The once-in-a-century storm at the start of March in Melbourne has almost ushered the end of summer, but fortunately the fond memories of summer have not been totally blown away.
三月初墨爾本的一場世紀狂風暴雨，差點把夏天打得落慌而逃，幸好夏日的回憶仍未被風雨徹底吹散和沖洗。
These memories are not confined to only this summer, but also include my reminiscences of the bygone days in Europe.
這些回憶不止於這個夏天，還包括我藉此緬懷歐洲零零星星的片段。
Not long after I came back from Hong Kong in early January, my family and I went for strawberry picking in the Mornington Peninsula just south of Melbourne. While there was a strawberry field just a stone’s throw away back in where I lived in Munich, this strawberry field in Mornington was a good 77 km from home in Melbourne! It was a fair drive, and we decided to break it up by stopping over in the seaside town of Dromana for lunch and the fresh breeze by its beach.
一月初剛從香港回來不久，我和一家人一同到墨爾本以南的摩寧頓半島（Mornington Peninsula）採紅草莓。從前在德國慕尼黑，紅草莓田近在咫尺，但摩寧頓半島的紅草莓園，離家足足77公里，去一趟採紅草莓就有如郊遊，而且因為車程長，我們中途也得在一個海濱小鎮Dromana稍事休息，吃頓中午飯和在海灘吹吹風。
Even the water is perfect at Dromana Beach! 水清沙幼的Dromana海灘
There was still an uphill drive from Dromana to the strawberry field. Upon arrival we discovered what a handsomely profitable business it was. Notwithstanding the income generated by the shop-cum-cafeteria at the main entrance, there was an entrance fee of A$8 (5 euros, HK$55) that included an allowance of half a kilo of strawberries, and anything beyond would be charged at A$12 per kilo. The staff even told visitors not to eat strawberries during picking due to hygiene reasons, but we couldn’t care less. The price of strawberries there wasn’t much cheaper than supermarkets, and in comparison what I paid in Munich was a bargain: only 3 euros (A$5, HK$35) per kilo and eating during picking was not expressly forbidden. No wonder I was missing Munich while I was picking strawberries. However, the strawberries looked really attractive with their bright red colour and tasted as if they were packed with lumps of sugar.
從Dromana還要上一段山路才到達紅草莓園，那家紅草莓園很會做生意，正門有一家商店兼小食店，而採紅草莓也要收入場費——每人8澳元（5歐元、55港元），可採摘半公斤，超額則再以每公斤12澳元計算，工作人員更以衛生理由，禁止所有人邊採邊吃，我們當然可沒理會了。其實這個價錢，不比在超市買便宜，更比在慕尼黑每公斤才3歐元（5澳元、35港元）而且可以任採任吃貴很多，所以我一邊採一邊不由得想念慕尼黑了。不過自己採摘，始終可保證每一顆草莓又紅又鮮甜，我們「偷偷」試吃時，就覺得每顆紅草莓都已經加了很多糖一樣。
There are quite a number of fields growing different fruits on the hill
山上還有其他果園
The strawberry field on rolling hills
山坡連綿的紅草莓園
From the flower to the mature fruit 開花結果
It would be such a waste not to make jam out of those ripened strawberries, and now in Australia I wouldn’t have to worry about making it myself as mum happily took on the job. Our home-made jam tasted fresh and was guaranteed healthy as there was no need to add too much sugar during the cooking (there was already enough from the strawberries themselves). What a pity we couldn’t go there again, because it would indeed be quite an involved trip in terms of distance and time. Perhaps we could only make it a once-in-a-year outing.
這些熟透的紅草莓，不用來造果醬就很浪費了，如今在澳洲，自有喜歡造果醬的家母代勞，我祇要把幾年前的經驗告訴她就行了。自己造的果醬味道特別新鮮，而且不用額外放很多糖（紅草莓本身的甜味也很足夠），所以保證健康。可惜草莓園離家實在太遠了，想再去一趟真也非輕易，看來採紅草莓也祇可以是一年一度的節目了。
I overheard on the train one day that there was a night market every Wednesday at the Queen Victoria Market. I was curious to find out what it was all about. The night market was transformed completely from the normal fresh produce market during day time. The rows of food and vegetable stalls were replaced by food stalls featuring all types of international cuisine as well as other stalls selling interesting things. Some of the stalls were even cooking their dishes on the spot with their huge stoves and ovens. The spectacle and odour of the cooking managed to lure long queues of people, including myself who was lured to the stalls cooking fideuà and cazuela in big pans thinking that they looked authentic enough. It gave me a chance to re-live my trip to Pamplona where I had a paella dish at a place similar in style to this night market.
