我們在德國繼續南行,來到了以城堡與大學聞名的海德堡。
海德堡大公曾經娶了英王的女兒,為了慶祝公主的十八歲生日,大公用了一個晚上建立了這個拱門。
有這樣一個老公真好,既有愛心,又有能力,這座拱門堪比天上的月亮吧。
我們進了拱門,來到古堡的第一層,從斷垣殘壁可以推斷當年的氣勢。
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站在第一層的平台,整個海德堡盡收眼底。
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又穿過幾道拱門,來到古堡的第二層,那裏的樓層更高,房間更多,看得更遠。沒有想到磚頭的地上有個腳印,據說是偷情的帥哥跳窗逃跑時留下的。噢,女人哪,有了豪華的住宅,體己的老公,還嫌不夠啊!
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第二層還有一個大酒窖,大得可以讓所有的遊客酩酊大醉。
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兒子喜歡吃黑森林蛋糕,我喜歡看黑森林景色。位於萊茵河邊,黑森林的最高峰是菲爾德山(Feldberg),黑森林地區以布穀鳥鍾、黑森林蛋糕、黑森林火腿、蜂蜜和豬肘等而出名。說起布穀鳥鍾,女兒眼睛都亮了,整條街都出售布穀鳥鍾,去哪家點店好呢?
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當然遵照導遊的推薦啦,看看這家店有多氣派,房屋上的鍾比真人還大。
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這些是傳傳統的布穀鳥鍾,內部有設計精巧的齒輪裝置,每到半點和整點,鍾上方的小木門就會自動打開,並且出現一個會報時的布穀鳥,發出悅耳的“咕咕”的叫聲,所以這種鍾也被稱為咕咕鍾。
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這是現代型的德國鍾。
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這些更是不像鍾的鍾。
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我與女兒商量了一下,決定不買布穀鳥鍾。這些鍾不僅價格高昂,整天叫著惹人注目,不容易維護啊。
鍾店的對麵是啼啼湖,湖水清澈,鮮花簇擁。一陣風,一陣雨,什麽也阻止不了好玩的女兒,先是在邊上涉水,然後幹脆脫掉鞋襪下水了。我沒有女兒勇敢,隻是用手試一下水溫,稍微冰涼了一些。
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我們每天跟著導遊走,匆匆忙忙地上車,猜測下一個美景是什麽。萊茵飛瀑是一個驚奇,不知道有這麽一個激流的瀑布,中間還有幾塊擋道的岩石,岩石上麵居然還長著樹木,樹木居然還綠得非常健康。
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傍晚的時候,我們到達瑞士的第一大城市,知道是那裏嗎?蘇伊士。這是一個漂亮整潔的城市,被稱為金融之都,知道什麽最特別嗎?利馬特河中的天鵝!這些潔白神聖的天鵝,為整個城市帶來祥瑞之氣,女兒則被它們迷得流連忘返。
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17 day trip – day 5
Hotel: five out of five
The hotel was a huge improvement over the last one. Although the room size is about the same, I think that overall the rooms are better. There is a desk, a water cooker, and open-air shower, and… hot chocolate! This was what helped change my mind the most. The open air shower is very interesting. It is a shower, with a mostly flat floor and with no glass and no shower curtains. It also has no wall stopping water from spilling out.
Black Forest: five out of five
Black Forest is a place in Germany. This was the main highlight of today's trip. I went to a small village inside the forest. It is very small, with only one main road, but charming. There is a family inside the village that owns a lot of the buildings there. That includes a hotel inside the village, a hotel outside, a gift shop, and numerous restaurants. Many of the gift shops there, including the one that they own, sell cuckoo clocks. My mom and I went to look at them. Whenever the minute hand is at a particular time, a door in the clock will open and a bird will come out. Some of the fancier varieties also have figures chopping wood, pulling a bell, walking, and other things at certain times. There's even a clock with a water wheel that has actual water! The secret of these is the decorative-looking pinecones at the bottom. Pulling on a chain attached to them will wind up the cuckoo clock. I didn't just look at clocks, though. I went to a lake and waded into a shallow part of it! The water was very cold.
Zurich: five out of five
Zurich, Switzerland, was the next stop. I went there and walked around. A river flows through the city, the way the Thames flows through London. There is a major difference, though: swans! There are many swans in the river. I even saw one up close. They are the size of Canadian Geese, but whiter. They like to preen themselves a lot.
Average: five out of five