Miho Museum (Shiga, Japan)

回想2002年六月的日本之旅，腦子裡閃過的還是京都府那座遺世獨立的山中小廟 – 美秀博物館（Miho Museum）。一座美術館為什麼會遺世獨立，我又為什麼稱它為山中小廟呢？就讓我娓娓道來。
Thinking of the trip to Japan in June 2002, the Miho Museum, what I called "a little temple isolated in the mountain" always came to my mind.

第一次聽到美秀博物館的大名，大概是幾年前無意間在某本藝術雜誌中讀到的，它之所以會如此引人注目，知名建築師貝聿銘先生大概是有力因素之一。頂著貝先生的光環，這座博物館在興建之初就吸引了高度的注意力，這幾年間，我也就一直引領企盼著，看看哪天真有機會一賭大師的作品。
I came across the info about this museum for the first time a few years ago, when reading a review of it in an art magazine. One of the reasons that it attracts lots of attention is for the fact that it was designed by the famous architect IM Pei. Upon its beginning it has been a highly discussed project, and I've been looking forward to going for a visit one day.

個人以為，在態度上而言，它並不是一座平易近人的博物館。為什麼這樣說呢？因為在位置的選擇上，就不是一個太容易到達的地點。坐火車至石山站下車以後，搭上前往博物館的公車，一路上顛顛倒倒，車子經過的地方越來越荒涼，周圍都是人煙罕見的田野山邊，經過大約一小時以後，我們一行人才抵達博物館。我為什麼會以「遺世獨立」這字眼形容它，不但是因為想要到館一遊的參觀者，真的必須要費一番功夫，如果不是有心人，大概也不會特地花上一整天到這裡朝聖吧！另一方面，貝先生在設計之初所採用的中心，是發自於中國荊、湘一帶「桃花源」這個民俗故事，與博物館所在地「桃谷」恰巧不謀而合，它與世隔絕，在這個紛亂的社會中，可謂清流一支，是人們沉澱心靈的安靜角落。
Attitude wise, it's not a very friendly museum. Why? For its location. It's not an easily accessible place. After getting off the train at the nearest train station, one has to take a bus ride for almost an hour, passing through countryside to arrive. It requires some efforts from visitor to go and if one wasn't intended to go he/she wouldn't spend a whole day for this pilgrimage. On the other hand, Pei's design was partly originated from the idea of the earthly paradise in the old Chinese tale, "Peach Blossom Spring." The valley where the museum is situated is called "Peach Valley". That's another coincidence. It takes people away from the chaotic society. A quiet place for those who long for an escape.

下了車，映入眼裡的是一座米白色建築物，是博物館接待來客的第一道關卡。我們一行人買了票，同行的母親與外公兩人，在館員的引導下，便搭上接待處與本館之間的交通車，而我，為了要經驗一下那種走進桃源的感受，便獨自踏上通往本館的路，慢慢步行至本館展示區。陶淵明在桃花源記中敘述的「忽逢桃花林，夾岸數百步，中無雜樹，芳草鮮美，落英繽紛」，桃花林在文中所代表的意涵，是由人間世界通往太平仙境的道路；我在這段路上並沒有看到真的桃花林，沿著走道兩旁，倒是重滿了櫻花樹，在貝先生的引導下，我來到一個通往美學殿堂的隧道，也許是心理作用所致，在穿過隧道、橫過天橋之時，心裡還真的有那種被淨化、被洗滌的感受，逐漸映入眼簾的，是一座融合廟宇特色的建築物。我拜訪博物館的當天並不是日本的假日，因此到館參觀的遊客並不多，在沒有旁人干擾的狀況下走過這一段路，周圍的蟲鳴鳥語也特別清楚，自然也就帶給我另一番新鮮感受。
Getting off the bus, a creamy white building came into y eyes. It's the "front door" of the museum. We got the tickets there. Under the guidance of the staff, my mom and grandpa went onto the shuttle which bring visitors back and forth the from entrance and the main building. To experience entering the "Peach Blossom Spring", I chose to walk. The story of Peach Blossom Spring was written by poet TaoYuan-Ming, and almost everyone of us read it at school. I remember the part describing the pathway into the Peach Blossom Spring, it represents the path from human world into heaven. I didn't really see peach trees but cherry blossoms. However, from Pei's guidance I did feel like walking into a temple of beauty. When I walked through the tunnel and bridge, I felt purified and cleansed. A peculiar building came into my eyes. Something that reminds me a Chinese temple. It's a pleasant week day, and there're not too many visitors. I was walking all alone and could clearly hear the birds singing. Quite a refreshing feeling.

穿過通往世界稀有珍寶的「夢之門」，我進入了以幾何圖形拼湊而成的正堂大廳。博物館內的展示廳分別依主題座落在南館與北館之中，展示以地域、文化宗教與年代等分別承現出秀明家族多年以來的精品收藏。所有展出物件之中，最讓我印象深刻的，大概就是那只宋代的耀變天目茶碗；根據館方所述，世界上被指定為國寶的耀變天目茶碗僅有三只，該館所收藏的，則是先前不為人知的第四只，茶碗上特殊罕見的結晶，是在燒製的過程中自然發生的，是中國福建省建窯所出產之陶器中的一種，該茶碗由前田利常開始在前田家流傳下來，碗的形態亦被記載於前田家茶道用具記錄中。
Going through "Dream Door", I arrived the main hall which brought to me a sense of geometry incorporated with nature. The exhibitions are divided into the North hall and South hall. The collections of the Shumei family are exhibited according to geographic area, culture, religion and chronology. One of the most impressive items is the yohen tenmoku teabowls from the Song Dynasty (China). According to the description of the museum, there're only three teabowl of this kind exist in this world, and the one in the museum is actually the forth which was unknown to the world before. The special crystals on the bowl was a rare thing to see. It was a kind produced in the Chinese Fujien province. It was passed down in the Maeda Family since Maeda Toshitsune and was also recorded in the utensil of tea ceremony of the family.

