葡萄牙大西洋沿岸的魔幻辛特拉

by Isabel Choat德孟译

OUT THERE 梦幻之旅

葡萄牙大西洋沿岸的魔幻辛特拉

by Isabel Choat德孟译

濒临大西洋的葡萄牙小镇辛特拉虽与首都里斯本咫尺之隔，却风情迥异。除了沙滩、冲浪与美食之外，风格混搭的宫殿、城堡和别墅坐落在悬崖上和起伏的山峦间，人文景观与自然风光充分融合在一起，充满了迪斯尼式的魔幻与神秘，富可敌国者和一文不名者都在这儿找到了归属感。联合国教科文组织为辛特拉特设了一个 “文化风景”类别，将它列为世界遗产。

“ The best ones are right under the rocks,” said Nuno Aramac, before slipping under the water like a seal. The two of us had swum to the base of a cliff where we were collecting1)goose barnacles. I say “we”, but it was actually Nuno who was doing all the work, scraping away at the rocks with a2)chisel-like tool, ducking and diving then popping back up waving a handful of strange sea creatures and grinning.

“最好的都在岩石下面呢。”努诺·阿拉马克说完，就像海豹似的一头扎进了水里。我们两人已经游到了悬崖脚，在那儿捡鹅颈藤壶。虽然我说“我们”，但其实是努诺自己做完了所有的工作，他拿一个凿子似的工具刮下岩石上的鹅颈藤壶，钻到水下潜游，然后突然抓着一大把奇异的海洋生物冒出头来，咧开嘴笑着。

1) goose barnacle 鹅颈藤壶，狗爪螺，一种海洋贝类，号称“来自地狱的海鲜” 2) chisel ['tʃɪz(ə)l] n. 凿子；錾子

The spectacular stretch of Atlantic coast just north of Lisbon, with its rugged cliffs, crashing waves and near-empty stretches of sandy beach is famed for two things: surfng and seafood. The most-prized of the latter is the goose barnacle, beloved of food writers. “One of the most beautiful foods on the planet,” wrote Guardian food blogger Charlie Skelton,“the bright3)enamelled head with its ruby lips sits atop a snakeskin sleeve which pulls away to reveal a glossy,4)lucent fnger of fesh,5)marbled and grey at the neck, bright orange at the tip.”

Sit on the6)terrace of any local eatery and order fsh that was caught hours before, and cooked with just a splash of olive oil and lemon. The fact that you’ll end up paying about half what you would for a similar meal in the UK makes it all the sweeter.

I ate clams in white wine at the cafe on Adraga beach—said to be one of the most beautiful in Europe; worked my way through a platter of bass, bream, mussels and prawns at more7)upmarket Mar do Inferno, at the most westerly point of Europe; and, most memorably of all,8)tucked into giant scarlet shrimps at Azenhas do Mar, a restaurant set into the cliff in the village of the same name.

Having eaten my own body weight in seafood, it was only right to try the area’s other big draw: surfng. Nuno, my barnacle-picking guide, is also a talented surfer and agreed to give me a lesson. I met him and his family at their little house on Praia Grande, the largest beach on the Cascais-Sintra coast. The sea was unusually calm, perfect for a beginner like me, so after a quick rehearsal on the sand, we9)waded into the water. Suddenly the gentle waves seemed a little less so. And after 20 minutes of me battling through surf, only to come back to shore10)squealing while lying fat on the board, Nuno had some friendly advice:

“It’s much easier if you dive under like a fsh, instead of fghting through them,” he said.

里斯本北面壮丽的大西洋海岸有着崎岖的悬崖、汹涌的浪涛和空旷的沙滩，还因两样东西而名扬天下：冲浪和海鲜。鹅颈藤壶是海鲜中的珍品，是美食评论家的心头之爱。《卫报》的美食博主查理·斯凯尔顿写道：“鹅颈藤壶是这个星球上最美丽的食物之一，珐琅质感的亮色头部，宝石红的边缘，下面是蛇皮质感的筒套，剥开之后，露出光滑透明的触手，颈部为灰色，带有大理石的纹理，尖端是鲜橘色。”

任意坐在一家当地小餐馆的阳台上，点上一味几个小时前刚捕捉的、加以橄榄油和柠檬烹煮而成的鱼。而最后付款时只需在英国享用差不多一顿饭的一半价钱，不禁让人感觉食物更美味了。

阿德拉加海滩据说是欧洲最美的海滩之一，我在那儿的一家咖啡馆吃了蛤蜊，配以白葡萄酒；在欧洲最西端（罗卡角）更高档的“地狱之海”餐厅努力消灭了一大盘鲈鱼、海鲤、贻贝和对虾；而最难忘的是，在阿泽尼亚什滨海渔村的同名悬崖餐馆里狂吃绯红大虾。

