How to have a cool summer day / 夏天裡

最好坐在木造的泰式屋子裡，什麼也不做，發呆吹風‧‧‧‧‧‧

Sit in a wooden Thai-style house, doing nothing, and then you'll feel the cool breeze...

Time to travel / 去旅行

炎熱的夏天，該坐下來乘涼，我卻一直在奔跑。本來是為了督促男孩們參加畫畫比賽，卻因此感到透心涼。思維畫了冬天去北海道的回憶。

While I should cool down in scorching summer, I am constantly running. However, in making the boys participate in a drawing contest, I benefit from the freshness of their works. Von draws the memory of traveling to snowy Hokkaido in winter. 

        楷維畫的是我們沒有記憶的旅行，他說是拜訪火山，挺有意思的。

     Kai draws a trip which we have not heard of. He says he visited a volcano somewhere. I am amused by his creativity. 

        接下來，我也要去涼涼的北國旅行了！

     Next, it's my turn to travel to cool North Europe! 

Cool summer / 涼夏

炙熱的夏日裡，我和楷維摘了子栩的薄荷葉泡薄荷茶，邊喝邊寫詩。

夏

游爲淳寫

重口味的夏天

濕濕熱熱悶悶躁躁

濕 來                      躁

悶   一                      熱

悶      杯                     熱

熱          清                     悶

熱                淡                      悶

躁                         如                   濕

躁躁悶悶熱熱濕            水         濕

不加調味的薄荷茶

On scorching summer days, Kai and I pick Sophy's peppermint leaves. We make cool peppermint tea and write poems to chill off. 

Summer 

by Weichuen You

Heavily-flavored summer is 

Humidhotstuffyfiery 

u                             r

might                       e

imagine                     i

drinking                     f

h                                 y

o                                  f

tea                                 f

s                                     u

t                                        t

u                                        s

flavored with                       t

f                                            o

y                                             h

f                                                d

i                                                  i

e                                                  m

rien                                                 u

y                  peppermint                   H       

Come to draw, boys! / 孩子們來畫畫吧！

過了一年很拘謹的工作生活，我都忘記怎麼放鬆，創造力也躲了起來。

After a stressful year of work, I've forgot how to relax. My creative cells take shelter somewhere I don't know. 

        還好去山上度假三天之後，我決定暫時完全放手，把和工作有關的瑣事放一邊，什麼也不想，就只盡興地開心地畫圖。

   Luckily, I've reached a very wise decision after going on a short trip to the mountains. I see the necessity to put aside all the unfinished tasks related to work. I am going to do nothing but doodle with total joy. 

        男孩們感受到我的新決心，他們也跟著夏天悠閒的腳步，可以暫時地享受自由自在的生活，於是我的美術教室又開張了。過了一年，小楷已經會用剪刀，時間的流逝記錄於許多小細節的改變。

   The boys feel my new determination. On their part, they can also take a break from the heavy schoolwork and slow down their hurried paces. Thus, Wanda's art class makes its comeback. With a year passing by, Kai has learned to use scissors. The traces of time are noticeable in many details in the seemingly ordinary daily life. 

        今天我讓哥哥和弟弟互相畫彼此的樣子，哥哥一直看著弟弟的臉龐。

   Today I make the brothers draw each other's face. Von keeps observing Kai's face in the process. 

        而楷維總是自顧自地畫著，非常之開心。

   Meanwhile Kai is lost in his own world without looking at his elder brother at all. 

        比起去年，思維畫畫的樣子多了自信，雖然我對學校教育真的沒什麼太正面的評價，但這應該是上學的獲得吧！

   Compared with last year, Von's attitude toward drawing reflects a boost of confidence. I don't think too highly of the value of school education, but I think this is something Von has gained through going to school. 

        最後我讓孩子們選背景的設計，感謝小蕙阿姨贊助的美麗紙張，隨便弄弄都好看。這是楷維眼中的哥哥。

   Last but not least, I let the boys choose their background design. Here I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks to Auntie Hui for the lovely paper. Whichever pattern the kids choose, the pictures look just awesome. This is Kai's portrait of Von. 

        這是思維眼中的楷維。

   This is Kai in Von's mind. 

