Isaac Chun Hai Fung
Newsletter 2002
Issue 08
29th
July to
Central European
Highlights E (Part I):
"Königssee is the
most beautiful lake in
It was a dull morning.
Misty and rainy, I set off to a small town in the far southwest corner of
Jessica is an
English friend of mine from
Königssee is probably the most famous lake in
The most famous
treat of this boat tour is perhaps the "Echo from the Königssee".
There is a particular cliff on the side of the lake, known as the Echo Wall.
The ferry stopped in a particular point in the middle of the lake. The engine
stopped. Absolute silence. Then the captain stood up
with his trumpet, and played a piece of music facing the Echo Wall. After every
phrase of music, there was a "rest" for the trumpet, but the music
continued as the lake and mountains "answered" with the same phrase!
It just sounded like a two-part rondo! If you like to interpret it in physical
rather than musical terms, I would say that the sound took about 2 seconds to
reflect back. You can certainly work out how far did the
sound waves go.
St. Barthalomä is on the west coast of the lake, near to the
middle of this long "sausage". A white small church stood there,
which is the subject of many photos and postcards of Königssee.
(I can show you some of these beautiful photos when I come back to
Obersee is a small lake 20-minute walk away from the south
end of the Königssee. Some say that there is the best
view in
Originally we
planned to take the last bus at around
I spent the night
in the hotel Alpenhof where Jessica is working. Her
boss was so kind to provide me B&B free of charge. I was offered a room in
the block of workers' rooms. (Actually, on that day the hotel was full.) Though, of course, the conditions were
not as good as that of a guestroom, it matters me not since I did not have to
pay.
Stars were shining
above the
Minor correction
made on
Table of Contents of
‘Central European Highlights’
St. Barthalomä,
德國國王湖畔的聖巴多羅買教堂
馮儁熙
通訊二零零二年第八號
二零零二年七月二十九日至八月一日
中歐拔萃 戊 （一）
貝希特斯加登與國王湖
「國王湖（Königssee）是全德國最美麗的湖泊，」我的實驗室上司告訴我。
那是個灰暗陰沉的上午，薄霧朦朧，雨點紛紛，我起程前往德國最東南角的一個小鎮。從火車窗後，仰望陰霾的天空，我對自己說：「在如此一個下雨天，也許我真的不用帶四卷菲林（膠卷）去。然而，感謝上帝此行的目的不是攝影，而是去探朋友，因此我不會悶。」是的，如果她沒有告訴我她在那裡工作，我也許從來不會聽過這美哉小城──貝希特斯加登（Berchtesgaden）。
Jessica是我在劍橋的一個英國同學，大家去同一間教堂做禮拜。她說得一口流利德語，利用這個暑假在貝希特斯加登附近的後湖（Hintersee）的一間小旅館打工。三個月前當我得知這消息時，我就說我會找個週末去探望她。
國王湖可能是德國最美的湖。四周的阿爾卑斯山麓圍繞著它那涼快、清澈、翠綠如玉的碧波。湖身瘦長，從上空看，有點像條香腸。那兒有固定的小輪服務來往國王湖的「港口」與湖的對岸數處。我們上了船，啟航。
這趟遊船河中，最有名的節目也許是「來自國王湖的回音」。湖畔有一峭壁，名曰回音牆。小輪停於湖心某點，引擎熄火。寂靜無聲。然後，船長起來，提起他的小號，面向回音牆吹奏一首樂曲。每一句樂句後，小號都有一段休止的時間，但音樂繼續下去，因為對岸山水以同一句樂句來「和應」！就好像一首兩部回旋曲一樣。如果你喜歡用物理學，而非音樂的角度去理解的話，我可以說聲音大概花兩秒鐘反射回來。你肯定可以計算出那些聲波跑了多遠。
聖巴多羅買（St. Barthalomä）位於湖的西岸，接近這條長香腸的中間。那兒有一間白色的小教堂，是很多國王湖的照片和明信片的主題。（我九月份回香港可以讓你看看這些漂亮的照片。）我們在那兒下船，往「冰教堂」去（Eiskapelle, 英譯Ice
Chapel）。它實際上不是小教堂，乃是谷裡的積冰，很厚很深，以至在炎炎夏日也不溶化。雖然走進山中，頗累的，但卻享受大家天南地北聊個痛快，由學校的日子到大學生活，還有我們各自的信仰歷程。
上湖（Obersee）是個小湖，離國王湖南端步行二十分鐘的路程。有人說那是全德國最美的景致，也許誇張了一點，但可以在如斯平靜的湖面上看那阿爾卑斯山的倒影，可真妙極。
本來我們打算乘下午七時半的巴士，自貝希特斯加登前往蘭騷（Ramsau，或譯藍梭），再從那兒步行四十五分鐘往後湖去。但是原來這趟尾班車在星期六是不開的，我們只好與其他幾個遊客共乘一輛的士。（由此可見，計劃行程時仔細閱讀時間表的重要性。幸好Jessica會德文，不然的話，那就真麻煩了，因為時間表全用德文書寫，其中還有很多字我沒有學會。）
我在Jessica工作的旅館Alpenhof留宿。她的老闆對我很好，給我B&B（住宿與早餐）而不收費。我被安排入住員工宿舍裡的一間房間。（實際上，那一天旅館客滿。）雖然那裡的條件沒有客房的好（那當然了），但我既然不用付錢，就無所謂了。
阿爾卑斯山的上空星光閃爍，人們十點鐘就入睡了。好一個寧靜安詳的夜晚。
原著為英文，在二零零六年四月二十四日譯成中文。