吃过了和我体重相等的海鲜以后，去尝试一下当地的另一大特色准没错：冲浪。我的鹅颈藤壶捕捞向导努诺也是个冲浪能手，他答应教我冲浪。我和他还有他的家人们在大普拉亚海滩上他们的小房子里见面，大普拉亚是卡斯凯什至辛特拉沿岸最大的海滩。海水异常平静，对我这样的初学者最好不过了，因此在沙滩上简单演练过以后，我们淌进了水里。突然，柔和的浪花似乎变得没那么平静了。在我挣扎着冲浪20分钟以后，终究还是回到了岸上，平躺在甲板上发牢骚。努诺温和地建议：

“如果你像鱼一样潜到水下，而不是和海浪较劲儿，就会容易得多。”他说道。

3) enamelled [ɪ'næm(ə)ld] adj. 瓷漆的，珐琅质的

4) lucent ['ljuːsnt] adj. 明亮的，透明的

5) marbled ['mɑːbəl(ə)d] adj. 有大理石花纹样的

6) terrace ['terəs] n. 阳台，平台，梯田

7) upmarket ['ʌp,mɑː kɪt] adj.高档的，高消费的

8) tuck into 大吃

9) wade into 涉入（浅水、沙滩）

10) squeal [skwiːl] v. 高声诉苦，抱怨

11) profle ['prəʊfaɪl] n. 侧面像，侧影

12) encompass [ɪn'kʌmpəs] v. 包含，围绕

13) dune [duːn] n. 沙丘，亦作sand dune

I’m sure he was right. Too bad we never found out. Feeling the rush of water over my head, as he encouraged me to duck beneath a wave, I panicked and accidentally headbutted him. The lesson ended there, with poor Nuno joking that I’d changed his11)profle and me fearing I’d broken his nose.

In this region north of Lisbon, the coast is only half the story, though. The Sintra-Cascais natural park extends inland,12)encompassing sand13)dunes, vineyards, wooded hillsides and, at its centre, the town of Sintra.

我肯定他是对的。很可惜当时我们没想到这点。他鼓励我扎进海浪中时，我感觉到海水劈头盖脸而来，就慌了，一不小心我的头撞到了他，冲浪课就不得不到此为止了。倒霉的努诺开玩笑说我可能会毁了他的侧脸轮廓，而我担心他的鼻梁会被我撞断了。

不过，在里斯本北部这个地区，海岸并不是唯一的景色。辛特拉-卡斯凯什自然公园向内陆延展，包含了沙丘、葡萄园、树木茂盛的山坡和位于其中心的辛特拉镇。

One of the oldest properties in town (an estate dating back to the 12th century) is now occupied by a most unusual hostel, the Almaa. The Almaa’s rooms are Spartan-inspired and its dark corridors have a touch of Scooby-Doo spookiness, but the nine acres of garden and the old stone reservoir-turned-natural swimming pool are lovely. And manager João de Mello, who runs the place as sustainably as possible on a14)shoestring, is a mine of information. It was João who arranged my surf lesson and also introduced me to local guide Maria João Martinho.

Leaving the hostel, Maria took me first to the Neolithic ruins of Adrenunes, hidden down an overgrown track. Once a sacred site, they offer 360-degree views of countryside, coast and, in the distance, Cascais and Lisbon.

In the mid-19th century, King Fernando II built his own summer palace, he named Pena, on the highest point of Sintra.15)Incorporating a 16th-century convent, the palace clashes Turkish-style domes with gothic16)facades.

Pena is considered the finest example of Portuguese romanticism, but it’s not the only wildly extravagant residence around here. A long line of well-travelled nobles and wealthy businessmen made Sintra their home so, in just a few square miles, you fnd an astonishing17)mishmash of styles.

The layers of history, the fairytale woods and winding forest roads lined with ancient fountains and chapels give Sintra a magical quality which is still attracting creatives, be they millionaires looking to convert a18)quinta or penniless artists like the woodworker João introduced me to, who is living in the forest as he builds an19)intricate wooden sculpture inside the crumbling walls of an old bottled-water20)plant.

Even in the town itself, you sense this alternative vibe. Café Saudade, a former cake factory on Avenida Miguel Bombarda, serves as a creative hub, offering free concerts, exhibitions by local artists and even a knitting club. Restaurant A Raposa looks more flm set than dining room, with its21)petal-strewn central table, hand-painted ceiling and lace place settings.