博物館配有極佳的展示語音導覽供參觀者租用，有中文、英文與日文三種可供選擇。語音系統中最可取之處，大概就是其資訊之深度採用分層之方式呈現，雖然館方選擇以CD播放的方式，在資訊點選後讀取的速度並不是很快，加上每位使用者都必須背著一台礙事的隨身聽，不過使用者可以自由地選擇想要瞭解的物件解說，加上在聽完解說以後，還可以選擇性地深入瞭解物件之文化背景，對於一個有心到館內慢慢參觀的觀眾來說，的確是極為方便的樂事。
The museum provides a good trilingual audio-guide service (Chinese, English and Japanese). Visitors can explore the info according to his needs and interest. Though the museum adopted CD player as media, the data reading was farely slow and it's quite a big thing to carry for the user, it is anyway a convenient device for those who intend to explore the museum in detail.

日本地區的博物館，最讓我驚豔的一點，通常是他們結合館藏、館徽與賣店商品的能力，精心設計的商品，往往讓人愛不釋手。本館也是如此，賣店裡除了販賣館內出版品以外，還有印上博物館館徽的日常用品以供購買，讓我最不捨擱下的，大概就是那套骨瓷茶具，白底金邊的設計，與博物館給我的感覺特別對味，若不是訂價高得嚇人，它大概已經躺在我家了吧！
One of the things I especially enjoy in Japanese museums is their museum shop. There're always a good selection of finely produced items or copies to be taken away as souvenir. I was attractly by the white bone china tea service set. If not for the high price, I would surely bring it back home.

受限於同行的母親與外公體力有限，加上回程公車時間上的限制，在館內徘徊三個小時以後，我們便踏上回程。在離館之前，我特地趕到館內的影片播放室，欣賞了一段有關貝先生設計建造本館的影片，再度讓我對於與事者對本館所耗費的心力與財力開了眼界。由於博物館之位址地處森林法保安林區域、砂防法指定區域與自然公園法縣立公園第三種特別地域，因此館方在建造時必須面對各種繁瑣的法令規章，加上貝先生在設計時特意將保護自然環境的概念引入，博物館建築物的80%被埋藏在地下，使博物館與周圍景色融為一體，建造時不但必須面臨愚公移山的難題，在硬體接近完成之際，還必須將地景恢復原狀，這種對於原始地景的尊重，是我從未想到的。透過巧奪天工的規劃與設計，美秀博物館和位於西班牙畢包爾（Bilbao）、由雕塑家Frank Gehry所設計的古根漢美術館一樣，都可說是極具特色的極品建築，不同的是，貝先生的創舉，讓美秀博物館在自然、藝術與建築物之間融洽調和的理念下誕生，對於以後的博物館建築師而言，不啻帶來另一種思考角度。
We were fairly tired after the visit and we also had to catch the bus. So we decided to leave after a three-hour visit. Before leaving, I went to the video room to see a short film documenting the whole project, and I was again surprised by how much efforts and money were put into this project. The museum is situated in a special protected area with triple kinds of limitation. So various laws and regulations have to be met. Also, Pei especially melted the idea of enviromental protection into his design and 80% of the building was actually buried underground so that the building can merge with the nature as much as possible. During construction, half a moutain was removed and then brought back when the building was about to be completed. A respect of the original landscape, it's something that I've never thought of before. Pei actually achieved a balance between nature and architecture and brought to the world another viewpoint.

博物館網址：www.miho.or.jp/chinese/index.htm

Miraikan (Tokyo, Japan)

PS. 這篇文章是還在明日報時期寫的, 這幾天整理照片又看到三年前參觀博物館的照片, 順手把文章貼上來.This article was written some years ago. I just remember to post it here now when I saw some photos taken during the visits recently.

難得重遊東京，當然不可錯過近年來發展迅速的御台場地區。恰巧先前在因緣際會下，曾經針對日本近年來新開幕的科學類博物館做過調查，對別名「明日館」的日本科學未來館留下了深刻的印象，如此大好機會當然不能放過，趁著一個星期在東京的閒暇時日，好好地逛逛。
It's been quite a while since my last visit to Tokyo. Surely the fast growing Odaiba area became one of the must-go this time. Just right before the trip I was engaged in a research project about newly built science museums in Japan and I was deeply impressed by Miraikan. Of course I had to go for a visit, since I had almost a week in Tokyo.

光看這座博物館之所以創館的原因與使命，就可以理解到日本人為何能夠在科技上有此長足的發展與競爭力。於2001年正式對外開放的明日館，是著眼於「促進發展，以科學技術立國」的概念，試圖創辦出一座透過最先端的科學技術展示、展示方法開發、研究交流等，提供科技資訊的設備。
Looking at the reasons of establishment and its mission statement, it can be understood why Japanese people have such an advanced development and high competibility in technology. Miraikan first opened its door to the public in 2001. It was born as a center for deepening an understanding of science and technology, and to fulfill Japan's aim of becoming a scientifically and technologically creative nation. It's an attempt to provide latest information about technology through demostrations, exhibitions, and exchanges of research results.

