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Seville is the capital city of Andalusia, Spain. It has a rich culture and history, with Roman and Muslim origins. In the 18th Century, it became the opera capital: the city of Figaro and Don Giovanni of Mozart, Fidelio of Beethoven, the Barber of Rossini, and Carmen of Bizet. I have come here twice, and what impresses me most, apart from the architecture, is the bright violet flowering tree seen everywhere around the city – Jacaranda.
“The purple breeze / Sings through the jacaranda / And wings away, / Leaving the shadows to flower.”
The Jacaranda, by Lucy Eddy (1918)
Source: Poetry (February 1918), Vol. XI, No. V, p. 249 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/issue/70382/february-1918
塞維利亞是西班牙自治區安達魯西亞的首都，有源自希臘羅馬古典傳統及穆斯林傳統的豐富歷史與文化，十八世紀時，這裡成為西方歌劇之都，是莫札特的費加羅和唐·喬萬尼的城市，也是貝多芬的費德里奧，羅西尼的理髮師，和比才的卡門的故鄉。我到過這裡兩次，但除了建築之外，這裡給我印象最深刻的是到處可見的鮮豔紫色的花樹藍花楹。
「紫色的微風/ 歌唱地飄過藍花楹 / 展翅而去，/ 給花兒留下了影子。」
藍花楹 露絲埃迪作 (1918)
中文作者譯。
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This sketch depicts a granary structure called hórreo in Pontevedra, a city in northwestern Spain, close to the pilgrimage destination of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of the apostle St James was buried in the 9th Century AD. Hórreo are common in this part of Spain – almost every traditional dwelling would have one to store food and grain. They are raised from the ground on short stilts to keep rodents away, and are ventilated by slits in the walls. We were staying in a hotel renovated from a traditional stone house and upon check-in, I saw this beautiful structure from my window. It was near the back garden, with all kinds of colourful flowers, and in the best light from the setting sun…
這幅速寫所畫的是位於西班牙西北部城市蓬特韋德拉的一個穀倉，離聖雅各朝聖之路終點聖地牙哥-德孔波斯特拉很接近，那裡是相傳門徒聖雅各的遺體在西元九世紀下葬的地方。這種離地升起的糧倉在西班牙西北部十分普遍，幾乎每棟傳統住宅都會興建，用來儲藏穀類糧食，設計採用吊腳石柱支撐，防止動物偷吃，而倉的立面則有直縫讓氣流通風。我們住在一間用傳統石屋改建的旅館，入住後從我的房間可以看到後園這棟糧倉，旁邊種滿了各種色彩鮮豔的花卉，在日落的餘暉中顯得特別婀娜多姿...
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Ourense is one of the historic towns in Galicia of Spain, famous for its Roman bridge and hot springs. For pilgrims of the Way of St James (El Camino de Santiago), this is an important stop for the Portuguese Way from the south. It was a very hot day in one early July when I was travelling with my family in this western part of Spain. Settling down for lunch at a café by the river, I caught this wonderful view of the bridge, with the backdrop of the mountains.
歐倫塞是西班牙加利西亞自治區的一個歷史名城，以擁有羅馬時代的石橋與溫泉聞名。它是聖雅各之路或聖地牙哥朝聖之路其中一個停歇站，是朝聖者從南往北的葡萄牙之路的一處重要關驛。有一年七月初一個頗為炎熱的日子，我和家人來到這裡，在河邊的一間餐館坐下來午膳時，捕捉到石橋和遠處山嶺的這块獨特的景緻。
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Cosenza is a city in the Calabria region in southern Italy famous for its Accademia Cosentina since the 16th Century. I have a friend from this region whose family owns a vineyard; they produce a famous local brand, Terre del Gufo (meaning lands of the owl). In May of one year, I was invited to spend a few days at the vineyard to experience both the vintage and the scenery. It is here that I produced this sketch one afternoon while learning the art of growing grapes…
科森扎是在義大利南部卡拉布里亞區的一個歷史文化名城，以其十六世紀建立的科森扎學院聞名。我有一位來自這附近的朋友，她的家族擁有葡萄園和釀酒廠，出產一款當地的葡萄酒品牌，名叫「貓頭鷹的土地」。有一年的五月份我應邀到她家的葡萄園及酒莊渡假，除了欣賞美景和品嚐美酒外，一個下午，我在學習怎樣種植葡萄時，也完成了這幅速寫...
