Taking a speed train to Madrid/Carlos Pueblo

Taking a speed train to Madrid/Carlos Pueblo

I went to Barcelona Sand Station for a train ride to San Sebastian,

a northwest seaport of Spain. I always like to visit the ultimate end

of a territory, such as the northeast end, the center, the southern tip

, the northern tip etc. I also hear a lot of Basque Independent and I

like to the actual place myself. Basque territory covers most of the

western Spain which facing the Atlantic Ocean. It would take 6 hours

to reach San Sebastian and I would not have a returning train till the

next morning; therefore, I decided to switch to take a speedy train

ride to Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

The train, AVE, can reach to 300 Km an hour and is about three hours

ride from Barcelona to Madrid. We passed by a city called Zaragoza,

in Aragon country. I can see the Spanish farms field and the pueblos.

By the way I change my last name Chuang to Pueblo due to the

difficulty of westerner to pronounce the word and the meaning of

that word is pueblo in Spanish, and from now on, no confusion between

Chuang and Chang when people says it.

Not too far from Madrid Station, I found a small restaurant which offered

the menu of the day special. A plate is 9 Euros plus a bottle of wine. I

finished a bottle and was still thirsty so I paid 6 euros for another bottle.

I did finish the second bottle and paid my bill; however, I was drunk. I

Believed that he called polices for help to escort me to the station. I missed

my return train yet I did get on the next one back to Barcelona.

On the train, I met a Chinese lady tailor from Liao Ning Province near North

Korean border. I guess her business is very well; therefore, she can afford to

take the train to Madrid to visit clients. She is very appreciative for Spain takes

her as an immigrant and let her start a new life in this country. She did recommend

he to live in Spain and I was not in a good state of myself to discuss with her

further more. Before arrival, she invited me to have the same shuttle with a

Chinese driver who had been in Spain for years as a taxi like driver serving in

Chinese community. I was very impressed for their effort to earn a living in

Spain.

馬德里行/莊峻華

馬德里行/莊峻華

早上到巴塞隆納山德火車站，訂下到聖寫別斯新市車票，火車是下

午二時，晚上八點才到，已經無班車回來，所以我連忙換成到首都

馬德里車票，這是西班牙最快速之高鐵，單程約是三小時，時速最

高達300公里，就是180哩。我想參觀聖寫別斯新市，因為巴斯克

獨立運動，巴斯克領域，遍佈西班牙西部，從西北到西南，聖市在

西北角落，我旅行最喜歡到各地之最，台灣最中心點，最南點，加

拿大最東最西，美國最西，麻州之最東等地，還有看過美國最高峰。

西班牙高鐵，確是很快，所以加州準備請西班牙來蓋高鐵，連接舊金

山和洛杉磯，大概可以包括聖地牙哥。馬德里沿途風光，比東北路更

乾燥，我不是嫌乾燥不好，就是不甚習慣，紅土甚多，使我想起台灣

之鹹鴨蛋，製作鹹鴨蛋，需要紅土。

火車超速，提前到達，馬德里很是忙碌，許多餐廳，我按照小費導遊

之建議，找好一家黑板上，寫有今日特價菜單，這是西班牙週日之特

別價格，約是九歐元，再加上一瓶酒，啤酒或葡萄酒，我選葡萄酒，喝

完一瓶，又叫了一瓶，然後喝醉，是和侍者結帳後，侍者就找兩位警察

，護送我回車站，然後我就失去記憶，醒來時，已錯過三點火車，只好

再補買另一張票，我吃東西，斤斤計較，犯錯時，浪費更多。

車上聽到一位中國太太打電話，於是我就向她搭訕，原來她是來自遼寧，

怕我不知安東，再補充是北朝鮮邊界，幾年前投資四萬美元，來巴塞隆納

打天下，是位裁縫師傅，能搭高鐵從巴塞隆納，到馬德里，接恰生意，表

示生意穩定。她建議我到西班牙鄉下，買房退休，生活將是非常舒適，我

因酒醉剛省，沒有向她說明，我對西班牙物價之看法，也許她說的是，我

出入場所，都是觀光旅遊區，東西當然比較貴。

車快到站，她建議我同搭其專車，也是一位中國男士，專門開車接送，講

好車資，她們先送我到加西亞大道旅社，翌日，我就搭車到西班牙東南角

落，馬拉卡市。

Visiting Portbou, Spain/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Portbou, Spain/ Carlos Pueblo

