Horse Horse &Tiger Tiger

同志们，朋友们，姐妹们，

在北京混吃混喝一年多了，眼看好日子慢慢上了正轨，我却不得不离开了。所有美好的计划不得不泡汤了。

自然是有人欢喜有人愁。

在樱桃的介绍下，认识了那么多的朋友，打球，做饭，看电影，打牌，卡拉OK，（很可惜没赶上泡吧！）能腐败的项目基本上都摸了一把。还学会了打麻将，装模作样地欣赏高雅的古典音乐，“二儿”，还是很有成就的。

一别不知何年，我们通过博客交流吧。我会时常把我的动态给大家贴贴，大家也经常向我汇报厮混团的动态，馋馋我。

也许过两年等经济回暖，我胡汉三又会杀回来跟大家厮混团。当然也欢迎留守的同志们，混出风格，混出水平，混出品味，混出格调，混出国内，混到俺家来作客，包吃包住啊！

唠唠叨叨半天，总算说到了奥塞美术馆。
奥塞美术馆的前身，好像也是个皇宫。总之巴黎这种金碧辉煌的建筑很多，我这个外行看起来都像皇宫。我是来看画的，也就不细究了，正如吃了鸡蛋未必要看看下蛋的鸡。

这个馆感觉比卢浮宫好一点儿，气氛轻松一点儿吧。卢浮宫深墙高院，在里面有点儿阴森的感觉，那些肖像画里的人物，瞪着一双双逼真的眼睛，对你又盯又瞪，令人有点恍忽。加上它的名头也大，没进门就肃然起敬了三分。

奥塞美术馆进去之后给人的感觉是通透，布局也更适合我这种外行的游客。藏品方面，更多的是近，现代的艺术作品，包括很多高更，梵高，塞尚，雷诺阿，德加的作品。（我太厉害了，记住了这么多名字）但是说句老实话，卢浮宫里的东西比较写实，好懂。当然也许是我自以为是的认为。
现代派的画家们求新求异，搞得那些印象派，表现派，令人（我这样的外行人）感到不明就里，诚惶诚恐。他们表现的技法令人惊异，但也给我一种曲高和寡的感觉。

总体印象是，比卢浮宫要明快一些，值得一游。话不多说，上名画。



这一幅还是比较古典的，安格尔的《泉》。说老实话，我是很不乐意与她合影的。算个啥嘛！老公非要拍一张到此一游，那我也只好和她拼了。



一看到这张，我和老公都大乐。这不就是《戇豆先生之博物馆》里面，那张《惠斯勒的母亲》吗？我一直以为它已经被毁掉了。原来还好好的在这儿啊！真是傻到家了。

看了一上午的名画，脚也酸了，眼也累了，人也不想动。但是肚子不停地在咕咕叫。我们左右合计了一下，进了美术馆里的餐厅。


真是豪华啊，我小家子气的直打哆嗦，老公纠着我的胳膊往里走。“难得来一次巴黎，奢侈一下吧。”“你说的轻松，这个奢侈份额，昨天的鹅肝已经用完了。”
我晕头转向地被他按到椅子上，一个帅气的侍者马上递上菜单。我装腔作势地看一眼，还好，没有贵到我当场尖叫的地步。估计是当时头晕，没想清楚是欧元还是人民币。
老公跟侍者一阵嘀咕，菜就算是点好了，没我啥事儿。现在回想起来，吃了啥都不记得了，金碧辉煌啊，晃得我眼晕。

从卢浮宫出来，已近黄昏。但街头依然是人潮滚滚。巴黎的观光客。。。唉　我们沿着馆外的石头道一真向西走，走着走着，居然到了巴黎歌剧院，那个金顶绿墙的宫殿。老公得意地说，他进去过。里面更豪华。我已是饥肠辘辘，就算院长出来请我进去参观，只怕我要婉拒了。老公见我连拍照的兴趣都没有了，当下决定打的回府。

洗了一个澡之后，两人开始琢磨晚餐。干这个，我劲头十足。老公提议去旅馆附近的咖啡店，说那儿咖啡很正宗，老板娘很热情，小店很古朴，主要是很近。那还等什么？拔腿就走喽。


这个小咖啡店开张于1911年，连二战时期都没停过业。目前的店主是这家的儿媳妇，一个金发灰眼的中年妇女，衣着谈吐极文雅，体现了我对一个巴黎女市民的全部想像，尽管她说啥，我没明白一句。后来听多了，知道“麦西”是谢谢，“麦西　布谷”是非常感谢。不好意思偷拍她，照片欠奉。

