il Giardino Romantico

誰說孕婦不可以耍浪漫的啊～～
Do not deprive the pregnant lady of romance!! 
隨著肚子越來越大，能去的地方也越來越有限。需要走很遠的地方，或是太熱的地方我們都得盡量避免了。但是整個周末關在家裡也實在是無聊。除了睡睡覺，吃吃東西，還是睡睡覺跟吃吃東西。所以這天老公決定開車帶我出去走走。
As the tummy gets bigger each day, there are less places I can visit. We try to avoid places that require a lot of walking, and places that are extremely hot. But there is little to do at home other than sleep and eat! So, my other half decided to take us out for a car ride.
這天天氣也是很熱，不過都待在車子裡。還好沒曬到什麼。只是原本想去海邊走走的，想說如果三四點以後才到，應該比較不那麼熱了。沒想到無論去到那兒，車子都很難停（不是意料之中嗎？）最後我們開到了基隆，把車子停在小巷子內，隨便走走晃晃。
It was a hot day, but we were in our car most of the time. Initially we planned to go to the beach. We thought that if we arrived after three, the sun might not be as deadly. But everywhere we went, there seemed to be no parking space. Well, it was sort of expected of a weekend, right? So finally, we headed for Keelung. We parked our car in an alley, and started walking around.
不過走著走著我也開始累了。真的走不久！後來我想了又想，都快傍晚了，如果吃個下午茶，說不訂還可以省下晚餐錢。此時雙魚座的耍浪漫個性開始作祟，想說這附近不是有長榮嗎？這樣大規模的飯店應該有海景可以看吧！於是我們就來到了這兒！
We really didn't walk far, when I started to feel tired already. I thought... it was almost dusk, so we might as well find a place to sit down and have a cake or light meal... some sort of afternoon tea. That way, we might also save a few bucks on dinner! Being a Pisces that I am... the romance in me started to get to me. I knew that Evergreen Laural Hotel was nearby, and was pretty sure that a hotel that scale would most likely have a  nice place for afternoon tea, and perhaps a seat that faces the sea. So! Here we were!
到了19樓，果然有海景可以看！看了下午茶的價位也在可以接受的範圍！
We came to the 19th floor, and there it was, the sea was there to welcome us. The price for the afternoon tea was also within acceptable price range.
雖然面相著陽光，但是已經快要日落了。而且裡面有冷氣，不會熱到哪裡去的。
The seat was facing the sun, but you'll have to put up with that if you want to see the sun set! 
中庭往下看就是18樓的自助餐區。看起來還不錯！下次可以來嚐嚐。順便看看夜景！
Looking down, you can see the buffet area downstairs. Looked quite nice. We might come back some day to try it.
下午茶的價格CP值算還好而已。我看有客人就不是挺滿意的，說飲料就這些茶包喝到吐嗎？確實喔！
I'm not sure the price is completely worthwhiel, as I witnessed other guests complaining... saying that all-you-can-drink included only these teabag varieties. 
這一區看了半天好像沒什麼我可以喝的！本來有點後悔... 
There weren't anything for me to drink in this area, so I started exploring another area. I started to regret a little to be honest....
後來看到有咖啡機，想說至少老公可以喝點咖啡吧～
Then, I saw the coffee machine and thought, well, at least one of us will be drinking something. 
最後我是只能喝熱牛奶啦！
In the end, the only thing I could drink was hot milk. 
很久沒有露面，讓大家瞧瞧這位孕婦～
That was me with the baby in me during this tea session.
除了喝得當然還得有吃的。
這種英式下午茶擺盤真的是好像放什麼上去都滿有情調的 XD
Of course, we ordered some bites to eat as well. 
It seems that no matter what you put  on this rack, it makes the food look that much more attractive! 
上層。 Top layer.
中層。 Middle layer.
下層。Bottom layer.
東西不算多，然後也不算頂級的美味。兩個人分剛好塞塞牙縫。其他倒還好，只是布丁有點可惜了（愧我還把它擺在最後！）
It wasn't exaclty a feast, and I wouldn't call it the best afternoon tea ever! The amount was just enough (could be a little more, though). I have little to say about all of them, except the custard was a very big disappointment... 
不過餐點真的不是重點。咱們花錢來是吃氣氛的。
Okay, the food was not the point! We were spending money for the atmosphere. 
坐著坐著，日落時間來臨～
And finally, here came the sunset! 
沒一會兒的時間，太陽就不見了耶！
Within a few minutes, the sun was already gone!
觀賞一下這兒的船隻，可真大！一旁的遊覽車都瞬間變成小小模型車了！
Once the sun has set, take a look around the harbour! Look at that massive ship! The coaches beside it look like little toys! 
太陽下山後天色很快就變暗了。這表示我們也該回家囉！
After the sun has gone down, the sky turned dark quite quickly. This meant that it was time to go home! 
若兩個人分享，千元有找。話說，我們晚餐只買了麵包吃，正餐還真的吃不下了哩！如果到基隆來懶得在外頭曬太陽人擠人，不如來這裡歇息一下。耍個小浪漫，看個日落吧！
For less than $1000, a rack of this to share between the two is actually quite nice... Mind you, we didn't have a full dinner after all. If you don't feel like standing or walking in the heat, this might be another alternative for you! 
    