Portbou is on the northeast border of Spain with France. I have purchased

a nine days train ticket and planned to take a high speed train AVE to

 Figueres to check how fast it is. Actually, I took a regular train and boarded

at a wrong station. Once the train arrived at Figueres, I changed my mind to

 go to Portbou, the final stop. There is another Portbou, France and I think

that I can just walk across to the border; however, on the Eurail map, the

 border town on French part is Cebere. This is the first time when I see

Spanish field which is dry in compare with Taiwan, and the crops are olive

, grape, almond, and may have some wheat. I am surprised that Spain should

Be an agricultural country.

Portbou is a hill town of 1,214 residents. From the train station, you can have

look down to hill to view the town which is facing the Mediterranean. Most of

the residence are on the half way of the mountain. I walked down the stairs to

the town center near the beach. The lady in the information center suggested

me visit Walter Benjamin Memorial. He was a German philosopher who

committed suicide at this town during World War II by overdose heroin. He was

buried in the town cemetery. He was under Nazi’s oppression due to his Jewish

religion and his thought against Hitler’s. He escaped from Germany to Paris, then

to Portbou and was waiting for the visa to Lisbon, Portugal to immigrate to U.S.

Franco’s police got him and he had no other way to go. Recently an Israeli built

this memorial in honor of his work. In the memorial, there is a narrow stairway

between two wall towards the sea symbolizing a light of hope after darkness.

Many bikers choose Portbou’s hilly road for their trip. After checking the internet,

I learned that Portbou played a major role during Spanish Civil War. It served as

a main station for the Republican army to receive supply from France while the

Nationalist, Franco’s army, received theirs from Nazi Germany and Facis Italy.

The Republican lost and Spain had been under Franco’s dictatorship until 1975,

the same year for the death of Chiang Kai-sek. Spain has become a democratic

nation yet Taiwan had been under Chiang’s son.

I read an article about a nightly train from Paris to Barcelona starting at 9:30 pm

Passing through Portbou and arriving at 8:00 am in Barcelona. It is at daybreak

between Portbou and Barcelona, you still can enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean.

