When I’m not being occupied with my work or travels, there’ll instead be visitors knocking on my door!
最近除了忙工作和忙出門外，也忙於接待來訪的朋友。
The recent influx of visitors started with an Australian friend whom I haven’t met for several years. He arrived into Munich on the evening of 7th June with his girlfriend. The next day, I took them on around town, starting from Marienplatz and ending up in the Englischer Garten where we helped ourselves to a rather hefty meal. Little wonder we felt sluggish afterwards and wanted to do nothing more than lying on the grass to enjoy some sunshine. Just as we thought it was time to move on at 16:00, we saw the sky change its colour abruptly and decided to make haste to our next destination. But apparently everyone else in the garden had precisely the same idea and was all rushing towards the closest exit. The whole scene just resembled a massive evacuation from some sort of an emergency!
先有好幾年沒見的澳洲朋友及其女朋友在6月7日晚來到慕尼黑，翌日帶他們從市中心的瑪利亞廣場（Marienplatz）走到英國花園（Englischer Garten），飽餐一頓後，大家甚麼都不想做，索性躺在草地上，享受一下日光，一直至四點多，剛要動身時，但覺風雲驟變，便趕快行動，離開公園往下個地點，但原來不祇我們是這樣想，全公園其他人都同時起行，彷彿是發生甚麼重大緊急事故要全體疏散般！
An idyllic Sunday in the Englischer Garten
英國花園內悠閑的星期日
In the evening we went to watch the group game of Germany versus Poland in the Euro 2008 football championship. We found a spot early in the outdoor restaurant by the Deutsches Museum (the science museum of Munich), and the match kicked off not long after our light dinner. There was of course intense interest and plenty of cheering from the local crowd supporting their team, but the atmosphere could have been better if there were a much larger crowd than that in the restaurant. Never the less, my Australian friend was only too pleased to be able to watch a game live with the right kind of atmosphere, since it’s no easy task to watch Euro 2008 matches in Australia to start with.
那天正值歐洲國家盃足球賽，有德國對波蘭的分組賽，所以我們早早到了德國博物館（Deutsches Museum，乃科學博物館）旁的露天餐廳，吃過晚飯正好是球賽開始，由於是德國隊出戰，觀眾都看得很投入，不過人還是較少，氣氛始終不夠大型場合好，但我的澳洲朋友已經很滿足了，皆因在澳洲看歐國盃賽事可不是容易的事！
Then in the last week of July, there was a huge crowd converging at the same time! I had to play host to four visitors from Australia, two of whom have been friends since secondary school days. I had originally planned to put two of those visitors up, but somehow I also managed to find room for the other two (brother + sister) who were unable to find somewhere to stay. Suddenly my little place was abuzz with endless conversation and fun. We were only too glad to meet up again in Munich, since afterwards we’ll be everywhere in the world but together. We didn’t really want to go to bed during those couple of days, and fortunately we coped very well with it!
七月最後一星期，有四個澳洲朋友同時駕到，有兩個更是從中學時已相識。其中兩兄妹因找不到住宿，最後要投宿陋室，一時間寒舍擠了五個人，熱鬧非常，而且難得能聚首一堂（以後繼續各奔前程，四散東西了），所以幾天來大家都言談甚歡，通宵達旦也不願睡，幸好各人都並不覺太累。
On the first day (29th July), I took the group for an evening walk along the Isar river, passing by the Maximilianeum (Bavarian parliament) and the Friedensdenkmal (Peace Memorial) before heading to the Englischer Garten for a meal. (Thanks to the evening walk last month that I’ve devised this new scenic route!) The second day was more or less the usual fare of city tour. We parted ways on the third day after visiting the Dachau concentration camp. The brother and sister pair continued their way to Prague, while the other two people wanted to visit their friend in the city of Ingolstadt close to Munich. I tagged along with them for an opportunity to visit Ingolstadt.