老公叫我在外面等着，他进去点个惊喜给我。
等着就等着呗，反正我也听不懂他们说啥。等菜端出来，果然是个大惊喜！　foi gra! 法国鹅肝！准确地说是鸭肝。


看着就令人食指大动啊。老板娘说，她就是加一点点胡椒，上锅稍稍蒸了一下，以保持肝原有的香味。这跟清蒸大闸蟹一个道理啊，哈哈。
金色的，是肝里渗出的油。又香又滑。这只鸭子肯定有脂肪肝，要不怎么这么肥呢？尝尝吧！切下一小块叉进嘴里，还是能品出肝特有的香味，但是质地非常非常的细腻，根本吃不到小血管或纤维什么的，像纯巧克力一样，用舌头将它推向上颚，它就慢慢地化开成一股浓香。。。。。。

这首开胃菜之后，是冷肉拼盘，就是把各种风干的生猪肉，生牛肉，片成超薄片，码在一个切奶酪的木板上。意大利人也这么吃，所以不算法国特色。不过我不是很介意，那叫一个香啊！　

最后的甜点，是热巧克力。真正的热巧克力啊，就是把一大块巧克力在锅里化开，一边化，一边搅入牛奶。端上来的时候浓得稀粥，那叫一个香啊。舌头都快要化在杯子里了。

酒饱饭足之后，老公警告我说，别以为巴黎人天天这么吃啊！咱俩人这顿是95欧元噢。”

“知道了！咱们打算几年来巴黎一次啊？这是巴黎啊！”

奥塞美术馆，相比之于卢浮宫，自有它的不凡之处。在我这个只认得蒙娜丽莎的人来看，奥塞美术馆更像一个美术馆，设计和布置更人性化一点。不过，我们还是先去了卢浮宫。一圈看下来，那叫一个累啊! 本来那就不是美术馆嘛! 我们一大早没等开门就在玻璃金字塔前面等着。哈，聪明人不少! 还得排队。大门一开，老公拉着我熟门熟路地直奔那传世巨作。蒙娜丽莎今天在家，不过早已有捷足先登的崇拜者们等着排队合影了。真是令人大跌眼镜! 那原作，就跟个手提电脑全打开那么大，我原来想像至少也得有半个门扇吧! 队排得长，我不耐烦等，看别的去了。

卢浮宫里我认得的作品不多，这个我还知道的比老公多，掰得他一楞一愣的。



安格尔的大宫女，只所以认得她，是因为看了一篇文章，说安格尔为了追求构图之美，不顾人体解剖学的事实，给这个祼女多画了一块脊椎骨。大家可以观察一下是否如此。

看完了令人眼花瞭乱的画作之后，我们七转八转来到路易N世最喜欢的一间屋子，叫太阳宫吧，记不清了。房间里从天花，到墙，再到地板，从桌子，到烟盒，到处都是装饰花纹，真叫一个“俗”啊。工艺是精美，但是这么多东西堆在一起，那不是交相辉映，而是俗不可耐了。法国给人的印象一贯是高贵，优雅，怎么反而皇宫里是这么艳而夸张呢？不可理解。
我正在研究一个水晶的水瓶，老公说我觊觎皇室瑰宝，看得眼馋，口水都快流下来了，有照为证。
大家看看，有这回事儿吗？我用得着吗？想当年在故宫博物院我都没流过口水，我能到这里来丢中国人的脸吗？切!


出门的时候，才看了一眼楼梯的休息平台上放的东西-- 那个大名鼎鼎的没有头的女神像。我记得高中历史书的彩页里面有她呢!

