磅多，人民币百来块钱。可是没办法，这是什么地方啊，偏远山区，有巴士坐已经谢天谢地了。

在车上沿途风景非常好，我们不断拍照，不过现在只能用我的相机拍，刘熠忘了带充电器。今天坐bus的心情真好，沿途看到漂亮的风景，车开出大约一里远后终于看到梦寐以求的湖。

真不愧为湖区，从没见过这种湖水的篮，跟水彩画一样，透明的篮；和老外的篮眼睛一样，又有点深邃。连天空的颜色都和湖水接近了，如果不是远处的山分开界线，就成水天相接了。长这么大第一次看到这么自然的景象。我跟lion说，这里有点像云南，他也觉得如此。周围环绕着山，中间是碧蓝的湖水。不同的是同为风景区，云南大理和丽江都挤满了游客，这里却如同世外桃源，只有大自然的树山水、小鸟、松鼠，很难见到一个人.都怪英国人太少，如果跟中国一样人口密集，还不一样旅游资源都被开发尽。[待续]

同样和大理丽江的全年开放不同，这里游乐项目的开放有时间限制。很多项目都是从三月开到十一月三十号。我们来得很不巧，没赶上好季节。刘熠出来旅行是因为他12月20日就要回国，我出来旅游是因为在学校待得郁闷，觉得不能浪费在英国的大好时间。但现在发现，旅游真有必要看季节，此外，金钱也是个很重要的因素，如果现在随便乱花，到合适旅游的时候，却没钱了。虽然如此，此次旅行还是给我留下很深的回忆。

坐了半个钟头车，到了Seatoller Farm，我们便跟着一对老夫妇在这下车。这对老人很有意思，看我们是这个季节来这里观光的唯一年轻人，一直沿路给我们做讲解。
“看，那是catbell，可以沿着小路走，沿途风光非常美妙。”老爷爷说。
“是啊，不过当我们年轻的时候就能精力充沛连续走4个小时跨过这座山。现在只能挑山下的平路走了。”老奶奶接口说道。
两位老人，从我们的眼光看来，已上60，然而他们还背着大背包，作了充分准备去长途跋涉。不能不让人佩服他们的精力和休闲精神。

这里是湖的最南面，也是bus的最后一站。停几分钟后，bus便沿途返回。如果在11月来，就能赶上绕湖一圈的公车。下车后，老夫妇走平地，我们便沿着相同方向朝山上走。

这一带山脉连绵起伏，环绕着湖。这种景象在英格兰其他地方是看不到的。英国是个岛国，没有平原地带，到处是丘陵。在中部无论车开到那里，放眼看去都没有高山，然而也没有平地，公路永远都是起起伏伏。有时向车外望去，会觉得很不真实，因为一排小树林往往就出现在地平线以上，而色彩各异的小楼房有些高点，有些低点，点缀着画面，层次感很强。如果是晚上坐车，就能看到前面公路上的车灯排列得有如飞腾的长龙。

这里是个农场，正如站名所写的，因此特别多这种小闸口，主要方便牧羊人赶羊。我们便从这个闸口出发，踏着牧羊人，狗和羊羔们每天必走的路，开始我们的徒步旅行。

沿着山上小路，随处所见都是牧场。一路上很多羊屎，而且因为昨天下雨，太阳威力远远不够晒干泥路，只能忍着白鞋变黑鞋的危险走一步算一步，中间踏到多少次羊屎已经算不出来了。我们两个城市出来的旅伴，走着这种乡间小路很兴奋，一路上不停地拍照，完全顾不上看路面的羊屎了，只可怜了我最喜欢的布鞋，估计它们出厂的时候无法想象自己会遭遇这样的虐待，而它们的另外一对此刻正舒舒服服地躺在姐姐家温暖舒服的鞋柜里呢。

一路上看到很多绵羊，这里是放羊的牧场。路上遇到的小羊肯定都在纳闷，这两个年轻人怎么闯入我们的领地了。室友James是英国本地人，他说以前湖区都是放牧牛群，后来爆发疯牛病和口蹄疫，农民损失严重，现在全都改成放羊了。看到这些温顺的小羊羔，你完全无法想象它们疯起来是什么样子。走了一段路，发现前面很多羊飞快向我们跑过来，我们还没反应过来，它们看到我们却吓了一跳，本来应该顺着山路跑的，一只只向下面的牧场跑了去。我吓呆了，抓住刘熠的衣袖。

后面跟上来的绅士牧羊人看到这种情形，不停吹口哨，呼唤着他的几条狗下去追赶羊群。别看那些羊平常很温顺，而且肥胖行动不便的样子，跑得却飞快，一只接一只跳过高过人头的围墙。一切就在一瞬间发生，黑狗比羊跑得更快，虽然个子比羊小，却灵活地把羊群赶回围墙里，再绕过我们赶回原路。我们替它捏了把汗，接着牧羊人跟着羊群跑离了我们的视线。那个牧羊人高高瘦瘦，戴着贝雷帽，穿着有点像训马师衣服的浅灰色的的套装，手握短仗，很帅的样子。可惜他走得太快，来不及给他留影。他是我们走进第一个闸口后遇到的第一个人，觉得特别亲切，却一句话都搭不上，也许他还生气我们吓坏他的羊群呢。