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I was invited by a Danish couple to spend a few days in their cabin in the outskirts of Copenhagen. I forgot the exact name of the area, except for the word Hvideklint on a map I picked up during my stay. It was close to the sea, and one fine afternoon we went for a walk along the pebbled shore. Halfway through, I discovered my shoes could not stand the hard rocks that had punctured a hole in the sole, so I gave up joining them for the rest of the walk. I sat down and painted this sketch, which to me was perhaps an even greater reward than continuing with the tour…
The Danish word Hvide Klint means “White Cliff”.
一對丹麥夫婦邀請我到他們在哥本哈根郊外的小木屋渡假。我忘記這個地方的正確名字了，不過仍然記得當時曾在一張地圖上看到「白崖」這個名字。這個地方離海岸很近，一個下午我們到岸邊的石灘散步。走到半路時，我的皮鞋鞋底被尖硬的石塊戳穿了一個洞。於是唯有放棄與他們繼續前行，單獨坐下來畫了這幅速寫，也許這比散步給予我更大的滿足...
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Situated in the desert region of Iran, 6.5 hours by car (621 km) from the capital of Tehran, Yazd is an ancient city of Persian culture remote from battles and destruction. Known for its environmental engineering, with windcatcher towers, underground irrigation, cisterns, coolers, handicrafts and bicycles, it has also been the centre of Zoroastrianism: the flame in its Fire Temple is over 1,600 years old. To appreciate all these achievements in the city, one has to venture out into the surrounding desert to observe the contrasting relationship of humans with nature in the ever-changing sandscape of sun and wind…
離首都德黑蘭六個半小時車程(621公里)，在伊朗沙漠中的雅茲德是古波斯的文化中心，因為位置偏辟得以避免戰亂和破壞。雅茲德以卓越的工程和環境建設聞名，例如捕風塔，地下水灌溉，儲水池，散熱室，手工藝和自行車等，這裡更是瑣羅亞斯德教(即袄教或拜火教)的發源地，瑣羅亞斯德聖殿供奉的聖火已有超過一千六百年的歷史。要欣賞這些城市內的建設成就，一定要到環繞城市的沙漠去親自體會人與自然關係的對比，這個關係建立在陽光和風向下千變萬化的沙丘奇觀中...
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Coming back to Jeju City from my visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Seongsan Ilchulbong on the north coast of the island, I passed by the Gimnyeong Beach Bathing Resort. The most noticeable structures on the shore are wind turbines, but coming closer to the water, one realizes that the area is an important site of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, also of world heritage status. Gimnyeonggul Cave, one of five in the System, is nearby and the dark rocks along the beach are indeed lava that once flowed!
剛到濟州的著名景點聯合國教科文組織世界自然遺產城山日出峰參觀後沿北岸回濟州城，經過金寧海水浴場。這個海灘最矚目的地標是沿岸的巨型風車，但當你走近海邊，你會發現遍佈沙灘的黑色石塊，原來是火山冷卻後的熔岩，這裡原來是讓濟州成為世界自然遺產的拒文嶽熔岩洞窟系其中一處熔岩流出的地方，這個系統有五個重要的洞窟，其中金寧窟就在附近！
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Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, was modeled after the city of Chang’an (now Xian) from ancient China. Today one can see some of the world’s oldest timber architecture still standing. The name Nara is believably derived from the fact that it is situated on a flat land gently sloping from nearby mountains – Kasuga and Wakakusa. This painting depicts the view from the top of Mt. Wakakusa on a nice day in October 2016 – a breathtaking panorama of Nara and the neighbouring cities stretching all the way to Kyoto in the north. This observation point reminds me of Bern in Switzerland, and the popular Rosengarten Restaurant overlooking the medieval city and the Aare River; the only difference being the absence of sika deer roaming around…
奈良是日本的古都，是按照中國古代長安城(即今西安)的設計來規劃，今天在奈良仍可看到世界上其中最早的木構建築，奈良這名字很可能與它的地理環境有關，意思是從附近的高山-即春日山和若草山-逐漸下降傾斜至平原。這幅速寫所描繪的是十月份一個風和日麗的下午，在若草山頂所看到奈良和周邊城市的俯瞰圖，畫面從左到右將奈良往北直至京都的景觀都收入眼簾。這個城市與其在東北角山上的觀景點的關係，令我想起瑞士的伯恩，其中世紀的古城和環城的阿爾河，也可以從城東北角的山上一所著名的玫瑰園餐廳往下觀賞，但與奈良不同的是，伯恩沒有遍地奔跑的梅花鹿...