波特菠行/莊峻華

波特菠行/莊峻華

波特菠在西班牙東北，與法國交界，我買一張九日用火車票，原想

搭乘西班牙高鐵，到維沽拉站，結果搭錯火車，搭普通車，每站都

停，問清楚後，乾脆坐到終站，波特菠鎮，我想走路，就可以跨越

法西邊界，我在網路上，看到法國也有波特菠，不過邊鎮，應是塞

別羅鎮。這是我首次，見識到西班牙農村原野，像是乾燥之高原，主

要農作物是，橄欖樹和葡萄，也看到一些麥田，很奇怪，西班牙應該

是一農業國度。

波特菠是一山鎮，濱臨地中海，從火車站，可以俯瞰整個海灘，小鎮，

和碼頭，剛才我才知道，人口僅1,214人，許多住宅，都在山腰上。遊

客中心女士，建議我拜訪，自殺德國哲學家，華爾特‧邊哲明。他是位

德國猶太人，得罪納粹黨，從德國逃到巴黎，也已經安抵波特玻鎮，準

備再取得葡萄牙簽證，從里斯本移民美國，但西班牙警察，受納粹德國

壓力，逼得邊哲明，服多量海落英自殺，遺體葬在鎮內天主教公墓。近

代有位以色列富人，出資在公墓立碑，並有窄巷石縫階梯到海，有海闊

天空寓意。

許多機車客，選擇這段，邊界山路旅行，回休市後，讀維基字典，波特菠

鎮，在西班牙內戰中，扮演共和軍補給軍火，重要角色，軍火彈藥等，需

要火車經過法國，運輸到波鎮，用以對抗佛朗哥之國民軍，佛朗哥有納粹

德國和法西斯義大利撐腰，結果共和軍敗，西班牙一直在佛朗哥獨裁統治

下，到1975年，當年蔣介石也死亡，但台灣仍然在蔣經國鐵蹄下，西班牙

國王，宣佈新政府，為民主憲政體治。

許多人坐夜車，從巴黎，經波特菠鎮，到巴塞隆納玩，晚上九點半出發，到

波鎮是早上六點，兩小時後，到達巴塞隆納，沿途尚可欣賞地中海岸風景。

A man released himself as a pigeon/ Carlos Pueblo

A man released himself as a pigeon/ Carlos Pueblo

In modern Taiwanese idiom to release a pigeon means a man is late

for his appointment with a friend, or even forgets the original appoint-

ment. He makes the friend wait and the friend looks as a released pigeon.

What is released pigeon? In the old time Taiwan, we call her Formosa,

man grew pigeons as personal hobby. He would release his pigeons to

the sky for flying exercise twice a day, morning and before sun set. It

was because that the pigeon needed such exercise and learned to fly back

to the cage. There were contests for pigeons flying from the south end of

the island to Taipei almost several times in a year. Once, the pigeon was

released, it would fly 400 Km distance home. Some of them might not

make it during the itinerary.  We call this case for the pigeon as a released

pigeon. I ran into a man in Barcelona, Spain released himself as a pigeon

and I helped him back to his tourist group. His name is Der Song Chen of

Banchao, New Taipei City.

I was sitting on a step to Barcelona Cathedral listening to two street guitar

players  performance. I saw this sweet potato face man and I asked him in

Taiwanese. You didn’t catch up with your group? He was released when

saw me. I, therefore, congratulated  him for running into me. Instead of

waiting at the spot, because I saw his team 30 minutes before, we started

searching the museum which was not allow camera, food, and backpack etc.

when entered. We asked the security polices for direction, store owners,

and information, and three museums nearby without any luck. The group had

been long gone.

He did remember that they would go to a Four Cats Restaurant for dinner. We

found four cats yet the night’s reservation was not his group. Luckily, he found

a restaurant nearby where his group had lunch. The waiter remembered the

group and called the lady Spanish guide to inform her the pigeon was here.

He was instructed to wait in the restaurant for the guide to pick him up. He

Bought me a plate of spaghetti, under the menu del dia, and the waiter treated

Me two glasses of beer.

This is a happy ending and I have ever since brag about it for my good deed.

I must thank the waiter and the chef for their kindness and hospitality. I did

Write down the restaurant’s name:

Melic del Gotic Restaurante

It is just three or four stores next to the Four Cats Restaurante, which I am

informed as a famous restaurant in Taiwan tourist industry for its life show.