檢視較大的地圖 

網路上看過一張照片，是說找到陪你一起做很瘋狂的事的人，無價！
有的時候我覺得我身邊的人也蠻瘋狂的，但是自己好像也沒好到哪裡去。話說這次來到廟口夜市其實是為了雪恥。曾經有一次，到了月底，兩人口袋都空空，卻又很想來基隆廟口夜市。怎麼辦？只好限定只帶$300在身上！天啊！那天真的超痛苦的！看到海鮮，不能點！因為一盤點下去，別的就不用吃了！結果這次回來，雖然口袋是有盤纏，但還是為了預防自己花太多錢，因此將金額提高到$500。
I've heard that having a friend who'd do crazy things with you is priceless. 
Sometimes I think my friends are a bit crazy, but then I'm pretty crazy, too! We came to Keelung Night Market this time, to satisfy our regret during our first trip here. That was during the end of the month, and neither of us had much money in our pockets. We still insisted on coming here (crazy). To prevent us from spending too much, we set a budget of $300! That was painful! There were so many yummy seafoods I wanted to taste, but we didn't have enough money with us! Well, we could order a plate of crab or shrimps, but then that's probably about all we could eat! So this time round, we decided to extend our budget to $500! 
首先看到這些一串一串的，就已經想吃吃看了！最後決定來串雞肉塞個牙縫。
First, we saw these barbeque stuff. We were getting hungry, so we ordered a skewer to fill up our hungry tummies. 
繞了一圈之後，決定回到之前看到的海鮮攤。抱著期待又怕收傷害的心情點了餐。
After having walked around, we came back to this stall. We were both excited and nervous about this!
眼見翻桌率都還算不錯，應該算新鮮，也算美味吧！？
There were lots of people at the tables, and people waiting as well. So we thought, it's probably pretty fresh, right? 
第一盤點了烤鮮蚵。沒什麼調味，很新鮮也還算美味。好吧！這筆錢沒浪費！
So we ordered a plate of grilled oysters. Didn't need any seasoning! Good on its own! 
再來點了烤蝦。不算大隻，但也還在可接受的範圍內。檸檬等播完蝦在擠上去會比較有味，不然味道都在蝦殼上～
Then, we ordered a plate of grilled shrimps. The lemon made the shrimp even more delicious! Of course, you have to remove the shell first, or else you won't be able to taste the lemon at all. 
這兩盤吃得還算滿意，只是還是覺得肚子還沒八分飽。
These two plates were pretty satisfying. But still, we were not quite there yet! 
後來決定吃個能添飽肚子的炒飯。有點油，不過至少肚子飽了～
A plate of fried rice would do the trick, I guess. It was a bit greasy! But at least, it was filling enough! 
是說天啊！吃完沒幾樣我們就只剩這些銅板了！
And this was what was left of our budget! 
 
最後就來杯珍奶，讓八分飽的肚子添滿到九分飽。畫下這次的基隆廟口夜市之旅的句點吧！
So as a finally... a cup of pearl milk tea to mark the end of this meal! 

