il Giardino Romantico

Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village 曾是歐洲最大規模的outlet中心。目前也仍是英國最大規模的outlet中心。聚集了共145間商店，從運動知名品牌至昂貴的服裝、飾品、影音系統等全部都在這兒便宜出售。若是要以最划算的價格買回品質優良的商品，outlet絕對是最好的選擇。
This is Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village.  Once being the largest outlet centre in Europe, it remains today as the largest outlet centre in the UK.  With a total of up to 145 stores, you can find here merchandise of all kinds, from sports wear to items with luxurious brand names.  From clothing to accessories, and even stereo systems, this is the best place to buy quality items at a bargaining price. 
雖然賣的是時尚，但外觀仍然保持著切斯特特有的建築風。
They sell fashion, but the architecture remains very 'Chesterish'.
從運動服飾開始逛起。
You can start with sports wear.
各式各樣的登山服飾。
Mountain climbing apparel.
冒險永無止盡。
Never stop exploring.
更多休閒服飾。
More casual apparel.
還是很有切斯特風。
Still very 'Chesterish'.
現在來到時尚尖端。
Now we come to the frontier of fashion.
專櫃化妝品也俗俗賣。
Great deals on cosmetic products.
女性服飾。
Ladies' wear.
沐浴用品。
Shower items.
巧克力也有賣。
They sell chocolates, too!
我不愛巧克力。我只愛Lindt。
I don't like chocolates, but I love Lindt.
別耽誤我shopping。
C'mon, let's go!
越走越裡面。越裡面越高檔。你看得出是什麼品牌嗎？
Can you tell in which shop this photo was taken?
猜對了嗎？
Did you guess correctly?
再怎麼打折，也還是買不起。不過按下快門：免費！
Still couldn't afford it, no matter how much the discount. 
Capturing it on my camera, is free of charge.
向左走？向右走？還是只有名牌、名牌與名牌！
Where would you like to shop now?
男女內在美。
Undergarments.
很想買的某C牌鞋子。竟然便一到買一雙第二雙只要£1！
If anything had been tempting, this had been the most tempting of all! 
The deal was buy a pair, and get the second pair for only a quid!
又回到運動商品區。一定要拍一下，今年的歐冠冠軍隊伍的球衣。
Back to sports wear.  The jersey of the champions of Champions League.
以上，所有照片中的商品：我！都！沒！買！
經的起誘惑的原因，其實要感謝陪我去的那位帥哥，大手筆的敗了一大堆東西。讓我雖然不用花錢，就可以享受到『滿載而歸』的快感。哈！哈！哈！
I am quite proud to say, that I DID NOT BUY ANYTHING during this trip.  However, it was still very satisfying, thanks to the handsome bloke that accompanied me, who generously bought loads of items. LOL!!
都不是我的戰利品。但那又如何呢？經驗：無價。
None of those are mine.  But who cares. The experience - PRICELESS.
交通指南：
若搭乘火車至Chester車站，在車站外可搭免費接駁公車至Town Hall。
至Town Hall之後搭乘 1 號公車前往 Cheshire Oaks。

這張圖片足以代表第一次到切斯特的印象。一個充滿古老文化風情的小鎮。雖然我又去了一次，但因為陪伴的人不同，即使去同一個地方也會有不同的收穫。何況，這一次看到的切斯特，跟上一次看到的切斯特，相信若是我不說，沒有人會相信是同一個切斯特。
不過在我開始寫不一樣的切斯特遊記之前，首先要澄清一下，上一次在【切斯特】城門沒有雞蛋糕只有甜甜圈一文中所張貼的照片誤導大家對於甜甜圈大小的誤會。
The picture above is sufficient in depicting my first impression of Chester.  It's an old cultural city with lots to do and lots to see.  Although I went to the same place again, the experience would have been different even if we had seen the same scenes.  However, we did go to a different place, and saw a completely different Chester.  Believe it or not, if I don't tell you now, you would probably think that we had gone to a completely different place other than Chester. 
Before I begin the new series of articles of a different Chester, however, here's a short article clarifying the misunderstanding some people had concerning the size of the donut on one of the earlier articles. [link]
八個一鎊。其實只有這麼一點點大。塞牙縫都不夠...
Eight for a pound, but it was only this tiny... Can't even make a meal out of it.
當然也一定要以鐘樓當背景拍一張～～
Obviously, the clock tower as background is a must!