自放粉鳥者/莊峻華

自放粉鳥者/莊峻華

粉鳥為鴿也，舊台灣有飼粉鳥者，習慣放粉鳥，每天早晚各一次，

有比賽甚至從台北運粉鳥到屏東鵝鑾鼻，放粉鳥飛回台北，比賽速

度。放粉鳥活動，已經式微，但台語成語中，常見此語，意指約會

爽約，令人久候；帶人出遊，自己消失，令友落單。我在巴塞隆納

老廣場，休息聆聽街頭藝人，表演吉他，坐在台階上，看到一位台

灣男士，神情憂慮，我知道他是蕃薯面，所以台語問他，隊無著團？

他如獲釋重，說是是啊，我說你的團已經離開30分鐘矣，因為我在

小費導遊課結束後，因擬再上一課，再集合廣場等候，見到一隊台灣

團，由一西班牙女士，舉旗帶過馬路，我還幫一位自放粉鳥者，自己

也成粉鳥，需要歸隊，那位粉鳥著西服，也是手持堪農相機，都想多

拍張相片，頓時落單。這位男士，便裝也是好相機，後來告訴我其大

名為，板橋之陳德松先生。

我先恭喜他遇見我，於是我描述他之台灣團，和那位西班牙女導遊，一

切印證符合，此團有36位台灣遊客，來自台灣，美國，加拿大，和日

本等地之台灣人。中餐在一家餐廳，接近四貓餐廳，我請他放心，我可

以幫助問路，至少可以幫忙找到晚餐之餐廳。因為粉鳥已失，半小時以

上，所以不宜原地苦候，因為台灣導遊，有固定行程，而且有其他35位

，需要照顧，所以我按照他之描述，尋找一座博物館，不能照像，也不能

帶背包者，此附近有數家博物館，我們一一查對，仍然無該團蹤影，西班

牙人，一聽我解說，立即全力幫忙，就是說找到警察局，也有語言困難。

於是我們決定，找四貓餐廳，四貓我把它說成西班牙語，真是畫蛇添足，

餐廳是英文原名，有現場表演，所以號稱都聞名台灣。四貓女侍者，查晚

上訂位，只有22位，沒有36位，所以粉鳥認為記錯，晚餐四貓，應該是

隔一天，但他找到午餐之餐廳，而且也認出一位菲律賓女侍者，女侍也認

出為放粉鳥，所以一位男侍，立即電話連絡那位西班牙女導遊，立刻連絡

上，決定要陳留下，待導遊來領回。

故事圓滿解決，這餐廳人很親切，比四貓好太多，我把餐廳大名抄下，

Melic del Gotic Restaurante

就在四貓隔三、四家，陳先生請我一碗義大利麵，餐廳請我喝啤酒。

Tipping tour guide/ Carlos Pueblo

Tipping tour guide/ Carlos Pueblo

There is an advertisement on the hostel wall for free tour to cover the

city on foot. Free, if you insist not to pay the free tour guide, that is the

only income he will receive. This is a kind of job in Spain and the guide

will explain it at the beginning of the tour. Most of the tourist is very

generous; therefore, after a 2 ½ hours tour, the guide should receive

some good income. I have joined three free tour during my stay in Spain

and I enjoy every one of it. This is a short cut for me understand the city

and its history and cultural background. On the second day in Barcelona,

I walked towards the free tour gathering point, la Plaza de l’Angel. The

Team left when I arrived; therefore, I followed an advice to catch up

with the team at a nearby museum.  

Most of the museum, churches, old allies, old buildings etc. in Barcelona

are with good shape and good maintenance. She pointed three flags above

the Museum, European Union, Spain, and Catalan. On the other side of a

civilian building, there are some more flags with a Cuban shape flag triangle.

She explained the reason. Catalan people, there are 4 provinces in the north

east part of the country, have a strong desire to be independent away from

Spain. They even admire Cuban who is independence. I am interested and

have checked the history after I come home to Houston. After the tour, I did

follow her back to the original gathering square and chatted her some more

about self- determination. She says that she notices Taiwan’s situation and

insists that Taiwan is not along, Basque in Spain, Quebec in Canada, Tibet

in China, Scotland in the United Kingdom, and more. I have since recognized

that triangle shape of Catalan flag in Barcelona, on my way to Portbou and

city of Portbou near French border.

There is a Chinese family from Shanghai, the adult daughter bring both

parents to Spain for a visit. Mother who has been to Taiwan is very impressed

with Taiwan, clean and politeness of Taiwanese. Her daughter explains to me

her plan to take a night train south to Granada and visit the famous Alhambra

Palace of the Moors. I was very close to Granada one day later at Cordoba and

decided to skip Granada; however, I should go back in October. I always wonder

what has been happened in Spain since the Re-conquesta, the expelling of the

Moors, Muslims, and Jews. I thought that Spain missed the industrial revolution.

There are two huge cathedral not too far between them, one was built in 200

years duration by the kingdom while another in a less period by civilian. She is

a liberalist. She pointed out a firing wall on a school yard by Francisco Franco

during the Spanish Civil War. That wall still kept the bullets holes.