某天乘火車上班，打聽到市中心的維多利亞市場夏天時每星期三都開特別夜市，吸引我的好奇心。平時擺滿蔬果檔的市場，到了夜市便搖身一變，開設了一列世界不同風味的熟食攤檔和特色貨品店，整個市場萬頭鑽動，好些攤檔還架起大火爐或烤爐煮東西，炊煙冉冉，色香味十足，引來長長人龍。我看見那兩家西班牙菜的攤檔用大鍋子煮西班牙粉絲和濃湯，看起來挺正宗，令我想起在西班牙潘普洛納的露天攤檔吃過的西班牙飯，太好了，這次正好讓我重溫當時的滋味。
Arousing colours, aromas and favours 色香味俱全
It's seldom to see Melbourne so crowded! 人山人海，座無虛席
This summer hasn’t treated us too badly, and after the freak storm at early March the weather has become warm again and even hot on some days. That means I can include the dinner outing to Mount Dandenong on 13th March as part of my summer memories. The restaurant featured German cuisine and décor, including the steep roofs, the furniture, the cuckoo clock and many other decorations which brought out the Bavarian character of the place. The middle of the restaurant had a dance pool and, presumably inspired by the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, a small stage for playing music. From time to time, three musicians would play some German or French style music, and the restaurant would liven up when a few people started dancing to the music. The food was also quite decent with a good range of German dishes, although my favourite Schweinehaxe (roasted pork knuckle) was sadly missing. Maybe I’ll have to leave it to the next trip to Germany, but for now my craving for German cuisine has been satisfied.
這個夏天待我們不薄，三月中以來還是很和暖，間中更有點熱，所以3月13日那天到墨爾本市邊緣的丹頂農山（Mount Dandenong）吃晚飯，也可算作夏日回憶吧。這家餐廳的賣點是德國菜和德國式裝潢，斜斜的屋頂、室內的桌椅和掛在高處的大咕咕鐘及其他飾物，正顯示其巴伐利亞色彩，餐廳的中央是個舞池，還仿照慕尼黑有名的皇家啤酒館（Hofbräuhaus）設有一個音樂演奏台，有三個人負責演奏德國和法國式音樂，樂聲響時，吸引好些人到舞池一顯身手，很有歡樂氣氛。食物方面也不賴，很多特色菜都有，祇欠我最想念的烤豬肘（Schweinehaxe），看來要留待在德國才有機會吃了，不過此行也總算能滿足我吃德國菜的心癮。
Along the winding road of Mount Dandenong
丹頂農山蜿蜒的山路
The view from the peak of Mount Dandenong
丹頂農山山頂一景
Despite a summer feel to the weather, the first signs of autumn are clearly there.
一葉知秋——楓葉開始轉紅了
The view from the woods from the restaurant - the varying shades of green at different depths makes for a rather surreal scenery
餐廳窗外的樹林很有層次感，餐廳彷彿已溶入大自然中。
A piece of Munich (or rather, a few pieces) in Melbourne! 把慕尼黑搬到墨爾本
After a yum cha lunch with my colleagues in the city last Sunday (21st March), a new Danish colleague who has joined us for less than a month wanted to see some new sights of Melbourne, and I happily became her guide as I was also looking for a wander in town. By a stroke of inspiration, I decided to take her to the Victorian Parliament, and happily it happened to be the open day and we arrived just in time for last entry. On the way to the parliament we chatted a lot on our first experiences living and working in a foreign country as well as life in Europe. Inevitably my memories on Germany kept flashing back in my mind, including those of taking new comers to Munich on a tour of the city and having exchanges on how to cope with a new life. Finally I have a chance to do the same in Melbourne; I wonder if life indeed repeats itself in one way or another.
到了上星期天（3月21日），跟同事在市中心飲茶後，來了不夠一個月的丹麥同事想到市中心看看新東西，我也正想四處逛逛，靈機一觸帶她參觀維多利亞州議會，剛巧碰上議會開放日，到達時剛好還可以進場。一路上我倆不免談到大家初到異地工作的經歷和在歐洲的生活，在德國的日子驟然歷歷在目，我也不禁想，帶新來的同事和朋友到市中心逛逛和交流交流，從前在慕尼黑時也做過兩、三次，現在回到墨爾本也終於有機會做同一事情。究竟世界冥冥中是不是有一個循環？
三月初墨爾本的一場世紀狂風暴雨，差點把夏天打得落慌而逃，幸好夏日的回憶仍未被風雨徹底吹散和沖洗。
These memories are not confined to only this summer, but also include my reminiscences of the bygone days in Europe.