The most beautiful place in the world / 全世界最美的地方

七星潭/ Seven Star Sea

太魯閣 / Taroko Gorge 

九份/ Jioufen 

過去的十天陪嘉蕊在台灣進行好幾趟小旅行，雖然去了許多熟悉的景點，但是從英國回來之後眼光似乎不同。對現在的我來說，全世界最美的地方是有些混亂、有些炎熱卻無比溫暖的小島。

In the past ten days I traveled to several parts of Taiwan with Jazel. Though I'd been to most scenic attractions, I felt differently about what I saw after coming back from the UK. For me now, the most beautiful place in the world is my small island, which is kind of   hectic, kind of hot, but warm from the bottom to the top.

Adventure in Sintra / 辛特拉歷險記

逛完辛佩那宮，想說搭公車到辛特拉鎮上，付了將近三歐，公車行駛不到兩分鐘，戴眼鏡的小胖司機在斜坡路口便把車停住。

After our tour to the Pena Palace, we took the bus that goes to the town of Sintra. We paid almost three euros per person, but the chubby driver wearing glasses and a mustache stopped at the end of the sloping cobbled road within two minutes.

看他煩躁地下車比劃，我們想是前面的小紅車讓他無法轉彎。

Seeing him fidget and get on and off the bus constantly, we guessed it was the red car that stopped him from making the right turn. 

隨著時間流逝，越來越多車子堵在我們後頭。司機說我們可以下車用走的到鎮上，我和娜娜說：我們付了三歐買了個故事，一定要待到這件事解決了才能走。

With time passing, more and more cars were blocked on the slope. The driver suggested that we walk to downtown. I told Nana, "We buy the story with three euros. We have to wait to see how the story ends." 

後方被塞住的司機們紛紛下車來探個究竟，隔壁的鄰居太太也來湊一腳，我邊幫她配中文：那個阿三啊，我之前就一直和他說車子不要停在那，有一天會出問題的，你看看，他老是不聽，現在事情搞成這樣！

The drivers got off their cars to take a look. Even the lady that lives in the nearby house came to intervene. I sketched and gave her talk a voice-over in mandarin: You see, I kept telling Mr. Jones not to park his car there. He'll cause some trouble one day. Now he's not around to move his car!" 

從面對問題的態度可看出一個人的性格，公車司機一副憤怒，卻無法有所作為。後面自用車身穿FBI字樣的紅髮先生卻好性子地晃來晃去，後來有一個大陸人也下車來看，因為無法用葡萄牙文和其他司機大加踏伐小紅車的主人，他跑去敲小紅車的車窗。而圖中的白髮太太很開心地對我們說：真是場冒險呢！

From the problem we could tell people's personalities. The bus driver looked furious, but he didn't do anything constructive. The owner of the car behind us, Mr. Red Hair who wore a T-shirt with FBI across the front, looked rather patient. Later a Chinese driver approached the crowd for a glimpse. Since he couldn't join everybody's conversation in Portuguese, he knocked on the window of the red car. The lady in the photo with gray hair said to us gleefully, "What an adventure!" 

本來事情還處於膠著狀態，後頭冒出了一堆身材姣好、活力十足的帥哥們就這麼有決心地跑去搬車子。剛開始我很驚嚇，心想搬得動嗎？

While everybody seemed to be stuck there, a battalion of athletic and energetic men rushed forward to move the small van determinedly. I was rather shocked in the beginning, doubting if they could make it. 

這群男士一改我對葡萄牙男的印象，因為在遇到他們之前我們唯一認識有交談的葡萄牙男只有民宿主人維多，我們很清楚他應該是個特例。

These men totally changed my first impression of Portuguese men. In fact, before meeting them, we didn't know any Portuguese guy apart from our B and B owner Vitor, who is rather an exception... 

挑戰完小藍卡車之後再去搬小紅車，連小黑狗也來湊一腳。

After having removed the blue van, the valiant men moved onto the red car, and even Blackie didn't want to miss the fun. 

「加油！」我們就在旁邊一直按相機。

"You can do it!" We didn't stop taking photos at all. 

大功告成！是不是很帥氣！

Done! Weren't they masculine! 