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This sketch was done on Manza Beach near the famous tourist landmark Cape Manzamo, the elephant trunk-shaped scenic rock formation named by the 18th Century Ryukyuan King Sho Kei, who sought to express the idea that the rock was large enough to seat 10,000 people. The Kanji characters of the Japanese name Man-za-mo literally mean ‘10,000-seat-field’. An even more interesting example of this crossing of Ryukyuan, Chinese and Japanese culture is the Shuri Castle in Naha, the seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom since the 14th Century. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries, and a fire in October 2019 again razed its main structure, giving rise to yet another version of this cross-cultural interpretation of architectural heritage for the future.
沖繩的多樣化身份要親身到當地才能感受 - 看到及體驗琉球文化如何與中國及日本文化追源溯流。這幅速寫是在著名旅遊景點萬座毛附近的萬座海灘繪畫的，萬座毛是一處天然形成貌似象鼻的海岸岩石，名字是十八世紀琉球王尚 敬所取，形容岩石的頂部平坦寬闊，可以容納一萬人坐下來。故此日文的名字用了三個漢字，正正就是這個意思。當然另一個結合了琉球、中國和日本文化的更有趣的例子是那霸的首里城，這是自十四世紀以來琉球王國的中心，曾經歷了多次的毀滅與重建。2019年十月首里城被火災燒掉了大部分主要的建築，再一次讓沖繩人民對這座建築文物作新的跨文化演繹。
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The Sichongxi Hot Spring in Pingtung is one of the most traditional Japanese hotspring hotels in Taiwan. The reason for this is that it was visited by Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu , the brother of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), during his honeymoon in 1935. The building depicted by this painting houses the room and bathroom used by the Prince and his wife – it has been well preserved by the hotel establishment. Guests today have the privilege of imagining life back in those times. Perhaps they might catch a glimpse of princely couples while dining or bathing on the premises!
Prince Takamatsu was interested in the arts and became an important patron including Honorary President of the Japan Art Association which set up the Praemium Imperiale International Prize since 1989 in his memory and awarded by the royal family for painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theatre/film.
臺灣屏東縣的四重溪溫泉可算是最有日本傳統及風格的溫泉之一。這是因為1935年當時昭和天皇的弟弟高松宮宣和親王 曾與他的新婚妻子在這裡度過蜜月假期。旅館後來為了紀念這次日本皇室的到訪將他們住過的房舍都保育下來。這幅速寫就是高松宮殿下所下榻的地方。今天這旅館的住客有幸可以想像穿越時空，回到當年親王伉儷下榻這裡的景況，或許能捕捉皇室驚鴻一瞥的身影！
高松宮親王對藝術有濃厚興趣，是日本多個文化及藝術組織的贊助人，包括日本美術協會的名譽會長。 「高松宮殿下記念世界文化賞」是協會為紀念他逝世而設立的文化獎，1989年起每年由日本皇室頒發。獎項分為「繪畫」、「雕塑」、「建築」、「音樂」、「劇場／電影」五種。
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One of the most important historical sites for Taiwan in its relationship with Japan is the Shimen Battlefield, which is very close to the Sichongxi Hot Spring in Pingtung. This was where the Qing government lost the Ryukyu Islands (now called Okinawa) after the Mudan Incident of 1874, which was an excuse for Japan to send its troops overseas for the first time since the Meiji Reformation. Japan fought against the indigenous people of Mudan who had been accused of killing some fifty Japanese sailors who had survived a shipwreck after travelling from the Ryukyu Kingdom, then a tributary state to both China and Japan. Shimen Battlefield is located at a strategic passing which can be seen from the hilltop nearby, now converted into a memorial park.