這些回憶不止於這個夏天，還包括我藉此緬懷歐洲零零星星的片段。
Not long after I came back from Hong Kong in early January, my family and I went for strawberry picking in the Mornington Peninsula just south of Melbourne. While there was a strawberry field just a stone’s throw away back in where I lived in Munich, this strawberry field in Mornington was a good 77 km from home in Melbourne! It was a fair drive, and we decided to break it up by stopping over in the seaside town of Dromana for lunch and the fresh breeze by its beach.
一月初剛從香港回來不久，我和一家人一同到墨爾本以南的摩寧頓半島（Mornington Peninsula）採紅草莓。從前在德國慕尼黑，紅草莓田近在咫尺，但摩寧頓半島的紅草莓園，離家足足77公里，去一趟採紅草莓就有如郊遊，而且因為車程長，我們中途也得在一個海濱小鎮Dromana稍事休息，吃頓中午飯和在海灘吹吹風。
Even the water is perfect at Dromana Beach! 水清沙幼的Dromana海灘
There was still an uphill drive from Dromana to the strawberry field. Upon arrival we discovered what a handsomely profitable business it was. Notwithstanding the income generated by the shop-cum-cafeteria at the main entrance, there was an entrance fee of A$8 (5 euros, HK$55) that included an allowance of half a kilo of strawberries, and anything beyond would be charged at A$12 per kilo. The staff even told visitors not to eat strawberries during picking due to hygiene reasons, but we couldn’t care less. The price of strawberries there wasn’t much cheaper than supermarkets, and in comparison what I paid in Munich was a bargain: only 3 euros (A$5, HK$35) per kilo and eating during picking was not expressly forbidden. No wonder I was missing Munich while I was picking strawberries. However, the strawberries looked really attractive with their bright red colour and tasted as if they were packed with lumps of sugar.
從Dromana還要上一段山路才到達紅草莓園，那家紅草莓園很會做生意，正門有一家商店兼小食店，而採紅草莓也要收入場費——每人8澳元（5歐元、55港元），可採摘半公斤，超額則再以每公斤12澳元計算，工作人員更以衛生理由，禁止所有人邊採邊吃，我們當然可沒理會了。其實這個價錢，不比在超市買便宜，更比在慕尼黑每公斤才3歐元（5澳元、35港元）而且可以任採任吃貴很多，所以我一邊採一邊不由得想念慕尼黑了。不過自己採摘，始終可保證每一顆草莓又紅又鮮甜，我們「偷偷」試吃時，就覺得每顆紅草莓都已經加了很多糖一樣。
There are quite a number of fields growing different fruits on the hill
山上還有其他果園
The strawberry field on rolling hills
山坡連綿的紅草莓園
From the flower to the mature fruit 開花結果
It would be such a waste not to make jam out of those ripened strawberries, and now in Australia I wouldn’t have to worry about making it myself as mum happily took on the job. Our home-made jam tasted fresh and was guaranteed healthy as there was no need to add too much sugar during the cooking (there was already enough from the strawberries themselves). What a pity we couldn’t go there again, because it would indeed be quite an involved trip in terms of distance and time. Perhaps we could only make it a once-in-a-year outing.
這些熟透的紅草莓，不用來造果醬就很浪費了，如今在澳洲，自有喜歡造果醬的家母代勞，我祇要把幾年前的經驗告訴她就行了。自己造的果醬味道特別新鮮，而且不用額外放很多糖（紅草莓本身的甜味也很足夠），所以保證健康。可惜草莓園離家實在太遠了，想再去一趟真也非輕易，看來採紅草莓也祇可以是一年一度的節目了。
I overheard on the train one day that there was a night market every Wednesday at the Queen Victoria Market. I was curious to find out what it was all about. The night market was transformed completely from the normal fresh produce market during day time. The rows of food and vegetable stalls were replaced by food stalls featuring all types of international cuisine as well as other stalls selling interesting things. Some of the stalls were even cooking their dishes on the spot with their huge stoves and ovens. The spectacle and odour of the cooking managed to lure long queues of people, including myself who was lured to the stalls cooking fideuà and cazuela in big pans thinking that they looked authentic enough. It gave me a chance to re-live my trip to Pamplona where I had a paella dish at a place similar in style to this night market.