但壞心眼的公車司機就這麼揚長而去，丟下我和娜娜，當時真想挑一個最帥的請他載我們去鎮上啊！

At that moment the mean fat driver rode away, leaving me and Nana covered in dust. I really wished to ask for a ride from the most handsome man among them! 

我們倆就苦命地走在馬路上，一邊咒罵胖司機。

We two walked bitterly along the roadsides, cursing the fat driver at the same time. 

我走得很累，最後連雷加萊拉莊園也不想進去看了，但這是娜娜最愛的景點。

I was so exhausted that I didn't feel like going into Quinta da Regaleira. But this is Nana's favorite. 

我跑去鎮上的餐廳吃飯，當時葡萄牙足球隊正出戰丹麥，進球時歡呼聲從鎮上的各個酒吧傳來。

I ate in a restaurant in the town centre. At that time the Portuguese football team played against Denmark. When the previous won, great cheering sounds echoed around the whole town from all bars. 

很想吃一頓葡萄牙菜，可是我居然點到巴西牛肉。那團黑黑的豆子下面放了一撮炸麵包粉，整個就是很詭異的味道，雖然老闆很努力地和我說明，我還是不了解麵包粉的謎團。

I wanted to try Portuguese cuisine, but I ended up ordering Brazilian beef. Under the black beans was something like fried bread flour. I couldn't quite put a finger on the taste. Though the owner (or the uncle that looks like the owner) tried to explain. I still didn't figure out the mystery in the Portuguese food. 

辛特拉也有王宮，但是看了一整天的王宮，再美的建築也無法吸引我了。

There is a palace-like building in Sintra, but my brain was numbed after a day of seeing nothing but palaces. 

辛特拉是個怡人的小鎮。

Sintra is a beautiful small town. 

Pena Palace / 佩那宮

辛特拉一整個就是皇室的後花園，如果把奎樂茲也算進去，就有四座皇宮，連我都能感受當時的葡萄牙王室過得有多愜意啊！

Sintra, in my opinion, was the summer garden for the royal family. Queluz counted in, there are four palaces. Even I could feel what a sumptuous life the aristocrats led back then. 

這是其中最鼎鼎有名的佩那宮，座落在辛特拉城的山丘上。

This is the most famous Pena Palace, located on the top of the hill above Sintra. 

入口有個小花園。

There is a small garden by the entrance. 

山上的天氣很涼爽，警衛們在出著大太陽的夏日裡穿著大外套，逛了一陣子我們就懂了。

It is very cool up there. The guards put on overcoats on the sunny summer day. We did understand why after being there for a while. 

在中古世紀時這裡只有一間小教堂，拜佩那的聖母。後來的曼努埃爾國王將其擴建為修道院。

The palace started with a chapel in the Middle Ages worshipping Our Lady of Pena. Later, King Manuel I turned it into a monastery. 

修道院毀於1755年的里斯本大地震。1838年，國王斐迪南二世將遺址重建為葡萄牙王室避暑夏宮。

The monastery was destroyed in the Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755. In 1838, King Ferdinand II rebuilt it as the summer palace for the Portuguese royal family. 

主要負責的建築師Eschwege是德國人，熱愛旅遊且對於萊茵河上的城堡瞭解甚多，這就是為何佩那宮走浪漫主義風。

The main architect Eschwege was German. He was much traveled and believed to have  much knowledge about the castles on the Rhine River. That explains why the Pena Palace has a Romanticist style. 

除了浪漫主義風格之外，佩那宮還有許多風格混雜如摩爾風、新哥德風、新曼努埃爾風和新文藝復興風。

In fact, the architecture includes an array of influence including the Moorish, neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline and neo-Renaissance styles. 

有帥哥等著被救援！

The prince was waiting to be saved! 

雖然是葡萄牙最重要的景點之一，但是訪客數目還好，逛起來很舒服。

Though it's one of the most visited tourist spots in Portugal, there wasn't an overwhelming number of tourists on the day we went. It was a lovely visit for us. 

佩那宮位於占地兩百公頃的佩那公園裡，只可惜我們沒有時間可以好好地在森林裡健行！

The Pena Palace is situated in the Pena Park, which covers over 200 hectares of uneven terrain. It was a pity that we didn't have time to enjoy the beauty of the forest...