il Giardino Romantico

這兩天法籍朋友來訪，談話中聊起文化差異才了解，原來教堂附設的咖啡廳是英國特有的文化。原本這些照片放著找不到機會貼文。但因為從朋友口中聽到這樣的文化差異，讓我不得不趁機貼上來分享一下。

At first, I didn't see any point in sharing these photos.  However, since I learned from my French friend that church coffee shops are non-exisistent in France, I've decided to use this opportunity to share, not necessarily the coffee shop itself, but the culture of church coffee shops.


Coffee shop用餐區。

朋友說法國人覺得教堂是神聖的地方。不該有咖啡廳。不過我到覺得，在做禮拜前後有個這樣可以休息、交流、分享的空間也是不錯的呀。

My friend said, French people believe churches to be sacred places, not that the English don't believe the same thing, but it's just that they find it hard to accept coffee shops attached to churches.  I think, that a coffee shop offers a place for friends and family to share before or after their Sunday prayers, and  thus it's not a bad idea at all.


Coffee Shop 點餐區。

咖啡廳位於禮品部旁。附設咖啡廳的另一個好處是：即使你不信教，也可以來這加深你對天主教的了解。對於遊客來說，是個再好不過的機會了。

This one is located right next to the souvenir shop.  Another advantage for having coffee shops is that even the non-Christian/non-Catholics can feel welcomed in such places.  It helps to allow them an opportunity to understand Christianity, and in this case, specifically Catholicism.


享用早餐中的老夫老妻。

店內裝飾。



唯一可惜的是，這裡的拿鐵好貴。為了省錢，我只好點便宜一點的cappucino。不過因為這裡是禮拜天離我最近的咖啡廳，一想到這也就沒有什麼好抱怨的了。

The only drawback was that their latte was way too expensive for an everyday coffee consumer to afford.  I had to order a cappucino instead.  But I really shouldn't complain, since this is the closest place I could grab a coffee on a Sunday morning.



來看教堂：
About the Cathedral:
【利物浦】Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King
【利物浦】我把鐘聲打包回來囉！