日本未來館由日本的日建設計與久米設計共同設計，地上8層地下2層的建築物，總面積8881平方公尺，樓地板面積40789平方公尺。展覽大樓外觀橢圓形，大樓外壁採用玻璃牆，這樣的造型和外觀裝飾充分體現了科學的開放性和透明性。建築內有一個展覽中心，一個科學圖書館，一個研究與發展區，一個球形影院（123個座位，銀幕嵌在半球內，播放逼真的影像）和一個創意廳（能當作錄影棚的多功能廳）；此外還有實驗室、會議室、大廳以及播音室，球形劇場和階梯會場。
It's co-designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd and Kumi Sekkei. The building comes with 8 floors above ground and two floors below ground, with a total area of 8,881 square meters and total floor area of 40,789 square meters. The oval shape building is surrounded by glass wall. The structure and its appearance represents the openness and transparency of science. Inside the building there's an exhibition center, a library, an R&D area, a 123-seat dome theater, a multifunction room and other facilities such as laboratories, conference rooms, main hall, broadcasting room and so on.

日本科學未來館的設計概念，是要創造出觀眾之間、以及他們與科學科技互動的空間，在設計與技術層面上採用了許多創新的手法，以期能使博物館成為觀眾經驗尖端科技的最適場所。館內所有展示以「二十一世紀的夢想」為共同主題。為了幫助觀眾思考有關世界未來的視野，館方以四大展示主題來探討科學與科技，其中包括：地球環境與尖端科技、生命科學與人類、技術革新與未來、情報科學技術與社會。
The design concept is to create a space for the interactivity between the public and science as well as technology. So many innovative ways of design and techniques are applied so as to make the museum a suitable place for experiencing latest technology. All exhibitions come under a common key subject: the dream of the 21st century. In order to help the visitors think about visions regarding to the future of the world, the museum tries to explore science and technology from four main themes: the earth environment and frontiers, life science, innovation and the future, and information science and technology for society.

整座博物館，都會感受到日本人重視「服務」的程度。從一踏進大門，就有館員引導購票與參觀方向以外，整個館以義工為主的營運手法，訓練有素的義工會主動積極地與參觀者互動，再再令人對館方實踐自身使命的承諾刮目相看。
In the museum, one can really feel the way they emphasize "service" in every aspect. Since one enters the museum, there're people giving instructions for ticket purchasing and orientation. The museum is mainly run by volunteers, who actively lead visitors for their visits and engage in interactions with the visitors. It's very impressive how they try to put their mission into practice.

在東京停留的一個星期之中，我拜訪這座博物館達三次之多，主要的原因，倒不是因為博物館的規模龐大，而是因為展示之精緻，讓人想要把每一個廳都好好地參觀品嘗。
I went to the museum for three times during my one-week stay in Tokyo. The reason? It's not really because of the size of the museum, but for the depth of the content of exhibition that inspired me to visit all of them carefully.

館內最讓人印象深刻的焦點，是位於館內前部從一樓到五樓巨大天井中央所懸掛的GEOCOSMOS球形顯示器。這個世界上最大的球形螢幕其直徑6.5公尺，重15噸，比例為地球的200萬分之一。從三樓到五樓沿天井繞球體設有一條螺旋通道，是我最喜歡的地方之一，讓我可以由不同方向、不同角度來觀看球形螢幕。GEOCOSMOS上貼有3715片LED模組，LED總數是951040個。這樣的設計是為了讓這些LED片真實地呈現由NASA所提供的即時地球資訊，也就是說看到GEOCOSMOS的外觀，就可清楚地瞭解目前地球的狀況，比如地球的夜晚部分與白晝部分、雲層的範圍變動等，這些資料的顯示方式是輪流表示從今天開始至一個月內的情景。非常生動豐富地展示地球之美。
The main attraction of the museum is the GEOCOSMOS which is hanged in the five-floor atrium. It's the biggest sphere monitor in the world, with a diameter of 6.5 meters and weight of 15 tons. It's 1/200 scale of the Earth. There's a spiral walkway from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor around the monitor, and it's one of my favorate places in the museum. It gives me the chance to look at the sphere from different angles and different directions. The sphere is composed of 3,715 panels with LED set, with a total of 951,040 LEDs. The design is to realistically showthe real-time information of the Earth provided by NASA. Looking at the sphere one can clearly sees the conditions of the Earth, such as day and night zone, changing clouds. The images presented include information collected in the past thirty days and lively show the beauty of the Earth.

這座博物館內的另一個大明星，無非是由本田公司（Honda）所開發的機器人ASIMO是目前全球唯一具備人類雙足行走能力的類人型機器人，據說到目前為止，ASIMO的開發已經進入第三代。博物館三樓的展示廳內有一個小舞台，每天定時有展演活動，也就是在這裡，我第一次看到了ASIMO，以及SONY公司的普奇狗AIBO。現場看到的驚奇，比起在電視上看到報導更讓人印象深刻，動作的流暢讓人瞠目咋舌，倘若沒有親眼看到，我大概是不會相信的。發展到現在，這些機器人似乎都已經具備了人工智慧，能夠依據聲音手勢等指令來動作，同時也有基本的記憶、辨識、甚至於學習能力。光是看到這個，就已經讓我覺得不虛此行了。
The other "big star" of the museum is the robot Asimo developed by Honda. For now Asimo is the only robot that can assimulate human walking. It is said that the development of Asimo is entering the 3rd generation already. On the 3rd floor of the museum, there's a small stage where demonstrations are held periodically. And it's where I saw Asimo and robot dog Aibo from Sony for the first time. Surely it is more impressive and surprising seeing them with my own eyes. Movements are surprisingly smooth and it's hardly believable if not seeing it myself. The latest robots all come with artificial intelligence and can follow instructions according to sounds, voices and hand gestures. They are also equipped with basic abilities for memory, identification and even learning. Just by seeing them, the efforts for the trip and time spent were paid back.

