Windermere / 溫德米爾

最後一趟英國境內旅行圓了我好幾個未實現的夢，因為住民宿，我終於有了睡在閣樓的經驗，老實說，空間有點狹小。

I fulfilled some of my dreams on my last trip in the UK. Because we stayed in many B and Bs, I finally experienced how it felt to sleep in an attic room. It is cosy, but the ceiling is relatively low. 

吃了五天幾乎一模一樣的英式早餐，每天早上起床都會來一盤煎番茄、蘑菇、蛋、鹹到不行的培根、香腸、薯餅和豆子。吃到最後一天真的覺得可以無憾地離開英國了，因為我已從這個國家得到足夠的熱量。

We ate almost the same full English breakfast for five days. Every morning we had a big plate of a fried tomato slice, mushrooms, poached egg, extremely salted bacon, sausage, hashed brown, and beans. On the last day I knew I could leave the UK without any regret because obviously I had absorbed enough calories in this country. 

溫德米爾鎮以大湖聞名，自從1847年鐵路通車之後，就成為英國最受歡迎的度假勝地之一。這裡的民宿競爭就像清境一樣，是一級戰區。我們選了兩間不同的民宿，老闆風格迥異，上圖的布魯克之屋是由一對很親切的夫婦經營，而第二間的主人是很傳統英式的史蒂文生夫婦，後者和我們說這幾年因為經濟不景氣，旅遊業受到很大的影響。

Windermere is renowned for the Windermere Lake. Since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway branch line in 1847, it has become one of the most popular resorts in the UK. Here, the B and B business is extremely competitive. We chose two for our two-night stay in the town. Brook House, as shown in the photos above, is run by a very amicable couple. As for the second one Parkbeck, the owners are typically English. Mrs. Stevenson told us the impact of economic recession is keenly felt in the tourism industry. 

這是豪華型的民宿，下次有機會再來住吧！

This is a very luxurious B and B. I'll stay here if I get a chance to come next time! 

鎮上處處都感受到鑚禧年的興奮和度假的氣氛。

We felt the excitement of the diamond jubilee celebration and the relaxed feel of summer trips. 

很多遊是情侶檔，湖區真的是培養感情或度蜜月的好所在，光是身處那，就令人心情愉快。

We saw many couples on the road. The Lake District is a perfect get-away for honeymoon. Based on my personal experience, my merely being there already placed me in a superb mood. 

小鎮的警察局看起來毫無暴力之氣，警察們應該划船去了。

The police station looked very peaceful. The policemen must have gone to row boats... 

鎮上的電影院很迷你。

There is a mini-theatre in the town. 

鎮上主要的活動聚集在湖邊，這裡有船通往其他鎮和湖。

The main hub of the town centers around the lakeside. Here there are ferries that go to other towns and lakes. 

溫德米爾湖是英國最大的自然湖，它是狹長、手指狀的彩帶湖，由冰河撞擊軟硬不一的基石造成盆地，之後冰融去就形成湖泊。

Windermere is the largest natural lake in the UK. It is a long, narrow, finger-shaped ribbon lake, formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice. 

湖區隸屬昆布里亞，即英格蘭西北區，現為湖區國家公園的一部份。

Windermere is in the county of Cumbria, i.e. the northwest part of England. It is within the Lake District National Park. 

這樣的好日子裡在湖邊坐上幾小時速寫，真是極緻的享受。

It was heavenly to sit near the lakeside and sketch on such a sunny day. 

來到溫德米爾還有一個很重要的任務，就是拜訪波特博物館，彼得兔的作者碧翠絲波特就是在這美麗的地方生活終老。

Another important task in Windermere was to visit Potter Museum. The author and illustrator Beatrix Potter spent more than half of her life here in this beautiful part of the UK. 

博物館不大，但所有波特畫過的角色都被做成立體的公仔，背景和空間設計也很不賴。

The museum is not large on scale, but Potter's characters are all turned into three-dimensional figurines. I really love the background and space design. 

就外型而論，我最愛的是青蛙傑若米費雪。

In terms of looks, my favorite is the frog Jeremy Fisher.

博物館外有座小花園。

There is a small garden in the back of the museum. 

彼得兔趁媽媽去麵包店時闖進麥奎格先生的花園大吃一頓他種的植物，被麥奎格先生發現時，藍外套和鞋子還來不及拿就逃跑了，於是麥奎格把藍外套穿在新的稻草人身上。

Peter Rabbit sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden and eats his vegetables when Mrs. Rabbit goes to the bakery. As the latter spots and chases him, Peter manages to run away, but he leaves his blue coat and shoes behind. Mr. McGregor uses the jacket for his new scarecrow. 

花園裡種植故事中提到的蔬菜，而博物館附屬的餐廳也儘量從花園取材。

Plants mentioned in the stories are grown in the garden, which also provides as many ingredients as possible for the restaurant affiliated to the museum.