Botanical garden / 植物園

夏天在植物園速寫，有蚊子和汗水相伴。

Sketching in the botanical garden in summer, I have the company of mosquitoes and sweat. 

        還有好多熱血的攝影人士，追逐美麗的荷花倩影。

   Also, a crowd of passionate photographers who are eager to record the beauty of lotus. 

The Lin Family Mansion & Garden / 林本源園邸

在上海的旅行，只能走馬看花，很想念園林的景致，於是去了林本源園邸。一定是因為我太崇洋媚外了，居然還被問到：你從哪裡來？

In Shanghai, we traveled at a lightning speed. I didn't have any time for sketching, and now my heart craves for the classical gardens. Well, it's funny that I am asked the question, "Where are you from?" It must have something to do with the fact that I adore exotic stuff so much that I myself appear kind of exotic too. 

Shanghai / 上海

去上海出差，結果把心留在古式庭園裡了。

I left my heart in the classical garden in Shanghai.

Stockholm / 斯德哥爾摩

斯德哥爾摩最富盛名的市政廳。

The renowned Stockholm City Hall. 

        瑞典人怎麼能把談政治的場合設計得如此優雅？

     How can Swedes make a political venue so elegant? 

        藍廳：每年十二月十日諾貝爾晚宴於此舉行。

     The Blue Hall is where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held every year on December, 10. 

        光舉窗戶為例，其設計就千變萬化。

     Take the windows for example. There are various designs of shapes and patterns. 

        走完一圈市政廳，覺得比美術館還像美術館。

     It feels more like an art museum than a city hall. 

        金廳內貼有1900萬片馬賽克金箔磁磚，金壁輝煌，中央嵌飾美娜蓮女王的黃金像。

     The Golden Hall is named after the decorative mosaics made of more than 18 million glass and gold pieces. On the center of the wall is the Queen of Lake Maelaren, which represents Stockholm being honored by the East and the West. 

        市政廳外面還有如此浪漫的畫面！

     I capture a super romantic image outside the city hall! 

        地面市集，多半是移民經營的攤販。

     The outdoor market outside the Old Haymarket: Most stands are run by immigrants. 

        貴氣的市內市場，連小販都很有個人風格。

     The indoor market is chic. Each of the vendors has his/her distinctive style. 

        光看就飽了！

     This is a feast for the eyes! 

        連餐桌都是風景！

     There's something to see even on the dining table! 

        多特寧皇宮有「北方凡爾賽宮」之稱，始建於十六世紀末，十八世紀為瑞典皇室避暑勝地，現為皇家成員居住地。

     Drottningham Palace is also known as the Swedish Versailles. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a summer residence for the Swedish royal family during most of the 18th century. Now it is the private residence of the royal family. 

        皇宮外的巴洛克花園。

     The baroque garden outside the palace. 

        庭園四周環繞著森林。

     The garden is surrounded by the woods. 

        我對皇宮裡的特展很有興趣，是介紹之前的橘園所種植的各式植物。

     I am intrigued by an exhibition in the palace, which introduces the plants grown in the orangery in the past. 

        最初的橘園只是個小溫室，不過在1714年擴建為石造建築，收集的異國花草也日漸壯大。

     The first orangery at Drottningham was a simple hothouse. The erection in 1714 of a larger orangery in stone made it possible to accommodate a greater variety of exotic plants. 

        這個展覽很酷的地方在於提供各種花草的味道，讓訪客有更深刻的嗅覺經驗。

I find the exhibition to be cool in that even the fragrances of plants are provided to enhance the visitor's olfactory experience. 

        不知道冬季的斯德哥爾摩好不好呢？ 

     I wonder what Stockholm is like in winter?

Fern and papaya / 蕨和木瓜

我在植標館放了一些圖書，讓早來的小朋友們可以自行閱讀，有些孩子真真切切地接受了我的心意。

I prepared a bookshelf in the herbarium so that the kids that come early can do some reading on their own. Some of them do get my message. 

        湘芸還折起紙，是第一個這麼做的孩子！

     Yun is the first kid to try origami! 

        看完蕨類展之後，孩子們迫不及待地回展示室畫圖。

     After the guided tour of ferns, the children can't wait to go back to the exhibit room to draw. 

        今天來的小朋友都很有藝術氣息，給我們很大的視覺饗宴。

     The children today are all very artistic. I feel like being in an art museum. 

        畫完圖之後去庭園找木瓜樹！

     Then we go look for the papaya trees in the gardens! 

        木瓜的鄰居是耀眼的楊桃，我無法不注意到它的光芒。

     The papaya tree's neighbor--the star fruits, are so dazzling that I can't but notice them. 

        我好喜歡這個小女孩看影片的姿態！

     I love how the girl concentrates on the clip. 

        我配合今天主題木瓜做的百香果涼拌青木瓜絲。

     I made shredded green papaya seasoned with passion fruit for the afternoon tea. 

        觀察和品嚐青木瓜和熟木瓜。

     We observe a green papaya and taste a ripe papaya.

        左邊的小木瓜是庭園裡的木瓜樹掉下來的。

     The small green papaya on the left is from one papaya tree in the garden. 

        貴美阿姨的木瓜教室開講！

     Time for Auntie Guei-mei's papaya lesson!