請理性喝酒 Drink responsibly!
咦？怎麼又有麥茶！？不要再懷疑天仙是不是餐餐都要有麥茶（因為真的是）雖然是連續貼，可是這篇跟上篇可是隔了一周的唷！別讓發文日期給騙了！
What? Lager again!? Please don't accuse me of being a lager-holic any more (because it's true...) Although this article and the previous one were posted consecutively, in reality, there was a one week gap between them! Don't be fooled by the posting dates!
這餐是一群同事跑到中部去參加另一個同事的婚禮結束回到台北後的一餐。其實啊，這餐吃得很悶。原因不是因為我們合不來啦！是因為大家都累了！囧！我們同事感情可是超好的。但是也因為大家都累了，所以更是需要麥茶囉！
This was the dinner after a day trip down south to Central Taiwan for another colleague's wedding banquet. It was a very tiring meal, not because we grew sick and tired of each other, but because the trip was exhausting. But because we were tired, lager was even more appreciated!
鴨肉 Duck
吃完第一口，有同事說：還是覺得ＸＸ鵝肉比較好吃... 其實我也愣住。我累了！囧！！
After a bite, my colleague said: I still think XXX's goose is better... I didn't react. I was tired, too... 
炒龍珠 Fried Dragon Balls - mouth of squid...
非常好喝的雞湯，好喝到我們要再叫一鍋！
Delicious chicken soup! So good we had to order a second pot! 
九層塔蛋 Basil fried egg
 生魚片 Sashimi
三杯杏鮑菇 Three cups mushroom
整個忘了是啥.......我同事說好像是鯊魚 Can't remember what this was.... My colleague tells me it was probably shark... 
炒牛肉吧這個？ Fried beef, I think?
三杯皮蛋 Three cups thousand-year-egg (fermented egg)
 
來到餐廳前大家都說不餓不餓（好啦其實只有我喊不餓）結果還是吃了一堆。唉！羅馬真的不是一天造成的！
Before arriving at the restaurant, no one (well, okay, only me) was 'hungry'. But I still ate a lot! I guess Rome really wasn't built in a day!
檢視較大的地圖  

After hinlin left because of some family errand, I was in the care of tt. I was taken to an 'ice shop'. This is a special summer retreat. Fruits, among other ingredients are topped on shredded ice to make te perfect summer dessert. Although I'm not a big fan of icy things, I wanted to see why this place was special. 
hinlin家在動物園與我們道別。之後我就跟著tt一家人走。因為他們稍晚也要回台北。其實我不太吃冰的。但聽tt說這家很特別，也想來看看究竟。（英文比較長是因為有解釋ㄘㄨㄚˋ冰是什麼）
I thought I was ready to challenge an entire bowl of ice dessert on my own, but in the end, I still chickened out. 
我以為我可以挑戰一下一個人吃完一碗冰。不過最後我還是放棄了～
Mango ice 芒果冰
This was what was ordered for the kids. Although I love mango, I wasn't prepared to devour the whole thing on my own. 
這是點給小朋友吃的。其實我很愛芒果。可是我還是沒辦法挑戰這麼一大碗！
This is what tt and her husband ordered. The kids had a larger bowl! 
這是tt與比爸點的。比孩子們的還要小盤～
In the end, I ordered something that was not as icy. Dou-hua, a sweetened soy bean dessert. 
最後我點了比較沒有那麼冰的豆花。
Reading 'wall literature' while eating, and complaining that his sister only eats the mango, and not the ice. 
一邊閱讀牆上的宣傳聞，一邊吃冰又邊抱怨妹比只吃芒果不吃冰（好像我會做的事，難怪那麼麻吉）
 
Apparently the unique thing about the shop is its special made sugar syrup. It has a tint of pineapple flavour. I did have a spoonful. Special, indeed. 
據說是因為他們特製的糖漿才讓這間店如此的出名。有點鳳梨的香味。我有嚐到一口，真的好吃！
檢視較大的地圖 