日本人在禮品項目開發上的投注，向來值得他國效尤。小小的賣店，擠滿了來館參觀的小學生，各式精美的商品讓人愛不釋手，尤其是針對ASIMO所設計的一系列商品，在賣店中真的是人手數項，紅到不行。然而，館方並沒有在教材上面有所著墨，這倒是有點可惜了。
The ways Japanese museums develop their museum shop inventories are also worthy of attention. The shop is small and full of students who come here with school trips. Beautiful items are so attractive that it's so difficult to choose from. The Asimo series is especially popular and many visitors leave the shop with at least two to three Asimo items with them. It's a pity that the museum didn't spend much efforts in teaching materials and equipment though.

有機會到東京玩耍，造訪御台場，除了逛街購物以外，別忘了，這個區域還有像是明日館、船之科學館等六座博物館等著拜訪喔！
The Tokyo Odaiba area is not only a great place for shopping. Apart from numerous shopping malls, there're also six museums such as Miraikan, Funenokagakukan (Museum of Maritime Science) awaiting for visits.

Museum official web site: http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/

Teatro Olimpico (Vicenza, Italy)

維琴察（Vicenza）除了是世界黃金飾品重鎮以外，也因為十六世紀兩位著名的建築師帕拉底歐（Andrea Palladio）與其弟子斯卡莫齊（Vincenzo Scamozzi）聞名於世。帕拉底歐在維琴察省思所留下的許多經典建築，是許多建築人朝聖之地，而被聯合國科教文組織列為世界遺產的奧林匹克劇院，是大師的最後遺作。
Vicenza is not only famous for its gold fairs. Its fame also comes from two world renowned architects, Andrea Palladio and his pupil Vicenza Scamozzi, in the 16th century. Palladio left behind many classic villas in Vicenza province, and the area thus becomes a pilgrimage place for architects. The Olympic Theater, which is listed in the World Heritage List, is the last work of Palladio.

在所有早期興建的劇院中，維琴察的奧林匹克劇院是至今尚存的古蹟之一。西元1555年，維琴察市奧林匹克藝術學院（Accademia Olimpica）成立。學院在成立初期的宗旨，主要是研究希臘悲劇，而為了要上演戲劇作品，便延請當時已經相當知名的帕拉底歐替學院設計一座劇場。然而，劇場開始施工的第一年（西元1580），帕拉底歐便去世，因而由弟子斯卡莫齊接手，因此奧林匹克劇院其實是兩位大師的心血結晶。
The Olympic Theater in Vicenza is one of the early theaters that remains intact until now. In 1555, Accademia Olimpica in Vicenza was established, with a mission to study classical Greek dramas. To put the works on stage, the Accademia invited Palladio to design a theater for it. However, Palladio passed away in 1580, the very first year when the construction began. His pupil Scamozzi took over and completed the project. The Olympic Theater is actually a work from both masters.

日間的奧林匹克劇院是維琴察市的觀光勝地。穿過一座地上鋪滿碎石且擺滿石雕像的小花園，訪客進入了一座古意盎然的建築，漫步走過廊道，欣賞壁上畫作，偶爾，還會看到破碎的壁畫，闡述著維琴察在大戰中慘遭轟炸的遭遇。隨著參觀方向，穿過了一個狹小的通道，眼前豁然開朗，美輪美奐的劇場映入眼簾，長方形的舞台配上木製的階梯型觀眾席，周圍高牆聳立，飾有各式古典石膏像，讓訪者的思緒聯想到羅馬時期。天花板被化作美麗的天空，顏色像極了威尼斯的落日餘暉，混合著藍橘紅等粉嫩的浪漫，讓我想起某次拜訪威尼斯的領悟，體驗到藝術家們以畫筆紀錄下的真實。舞台上又是另一番景色，五條按照透視法設計製作的街道，是斯卡莫齊眼中的古希臘城市底比斯，利用視覺效果在短且小的空間中創造出深度的錯覺，觀眾席上每一區的感受各異，古希臘與古羅馬的時空交錯，讓人頓時沉浸於大師創作之中。這些木製的舞台背景又為何能夠經歷戰火的蹂躪而被保存下來？據說在二次大戰開始之初，有心人士害怕這些珍貴的文物受到戰火波及，暗地裡逕自把台上的佈景搬到鄉下藏了起來，直到大戰結束以後才把它們交還，也因此讓這些作品能夠流傳至今。
In the day time, the Olympic Theater is one of the tourist attractions in Vicenza. Going through a small statue garden with pebbles on its passage, visitors enter an old building. On the corridor hang paintings of nobles from various painters. Signs of wars can be spotted on the frescos. Following the direction through a narrow walkway, a splendid theater opens up the eyes of the visitors. The stage, wooden seating, the setting and various plaster statues bring its visitors back to the Roman age. The ceiling is turned into beautiful sky, with colors of Venice sunset. A mixture of light pink, golden orage and sky blue bring such a romantic touch. It reminds me the very first time I visited Venice. The painters recorded what they saw with their own eyes. On the stage, there are five passages designed according to perspectives, showing Scamozzi's interpretation of ancient Greek town Thebes, creating depth with visual effects in such a small space. How can these wooden works survive the war? Iwas told that during the war, the manager of the theater was afraid that these presious works would be damaged, and took the initiative to hide the whole set in the country side. It was returned only after the war came to its end. Thanks to his good will, we can still see these masterpiece with our own eyes.