頭一晚（7月29日）我先帶他們一同沿市內的Isar河散步，先後途經巴伐利亞議會和和平紀念碑（幸好上個月才去過，所以現在可開闢這條全新觀光路線！）然後進入英國花園吃晚飯。第二天主要遊覽市區，到第三天參觀過達豪（Dachau）集中營後，我們便分道揚鑣，兩兄妹繼續上路往布拉格，另兩個朋友打算往慕尼黑鄰近城市英戈爾施塔特（Ingolstadt）探朋友，我也順便跟他們踏足這個城市了。
Our tour of Ingolstadt was managed by the local there. We started from the railway station, and after crossing the Danube we entered the Old Town. The Old Town came with the standard German set of churches, a town hall, brick roads, shopping streets, sections of the city wall (although only a small portion was left in Ingolstadt) and city gates. What made Ingolstadt’s old town more interesting, however, were the houses with bright, varying colours and distinctive façades, the roofs of which came in a variety of shapes.
在英戈爾施塔特，全程由那個本地朋友帶隊，從火車站出發，跨過多瑙河，便踏入舊城區。舊城內有德國一般城市舊城區必備的教堂、市政廳、石磚路、購物街，城牆（在英戈爾施塔特還保存了一小段）和城門，較有特色的，要算是色彩繽紛的屋宇，而幕牆的「屋背」部分形狀多變，很是別緻，又比其他舊城區屋宇多姿多采。
Churches with modern-looking clock towers
教堂的鐘樓很有現代氣息
The Danube 多瑙河
The new town hall (right of the photo) and the St.-Moritz-Kirche (St Maurice's Church) with the old town hall in front (middle of the photo)
新市政廳（圖中右方）、聖茂里斯教堂及前面相連的舊市政廳（圖中中央）
Neues Schloss (Ingolstadt Palace) 英戈爾施塔特城堡
An interesting terraced house at Unterer Graben
位於Unterer Graben街的排屋
The (last) remaining city wall of Ingolstadt (top two) and one of the many city gates (left)
市內僅存的城牆（上兩圖）及其中一道城門（左）
Another city gate: Taschenturm 另一道城門（Taschenturm）
Buildings with fancy façades 百變多端的幕牆
More churches in town 市內其他教堂
Squeezed in between 3 and 4 ...
不偏不倚，不三不四
Those two friends left me on 1st August, and the day after I was meeting yet more friends. My Dutchie buddy was spending a week of holiday in Austria, hiking with the family of his girlfriend. He and his girlfriend suggested that we meet up in Salzburg on 2nd August. Salzburg isn’t exactly a big city and I’ve been there 3 times already two years ago, but I still managed to uncover some new sights. After lunch on that day, we followed the foot of the Mönchsberg hill, which was at the back of the Old Town of Salzburg, until we reached a theatre. From there, we took the steps (Toscaninistiege) uphill and followed the paths to the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Instead of entering the fortress, we decided to stick to the path all the way towards the end of the hill before heading downhill. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon chatting and enjoying some picturesque views of Salzburg away from the crowd.
8月1日送了那兩個朋友離開後，翌日又與另其他朋友相聚一天。我的荷蘭好友跟其女朋友家人同到奧地利遠足，度假一週，他和他的女友約了我在8月2日那天在薩爾斯堡聚聚舊。雖說薩爾斯堡市區細小，而且兩年前已去過三次，但這次仍發掘到新的去處。舊城區背靠小山（Mönchsberg），午飯後我們沿着山腳，走到劇院，劇院旁的小巷，盡頭有一道階梯上山（Toscaninistiege），然後經山上的路徑一直走到高山城堡的入口，但我們決定不進去，沿着同一條路去到山的盡頭才下山。那裡遊人較少，沿途可一邊從高欣賞到薩爾斯堡市區不同部分的景色，一邊閒聊，很是自在。
The theatre district against the backdrop of churches and the Hohensalzburg Fortress
劇院區，背景為市內不同的教堂和高山城堡
The steps of Toscaninistiege 上山的Toscaninistiege階梯
From one castle (now desolate) to another (Hohensalzburg Fortress)
從一個城堡（現已荒廢）走到另一個（高山城堡）
Views of Salzburg along the path in the Mönchsberg hill
從Mönchsberg山看薩爾斯堡
The old town by the Salzach river
Salzach河邊的舊城區
A forest has moved into the Large Festival Hall!
大劇院怎麼變成森林一片？
More churches (right: St. Peter's Abbey)
其他教堂（右：聖彼德教堂）
Time is only to short in the company of good friends, especially when they are from far and wide. I can only hope it won’t be long until we can see each other again.