臺灣其中一處與日本最有歷史轇轕的地方是屏東四重溪溫泉附近的石門古戦場。1874年牡丹社事件在這裡發生，大清帝國因此而失去了琉球群島(今天稱為沖繩島)。牡丹社事件是日本自明治維新以來首次出兵海外的藉口，原因是要懲罰曾殺害五十多名因沉船意外滯留附近的琉球人的原住民，當時琉球王國同時是中國和日本的附庸國。石門古戦場位於地勢險要的關隘，從附近的山頂可以俯瞰山谷的出入口，這個制高點現在豎立了紀念這歷史場景的紀念碑。
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Puli is a small town in central Taiwan. A 50-minute drive from Taichung, it is a favourite stop for tourists going to or from the famous Sun Moon Lake. Reputably, it has the best quality of water and therefore the prettiest girls. Rice wine also comes from the good water, and Puli Brewery is also popular in town. Geographically, Puli is located at the centre of a basin surrounded by mountains with high humidity. Foggy and misty scenes are common; one may easily enjoy the changing patterns from any window.
“Puli water/ quietly flowing in my dream/ through spring and summer/ autumn and winter too…”
From 王灝 《埔里水篇》 http://art.pulinet.com.tw/wang/2-2-1-5.htm. English translation by Desmond Hui.
埔里是臺灣中部的一個小鎮，離台中約五十分鐘車程，是到著名景點日月潭旅遊必經之地。埔里據說有最好品質的水，故此也盛產美女。此外因為有好水，所以這裡生產的酒也十分有名，埔里酒廠也是旅遊勝地。埔里在地理上是盆地的中央，四週被山嶺包圍，空氣濕度較高，故此常常出現千變萬化的雲霧景緻，在室內凴窗便可觀賞。
「埔里水 隱隱仔來流入夢... 流過春夏 也流過秋冬...」
王灝 《埔里水篇》 http://art.pulinet.com.tw/wang/2-2-1-5.htm。英文作者譯。
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Jinguashi is an area in Northeast Taiwan once famous as a gold mine. It became even more famous as a tourist attraction when Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien chose the nearby town of Jiufen for his 1989 movie, A City of Sadness, which won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival. A friend operates a bed and breakfast in this area, with a nice terrace looking out over the scattered buildings now converted into museums, exhibition spaces and tourist sites. It has become a favourite place for a half-day escape from Taipei via the northern seashore…
金瓜石是臺灣東北角一處曾經出產金礦而出名的地方，一九八九年因為臺灣導演侯孝賢選擇九份拍攝電影《悲情城市》，奪得當年威尼斯影展的金獅獎，帶動旁邊的金瓜石更加有名。一位朋友在這附近開辦了一家旅館，裏面餐廳的陽台可以看到整個金瓜石礦業的遺址，散佈在山上不同的廠房現在都改建成博物館或展覽室。這地方也成了我從臺北經北海岸來偷享半日閒的隱世秘境...
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What makes Beitou different from other parts of Taipei – which is relatively flat, since the whole city lies on a basin – is its proximity to Yangming Shan, a mountain dubbed as the city’s back garden. To appreciate this setting at the foot of the mountain, I often searched the area to find a good vantage point. After many futile attempts, I finally managed to locate this particular view from the Zoumei Sports Park. It is close to the Beitou Refuse Incinerator, which has become a landmark for other cities to learn from its success in environmental protection. Among the notable buildings in this picture, the ones on the right side of the mountain are unmistakably the famous Chinese Culture University…
由於臺北的地形是一個盆地，北投與臺北其他大部分平坦的地區不同之處，是這裡靠近陽明山，後者被公認為臺北人的後花園。我經常在這區附近找繪畫這個城市與山之間的關係一幅遠觀的速寫，試過多次不得要領後，我終於在洲美運動公園附近找到一處觀景的地方，這裡離北投焚化爐的觀景臺地標很接近，後者現在已成為各地政府到臺北考察環保政策的重要景點。這幅速寫看到北投附近的較顕著的建築物，包括在畫的右邊陽明山頂的中國文化大學...
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The English name Bali can mislead, as it is best known as the famous beach resort in Indonesia. Bali in Chinese is in fact a district in Taipei opposite the famous tourist stop of Tamshui, with its romantic sunsets, historic heritage such as the San Domingo Fort, and more recently the Cloud Gate Theatre as a contemporary cultural landmark. Separated by the Tamshui River, Bali is like the Left Bank (La Rive Gauche) of River Seine in Paris. In recent years, business people took this idea and developed the Left Bank of Bali as another tourist enclave. The sunset view from this side is indeed fantastic, which I have tried to capture with this quick sketch, despite occasional gales…
這個地方的英文名字讓一般人誤以為是印尼著名的海灘勝地巴峉島。八里其實是臺北著名旅遊景點淡水對岸的一個社區，人們到淡水通常看浪漫的日落，歷史遺跡紅毛城，或近年落成的文化地標雲門劇場。八里與淡水被淡水河分隔，好像被塞納河分隔的巴黎左岸，而近年，聰明的生意人便刻意利用八里左岸這個概念發展出一個旅遊旺點，從八里這邊觀賞日落雖然間中會較大風但其實更為精彩，正如我這幅速寫想捕捉的光景...