一路上走过无数个这种闸口，有些还设计得特别精巧，加了弹簧和拐口，一次只容得一个人进出。这是为了防止羊和狗独自跑掉。

走了一个多钟头，眼前一阵开阔。
出现了淙淙的溪水，我们很开心地拍照留念。但没想到这里却是死路一条。我们无法往前，只能向下走，以为前面有出口。可惜没那么幸运，我们进了牧场里面自己都不知道，只是觉得奇怪footpath怎么不见了，而道路更加泥泞。这个牧场此刻没有放羊，所以我们才会误闯。迷迷糊糊，怀着一线希望绕着牧场走，却找不到出口。路更加泥泞，只能踩着布满青苔的石块，扶着枯枝走路，我还不小心摔了一跤，半条牛仔裤粘了黑泥，白鞋现在也分不清原来的颜色了。在牧场里面困了近半个小时，找不到出口，路却完全不能走了。。。没办法，我们只能走回头路，重新上了山，往回走了了二十分钟左右，终于找到一个向下的闸口。此时眼前又一两，不再是黑泥和青苔，而是一片绿色的大草地！我们差点就欢呼出来了，只是好像误闯到人家后花园了，主人不在，关在笼子里的黑狗一直朝我们狠狠地叫。管不了那么多，这种景色不照下来就太浪费了。狗在吠，我们却欢呼着照相，呵呵。

柳暗花明又一村，从后花园出来的时候刚巧碰到回keswick的公车，我们急忙向司机招手，他便中途停下来给我们上车。车上一个人都没有，怪不得车票费要那么贵，而且很多班车停开了。

在车上，我们觉得很不爽，花了那么多时间爬山，却连湖的影子都没见到，那还叫来过湖区吗？回程车票只能用一次，所以我们决定在看到湖的时候下车，然后沿着湖走回去。肯定能走到的不是吗，因为keswick就在湖边啊。

到了Lodore Hotel站，我们就下车了，司机说还有两个站就到keswick，听起来似乎不太远啊。公路旁边有条footpath，路牌写着to keswick，那肯定没错，我们选择走小路，因为大路很多车，太危险了，走小路也许还能看到更多美景呢。确实不错，看到了长相奇怪的大树，还有涌涌流水的小溪。。。

千呼万唤，看到了湖，触摸到清澈的湖水！真是太开心了！终于和湖区的湖第一次亲密接触！

这样的景色是我平生第一次见到，蔚蓝蔚蓝，如同水彩画一般。。。湖水透心凉，完全不受污染。水看上去很浅，如果现在不是冬天，我肯定卷起裤脚脱了鞋下去踩水了。

可是就在这里发生了件不愉快的是，我们发现插在lion书包边的我的保温杯不见了：（我们往回走了半个小时路，希望能够找回杯子。我一万个不愿意丢壶成为现实，它已经陪伴了我大学四年，现在又万里迢迢陪我来到英国。一想到杯子丢了我就很伤心。可是它还是丢了，我们原路走了半个小时都找不到，看来它不是掉在公车上就是掉在农场泥泞地里了。但是我不希望丢杯破坏游玩的兴致，还是笑笑说没关系了。就是，丢了也没办法啊，只希望它是被丢在一个风景好点的地方。。。能被丢在世界50个必须去的地方之一也是它的幸运啊，想到这里，我就心宽了。。。

刚刚想找张保温杯的照片，却怎么都找不到，5555

[to be continued…]

: 21 Dec 2004 01:16 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

journey continues

6th Dec, 2004
I left Warwick Uni. at 8.30 in the morning with my new friend Lion(Liu Yi). I would like to use present tense in discribing my way of travell from now on because it sounds more vividly. we arrive at Coventry railway station at 9.00am.

Lion picks up all his train and bus tickets from a "fast ticket" machine. That is really very convinient because you can book the tickets on-line from "thetrainline" website, register, log on your credit card or master card or anyother card numbers except Solo card:(, and get your reference number, by which you check out ur tickets through a fast ticket machine. Booking tickets on-line is fantastic, very easy and sometimes economic, because if you book early enough, you can get extremelly cheap tickets, much cheaper than a saver's return with young persons card. Unfortunately, I'm not authorized to make advantage of this conviniency because the only card i have is HSBC solo card, the most inferior card in the world~:(. I have applied for credit card last week, hopefully i can receive it tomorrow. gotta check it asap. Oops, i'm away from the point.

The train takes off on time at 9.23am. I'm quite pleased to travel with Lion, whom i met just one week before the travel. He's a nice guy undeniably, funny, sympathetic and knowledgable. He's an exchange student from Hongkong City University, where he's been the same identity from Fudan University. I should say that he's really talented. His tuition fees are all provided by HKCU, and amazingly they even provide him an equivilance of 300 pounds living cost to him monthly.

