Wednesday, September 24, 2008

華府漫遊

漫無目的地在華盛頓逛了兩天半。沒有特別安排行程,卻也到了不少地方。

在林肯記念堂前,隔著水池,遠眺記念碑和國會大厦。每次在這裡,都會想起 Forrest Gump:





只得短短一段路的中國城。街上行人黑人比中國人多:



每間商戶都有中文店名。但如此音譯(博德百睞?投地雅??),還不如不譯。



兩天中最開心的,是能欣賞到兩幅印象派的代表作:



上次逛 National Gallery,最喜歡的是 Mary Cassatt 那個戴草帽的小女孩。這一次,因為讀了Monet 的故事,所以愛上了這幅 Lady with a Parasol。百多年前,Monet 便是站在這畫布前,迎風繪畫出妻子 Camille 和兒子 Jean 的模樣。

Renoir 這幅 Luncheon of the Boating Party,我認為是印象派中最偉大的作品。一步步向它行近時,還真有點心跳加速的緊張感:



畫中的五個女孩,包括了活潑,害羞,挑逗,專注,冷漠的不同神態。今天才知道,原來有作者以這畫為故事題材,寫了一本小說



"but I could have told you Vincent, this world is never meant for one as beautiful as you."

Arlington Cemetery,是陣亡和退役軍人的國家墓園:



園中最出名的的,是這個墓碑:



墓碑主人最出名的,是這句說話:



明年一月,這幢宏偉的豪宅,會變成麥宅,還是奧宅?



這位先生說,搬進去的,將會是奧先生一家四口。



剛想過馬路,警察卻突然封了整個路口。然後,這輛黑房車飛馳而過。後座一個戴眼鏡的白髮老人,看樣子,應該是 Dick Cheney:



華盛頓郵報的大門外,放了一頭象和一頭驢,分別代表共和黨和民主黨。大象的身上,畫了國會大樓,最高法院等權力象徵:



驢子身上的,該是白宮和自由神象吧?非也:



是暗示民主黨親中,抑或在揶揄民主黨人是稀有動物?百思不得其解。

華盛頓博物館之多,認真看的話,一個月時間也不夠。這是最新的 Newseum。



故名思義,Newseum 展覽的,是一切和 News 有關的東西。這是倒下了的世貿大厦樓頂的天線:



倒下了的柏林圍牆:



可幸博物館的工作人員,並沒遺漏我們袓國先進的資訊科技:



當然少不了歷年世界大事的頭條新聞,如鐵逹尼號:



也有令人沉痛的非頭條新聞。這是紐約時報一九四四年七月二日的內頁第十二版:



請留意右上角那不起眼的「小」新聞:三十五萬猶太人相信遇害。

在華盛頓的 Holocaust Museum 中,也談到當年美國對納粹暴行不著緊,不關心的事件。如美國空軍拒絕炸毀 Auschwitz 集中營。



美國每個大城市,都有一座記念被屠殺猶太人的博物館。 每次參觀完後,也會對那段歷史多一點認識。

10 comments:

  1. 嘩 連'倒下了的柏林圍牆'都有一塊?!

    啊 你喜歡 Monet 的話,一定要來法國,去他在 Giverny 的故居,他著名的蓮花池系列,便是在那裡畫的了。 我好多年前去過一次,還是想再去,要是你去的話,我可想跟你去作伴 ;)

    噯 你那條引去 '五個女孩' 書的 link 有問題...

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  2. 紐約也有大屠殺博物館,裡面有一個展館,貼滿死裡逃生的猶太人的照片。

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  3. The best thing about the museums in DC is that, they are free!!!!!

    "but I could have told you Vincent, this world is never meant for one as beautiful as you."

    Ha!! :P

    (The sentence "猶太人的賭博物館" has an extra word."

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  4. michelle:不止圍牆,連東德那邊的一座瞭望台也搬了進去呢。

    如果到法國的話,一定會去 Givency 的,可惜短期內無法實現。哈哈,有伴就最好啦,法文我只懂 bonjour, merci, oui oui!

    readandeat:上一次在紐約時,不夠時間去,下次一定去看看。LA 那個也做得很好,我記得大堂展出了 Anne Frank 的字跡。

    yun:是啊,Smithsonian 都是免費的,行到筋疲力盡也行不完。但其他在 The Mall 以外的博物館(如 Newseum)是收費的。

    梵高好慘架,有乜咁好笑? :P

    因為太眼瞓,突然唔記得博字倉頡點打;用完聯想字功能後,又唔記得 delete。咁都俾你捉到扣分,唉。

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  5. 對上一次去DC已經係六年前嘅事啦. 嗰陣Newseum關閉咗(未搬前去過一次). 你就開心啦!

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  6. mad dog:oh,原來 newseum 不是新的嗎?兩年前去時,見它仍在興建,還以為是新的呢。

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  7. Great post about the must-see political landmarks in D.C.

    Re: Holocaust. I've been to the Anne Frank House musuem in Amsterdam (where she and her family hid from the Nazis for years before eventually being detected and sent to Auschwitz and other concentration camps). It had a really moving exhibition about the illogic of nationalism and the horrors of ethnic cleansing globally, and not just restricted to the Jewish cause. You should make that one of your pitstops too should you decide on a European tour. (Plus Amsterdam has the fabulous Museum-Plein with great musuems - from old Dutch masters to the Impressionists to modern art - all within walking distances of each other. Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and his famous sunflower paintings can be found in the dedicated Van Gogh museum there).

    p.s. Since you don't seem to mind commenters correcting typos in your post, may I add that it should be "Forrest Gump" and "Auschwitz".

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  8. snowdrops: First it's France, and now it's Amsterdam! I really want to fly across the Atlantic pond.
    Of course I will visit Anne Frank House and Van Gogh's museum (and the infamous "coffee" shop, haha) when in Ams.

    I must be sleeping when posting this blog! Actually, I caught the "Auschwitz" misspelling yesterday, but was kind of thinking "who would notice?" You are really good!

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  9. MOst Chinese in the DC Metro area don't live in downtown - many of them are settled at suburban Maryland or Northern Virginia. And guess what, the Starbucks over there was once called, for a very short time, as "精品咖啡店" - go figure.

    There're a few stores in Adams Morgan where you can find old stuff like records, books, postcards, etc. Or if you're interested in African American heritage, walk along the U street in Northwest. Jazz clubs, Ben's Chili... Mt Vernon in Alexandria, Gerorgetown, King Street, ... too much... :P

    BTW, Newseum was located in Virginia (Rosslyn). Closed for four (?) years while construction was in progress.

    EA

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  10. annonymous : that 精品咖啡屋 Starbucks is kind of cute. I took a picture of it too.

    I only had a quick walkthrough in Adams Morgan (spent too much time in Dupont Circle). Georgetown was nice too, but I found it quite “yuppitized”, if you know what I mean. Really really wanted to visit Alexandria but didn’t. Maybe next time.

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