Museum of Grappa (Bassano, Vicenza, Italy)

義大利著名的餐後酒之一，是將釀造葡萄酒的過程中所殘留下來的酒糟（包含皮、肉、梗、子）拿來蒸餾而出的烈酒，酒精濃度通常在40-52%之間；由於它實際上是釀製葡萄酒的副產品，因此盛產葡萄酒的地區自然也就成為它的主要生產地，以法國和義大利為主要產區。在法文中一般稱為Marc，在義大利文中則通稱為grappa，中文譯為「渣釀白蘭地」。
One of the most popular Italian digestives is a kind of distilled spirit made of "vinaccia", the leftover including pressed skin, seeds and so on of wine making. It normally comes between 40 to 52 percent alcolhol content. For the reason that it's the by-product of grape wine making, areas of wine productions are natually production area of this kind of spirit, that is, France and Italy. In French it is called "Marc" and in Italian "grappa".

格拉帕是我搬到義大利以後所認識的第一種餐後酒，酒足飯飽之際，來一小杯芬芳濃烈的格拉帕幫助消化，或者，在濃縮咖啡中加入幾滴”校正”一下咖啡的味道，實在是一種享受（義大利人喜歡在咖啡中加入一點兒烈酒，將此種咖啡稱之為「cafe' corretto」，中文直譯為「校正過的咖啡」）。
Grappa is actually the first digestive I got to know after I moved to Italy. People like to have a small glass of straight grappa after dinner for digestion, otherwise adding some grappa in coffee to "correct" the taste is also a great enjoyment. (Italians like to add some liquor in coffee and it is called "cafe' corretto".)

離家不遠有座山麓小城叫做巴薩諾（Bassano del Grappa），我對這地方情有獨鍾，有事沒事常常到這兒散步閒逛。巴薩諾位在格拉帕山山腳（這也就是為什麼名字後面有”del Grappa”），每次想到這個名字，心裡總會有個疑惑：到底是因為這裡是這種酒的來源地，使酒因地得此名，還是因為這片山麓產的格拉帕酒特別好喝，而因此被如此命名呢？我想，這些都不重要，不論如何，巴薩諾目前是威內多地區（Veneto area，以威尼斯為首府）格拉帕酒的中心。
Not far from where I live, there's a smal town named Bassano del Grappa. It's one of my favorite places and we go there quite often. Bassano is situated at the bottom of Grappa mountain (that's why the name comes with "del Grappa"). Every time I think of it, I always wonder if the name of the grappa came from the place or the grappa of this area is so good that the spirit itself made the place famous. Anyway it doesn't matter. No matter what, Bassano is now the center for grappa in the Veneto area.

巴薩諾的重要地標之一，就是由義大利著名建築師帕拉底歐（Palladio）所設計的老橋（Ponte Vecchio），是觀光客來到此城必定參訪的地點。老橋的橋頭有一座全城最著名的小酒吧，不論是觀光客還是當地人，都喜歡到酒吧中啜上一杯好酒、閒談八卦，每次經過該地，總是熱鬧非凡，酒客絡繹不絕。就在酒吧往上坡方向幾步路不遠的地方，有座小而美的博物館，平心等待有心人到此一訪，週遭的靜謐與下頭的酒吧成了強烈的對比。
One of the most important landmark of Bassano is the Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge) designed by the famous artichect Andrea Palladio. It is one of the must-see of the place. At one side of the bridge, there's a famous bar which is popular among locals and tourists. It's always full of people every time I pass by. Going upward opposite the bridge, there's a small but beautiful museum. Just a few meters away from the bridge the atmosphere becomes so quiet. Among the quietness the museum sits, awaiting to be discovered.

這座格拉帕博物館的成立，是現今酒廠負責人雅可波的心血結晶。波利家族與格拉帕的淵源，可回溯到一百多年前的十九世紀末；當時，雅可波的曾祖父喬巴塔以製造與販賣草帽為生，蒸餾酒只是他個人私底下的興趣。傳到了下一代喬凡尼，也就是雅可波的祖父，不但延續了喬巴塔的興趣，還加以發揚光大。喬凡尼將廢棄的蒸氣火車頭加以改裝，藉著這個廢物利用製成的蒸餾器來蒸餾格拉帕酒；同時他也很有生意頭腦，成立酒廠，將蒸餾酒商業化，而蒸餾酒自此就成為波利家族的家族事業。到了雅可波的父親，也就是湯尼的時代，則是潛心研究，替家族的蒸餾酒事業奠定了更穩固的基礎，他於1956年改良的蒸餾器一直持續至今，到目前為止仍是蒸餾酒廠製造蒸餾酒的主要設備。家族傳承到了雅可波手上，則致力於格拉帕酒的推廣，期望「讓人了解並欣賞蒸餾酒製作的功夫與其中的堅持，也希望人們能夠體認到一瓶格拉帕酒中所濃縮凝聚的萬種熱情」，本著這樣的精神，他在深入研究有關蒸餾酒的各方面知識，並且於八O年代末成立博物館，將研究結果以展示的方式呈現在世人眼前。
The foundation of the museum is attributed to the hard efforts of the current owner of the Poli distillery, Jacopo. The story of the grappa and the Poli family can be traced back to more than a hundred years ago, to the end of the 19th century. Jacopo's great grandfater, Giobatta, made his life making and selling straw hats. Distilling spirit was just Giobatta's hobby. When it came to Giovanni, Jacopo's grandfater, the hobby was carried into a business. Giovanni made use of antiquated steam engine and turned it into a grappa distiller. His business mind made him open a distillery and commercialize grappa making, and thus made distilled spirit the family business of the Poli family. Jacopo's father Toni spent much time and efforts study spirit making and hence set up an even more solid foundation for their business. He improved the distiller in 1956 and the very distiller is still in use and actually the main equipment even nowadays. When it comes to Jacopo's hand, his main focus is the promotion of the grappa, hoping to "make people understand and appreciate the efforts and spirits of grappa making, and thus realize the passion concentrated within." With this spirit he tries to exlpore various aspects of spirit making and then found the museum at the end of the 80s to present his studies.

整座博物館包括兩間展示室、圖書室和賣店。展示呈現的主題有二：「蒸餾的歷史」以及「格拉帕酒的蒸餾」。由於波利家族製酒已有超過百年的歷史，家族保留了豐富的文物，配以深入的研究與解說，得以帶領參觀者仔細了解蒸餾酒的歷史、器材、方法與製作，可惜的是，所有的解說文字都是義大利文，對於來自外地不諳義文的參觀者，就只能仰賴導覽手冊上較為精簡的說明了。大約不出三十分鐘，我們已經參觀完畢，踏進賣店品酒去也。賣店裡的酒都是自家商品，因此參觀者也可以藉此品嘗各種不同口味的格拉帕。整間店裡最吸引我的，就是那專門品酒用的鬱金香杯和杯架。只是不論是酒是杯，都是價格不斐的高級品，也只好忍痛割捨，帶著一絲絲的遺憾離開博物館，逕自到平民化的橋頭酒吧另享一番滋味。
There're two exhibition rooms, a library and a shop in the museum. Each room is dedicated to one single theme, one is "history of distillation" and the other "distillation of grappa". For the rich family history lots of original artefacts are preserved. With in depth explanation visitors are able to have a glimpse of the history, equipment, and methods of spirit making. However, most of the information are in Italian and for those who don't speak the language the only reliable source of information is the brochure, though the information is much simplified. We finished the exhibitions in 30 minutes and into the shop we went. We're there for spirit tasting. All the products are their own production and there're lots of flavors to choose from. The most attractive items for me are the tulip wine glasses and glass holder. However, no matter the grappa or the glasses all come with high price that I just had to leave them where they are and left the museum with a little bit of regret. Off we went, to the bar for the commoners.

The Instant Ramen Museum (Ikeda City, Osaka, Japan)

孤陋寡聞的我，其實是一直到某次不小心在網路上找到這個博物館的網站，才知道泡麵確實是台裔日人發明的，不過不知道為什麼，到目前為止我對這件事情還是有點半信半疑…
I found this museum by accident on the internet. Not until then, I didn't know the instant noodle was invented by a Taiwanese Japanese. For some reasons, I am still suspecious about the fact even now.

這一座於1999年開放的紀念館，是世界上第一座以速食麵為主題的博物館。背後的日清食品，與泡麵的淵源非常深遠，因為泡麵這東西，就是日清食品的創始人安藤百福在1958年所發明的。這座兩層建築的紀念館，主要就是在介紹泡麵的發明與發展，第一層為接待處與展覽室，第二層則是活動教室。
The museum was established in 1999. It is the first museum of instant noodle in the world. The founder, Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., has had a very long relationship with instant noodle. Actually, instant noodle was invented by the founder of the company, Momofuku Ando, in 1958. In memory of Ando, this two-floor museum was built. Its purpose is to introduce the invention and development of instant noodles. The first floor includes reception area and exhibition hall, while the second floor is mainly activity room.

入館後很高興地發現紀念館免費開放參觀，不過當我和表妹兩人詢問有關泡麵製作體驗活動的時候，卻發現名額全被之前來的小朋友們佔滿了，心裡不免感到遺憾，不過這種活動總有個先來後到，我們也沒有辦法等到下一個活動時間，所以只好讓它成為當日的第一個遺珠之憾。
My cousin and I happily discovered that the museum offers free admission. However, when we inquired the activity of instant noodle making, we were told that only limited number of visitors can participate the activity and it was full booked already. It's such a pity. We couldn't afford to wait until the next session, so it became the first "regret" of the day.

一進入展示廳，馬上就被中央的草屋給吸引，上前一看，猜也知道這是在陳設安藤百福發明泡麵當時的環境。我每次遇到這種生態造景就很沒輒，進去也不是，不進去也不是，裡面的東西要碰不敢碰，東西看起來要真不真的…最後還是悻悻然地走了出來，這間小草屋其實也沒有什麼太特別的地方。
The diorama of a shabby house in the center attracted my attention when we entered the exhibition area. It is a reconstruction of the environment where Ando invented the very first instant noodles. I wasn't very keen on this kind of exhibition, because I always got the feeling whether to enter or not, whether I can touch the set or not, and the objects somehow look unreal. I came out of the tiny house in disappointment. There is nothing too special about it.

接下來看到的東西就真的很有趣了。左半邊的牆面是一條很常的時間線，配合日本國內重要大事發生的時間道出日清食品的發展史。在時間線的最前面，有一堆泡麵和紙箱，從小在日本長大的表妹告訴我，這是日清食品推出的第一種泡麵，如此說來也就是泡麵之祖囉！漫步讀著，來到展示廳的另一頭，偌大的白色牆面上連續地播放著影片，看了一下，原來是在講杯麵發明的故事啊！整個看下來，才發現原來這也是挺有學問的，麵的形狀要怎麼樣做、什麼樣的配菜、杯子要用什麼樣的材質，都經過縝密的思考研究…吃泡麵就吃泡麵，來這邊之前其實根本不會去想這些，這次也許又讓我體會到，生活中習以為常的事情，實際上也有著許多的小聰明小智慧在裡面。
The following part of the visit was really interesting. On the wall in the left hand side, there's a very long timeline, introducing both the important event in the Japanese history and the history of Nissin company. At the beginning of the timeline, there're many packs of instant noodles and some carton box. My counsin, who grows up in Japan, told me, it is the very first kind of instant noodle that Nissin produced. Walking around the area, I arrived the other side of the exhibition. Films were projected on the white wall. I took a closer look. It's telling the story of the invention of instant noodle. After I finished watching the film, I finally realized there's also very "profound" knowledge in it. The shape of the noodle, what kind of dried vegetable to use, what kind of material for cups, etc. all need to be concerned and checked. I've never thought of it this way, coz instant noodle is just too common in my life. I came to understand that there's always something smart out there, even for something very common in our lives.

看完影片，我們倆在一台沒有人使用的觸碰式螢幕前坐了下來。這裡有許多節目可以選擇，我們依序看完了泡麵的製作過程（十一個步驟）、日清食品暢銷商品的秘密、泡麵的煮法與吃法（還可以列印食譜）等，然後玩玩有獎問答，高興地拿著獎品兌換卷往下一區前進。（不會講日文的我怎麼有獎品？嘿嘿…當然是聰明的表妹連續玩了兩次幫我拿到囉！）
After we finished the film, we sat down in front of a touch screen monitor. Many programs can be chosen. We watched the sequence of instant noodle production (11 steps), the secret of popular Nissin products, how to cook and eat instant noodle (with recipe to be printed), and then played the quiz. I don't know a single Japanese word... and how did I win the prize? Well, of course, with the help of my counsin, I could also receive a souvenir from the museum.

在這些觸碰式螢幕的周圍有幾個展示櫃，是蠻容易被參觀者忽略掉的地方（因為根據我的觀察，一般人通常在螢幕前玩一玩就走了…）好奇的我們上前一看，原來是展示著在世界各國賣的泡麵，說明各大洲各國的產品有些什麼不同點，這時我才知道，除了可以想像地到的配料和口味以外，原來麵的長短也不一樣，亞洲的比較常，美洲歐洲的都比較短，據說是因為飲食習慣的關係。
Exhibits around the touch screen monitors are easily neglected by the visitors. According to my observation, most visitors leave the area after they finish the touch screen program. Curious as we were, we stepped ahead and found that it's an exhibition of various products sold in different countries. It explains the characteristics of products in different countries. For example, the noodle is longer in Asian countries, and longer in Europe and America due to dietary habits.

另一側牆上貼滿了泡麵的包裝和盒子，展示的是日清公司從創辦以來推出的所有產品，下面則設了兩個螢幕，不段地播放從前的泡麵廣告，走道旁還展出公司針對泡麵所推出的各種週邊商品，不禁讓人佩服日本人的生意頭腦。在這「麵牆」上看到的眾多產品中，最令我訝異的大概就是義大利麵的泡麵…搬到義大利以後，我對義大利麵也變的和義大利人一樣挑剔，實在是無法想像這東西到底怎麼做成泡麵，如果哪天有看到，真的會很想買來試試看。
The other wall is filled up with packages and boxes, showing all the products of Nissin company. Two screen under these products are broadcasting old advertisements. On the corridor, there're also peripheral products that were developed along with instant noodles. Japanese are so brilliant with their business mind! Among all kinds of instant noodles I saw on the wall, the most surprising kind is the instant spaghetti. After I moved to Italy, I became picky as Italians when talking about cooking pasta. I really can not imagine how spaghetti can be made into instant noodle. I will definitely try it if I see it in the market.

展示區的最後一個單元，展示的是日清食品與安藤百福曾經受頒的獎項，其中還有一個是有關於安藤氏對於世界飢荒所做出的貢獻。這個我真的覺得很有趣，因為我一直覺得泡麵是很沒營養的東西，不過當時忘了把那個機構的名稱給抄下來，所以…
The last part of the exhibition is about all the prizes Ando and Nissin received in the past. One is about Ando's contribution and help to solve world famine. This is very interesting, because I always take instant noodle as something innutritious. However, I forgot to write down the name of the organization that awarded the prize to Ando, so I've got no clue to do some further check now.

參觀完畢，也耗上一個多小時，所花的時間真的比我想像中的還久，上樓去瞄了一眼所謂的體驗活動，發現用看的實在是很沒趣，和表妹兩人就決定到接待處去買杯泡麵來吃（沒錯，真的有一區隨時都有熱水跟筷子，你只要買了泡麵，當場就可以在那邊泡來吃，我覺得這個經驗還蠻新鮮的。）唯一遺憾的，大概就是館裡沒有設賣店，如果裡面能夠買到日清食品全系列商品，我可能就真的會搬著大包小包的泡麵回外公家嚇人去了…
The visit took us about an house to complete. It's much longer than I expected coz the exhibition itself is not that big. We went upstairs to check the activity. It's not too interesting just looking at it, so we decided to go down to the reception and eat some instant noodles. Right, there's an area where the museum offer hot water and chopsticks for its visitors. You can readily prepare your own cup of noodle once you purchase it from the reception. It's quite a new experience for me. It's a pity that there's no museum shop. It will be wonderful to have a place where I can find every kind of Nissin products. If there's such "service" in the museum that day, I probably would buy lots of different stuff and move them all back to my grandpa's place.

PS. 紅色的文字是2005/8/30看了時報週刊的非常人物以後改的, 原來安藤百福原名吳百福, 是台灣台南人!
I corrected the read word after reading an article about Ando in a Taiwanese magazine. He is a Taiwanese who emmigrated to Japan in his twenties. Wu is his original family name, from Tainan, Taiwan.

Casa do Fado (Lisbon, Portugal)

西元二OOO年秋末，正式搬到歐洲沒多久，對義大利還處於人生地不熟的狀況中，不適應沒有手帕交可以八卦談心的生活，所以便毅然決定隻身到葡萄牙拜訪在倫敦留學那年的知己 – 安娜，散心、旅遊、回憶過往。
End of autumn in 2000, not too long after I moved to Europe, I was a bit depressed for my life in Italy for the reason that I've got no bosom friends around and there's no one to talk to. I decided to take a short trip to Portugal and visit my best friend Ana, whom I met when I studied in London.

到了里斯本，除了當個典型的觀光客以外，也免不了在各大小博物館之間穿梭漫遊。某天晚上跟安娜聊到音樂對於情感的抒發、表達，在她的推薦下，便決定隔天到著名的法朵博物館拜訪一番。
After arriving Lisbon, I enjoyed myself as a typical tourist. Apart from that, I also spent some time visitings various museums in town. One night, Ana and I talked about traditional music. Following her suggestion, I decided to take a look of the famous Fado museum in the next day.

法朵博物館（Casa do Fado）是一座專題的小型博物館，館內設有一個小而美的常態展示，介紹法朵之歌的發源、歷史、樂器與著名歌手。展示企圖透過音樂的層面，讓參觀者更進一步地了解葡萄牙的文化與歷史，以文字說明、影片、音樂片段、相關文物呈現出法朵的美。
Casa do Fado is a small museum with a very special theme. There is a well organized permanent exhibition, introducing the origin, history, instruments, and famous singers of this traditional music of Portugal. It is an effort to lead the visitors to a deeper understanding of Portuguese culture and history, showing the beauty of Fado through texts, short films, music passages, andrelated artefacts.

對我來說，法朵之於葡萄牙，就如同佛朗明歌之於西班牙一樣。Fado在葡萄牙文中，是「命運」的意思。過去的法朵大多吟唱著民間生活的困苦，現在則不再侷限於悲傷哀愁的主題，也開始出現帶著詼諧的輕快調子。從前的葡萄牙有著一段輝煌的航海歷史，由於開拓海外之故，許多人上船成了水手出航冒險，然而由於當時地理常識的欠缺，水手們出海以後也不確定回不回得來，也不太清楚要到什麼地方去，因此臨走之前跟家人生離死別，吟唱的曲調漸漸就成了法朵；而到了巴西，則成了水手們抒發鄉愁緬懷故土的表達方式。
For me, Fado to Portugal is like Flamenco to Spain. In the Porguguese language, "fado" means fate. In the past, fado sang the difficulties of life. Nowadays, it's not any more limited to the nostalgic or sad songs. Some pleasant and fast tunes start to appear. Portugal got a splendid history for its strong naval power. To expand their territory, many sailors sent on board for adventures. Lacking in geographical knowledge, sailors did not really understand where they were going, and were not sure if they would ever go home again. Before they departed, songs were sung to express these painful departures. These tunes gradually turned into fado. When fado arrived Brasil, it became a way to express nostalgic feelings and remembrance for sailors.

整個展示中最吸引我的地方，是展示末的造景。進入這個房間之中，就如同置身於一間小酒館一般，找張椅子坐下，在微暗的燈光下聆賞法朵、觀賞影片。在音樂片段銜接的空檔之間，我的眼睛也沒閒著，眼光隨著沿著房間內三面牆上此起彼落的緩和燈光，觀賞著各種專題展示。那是個遊客極少的下午，全館只有我一個參觀者，也正是這種孤獨寂靜的氣氛，讓我更容易進入法朵的情緒之中，整個人陷入一片鄉愁而無法自拔。
The most appealing part of all is the diorama at the end of the exhibition. Entering this tiny small room, I found myself in a tavern. All by myself, I found a seat, enjoying fado music and films in the dark. During the "break", my eyes were following the spotlights, browsing through every single themed exhibits on the three walls. It was a quiet afternoon. I was the only visitor. This quiet and lonely atmosphere led me into fado. I was flooded with nostalgia, feeling lost.

里斯本的阿爾法瑪（Alfama）地區處處都有這種法朵之家，它可以是餐廳或酒吧，人們在晚餐時間到這些法朵之家或用餐或小酌，順便享受著歌手樂手的演出。伴著兩把西班牙吉他與一把葡萄牙吉他（葡萄牙吉他起源於英格蘭，是一種狀似琵琶的十二弦樂器），歌手悠悠地唱出法朵的曲調。現在的法朵，就如同流行音樂一般，把各種主題都唱了進去，當然，絕大部分有關於愛情。
In Alfama area of Lisbon, many fado taverns and pubs can be found. People go to these places for dinner or a drink while enjoying the performances. Accompanied by two Spanish guitars and a Portuguese guitar, the singers slowly sing the tunes of fado. In modern Potrugal, fado is like pop music. Various things can be expressed through fado. Of course, most of them are love songs.

法朵歌手中最著名者，莫過於艾瑪莉亞（Amalia Rodrigues）。她廣受觀眾所喜愛，將法多帶到世界各角落，她一生的成就成為葡萄牙的傳奇，是到目前為止最偉大的法朵歌手。也許是當時受到情緒所挑撥，當天晚上就央著安娜帶我去買了艾瑪莉亞的CD。她所吟唱的故事與語言也許離我很遠，不過透過音樂所傳達出來的，卻正呼應了我身處異鄉的淡淡鄉愁。
Amalia Rodrigues is the most famous fado singer ever. She brought fado to every corner of the world and is much loved by her people. She became a legend in Portugal and is the greated fado singer. Probably I was too much moved by the fado tunes, I asked Ana to take me to a place to buy Amalia's CD. What stories she's singing in her songs or the language itself were probably too far from me, but what was expressed through her music reflected my nostalgic feeling.