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Happy Valley is one of the best held secrets of the city because it has intentionally been kept this way – tram instead of subway, multi- ethnic and cultural, good clubs and shops, best hospital and most bank branches of choice. But one most important feature that differentiates the area from the rest of Hong Kong is the location of the first racecourse here as the valley’s “fengshui” entrance, the benefit of which could only be appreciated by residents here on an air-polluted day: it is often the only area with a patch of blue sky above amidst the grey city immersed in smog. I enjoyed coming to the racecourse with my boys (when they were younger) where they could run around and played soccer in the big green field surrounded by the race tracks, while I did my painting under a tree.
跑馬地是香港其中一個不為一般人知的好地方，因為這秘密是刻意保存的: 這裡只有電車沒有地鐵，有多元的族群和文化，優貭的會所和商店，最好的醫院和多間銀行的分行可以選擇。但讓跑馬地與其他地區不同的最重要因素，是在這快活谷的風水進出口建立了香港第一個賽馬場，這箇中的好處只有住在這區的市民在空氣污染的一天才能深深體會。當全港市區都浸淫在灰朦朦的霧霾中，往往只有這區的上空還可以看到一點點蔚藍的天色。當我的小孩較為年幼時，我很喜歡帶他們到馬場中央的綠地讓他們跑跑跳跳或踢踢球，而我會坐在樹下畫畫寫生。
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The Tathong Channel is one of the 14 channels in Hong Kong. Bounded by Tseung Kwan O or Junk Bay (what used to be Fat Tong Chau or Junk Island) and Tung Lung Chau on the east, and Hong Kong Island on the west, this is the only eastern sea route to pass from South China Sea to Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong, via Lei Yue Mun. The viewpoint for this painting was from the Tseung Kwan O Columbarium where I visit from time to time to commemorate a family member. On a fine day, one can see as far as the islands of Sung Kong and Waglan, the southernmost parts of Hong Kong, and perhaps beyond, heading straight to the Philippines a thousand kilometers away. What would travellers to Hong Kong be thinking when they sailed through these waters, before the days of air travel?
藍塘海峽(原名南堂海峽)是香港十多條海峽之一。這海峽東邊是將軍澳(原本是佛堂洲)及東龍洲，西邊是香港島，是從南中國海由東面經鯉魚門進入維多利亞港必經之水路。這幅作品是從將軍澳墳場骨灰龕看到的景色，我間中會到這裡拜祭紀念先人。在晴朗的天氣，你可以遠眺香港最南的宋崗和橫瀾島，越過這兩處便可以直航至一千公里外的菲律賓。在還沒有空航的日子，坐船到香港的旅客經過這海峽時會想到什麼呢？
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Mount Davis is an area located in the westernmost part of Hong Kong Island. Named after the second Governor of Hong Kong Sir John Francis Davis, it was a strategic place for the defense of Hong Kong during WWII. The hilltop commands a panoramic view of the western gate of Victoria Harbour and was once the site of an artillery depot of the British forces with installation of five 9.2-inch guns. The Hong Kong Youth Hostel Association has a hostel here which is very popular because of its proximity to the city centre as well as the fresh air and views from the hilltop. This sketch was done during an overnight stay at the hostel during springtime, with a morning glimpse of the harbour in a thin fog…
摩星嶺是在香港島最西邊的一個社區，這個地名的英文原名是紀念香港第二位總督戴維斯爵士而取，摩星嶺在二次大戦時是守衛香港的軍事要塞。在摩星嶺頂可以俯瞰維多利亞港西面的入口，故此英軍曾在此裝置五枚口徑9.2英吋的大炮。香港青年旅舍協會在摩星嶺營運一所旅舍，因為接近市中心及環境幽雅，故此很受歡迎。這幅速寫是某年春天在旅舍住宿後第二天清晨所看到在薄霧中維港的景色...