某天乘火車上班，打聽到市中心的維多利亞市場夏天時每星期三都開特別夜市，吸引我的好奇心。平時擺滿蔬果檔的市場，到了夜市便搖身一變，開設了一列世界不同風味的熟食攤檔和特色貨品店，整個市場萬頭鑽動，好些攤檔還架起大火爐或烤爐煮東西，炊煙冉冉，色香味十足，引來長長人龍。我看見那兩家西班牙菜的攤檔用大鍋子煮西班牙粉絲和濃湯，看起來挺正宗，令我想起在西班牙潘普洛納的露天攤檔吃過的西班牙飯，太好了，這次正好讓我重溫當時的滋味。
Arousing colours, aromas and favours 色香味俱全
It's seldom to see Melbourne so crowded! 人山人海，座無虛席
This summer hasn’t treated us too badly, and after the freak storm at early March the weather has become warm again and even hot on some days. That means I can include the dinner outing to Mount Dandenong on 13th March as part of my summer memories. The restaurant featured German cuisine and décor, including the steep roofs, the furniture, the cuckoo clock and many other decorations which brought out the Bavarian character of the place. The middle of the restaurant had a dance pool and, presumably inspired by the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, a small stage for playing music. From time to time, three musicians would play some German or French style music, and the restaurant would liven up when a few people started dancing to the music. The food was also quite decent with a good range of German dishes, although my favourite Schweinehaxe (roasted pork knuckle) was sadly missing. Maybe I’ll have to leave it to the next trip to Germany, but for now my craving for German cuisine has been satisfied.
這個夏天待我們不薄，三月中以來還是很和暖，間中更有點熱，所以3月13日那天到墨爾本市邊緣的丹頂農山（Mount Dandenong）吃晚飯，也可算作夏日回憶吧。這家餐廳的賣點是德國菜和德國式裝潢，斜斜的屋頂、室內的桌椅和掛在高處的大咕咕鐘及其他飾物，正顯示其巴伐利亞色彩，餐廳的中央是個舞池，還仿照慕尼黑有名的皇家啤酒館（Hofbräuhaus）設有一個音樂演奏台，有三個人負責演奏德國和法國式音樂，樂聲響時，吸引好些人到舞池一顯身手，很有歡樂氣氛。食物方面也不賴，很多特色菜都有，祇欠我最想念的烤豬肘（Schweinehaxe），看來要留待在德國才有機會吃了，不過此行也總算能滿足我吃德國菜的心癮。
Along the winding road of Mount Dandenong
丹頂農山蜿蜒的山路
The view from the peak of Mount Dandenong
丹頂農山山頂一景
Despite a summer feel to the weather, the first signs of autumn are clearly there.
一葉知秋——楓葉開始轉紅了
The view from the woods from the restaurant - the varying shades of green at different depths makes for a rather surreal scenery
餐廳窗外的樹林很有層次感，餐廳彷彿已溶入大自然中。
A piece of Munich (or rather, a few pieces) in Melbourne! 把慕尼黑搬到墨爾本
After a yum cha lunch with my colleagues in the city last Sunday (21st March), a new Danish colleague who has joined us for less than a month wanted to see some new sights of Melbourne, and I happily became her guide as I was also looking for a wander in town. By a stroke of inspiration, I decided to take her to the Victorian Parliament, and happily it happened to be the open day and we arrived just in time for last entry. On the way to the parliament we chatted a lot on our first experiences living and working in a foreign country as well as life in Europe. Inevitably my memories on Germany kept flashing back in my mind, including those of taking new comers to Munich on a tour of the city and having exchanges on how to cope with a new life. Finally I have a chance to do the same in Melbourne; I wonder if life indeed repeats itself in one way or another.
到了上星期天（3月21日），跟同事在市中心飲茶後，來了不夠一個月的丹麥同事想到市中心看看新東西，我也正想四處逛逛，靈機一觸帶她參觀維多利亞州議會，剛巧碰上議會開放日，到達時剛好還可以進場。一路上我倆不免談到大家初到異地工作的經歷和在歐洲的生活，在德國的日子驟然歷歷在目，我也不禁想，帶新來的同事和朋友到市中心逛逛和交流交流，從前在慕尼黑時也做過兩、三次，現在回到墨爾本也終於有機會做同一事情。究竟世界冥冥中是不是有一個循環？
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