別跟部落格名稱搞混囉。這個是『羅馬花園』，而非『浪漫花園』。
Roman Garden 跟 Romantic Garden可是差很多的呢。
只不過是一個小小的花園，而且很容易就錯過了。難怪我那幾位切斯特大學畢業的同學們當中，竟然還有人不知道它的存在。但對我來說，越是不被重視或是注意的，很多時候都是越值得去參觀、把握的！
It's only a tiny little garden and though it's not hard to spot, it is also very easily neglected.  No wonder one of my course mates from Chester didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned the place.  It is, however, the fact that it seems so insignificant to most people, that makes me even more interested in the place.
從城牆俯瞰花園。An ariel view of the garden from the city wall.
古羅馬文化留下的遺跡。
Remains of ancient Roman culture.
與其說是一個花園，不如說它是個戶外羅馬柱博物館還比較貼切呢。在這小花園中，你會看到許多各式各樣的羅馬柱的遺跡。另外還有重建的古羅馬式的供暖系統呢！
Rather than calling it a 'garden', it's actually more accurate to call it an outdoor museum of Roman pillars, or what's left of them anyway.  You can find the ruins of all sorts of pillars, and also a re-constructed Roman hypocaust, or underfloor heating system.
火坑供暖系統。Roman hypocaust.
怎麼個供暖法，其實我也搞不太清楚。
Gotta be honest with ya, haven't a clue how this thing works, or used to work, anyway...
柱子遺跡。Ruins of pillars.
供暖系統完整圖。Hypocaust.
花園入口。Entrance to garden.
再次上城牆俯瞰花園。Another ariel view of the garden from the city wall.
延伸資訊：The Roman Garden, Chester

這不是一塊荒廢的空地。這是考古學家只挖出一半的羅馬露天劇場。歷史可以追溯到第一世紀。原本是拿來當作是軍隊訓練營。但後來也拿來鬥雞、鬥牛、及其他競技運動[當然包含大家所熟悉的角鬥]的場所。圖片右上方所見到的教堂即是『聖約翰聖洗者教堂』。
This is not an abandoned site.  This is the ruin of a Roman amphitheatre, of which archeologists have only half uncovered.  The history of this amphitheatre can be traced back to the first century, when it was initially used as a training and drill site for soldiers.  Later, it was also used for cockfighting, bull-baiting, and other combat sports, including gladiatorial combat.  The building you see on the top right hand corner is the Church of St. John the Baptist.
這位老兄是要來帶領其他羅馬小兵來認識古羅馬對切斯特的影響。
This bloke is dressed as a Roman to instruct the little gladiators about Roman influences on Chester.
他不是在瞪我啦！
He's not staring at moi....
很有朝氣的一群小士兵唷！
What energetic bunch of lil gladiators!
這兩位帥哥正好顯示出這露天劇場到底有多大！
These two blokes really helps in showing how big this amphitheatre really is!
方便遊客上下的木階梯。
Wooden staircase built for tourists.
應該是柱子...剩下的
What remains of the amphitheatre.
再來一張。
Close up.
售票口的一部份就在此上方。
講解挖掘過程的告示牌。
被我朋友的手蓋住的那一半，就是被挖掘出來的那一半。都已經這麼大了還只是一半而已唷！可見當初這個露天劇場應該對於當時的居民是非常重要的一個娛樂場所。雖然歷史學家早就揣測切斯特會有一座露天劇場，但這個劇場其實一直到1929年才被真正的挖掘出來。而複雜的挖掘過程，牽扯到政治及經費問題，使得它從2000年至今都一直維持著現在這副模樣，毫無進展。其實是有點可惜的。你說是不是呢？
The semi-circle covered up by my friend's arm is the half of the amphitheatre that had been uncovered by archeologist.  Can you imagine how big this place had actually been?  What you can see in the picture is only half of it!  It wouldn't be too presumptous, then, to assume that this amphitheatre had once been an important centre providing entertainment for civilians back in the days.  Although historians had long speculated an extant amphitheatre, it had only been discovered in 1929.  The complicated archeological process involved financial and political issues, and because of that, the site had remained as it is now since 2000.  Personally, I think it's a real pity.  What do you think?