镇上最古老的地方之一（一个12世纪时建的庄园）如今成了极不寻常的一家旅馆——阿尔玛旅馆。该旅馆的房间设计灵感来源于斯巴达式的简朴风格，漆黑的走廊还有一点斯酷比狗式的惊悚，但九英亩的花园和由古老的石砌蓄水池自然形成的游泳池却很美。勉强维持小本经营的旅馆经理若昂·德·梅洛像是个活知识宝库。是他给我安排的冲浪课程，还把当地导游玛丽亚·若昂·马尔提诺介绍给我认识。

离开旅馆以后，玛丽亚先带我沿着一条掩映在莽莽草木之中的小路，前往阿得连努纳什新石器时代遗址。该遗址曾是宗教圣地，在这儿可以把乡村、海岸及远处的卡斯凯什和里斯本的360度全景尽收眼底。

在19世纪中期，葡萄牙国王费尔南多二世在辛特拉的最高点建了他自己的夏季离宫，并将其命名为佩纳宫。佩纳宫把一所16世纪的女修道院也囊括其中，宫殿的土耳其式穹顶和哥特式外墙相得益彰。

佩纳宫被认为是葡萄牙浪漫主义建筑的最佳典范，但它不是这儿唯一极尽奢华的宅邸。很多云游四海的贵族和富商也在辛特拉安家落户，不出方圆几英里，你便能找到风格混搭的建筑群。

厚重的历史，童话仙境般的树林和两旁错落排列着古代喷泉和小教堂的蜿蜒林中小路，都给予辛特拉一种魔幻色彩，如今还在吸引着创意设计人员，这些人当中有想前来建造乡间别墅的百万富翁，也有一文不名的艺术家——比如若昂介绍给我认识的一位木工艺家。他住在森林里，期间在桶装水工厂的破败围墙里打造一件精致的雕塑。

即使是在镇上，你也能感觉到与众不同的氛围。“怀旧咖啡馆”曾是米格尔·蓬巴达大道上的糕点工厂，如今是一个创意中心，当地的艺术家们在这举办免费的音乐会和展览，甚至是开办编织俱乐部。“拉珀莎餐厅”看起来更像是个摄影棚，餐厅中央的桌子上撒满了花瓣，天花板是手绘的，而整套餐具都有蕾丝花边装饰。

14) shoestring ['ʃuːstrɪŋ] n. 零星资金，小本经营

15) incorporate [ɪn'kɔːpəreɪt] v. 使加入，使合并

16) facade [fə'sɑːd] n.建筑物的正面，外表

17) mishmash ['mɪʃmæʃ] n. 混杂物，大杂烩

18) quinta ['kiːntə] n. （西班牙和拉丁美洲的）别墅，（带葡萄园等的）乡间宅邸

19) intricate ['ɪntrɪkət] adj. 精致的，复杂的

20) plant ['plænt] n. 工厂，车间

21) petal-strewn 撒满花瓣的

22) scandalous ['skændələs] adj. 丢脸的，可耻的，令人反感的

23) dandy ['dændɪ] n. 花花公子，过分注意修饰的，纨绔子弟

24) provocative [prə'vɒkətɪv] adj. 煽动的，挑衅的

25) G&Ts abbr. gin and tonic 金汤尼酒，由杜松子酒和奎宁水制成的饮料，常用一片柠檬或酸橙作装饰

26) famboyant [flæm'bɔɪənt] adj. 炫耀的，虚饰的

A certain eccentricity was tangible too at the second place I stayed: The House of the She Pine Tree, eight miles outside Sintra. Run by the d’Eça Leal family, who trace their roots to the founding of Portugal, She Pine Tree is part-guesthouse, part-museum devoted to the owner’s father, Olavo Correia Leite d’Eça Leal, who was, in the words of his son Tomaz, who now runs the house, “a22)scandalous23)dandy, a24)provocative wit, a shocking bohemian”, not to mention painter, poet and playwright who had six children with three wives and a successful career in advertising.

His son, Tomaz, is the perfect host, insisting guests help themselves to25)G&Ts from the honesty bar and make themselves at home on the well-worn sofa while he tells tales of his26)famboyant father.

And when your brain is full of stories of Sintra and its people, just a few miles away, a blast of Atlantic sea air on an empty beach will clear your head and make your time in that mysterious town seem like a dream.

在我的第二个留宿地点——距离辛特拉八英里的“雌松树旅馆”——也能实实在在地感受到某种古怪的氛围。旅馆由德艾萨·李尔家族经营，这个家族的历史和葡萄牙的建国史一样悠久。它半是小型家庭旅馆，半是老板的父亲奥拉沃·科雷亚·莱特·德艾萨·李尔的个人博物馆。奥拉沃在他儿子托马士（现任旅馆老板）的口中是“一个丢人的花花公子，爱抬杠的智者，令人咋舌的不羁文人”，更别提奥拉沃还是个画家、诗人和编剧，还有六个孩子、三个妻子和成功的广告事业了。

奥拉沃的儿子托马士是个完美的房东，执意让客人在无人值守的酒吧里尽情地喝金汤尼酒，让客人把旅馆当做自己家一样自在，坐在旧沙发上听他讲浮夸老爸的故事。

当你前行到几英里之外，脑子里还装满了辛特拉的故事和居民们的影子，空旷的沙滩上吹来一阵大西洋的海风就能清空你的思绪，让你感觉在这个神秘的镇上度过的时光就像是一场梦。

Sintra: Magic and Mystery on Portugal’s Atlantic Coast