It's kind of providential that we two could travel together in this journey. I met him in Sharron's dorm. I was supposed to be transferred his air ticket to and fro Switzeland coz his visa didn't grant him the right of travelling to Switzeland. However, the charge for transferring ticket, which means just a change of aboarding name, turned out to be too expensive, so I cancled the plan of taking his place. He said that he planed to go to lake district alone, while i was also thinking about that..In a word, it's just coincident.

Ok, back to the topic again. It is aroud two o'clock in the afternoon when we arrive in keswick. Firstly, we go to the hostle, pay the accommodation fee and drop down our luggages.
The porteress is so nice that she gives us leaflets of places of interestes and even a huge, detailed map without which we counld not have enjoyed so much!

After putting down our heavy backpacks, we decide circling around the town first. The weather is terrible. It is raining, windy, cloudy and freezing. It gets dark at 3, and all the shops will close at 5. The cinema's also closed. We walk a long way in the rain to Theater by the lake, but the famous drama "cindarela" will only be onshow to public at weekends..it seems that we'll have nothing to do tonight. it's such a bad weather that i cannot control myself but feel really down. i'm in despair and believe that I go out at a damned time and will end with disappointment. But Lion is so optimistic. He's quite good at discovering interesting things such as an ancient tap by the road…

This is the interesting tap i mentioned before. Drinking water runs when u press hard the nose of the lion. It's made of copper and seems really old.

We find several museums, but either closed or requries entrence fee, so we just take some pictures before the signboard and on the town street to keep the memory that we've been here.

I cannot imagin what it turns out tomorrow. things will be deteriorating if the weather dosen't turn fine!!! So it all depends, depends on our luck.

We have supper in a local pub which is shabby and small with only three men drinking inside. We choose it because few pubs or resteraunts are available and the food in it is comparatively cheap.

I go back to the house in dismay. i can't believe that such beautiful place seems like hell in this season under such weather. and I can't imagine that i'm in the lake district but have no even a glance of lake on the first day arrival.

These is only a black-and-white Tv in the common room by which we kill time. That night, we watch "i'm celebrity, get me out of here". it's quite funny. I'm not used to stay alone with a boy who i'm not so familiar with, so i may not behave naturally.

This pic is taken on the last night of our staying. at that time, i'm feeling quite comfortable to be with him coz we've known each other quite well. But it's time to say goodbye~
the camara is placed on top of the tv set, and it's set to auto shot:)

: 21 Dec 2004 00:07 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

my journey to lake district

I went to the notorious lake district one week ago. Due to this seemingly wasted one week, it seems to me that it's already been a long time since i last leave my dorm.

However, the journey is real, as well as my friend Lion, and those magnificent pictures which i would like to post here despite the fact that this entry is just for me.

I left for Keswick, which is located in the north area of lake district, on 6th Dec, which is exactly two weeks ago from now. I parchased four tickets for two return journeys. Hopefully they are not dumped. But when i asked for the tickets at the counter of Coventry railway station, that Indian guy gave me 8 tickets together. Looking at my astonishing face, he explaind kindly as to his own daughter that 4 of them are for seats reservation. Tickets by train definitely cost a fortune! The return ticket for Coventry-Lancaster costs 28.4 pounds, while that for Lancaster-Penrith costs 10.65 pounds. I took an exchange at Lancaster railway station on porpuse because i would stay stop over there, join Rachel, and spend another 2 days in Lancaster Uni after the journey to Keswick. Actually, i was desperate to buy a direct ticket to keswick, but unfortunately, the station dosen't sell bus ticket, and there is no rail track from Penrith to Keswick. I think that is because the town is too isolated or govenment dosen't want to pollute that pure area where there are mountains and clear waters all around. However, it resulted that I have to pay more than 4 pounds on the bus ticket to Keswick…what a waste of money…while it's just 16 miles away~~I am afraid that I too picky about the money thing, that everything in UK is just toooo expensive. If you really count every penny or multiply 15 for each pound, you will become mad! Everything here needs money. I wonder whether i could survive without GBP.
Then comes to another calculation. Our accommadation, which is a little bed in Denton House, a hostle, costs 10 ponds per night. Plus 1.1 pounds service charge on-line, it's 31.1 all together for three nights.
However, winter is definitely no a right season to visit lake district, that the hostle just accommadates four people, and i can occupy one room by myself—it means that, on the one hand, i can maintain my privacy and enjoy larger space; on the other hand, the radiator's swithed off after 11pm coz the house keeper Eric said it cost too much to have the radiator on 24 hrs for just 4 residents. I understood that and showed my sympathy, but that means I have to shrink into myself in the thin quilt….it's too sad to mention that. I nearly freezed to death for the first night, but be able to survive the other two night coz i picked up another quilt and wore a cotton hat.[to be continued]

standing before Denton House

My bed in the hostle for three nights

the corridor after stepping out of female's room "Catbell"

The drinking room(I'm not sure the correct name for this room. Here we can make a cup of tea or coffee. all materials including milk, sugar are provided with no extra charge.)

: 20 Dec 2004 22:33 |  Tags: Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem