Urlaub in Italien — Day 1 (Milan)
20日環義日記（米蘭）
17/5/2022
2022 5月中旬，歐洲熱情的迎接夏季的到來，布拉格悶熱的圖書館裡，大家正如火如荼的準備期末考，期盼放暑假的那一刻逃離學校奔向海灘。至少我身邊的歐洲朋友是這麼打定主意的，要在義大利好好放個長假。
經過一學期的相處，他們也熱情的邀我一起去旅行。當時的我還不理解，也正打著如意算盤，想趁我交換來拜訪歐洲的期間，規劃去越多國家越好，甚至異想天開，想用一個月的暑假把南歐全部玩遍！
In mid-May 2022, Europe welcomed the arrival of summer. I found myself busy preparing for final exams and eagerly anticipating the moment to escape school for the beach. And that was exactly what my European friends had been planning for — a long vacation in Italy.
After spending a semester together, I was warmly invited to their travels. How innocent I was to be caught up in my own plans initially, dreaming of visiting as many countries as possible, even imagining touring the entire Southern Europe in a month!
所幸這個計畫並沒有實現，他們一行人開著車載著我，踏上了環遊義大利20天的旅程。
Luckily, that plan never came to fruition. Instead, I hitched the ride and embarked on a 20-day journey in Italy.
Day 0 — Sargans, Lugano
我們在 Sargans借住了一晚並借了朋友家人的車，朝義大利出發。睽違了三個月的 raod trip，大家都雀躍不已。尤其是沿途瑞士壯闊的山景，真是美不勝收。夏初的綠葉黃花、山間錯落的村落、和山頂未融的白雪，眼前的一切都令我感到驚奇。而這些居然只是瑞士人的日常，深居亞洲都會區的我，可是從未幻想過這樣的生活場景。
We set off for Italy after staying for one night in Sargans, Switzerland. The magnificent mountain scenery along the way was truly breathtaking. Yellow flowers dotted the landscape, scattered villages nestled in the mountains, and the snow lingered on the mountaintops. And yet, all of these were merely tiny parts of the daily Swiss life. As a bustling Asian metropolis, I could never have imagined such a peaceful and serene lifestyle.
回過神來，車子已緩緩停靠在中繼站 Lugano。Lugano 坐擁山湖，保留瑞士的精緻和一絲不苟，同時擁有義式的浪漫與熱情。人們說著義大利語，身穿襯衫白褲、休閒鞋並戴著太陽眼鏡，於湖畔散步。情侶依偎著享受陽光，學生們則席地而坐、提筆忙於繪畫。
整座城市彷彿世外桃源般，人們的作息與世界運轉毫無關係。可惜我們停留時間不多，在湖邊享用完超市的便宜烤雞和沙拉後便繼續上路。
After coming to my senses, the car had slowly stopped by Lugano. Situated by the mountains and lakes, the city retained the meticulousness of Switzerland while possessing the passion of Italy. People in white shirts, casual shoes, and sunglasses, were strolling by the lake, expressing themselves in Italian. Couples were cuddling and enjoying the sunshine while younsters were on the grass, busy with their drawings.
Unfortunately, we didn’t stay too long in this heavenly city. We finished our Coop roasted chicken and salad by the lake, and continued our journey.
再次啟程，德國室友播著 “Urlaub in Italien”，整首德文名曲也重複著那麼一句歌詞 “Urlaub, Urlaub in Italien”，意即義大利假期。我們隨著簡單的歌詞和琅琅上口的旋律唱著唱著，跟著輕快的電子樂節奏搖擺，20日義大利假期正式展開。
Setting off again, our German roommate played “Urlaub in Italien”, a famous German song with the catchy lyrics “Urlaub, Urlaub in Italien” meaning “Holiday in Italy”. We sang along with catchy electronic beats and swayed to the rhythm. The 20-day holiday in Italy officially began.
Day 1 — Milan
傍晚時分我們抵達了米蘭郊區的民宿。七人座休旅車在義大利突然顯得有些彆扭，我的德國室友花了一番工夫才擠進路邊狹小的停車格裡，還被路過的急性子的義大利司機招呼了一番。
「我們真的到了義大利啊！」我們笑著笑著放下行李、搭上電車，前往米蘭市中心。
距離上一個停留的 Lugano也不過兩小時的車程，米蘭的市容卻截然不同。大量投射燈和街燈照亮了米蘭的夜，指引著無數遊客前往城市中心：米蘭大教堂。米蘭以教堂為中心，猶如心臟般掌握整座城市的脈動。，頭街道向四面八方以輻射狀展開，餐廳酒吧林立，動感的音樂以及人們狂歡的聲音深入街道的盡頭。
In the evening, we arrived at our Airbnb in the outskirts of Milan. The size of our seven-seater van suddenly seemed a bit awkward. It took us some time to park it in a tight spot, meanwhile, we were “greeted” by the iconic Italian gesture from a passing impatient driver. And that’s how we know we made it to Italy!
Only a two-hour drive from Lugano, Milan had a completely different vibe. The projection lights and street lamps illuminated the night of Milan, leading us to the Duomo (Milan Cathedral), the heart of Milan, from which restaurants and bars lined the branching stone streets and lively music and joyful laughters radiated outward. It was fascinating.
隔天一早進城，我們從城市外圍的城堡 Castello Sforzesco開始逛起。紅磚建築老實說並不是很印象深刻，倒是附近的公園令我們驚豔，沒有太多人為修剪的跡象，樹林自然生長綠地交錯，還有溪流的潺潺水聲，相當舒適，意外的成為我們下午再訪的首選！
我們沿路走走停停，再度回到米蘭大教堂。雖然在交換的日子參觀過不少教堂，但米蘭大教堂的壯觀和氣勢仍無可匹敵，不愧是義大利教堂之最，歷時五個世紀歐洲數一數二大的教堂。相較簡約的外觀，大教堂內雕刻和裝飾很是驚喜。挑高的建築藏了無數的細節，無論從哪個角度都令人歎為觀止。
The next morning, we started touring from the outer castle, Castello Sforzesco. To be honest, it wasn’t the medieval castle that left a deep impression on us; instead, the park nearby amazed us. Trees and green spaces interspersed and sound of streams naturally flowed, making it quite comfortable for the morning stroll.
We walked along the way, stopping to take in the sights, and then returned to the Duomo. Although we had visited many churches during our exchange, the grandeur of the Milan Cathedral was still unmatched. It’s known as the greatest churn in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, with its construction spanning five centuries. Despite its simple exterior, the interior of the cathedral was surprisingly ornate. The high ceilings concealed countless details that were stunning from every angle.
隨後我們去了市區內大大小小的教堂，風格大致上都一樣，卻沒有米蘭大教堂那麼壯觀，然而我們親愛的芬蘭朋友樂此不疲。不知不覺我們回到了上午經過的公園，比起繼續踩點跑更多的行程，德國室友說服我們一起留在公園享受午後時光，休息和打排球（自從上午經過迪卡儂，德國室友就買了一顆排球並無時無刻都帶在身上，隨時準備好在 20天中培養我們對排球的熱情）。
這樣的行程安排似乎不太尋常，難得來了不是應該盡量把握時間去參觀景點嗎？猶豫了很久，想到就算自己在市區晃晃好像也沒有意思，就索性留了下來。一開始是有點不情願，但看著大家傳接球玩得那麼開心，也慢慢接受加入他們。身為運動健將的德國人耐心的訓練我跟另一個秘魯人互相傳球，我們還發明不同玩法，雙臂都發紅了仍樂在其中。
I simply couldn’t get over with the amazement. Various churches in the city seemed to be similar afterwards, but our dear Finnish friend was never tired for them. After walking around in circles, as if it were planned, we returned to the amazing park. Instead of continuing to explore the city, my German roommate convinced us to stay and enjoy the afternoon by resting and playing volleyball (since he had bought a volleyball from Decathlon that morning, he was ready to cultivate our interest in volleyball during the 20 days in Milan).
But shouldn’t we take advantage of the time to visit attractions? This itinerary seemed unusual to me. I hesitated for a while, realized that wandering around the city alone wouldn’t be as fun, so I stayed, reluctantly. However, as I watched everyone enjoying the moment, I stood by my feet and slowly joined in. Our German friend, a sports enthusiast, patiently trained me and another Peruvian friend. We passed the ball to each other and eventually invented different games! Not until our arms were sore did we head back home.
約莫一年後的今天回憶起這一段，比起教堂城堡，排球竟成米蘭旅途的一大亮點。和來自世界各地的朋友在米蘭的公園揮灑汗水，何嘗不是另一種享受？緣分難得，下次一起愉快地打上排球又是什麼時候呢？
Looking back, sweating in an Italian park and playing volleyball with friends from all over the world turned out to be a highlight. When will be the next time we enjoy playing volleyball together again?