切斯特大教堂旁的雪花[Snowdrops]
我想愛上旅行的人都知道，往往在旅途中我們都會發現一些小小的意外驚喜。而這些小驚喜，才是旅途中最令人難忘的回憶。雖然切斯特遊記寫了這麼久，但在我腦海中依然清晰。當然也就是拜這些意料之外的小驚喜所賜。
Anyone who fancies traveling would understand, that we often come across little surprises along our journey.  These little surprises, are, in fact, what make our journey even more precious.  It's been a long while since I began writing about my trip to Chester, but the memory still feels as if it had happened only yesterday.  This, of course, is all due to all the wonderful little surprises that we found during our trip.
這隻小松鼠就出現在切斯特大教堂旁的空地。雖然在東海也常看到松鼠跑進跑出，也曾在228公園看到有人餵食松鼠。但這次對我來說可是第一次這麼近距離看到這麼不怕人的小松鼠。
This little squirrel appeared while we were walking around Chester Cathedral.  Even though this was not the first time I'd seen one, it was the first time I was so close to one that was not afraid of us.
可愛吧！Cute, ain't it?
到哪都要吃。Always eating.
跑到這還是繼續吃。Eating continued...
別一直看著我吃！Don't stare while I'm eating!
給我食物就讓你看。I'll let you stare only if you provide the nuts.

切斯特最大的特色在於他的城牆。雖然壯觀度不比萬里長城，但對一個小鎮來說，已經算是很有看頭了。繞著城牆走一圈就可以將整個切斯特都看透透。城牆的歷史可以追溯到120A.D.，且是英國保存最完整的城牆。來到切斯特，如果剛好天氣還不錯，強力推薦繞著城牆走一圈，看看與大城市不同的英倫小鎮風貌，以及具有歷史性的觀光景點。
Although it is no Great Wall of China, Chester City Walls are spectacular in their own way.  For a small town like Chester, walking around the city walls is a great way to catch a glimpse of the most unique sights around the city.  The history of its oldest sections dates back to 120A.D., and it is the most complete walls preserved in the whole of the United Kingdom.  One's excursion to Chester cannot be complete without a walk around it, unless, of course, the weather is unfavourable.
我們從鐘樓的地方開始走。
This is where we started off. 
難得的好天氣。
Brilliant weather.
遠視教堂。
The Cathedral from afar.
可愛的煙囪。
Cute chimney.
應該是守衛休息的地方？[忘了...]
Possibly a resting place for guards and soldiers?
『軌道』！
Rail track.
 
花園。
A garden along the way.
走了好久，還沒走完！全程大概花了至少兩小時才走完。如果你喜歡漫步欣賞，那絕對要撥出個兩小時以上的時間才行喔！
It takes at least a couple of hours to complete a walk on the city walls.  If you like taking your time, which is advised, you should be prepared to leave at least two hours for these beautiful walls.
大家知道這個小洞是做什麼的嘛？
Do you know the purpose of this hole?
就是射弓手射箭的小洞囉！這樣敵人才不會襲擊到自己。
It's a hole from which archers shoot their arrows.
一路走完，看到了不少美景。途中經過已經分享過的切斯特賽馬場，以及照片尚未整理完畢的羅馬花園。來過切斯特的都說這兒很美。不過我倒是認為，切斯特對我來說最美的地方，是我身旁那位許久沒見的好友相伴。
The scenery we saw whilst walking around the city walls was absolutely breathtaking.  Thanks to the lovely weather, we've enjoyed the walk very much.  Along the walk, we saw the local race course, which I've already shared with you, and the Roman Gardens, whose pictures are still awaiting to be arranged.  Everyone who has been to Chester would, no doubt, love it. But for me, the best thing about Chester, was having the company of a friend who I had not seen in such a long time.

切斯特在羅馬時期曾是羅馬軍隊的大本營。至今還能看到許多羅馬時期留下來的痕跡。切斯特大教堂在早期是以羅馬會堂開始成立的。當時是為了貢獻給聖保羅與聖彼得。在1093改建為聖本篤修會修道院。一直到亨利八世成立英國國教之後，此教堂才成立為英國國教教堂。教堂本身的建築物摻雜了諾曼式以及歌德式設計風。入教堂內部參觀的票價一共要£4。
Reminents of Roman influence is still ubiquitous in the city of Chester.  The cathedral started out as a Roman basilica, allegedly dedicated to St. Paul and St. Peter.  In 1093, a Benedictine monastery was built on the site.  During the reign of Henry VIII, it finally became a cathedral of the Church of England.  The building is a mixture of Norman and Gothic architecture.  Admission to see inside the cathedral costs £4. 
  