看完了卢浮宫，有一个感觉，珍品太多，其实有好多的好画，都放在一起，感觉不值钱了。我觉得比Mona Lisa好多了，但是没她名气大。人比人，气死人，画比画，也气死人。 哼

飞机降落在戴高乐机场，我仍然没有到了巴黎的感觉，周身都是中国人（搭国航的航班）。巴黎并没有立即向我呈现它浪漫而香艳的花都气质，倒是飞机场里长长的甬道令人郁闷。
老公号称是在巴黎混过的，看了地图就叫的士。这的士往里一坐，到旅馆下来，整整72个欧元，还没算给司机的小费。这一个下马威！巴黎可不是什么人都能随便来的，你得有钱。
好在我们也不是来血拼的，学个教训也好。免得下次上个龙虾也敢张嘴就啃。哈哈。

我们找到小旅馆在Radio Paris的对面，离艾菲塔不远，那叫一个小啊！跟香港绝对有得一拼。好在老公已经给我打了预防针，小就小一点吧，便宜啊，才160欧元一个晚上。而且还供应了香皂和牙刷，极为罕见。

放下行李，我们兴冲冲地去看塔。在小巷之间穿行，只要一直以塔为坐标，就绝对不会迷路。金色的欧盟十二星，在深蓝色的塔身轮廓灯的映衬下，熠熠生辉，结果不同凡响。浪漫的夜巴黎故事，真的是必须有它做背景。

走近细看，铁塔并不像想象的那样缺少细节的加工，至少基座，肉眼可及的范围，还是少不了法国一贯的精致和不厌其烦。看起来就像一个大蕾丝花边。听老公这个包打听说，整座铁塔的铁如果熔化成一个以塔基投影面积为底的长方体，只有70公分高。听起来好像不多，但那塔有多大啊！下面开个音乐会都不嫌挤！

图呢？

去年九月份，奥运会已经结束，残奥会仍在进行，奥运的气息和影响依然正盛。我和老公开始了我们的欧亚之旅。第一站是北京，去看鸟巢，残奥会，大栅栏做唐装，行色匆匆地结束了三天的北京奥运行，我们踏上了前往欧洲的航班。在巴黎短暂仪了两天三夜之后，向着我们的目的地－－瑞士进发。在瑞士，我们以婆家为基地，以姑姐为导游，周游了瑞士北部，于国庆回到了杭州。在杭州娘家度过了短暂的一周，结束了我们的旅程，回到了家。

因为休假时间长，大串的工作要补上，因此一直没有时间把此次行程向大家做一个汇报。在此深表歉意，今天开始，老虎我将陆续上传此次旅行的部分图片，以飨娘家和婆家等待以久的观众，和众位看客。

先上一张圣母院的吧。
说起来比较的郁闷。我们本来想订的酒店就在离圣母院不远的地方，可是电话打过去，人家说不订。我们只好换到一家离艾菲塔不远的酒店。塞翁失马啊! 后面再说。

到了巴黎才知道，原来是教皇他老人家也是这个日子到巴黎，而且就要去圣母院做大弥撒。难道说为了安全起见，教会把圣母院周围的酒店都包下了？总之，我老公的乐呵呵地说，看! 教皇都赶到巴黎来看我们! 多有面子。
典型的自我感觉良好! 圣母院自然是关闭，不对外了。不过想必里面跟其它大教堂没两样， 外面看看也一样。当时是人山不海啊，大屏幕上滚动播报教皇离圣母院还有多远。地界上，自然到处都是警察。

我问老公，你要看本尊吗？老公说无所谓，那我们就逆流而上，向着奥赛美术馆进发!

Hi, sis,
Just read an article today. Very inspiring and really want to share with you.
In a class a teacher brought out a bottle.
He filled it in with rocks and asked the students, "Is it full?'
 "Yes." The students answered.
Then he took out a handful of sand, shaking them into the gaps between rocks. 
"Is it full now?"
"No. You can fill it in with liquid. Some students started to realize it and recalled the story many of them had read before.

The teacher  took out a glass of water and poured it into the bottle.

"Yes, that is correct. So what lesson could we learn here?"

All the students said in one voice "sometime 1+1 doesn't necessarily equals two. " Kind of standard answer from the story.

"Well, that's correct. But today I just want to tell all of you, kids. Be careful with the sequence when you put things into the bottle. If you fill in with water first, you could not fill in sand and rock without losing water. If you fill sand in first you would not have a chance to put in any rocks. Life is going on the same way. If you occupy yourself with minor bits you might not have time, or chance to achieve bigger goals, which is more important to you."

Now identify what are your rocks in life.

Travel in Beijing is a nightmare if you don’t speak Chinese, unless you have a big budget and don’t mind being ripped off.

[But do not take it for granted that in China town of your city you can learn Chinese. In many cases you will find out what you learned actually is Cantonese, which is a very different southern dialect while people here speak Mandarin Chinese.]

Landing off in Beijing airport is the start of it. Signage is so badly organized that they are confusing instead of helpful.