好容易才與一眾好友再聚，時光總是嫌短，不知下次是何時了。
最近除了忙工作和忙出門外，也忙於接待來訪的朋友。
The recent influx of visitors started with an Australian friend whom I haven’t met for several years. He arrived into Munich on the evening of 7th June with his girlfriend. The next day, I took them on around town, starting from Marienplatz and ending up in the Englischer Garten where we helped ourselves to a rather hefty meal. Little wonder we felt sluggish afterwards and wanted to do nothing more than lying on the grass to enjoy some sunshine. Just as we thought it was time to move on at 16:00, we saw the sky change its colour abruptly and decided to make haste to our next destination. But apparently everyone else in the garden had precisely the same idea and was all rushing towards the closest exit. The whole scene just resembled a massive evacuation from some sort of an emergency!
先有好幾年沒見的澳洲朋友及其女朋友在6月7日晚來到慕尼黑，翌日帶他們從市中心的瑪利亞廣場（Marienplatz）走到英國花園（Englischer Garten），飽餐一頓後，大家甚麼都不想做，索性躺在草地上，享受一下日光，一直至四點多，剛要動身時，但覺風雲驟變，便趕快行動，離開公園往下個地點，但原來不祇我們是這樣想，全公園其他人都同時起行，彷彿是發生甚麼重大緊急事故要全體疏散般！
An idyllic Sunday in the Englischer Garten
英國花園內悠閑的星期日
In the evening we went to watch the group game of Germany versus Poland in the Euro 2008 football championship. We found a spot early in the outdoor restaurant by the Deutsches Museum (the science museum of Munich), and the match kicked off not long after our light dinner. There was of course intense interest and plenty of cheering from the local crowd supporting their team, but the atmosphere could have been better if there were a much larger crowd than that in the restaurant. Never the less, my Australian friend was only too pleased to be able to watch a game live with the right kind of atmosphere, since it’s no easy task to watch Euro 2008 matches in Australia to start with.那天正值歐洲國家盃足球賽，有德國對波蘭的分組賽，所以我們早早到了德國博物館（Deutsches Museum，乃科學博物館）旁的露天餐廳，吃過晚飯正好是球賽開始，由於是德國隊出戰，觀眾都看得很投入，不過人還是較少，氣氛始終不夠大型場合好，但我的澳洲朋友已經很滿足了，皆因在澳洲看歐國盃賽事可不是容易的事！
Then in the last week of July, there was a huge crowd converging at the same time! I had to play host to four visitors from Australia, two of whom have been friends since secondary school days. I had originally planned to put two of those visitors up, but somehow I also managed to find room for the other two (brother + sister) who were unable to find somewhere to stay. Suddenly my little place was abuzz with endless conversation and fun. We were only too glad to meet up again in Munich, since afterwards we’ll be everywhere in the world but together. We didn’t really want to go to bed during those couple of days, and fortunately we coped very well with it!
七月最後一星期，有四個澳洲朋友同時駕到，有兩個更是從中學時已相識。其中兩兄妹因找不到住宿，最後要投宿陋室，一時間寒舍擠了五個人，熱鬧非常，而且難得能聚首一堂（以後繼續各奔前程，四散東西了），所以幾天來大家都言談甚歡，通宵達旦也不願睡，幸好各人都並不覺太累。
On the first day (29th July), I took the group for an evening walk along the Isar river, passing by the Maximilianeum (Bavarian parliament) and the Friedensdenkmal (Peace Memorial) before heading to the Englischer Garten for a meal. (Thanks to the evening walk last month that I’ve devised this new scenic route!) The second day was more or less the usual fare of city tour. We parted ways on the third day after visiting the Dachau concentration camp. The brother and sister pair continued their way to Prague, while the other two people wanted to visit their friend in the city of Ingolstadt close to Munich. I tagged along with them for an opportunity to visit Ingolstadt.