The first time I saw hinlin, was the Chinese New Years before my departure for the UK. It has been such a long time since our last date. After returning to Taiwan, tt and I also arranged to meet since my relocation back to Taipei. This was the first time that the three of us were meeting. When I saw the link to the food review of the restaurant she booked for our lunch date, I was a bit surprised. It looked a bit posh! When I saw the menu, I was surprised yet again, at how reasonably prized everything was.
第一次見到hinlin是我去英國前的那一年過年假期。已經有一段時間沒見面了。回到台灣搬回台北後也約了tt見面。不過這是我們第一次三個人一起碰面喔！當我看到hinlin傳來的餐廳食記，我心裡想說：有必要吃那麼高級嗎？後來到了餐廳看到價位，又驚嚇到！這麼親民啊！
Very elegant atmosphere. 很典雅的氣氛～
This is a restaurant with character! 這是間很有個性的餐廳喔！
Below the menu are ettiquette reminders. 菜單下面有提醒顧客的一些小禮儀～
Bread 麵包～
Salad bar 沙拉吧
Marshmallow 棉花糖～
Side dish no.1 - omlette 附餐之一
Side dish no. 2 - rice and asparagus 附餐之二
Side dish no. 3 - mini steamed egg 附餐之三
The kids's shared meal came first. 小朋友共用的餐點先上～
This is mine 這是我點的雞排餐
This is hinlin's lamb dish. hinlin的羊肉餐
Risotto of some kind 好像是燉飯～
White wine clams pasta 白酒蛤蠣麵～
After meal tea. 餐後茶～
Note that they are all English! 都是英國茶喔！
Of course, I simply had to have one. 我這英國控當然要來一杯！
Juice for the kids 小朋友的果汁
Half-open kitchen 半開放式的廚房（注意黑板上的文字）
It was a very pleasant lunch, because the service was decent, the food was good, and both hinlin and tt's kids were extremely well behaved. I especially got along well with tt's daughter. We are assuming that it is because we have the same star sign. 
這餐吃的真的很愉快！服務不錯，食物好吃，hinlin跟tt的孩子們也都很乖！我跟tt的女兒（妹比）特別合得來。我們猜測是因為我們都是無可救藥的雙魚座～
    
店家資訊：
地址：新竹市食品路177巷43號1樓
電話：(03) 574-4188
檢視較大的地圖 
第一次見到hinlin的食記 【食記】台南慶中街夢東籬茶舍
第一次見到tt的食記 【食記】台北 - Baby Cafe 

For convenient and nutritional reasons, I had long altered my strict vegetarian diet to pescetarian. I eat fish, and most types of seafood.  This made socialising with friends so much easier than it had been when I had been a strict vegetarian. Restaurants here in Taiwan are not as vegetarian friendly as they are in the west. You can't just jump into any random one assuming they'll have vegetarian choices.  Anyhow, this was where my friend decided to take us for dinner.  Actually, he had decided the location, but not this specific restaurant. But as surprises often are, the result is more than satisfactory. 
爲了方便以及均衡營養，我已經從純素食改為＂魚素食＂一陣子了。（除了去英國大開葷戒的那三週）這使得跟朋友聚餐方便了許多。這裡不像西方國家，不能夠隨便走進一家餐廳就認為他們一定會有素食的（雖然近年來改變了許多）。總之，後來決定來碧沙漁港吃海鮮。車子開到了漁港，我們才決定要在這間餐廳用餐。
Still looked a bit scary to me... 
看起來還是有點恐怖... 
Fresh seafood. 
新鮮的海鮮～
Live fish and crabs... o cruelty... 
生魚、生蟹（好慘忍啊～）
The feast on a nearby table. 
隔壁桌的盛宴～
Salmon sashimi
鮭魚生魚片
Chow mein. 
很普通的炒麵
Fried veggies... with dried shrimp... 
炒青菜（還有蝦蝦）
Boiled squid.
燙烏賊～
Steamed fish.
清蒸魚（忘了是什麼魚）
 
Enough to fill three people's tummies... Don't forget the booze.
三人吃，夠了。別忘了麥茶～ 

We didn't have the tofu pudding at the other place, because we had already planned to come here. The 'taro dessert', as my friend called it.  Although you can easily taste this anywhere around Taiwan now, it's still more meaningful to have it at the place from which it had originated. Don't you reckon?
上個景點沒吃豆花是因為我們已經安排要來這裡吃芋圓了。雖然現在好像到哪裡都可以輕鬆吃到，可是來到發源地食用，說什麼都還是格外有感覺呀！不是嗎？
Taro balls.
芋圓～ （不然你覺得英文要怎麼說比較好呢？）
The dessert. 
滿滿的芋圓冰～
The sun's setting, as we were also winding down.
開始收心，太陽也準備下山了。
 
As we left, we saw this little boy starting his own business by selling bags of cat food for people to buy so they can feed this little kitty. He was quite adorable, as he believed no one knew how to handle the kitty better than he did, and was bossing me around on how to hold the little kitty. Pleasant end to our trip, at this point.
離開時，我們看到這個小老闆，正在經營自己的小生意。他把糧食分小包小包裝然後販賣給觀光客餵食給小貓吃。這男孩其實很可愛。因為他似乎認為除了他之外，沒人知道該怎麼對待小貓。所以就一直吩咐我要怎麼抱，該怎麼做。實在可愛。也幫我們這段行程畫下了可愛的句點。