眼科招牌
Optician
因為門票太貴，遠遠超出我們當天的預算，我們就只好放棄參觀內部的念頭。雖然知道裡面一定會很壯觀，但是其實沒看到也不會太後悔。因為光是外部就夠我們看半天了。
Due to our insufficient budget, we decided to give up on touring the inside of the cathedral.  Despite knowing that it would be absolutely astounding to see the inside, we weren't that disappointed in the end, because the exterior was just as satisfying.
 
來切斯特前一天的天氣非常糟糕。所以這天有時陰有時晴，我們卻已經謝天謝地了。畢竟要出遊，最怕就是下雨了。所以大家看到的切斯特照片，有些才會有陽光，而有些卻又是陰天。
The day before our trip to Chester, the weather had been horrendous.  Thank God there was not a drop of rain on the actual day of our trip.  Even though the sun hid itself from time to time, the absence of rain was more than we could have asked for.  This explains why some of the photos look extremely sunny, while other look like the typical English weather.
 
切斯特教堂又是一座快門殺手的教堂。試問，到目前為止不知道有哪一座教堂沒被我這麼認為的。從每一個角度看過去，似乎都很特別。每個角落都充滿了神祕的象徵性雕刻或雕像。若是沒有深度的認知，不可能解的開所有教堂周圍及內部所隱藏的密碼。或許這就是為什麼我寫教堂的文章照片總是特別多。因為每個鏡頭都讓我覺得意猶未盡。不知道你們是否也跟我一樣？
其實我們在教堂旁還遇到了一些有趣的事情。天氣好就是這樣吧！處處都會有驚喜。只是驚喜是什麼？只好等我靈感來了，再宣佈囉！
Chester Cathedral is yet another gorgeous building that I find hard to resist taking photos of it.  Perhaps that's the reason why I always end up having so many photos in the church/cathedral articles.  Every angle seems to be unique.  It goes with all the other churches/cathedrals I have seen so far as well.  Every corner is encrypted with symbols that only few can decipher. 
As the weather was fair, many people were out.  Nice weather brings about nice events.  We came across a very curious incident in the garden of the cathedral while we were there.  However, I choose to reveal it only when the best time arrives.  For now, I hope you have enjoyed the scenes of Chester Cathedral.
官方網站：Chester Cathedral Official Website

人算真的不如天算。那天在切斯特繞著城牆走，好巧不巧看到賽馬場。原本發文順序是想要在貼完城牆後再貼賽馬場，但最後會選在今天貼出，其實是因為發文的同時，我真的在賽馬場看賽馬！
This article was meant to be posted after I've shared Chester City Walls.  However, the timing works out well, since as I publish this article, I am actually at the race course, watching a horse race!
空空蕩蕩的觀眾席。
朋友之前告訴我這個消息的時候，我心裡好掙扎。一方面是因為知道自己一生當中沒有多少機會可以到現場去看賽馬所以覺得自己不應該錯過。另一方面又覺得票價實在是太貴了。加上課業實在太重，真的不知道自己該不該去。但後來朋友從原本預計的禮拜五改到禮拜六。票價便宜了許多，我就決定傾家蕩產也不能錯過這次良機。
When my friend told me about the plan, I was put in a difficult situation.  I knew that this was a chance of a lifetime.  If I miss this chance, I will probably never get the chance to see a horse race ever again.  However, the ticket was so expensive, and on top of that, I've already had enough pressure from course work, that I wasn't sure I could indulge myself with this luxury.  Later, when I was informed that the plan had changed from going on a Friday to a Saturday, and the price of the ticket would be considerably cheaper, I decided to take the risk of becoming bankrupt and embrace the opportunity.
繞著切斯特城牆走的時候發現賽馬場實在有夠大！我們大概走了十分鐘，才從賽馬場的一頭，走到另一頭。[其實是我胡亂估計的，我沒計時。不過真的走了很久！]其實當時我就在想：要是在這的時候能來看一次賽馬，那該有多棒呢？沒想到這就是『吸引法則』厲害的地方。沒過多久就真的實現了。[不過其實那時候我沒有超級想去說...]
When we were on the city walls, we realised only then, how enormous a race course was.  It must have taken us about 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other. I thought to myself, while we were there, 'If I could only come and see a horse race, just once, wouldn't that be nice?'  Once more, the law of attraction surprises me with its miraculous effect.  I can't believe it's actually happened!
不知道實際賽馬場的照片拍出來會如何。因為是跟兩位帥哥去，沒有女生陪我一起拍。不過我盡量把賽馬場的情形拍回來跟大家分享囉！
I can't guarantee the quality of the photos taken at the horse race.  I will be there with two blokes, and no ladies who generally enjoy taking photos a lot more.  However, I will try my best and bring back some photos to show you what it's like to be there.