 

Since you are not going to the airport everyday let’s turn to daily travel.

For most travelers there are four choices available.

 

1. Subway (light rail)

  There are no free maps or print-out in the subway. No timetable neither. But the subway comes every 3-4 minutes so quite convenient. The only thing for you to do is to find out your stops and remember the name.

  Also the signage is not designed considerately. Easily you exit the wrong way. But there is always a ticket staff there for you to enquire from. Of course you have to speak Chinese.

  Bike/pet is not allowed in the subway.

  Do not try to catch subway during rush hours. Never. It is not an advice it is a warning from experience. If you catch a train at 7 am-9am and 4.30 pm-6 pm you wish you are in a sardine can instead of subway. You have to pray God for get on. No need politeness, no need manner, no need private space you will be rolled into the car with flood of commuters even if you don’t want, sometimes. Make sure you are close enough to the gate one stop before yours. Otherwise you won’t have time to get off.

  Other hours the subway is quite alright.

  There is no around-clock subway. Most of them stop at around 11pm. Some are earlier. Keep an eye on the bill board inside the car to find it out.

 

2. Taxi

  Taxi is the easiest way to get you to your destination. If you don’t speak English better have the destination’s address written down in Chinese. Most of the drivers don’t speak English. But they are smart enough to figure it out if you are going to some very well known or regular visiting spots for foreigners, like pubs.

  Sometimes especially at night taxi drivers can turn a bit wild. They could refuse to put on meters and ask for money they think reasonable whereas you think totally opposite. Or they can take you round after round on the 3^rd ring before they get bored and send you straight to your place. My colleagues spent RMB50 from Train Station to the office which cost me RMB16.

  Don’t expect the taxi driver will return your belongings if unfortunately you leave them in the taxi. Maybe 1 in 1000000000000 you will get your stuff back. So always ask for receipt when you pay the fare.

  Traffic in Beijng is notoriously poor so sometimes a RMB20 distance could possibly cost you RMB 60. In this case nothing is wrong with the driver. Money is not the point. If you miss your favorite game that will be really disappointing.

 

3. Bus

Bus is very cheap. But they are not designed for you if you can’t read or speak Chinese. If you do keep asking the conductor or driver because what you find on Internet is so inaccurate, out-of-dated and misleading that you might end up somewhere you don’t know.

 

4. Car rental

Car rental is not very popular in Beijing. But I believe if you search you still can find some business. China adopts right-handed system. So you are from commonwealth and get used to left-handed side driving. You are strongly dissuaded to drive.

I am not worrying too much on this point because I am pretty sure that anybody, once see how Chinese drivers run on the road will definitely give up the idea of driving, even if from India.

Also finding a parking bay in this city is a pain in the ass. It is a lot harder than finding a seat in rush-hour subway.

Map is very badly printed that all the streets names crammed together or secondary roads not shown. Don’t expect you can find a place without asking passengers, in Chinese please.

 

5. Bike

Bike used to be the most popular travel tool in Beijing. But not nowadays simply because people who have to use bike as daily commuting tools are pushed to the outskirt of the city by the rocket high house price.

Bikes for rental are put to the street. But I never tried. They look so fragile that I might break it during the riding.  

There should be some strong bikes somewhere. You just need to dig them out.

 

6. Walk

Walk is not too bad. But there are still problems.

First, sometimes you won’t find pedestrian pavement. So you have to fight with the bikers for the road.

Second, crossing street at traffic light intersection is dangerous! Remember my words. I always cross road whenever I am with a bunch of people. That’s the Gold role. Don’t think you are safe when the pedestrian light turns green in front of you. I nearly ended up myself with this assumption. Here vehicles can turn right regardless of the traffic light. Also there is no arrow light to assist the signal lights. So whenever a car wants to turn right it can do it. Give way to passing pedestrians? Never heard of it here? If someone does, the car held up by it will horn the pedestrians to deaf. So for the sake of my ears keep going. I will take care of myself.

Also, you have no choice but inhale the emission, accept the noises. Watch out! Don’t step on spitting. They are everywhere, like landmines in Kosovo. Sometimes they are so freshly made that they could miss you just an inch.

 

 

If you can walk back home after the Olympic Games, if it can be held on time, Congratulations! That means you have supersensitive response system. You have sharp eyes, good hearings, and long legs and a swift body. China trip pays off itself.