西歐系列 ~ 荷蘭風車村-桑斯安斯(Zaanse Schans, Netherlands) (2006)

Zaanse Schans is a small village on the banks of the Zaan River and is one of the highlights of the Netherlands.  Be part of a vibrant and stunning living and working community that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries.  It is packed with wooden windmills, barns, houses and museums and built in the typically Dutch wooden architectural style. 

We can easily fill half a day in Zaanse Schans– there is so much to see, taste, smell and experience.  

Take a walk through the stunning buildings and the unique meadow landscape.

Visit windmills and traditional buildings.  

See clog makers at work in the workshop and learn more about the history of wooden shoes in the museum. Don't forget to try some on and experience what it feels like to walk on wood. Look at me! Making a picture in the giant wooden clog will complete your visit.

But if you would like to bring back memories of Zaanse Schans to your home town, explore gift shops and buy some souvenirs for your friends or yourself before leaving. 

As I remember, admission to Zaanse Schans is free of charge but entering the windmills, museums and other attractions costs you a few euro. 

Hope you will enjoy the visit to Zaanse Schans too! Have a nice day guys!

西歐系列 - 神聖的梵蒂岡 Vatican (2006)

一落機，即見萬里無雲的藍天，縱然不夠瞓，只要抬頭望見晴朗的天空，馬上能精神抖擻地出發了。

 

第一個目的地就是神聖的梵蒂岡！

 

當日聘請了一位意大利導遊，她很用心地講解梵蒂岡的資料，問題多多的豆豆不時請教，她亦能有耐性地一一解答。

 

不如先講講梵蒂岡的基本資料。

全名梵蒂岡城國（拉丁話：Status Civitatis Vaticanae，意大利話：Stato della Città del Vaticano），拉丁話的意思是『先知的地方』。

梵蒂岡由羅馬天主教教廷統治，是世界天主教的中心。它位於意大利首都羅馬城西北角的高地上，是世界上其中最細小的國家之一(全世界有三個最細小的國家，而今次豆豆有幸走訪當中的兩小國，YEAH~)，面積約有 0.44 平方千米，人口約千四人，「常住」居民是一千人以內。

公民大部分是神職人員，包括主教、神父、修女，以意大利人為主，另有出名的瑞士衛隊（一支教宗的志願禁衛隊）。此外有約 3,000 名世俗工人，他們是梵蒂岡主要的勞動力，但並不是住在梵蒂岡城之內。

 

官方語言是拉丁話（平日多講意大利話），通用貨幣是歐元。

梵蒂岡在地理上雖然是一個細細的小國，但在政治及文化上卻有著很深遠及強大的影響力，所以其他國家從來都不敢輕視這面積細小而勢力強大的國家。