來到切斯特之前其實除了城牆跟另外一座大教堂，其餘的我們一點都沒有計畫。隨處走走的感覺真是不錯。話說，十四年沒見的朋友，還能這麼有默契。看見這座教堂，異口同聲的說想進去看看。其實外表看起來好像跟許多教堂大同小異。但每座教堂都要仔細觀察，才能發現其中的大不同。
We had very little plans for our time in Chester.  Basically, all we had planned to see was the Cathedral and the City Walls.  It was nice to stroll around a new city without a plan sometimes.  It was even nicer to have a long lost friend by your side.  It was amazing how much we still have in common, even after all these years.  We walked by the church, and decided to take a look inside almost simultaneously!  If you look at the church from the outside, each one looks pretty similar to one another.  Well, at least, some them may not look special from the outside, but it is usually the interior that is the most breathtaking!
教堂的歷史其實早在十五世紀就有記錄。但隨著時間的考驗，經歷了戰爭以及其他不同的因素而被摧毀。一直到十九世紀才開始重建工作。於1886年完成所有修復工作。主要建材為砂岩。教堂存有許多被半摧毀肖像。另外，維多利亞女王加冕時所彈奏的管風琴，也保存於此。
The history of the church dates back to the 15th century.  However, most of it was destroyed, and restoration began only in the 19th century.  The year of its completion is 1886, and its main material is sandstone.  The church contains many effigies, though partly destroyed.  It also houses the organ that was used during Queen Victoria's Coronation in 1838.
教堂外觀。入口上方。
The exterior of the church.  Roof of the entrance to the church.
教堂內部。彩繪玻璃。
Interior of the church, and stained glass windows.

記得剛來的那幾週，跟剛從切斯特大學畢業的同學聊到切斯特時她就提到有個『鐘』。當時聽的霧煞煞。她說得再多、再寫實、再仔細，沒看過就是少了那個感覺。她說，喜歡切斯特的原因是因為所有的人都會聚集在這個東門中下。就像是切斯特的心臟一樣，而這裡的人就像切斯特流著的血液。無論走到哪，最後還是會回到東門來。
Speaking of Chester, I recall one of the first conversations I had with a Chester graduate, who is now my course mate, about the city.  I had little clue, then, to what she was talking about.  No matter how precise her description was, there's always a piece missing from the puzzle when you don't get to see it with your own eyes.  She said to me, that one of the many reasons she loves Chester so much was because there's this clock tower in the center that brings people right back to it, no matter where they go.  I think, the clock is like the heart of the city, and the people are like blood, i.e. no matter where it flows off to, it always returns to the heart.
切斯特東門
Chester Eastgate
一個現代與古代交會的地方。
A place where the ancient meets the modern.
1897
Completed 1899 完成
同學中一共有三位切斯特的畢業生。另外一位在得知我要去玩，拼命的推薦了一家『甜甜圈』。我跟朋友到了當地才想到忘了把名字寫下來。沒想到到了鐘樓就馬上看到一家『甜甜圈』店。我們爬上東門，繞了城牆一圈，累了。就買了八個來吃。同學大力推薦的，不可不嘗試。
Three of my course mates are from Chester.  When they all found out about my plan to go to Chester, one of them recommended a 'donut' shop, and told me that I simply HAD to try it.  When I got to Chester, I had realised that I had forgotten to jot down the name of the donut shop!  However, as we walked towards the Eastgate, the donut shop was there, waiting for us. 
*店旁的樓梯就是通往城牆的階梯。
*The stair case beside the shop leads to the path on the city walls.
真的還蠻多人買的！現做的喔！
There was a long queue there.  All donuts are freshly made!
其實我的切斯特是用甜甜圈劃下句點的。不過遊記才剛要開始！
The bag of donuts marked the end of our day in Chester.  But this is only the beginning to my Chester series!