頭一晚（7月29日）我先帶他們一同沿市內的Isar河散步，先後途經巴伐利亞議會和和平紀念碑（幸好上個月才去過，所以現在可開闢這條全新觀光路線！）然後進入英國花園吃晚飯。第二天主要遊覽市區，到第三天參觀過達豪（Dachau）集中營後，我們便分道揚鑣，兩兄妹繼續上路往布拉格，另兩個朋友打算往慕尼黑鄰近城市英戈爾施塔特（Ingolstadt）探朋友，我也順便跟他們踏足這個城市了。
Our tour of Ingolstadt was managed by the local there. We started from the railway station, and after crossing the Danube we entered the Old Town. The Old Town came with the standard German set of churches, a town hall, brick roads, shopping streets, sections of the city wall (although only a small portion was left in Ingolstadt) and city gates. What made Ingolstadt’s old town more interesting, however, were the houses with bright, varying colours and distinctive façades, the roofs of which came in a variety of shapes.
在英戈爾施塔特，全程由那個本地朋友帶隊，從火車站出發，跨過多瑙河，便踏入舊城區。舊城內有德國一般城市舊城區必備的教堂、市政廳、石磚路、購物街，城牆（在英戈爾施塔特還保存了一小段）和城門，較有特色的，要算是色彩繽紛的屋宇，而幕牆的「屋背」部分形狀多變，很是別緻，又比其他舊城區屋宇多姿多采。
Churches with modern-looking clock towers
教堂的鐘樓很有現代氣息
The Danube 多瑙河
The new town hall (right of the photo) and the St.-Moritz-Kirche (St Maurice's Church) with the old town hall in front (middle of the photo)
新市政廳（圖中右方）、聖茂里斯教堂及前面相連的舊市政廳（圖中中央）
Neues Schloss (Ingolstadt Palace) 英戈爾施塔特城堡
An interesting terraced house at Unterer Graben
位於Unterer Graben街的排屋
The (last) remaining city wall of Ingolstadt (top two) and one of the many city gates (left)
市內僅存的城牆（上兩圖）及其中一道城門（左）
Another city gate: Taschenturm 另一道城門（Taschenturm）
Buildings with fancy façades 百變多端的幕牆
More churches in town 市內其他教堂
Squeezed in between 3 and 4 ...
不偏不倚，不三不四
Those two friends left me on 1st August, and the day after I was meeting yet more friends. My Dutchie buddy was spending a week of holiday in Austria, hiking with the family of his girlfriend. He and his girlfriend suggested that we meet up in Salzburg on 2nd August. Salzburg isn’t exactly a big city and I’ve been there 3 times already two years ago, but I still managed to uncover some new sights. After lunch on that day, we followed the foot of the Mönchsberg hill, which was at the back of the Old Town of Salzburg, until we reached a theatre. From there, we took the steps (Toscaninistiege) uphill and followed the paths to the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Instead of entering the fortress, we decided to stick to the path all the way towards the end of the hill before heading downhill. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon chatting and enjoying some picturesque views of Salzburg away from the crowd.
8月1日送了那兩個朋友離開後，翌日又與另其他朋友相聚一天。我的荷蘭好友跟其女朋友家人同到奧地利遠足，度假一週，他和他的女友約了我在8月2日那天在薩爾斯堡聚聚舊。雖說薩爾斯堡市區細小，而且兩年前已去過三次，但這次仍發掘到新的去處。舊城區背靠小山（Mönchsberg），午飯後我們沿着山腳，走到劇院，劇院旁的小巷，盡頭有一道階梯上山（Toscaninistiege），然後經山上的路徑一直走到高山城堡的入口，但我們決定不進去，沿着同一條路去到山的盡頭才下山。那裡遊人較少，沿途可一邊從高欣賞到薩爾斯堡市區不同部分的景色，一邊閒聊，很是自在。
The theatre district against the backdrop of churches and the Hohensalzburg Fortress
劇院區，背景為市內不同的教堂和高山城堡
The steps of Toscaninistiege 上山的Toscaninistiege階梯
From one castle (now desolate) to another (Hohensalzburg Fortress)
從一個城堡（現已荒廢）走到另一個（高山城堡）
Views of Salzburg along the path in the Mönchsberg hill
從Mönchsberg山看薩爾斯堡
The old town by the Salzach river
Salzach河邊的舊城區
A forest has moved into the Large Festival Hall!
大劇院怎麼變成森林一片？
More churches (right: St. Peter's Abbey)
其他教堂（右：聖彼德教堂）
Time is only to short in the company of good friends, especially when they are from far and wide. I can only hope it won’t be long until we can see each other again.
好容易才與一眾好友再聚，時光總是嫌短，不知下次是何時了。
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