忘卻巴黎:阿姆斯特丹的極致浪漫

Asked to name a romantic city, you might pick Paris, Venice, Rome or possibly even Milan. But don't overlook the Dutch capital, which is poetic enough that I have spent the past few years holed up there writing novels.

如果要求你說出一個浪漫的城市，你或許會選擇巴黎、威尼斯、羅馬、甚至有可能是米蘭。但是，千萬不要小看阿姆斯特丹，這是一個詩意十足，在過去幾年間我都蟄居於此創造小說的地方。

And while you might associate it with a rather spicier type of "amour", Amsterdam more than holds its own when it comes to boutique hotels, romantic restaurants and canal-side strolls - not to forget its flowers. Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, so I say consider turning it into an extended, or even a lost weekend, in a hotel in Amsterdam.

或許你會將浪漫與一種更刺激的愛情聯繫起來，當提到精品酒店、浪漫餐廳、沿河漫步時，阿姆斯特丹擁有的比這更多--更別提這裏的鮮花了。今年的情人節是星期二，因此我建議你不妨考慮預定阿姆斯特丹的酒店，度過並補上一個漫長的週末。

It's romantic to arrive by train, but the direct Eurostar isn't in service yet (it's slated for the end of the year) and the current rail journey - four to six hours depending on the connection in Brussels - takes chunks out of weekends, even extended ones. Happily, it only takes an hour to fly there.

乘坐火車抵達阿姆斯特丹不乏浪漫，然而直達的歐洲之星列車還未開始提供服務(他們計劃年底開通)，並且目前的班次，甚至是增加的班次，大部分都集中在週末。包括在布魯塞爾的轉車時間，車程長達是四到六小時。令人高興的是，乘飛機一個小時就可到達了。

Trains from Schiphol airport into the city are fast and regular, and your destination is a compact place once you get there. There's an easy-to-use tram system and plentiful (though expensive) taxis; you may find it more romantic to hire bikes, which is how most locals get about.

從史基浦機場到城區的列車快速又規律，一旦你到達了城區，你會發現那裏佈局緊湊。雖然有便捷的鐵路系統，但卻需交納不菲的稅；租自行車(遊覽阿姆斯特丹)非常方便，當地人就常常這樣做。

Once you're there, here's how to make it an affair to remember.

一旦你去過那裏，就會是難以忘卻的記憶。

A flower shop on the Spui that leaves you with few excuses, guys. Dig deep; a beautiful, fresh bouquet never fails to make an impression and you're pretty much at the source here (a large share of the cut flowers sold in Britain comes from the Netherlands).

一間普伊的花店就能給你銘記的理由，夥伴們，請好好發掘吧；一束漂亮又新鮮的花都會給你留下深刻印象，鮮花的源地都會爲你帶來驚喜(英國市場上售賣的很大部分鮮切花都來自荷蘭)。

A short stroll from here stands the Magere Brug or skinny bridge, which you may recognise from films such as Diamonds Are Forever. The story goes that two sisters living on opposite sides of the Amstel river had the famous wooden bridge built so they could visit one another. I can't help but wonder why they didn't just live on the same side; no matter, the result is wondrous, particularly at night. A thousand little light bulbs gently illuminate the old drawbridge, reflecting in the rippling currents beneath.

漫步城中，瑪格爾橋會映入眼簾，它也被稱之爲瘦橋。從一些如《007系列之金剛鑽》這樣的電影中你都能找到這座橋的身影。電影的故事發生在居住於阿姆斯特爾河兩岸的兩姐妹之間，河上有一座有名的木橋，因此她們能夠互相探望。我情不自禁地想問，爲什麼她們就不能住在同一邊呢。不管怎樣，故事的結局是奇異的，特別對於晚上來說。數千盞小燈溫柔地照亮了古老的吊橋，在橋下潺潺流過的河水裏留下倒影。

The Nine Streets area (where several boutique hotels are found) is another picturesque place for a stroll. It is in fact a former blue-collar area that escaped redevelopment and is now filled with enchanting homes, boutiques and cafés. It's hard to believe that canal-side houses here were unloved and sometimes even vacant as recently as the 1980s; now they go for millions.

第九街區(分佈着許多精品酒店)是另一個散步的好去處。實際上，過去它曾躲過了再開發的命運，成爲了工人的聚集區，而如今遍佈迷人的小房子、時髦的店鋪和繁多的咖啡館。難以想象的是，在上個世紀八十年代，臨河的房子卻不被人喜愛，有時甚至(一整片)都是空的。如今它們已價值百萬。