The Danube River on a cruise ship (1)

The Danube River that flows through Budapest. (Chen Qing/map)

Haruki Murakami wrote in his European note "Drums in the Distance": "I often hear drums in the distance. Listen carefully in a quiet afternoon, and you will feel its echo deep in your ears. These drums make me want to embark on a journey and I can't think of it. " He also wrote: "Travel is a spiritual transformation again and again, and I don't want to get old while dealing with daily life." These words really won the hearts of people who love to travel. Many people should often hear the call of "drums in the distance" on the road, sometimes by themselves, sometimes with their families and lovers, and go out to pursue them again and again.

I have been to Europe many times, and I took a cruise for the first time. The advantage of taking a cruise is that you don't have to change hotels, you don't have to work hard, and you have more energy to absorb the stories outside. This summer vacation, we spent 1 1 day along the Danube, crossed Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria, and stopped at the famous historical cities and towns with stories along the most beautiful Wacho Valley on the Danube.

The boss of the cruise company is Norwegian and the company is registered in Switzerland. In the past, the biggest customer was an American, and in 2000, an American ship was opened. So far, American tourists are also their biggest customers-60 of the company's 65 cruise ships are American ships, which penetrate into European waters like spiders. The other five ships are China ships-in 2065438+06, this cruise company opened the China ship for the first time, and all the guests were from China. China has rapidly grown into a middle-income country, and its strong consumption power cannot be ignored. When we set out, the American ship and the China ship set out at the same time. Sometimes two cruise ships sail in parallel, sometimes separately, and finally they will come together. This is a scene with realistic metaphors.

In China, except the captain, all the crew members on board are from China, and the catering on board is mainly Chinese food. Pancake fruit, steamed stuffed bun fried dough sticks, Dandan Noodles and Peking Duck are all available, which fully respects the taste of China people. On the maiden voyage, there were not many guests on board, 86 rooms, and the occupancy rate was less than half. But soon, this number changed. Since 20 18, the number of tourists has increased by spurt, often in Man Cang, and there are usually three people in a family of five, old, middle-aged and young.

This 1 1 day 10 Danube route starts at 23,000 yuan per person, and the most expensive "luxury family suite" is more than 60,000 yuan per person. Accommodation and travel are all inclusive, but air tickets and visa fees are not included. In other words, to board this cruise ship, each person needs 30,000 RMB less, and a family of three will spend 654.38+10,000 RMB. The fare draws a line for the tourists on board. In other words, the tourists on this cruise ship are basically middle-class people from China, and they are a group of people who get rich first. Most of them are traveling abroad for the first time. This kind of travel with Chinese service personnel and Chinese tour guides has made their first step of "going out" much easier.

The only entertainment facility in the cruise room is the TV set, and there is no satellite connection. The movie list is fixed and changed regularly. In the recent movie list, one of the few movies related to Asians is Crazy Rich Asians, which was very popular in the United States on 20 18 and was later shown in China cinemas. There are indeed some "local tyrants" on the cruise ship, which are reflected in the upgrade itinerary, which is euphemistically called "once in a lifetime" itinerary. For example, the helicopter overlooking Wachau Valley is 549 euros per person, and the helicopter visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany is 2 129 euros per person. But as far as I know, not many people pay. China people have become rich, but the tourists on this ship have shown a moderately rational consumption concept, and "spend whatever money is needed", not to the point of madness.

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is the entrance to the Danube route. The impression of the older generation of China tourists on Budapest originated from the comedian Chen Qiang. After liberation, Chen Qiang came to Budapest to perform and was shocked by the local beauty. Since then, Chen Qiang has had two sons. He named his eldest son Chen Buda and his youngest son Peisi Chen. Later, everyone knew the story, and Peisi Chen became a famous comedy star. This anecdote also spread and became a story of Sino-Hungarian friendship.

The younger generation didn't take this story seriously. More young artists are directing wes anderson's film The Grand Budapest Hotel. However, this is a "joke" played by Anderson in Budapest. In addition to the authenticity of the hotel lobby, the hotel itself is a temporary model, and the location is almost entirely shot in Germany. In other words, this film has nothing to do with Budapest except its title.

The yellow tram No.2 can be seen everywhere in Budapest, which is the landmark of the city. (Chen Qing/map)

In fact, many places in Europe are implicated by names, which makes the public misunderstand. For example, the Danube, Johann Strauss II's famous waltz is called Blue Danube. Anyone who has been to the Danube has found that the Danube is often green, sometimes yellow or brown, with all colors except blue. Why does the Danube in the photo look blue? That's because the sky in Europe is too blue. When the weather is good, it is mapped on the river, and the river is dyed blue.

Our guide is tall, in his fifties. He is a native Hungarian and knows China very well. He speaks fluent Chinese with an accent. "985" graduated from Chinese Department of Roland University, and went to Peking University and Zhejiang University to study Chinese in 2003 and 2006 respectively. Later, he worked in Zhengzhou for a period of time and visited many mountains and rivers in China. "Gaoshandu" is his own name. His explanation is that his English name is "Alexander", which is homophonic with Chinese for "great pressure". After another harmony, he turned to "Du Shan". This explanation sounds far-fetched, but it also proves Gaoshandu's understanding of China culture.

Budapest has the world's first public park called "Citizen Park". When we passed by, sunbathers and their dogs were lying on the grass in twos and threes. "It's so comfortable. Unlike China, there are people everywhere. " The old lady in Chengdu who is in the same boat can't help but sigh. Her husband replied, "That's why I asked you to come out and see more." "Open your eyes" has become the first purpose of many families on this cruise ship.

The population of Hungary is really small, with a national population of 6.5438+0.9 million, which is not as big as that of Beijing. Budapest, as the capital, has a pitiful population of less than 6.5438+0.5 million, and the number is decreasing day by day. Gaoshandu said that one of the important reasons is that people in the city think Budapest is too crowded and there is a big traffic jam during commuting hours, so they moved to a small town on the outskirts of Budapest. "I used to think it was quite reasonable, but since I went to China and Peking, I don't think so after I came back." He ha ha smiled.

Walking in this city, pick up a building with a history of hundreds of years. Most of the buildings in the city center were built in the middle of 19 century, and Budapest people are quite proud of these old buildings: chain bridge,170; The oldest cable car in Europe, running for 140 years; On the Castle Hill in Buda, near the Magash Church, there is a restaurant called "Tarnok", which has been open for 600 years and is still open today ... so that the first impression of Budapest is always old.

The iron cable bridge across the Danube is one of Budapest's landmarks. (Chen Qing/map)

"We don't like modernization very much." Gaoshan said to me. 1970 In the 1980s, when the Hungarian government made great efforts to modernize and built three five-star hotels along the Danube River, people at that time rejoiced and thought that Hungary's modernization had begun. Decades have passed, now look at the three modern products of that year. They are black, square and ugly, and are ridiculed by the locals as the "scars" of the Danube.

The ship sailed all night and arrived in Bratislava, Slovakia, at noon the next day. This is a relatively unpopular city, and many people have never heard of its name before. Because its neighbor Prague, Czech Republic, is too famous and gorgeous, Bratislava is often the one who sits on the bench.

As mentioned above, I am still laughing at Hungary's small population. Compared with Bratislava, it is also a "populous country". Slovakia has a population of only 5 million, and the capital Bratislava accounts for one tenth, or 500,000 people.

The most famous building in this city is the Bratislava Castle built on the hill. A considerable part of it was built by the Grand Duke of Austria and Mother Maria Teresa for her beloved daughter Christina. It's interesting to talk about Teresa. She was nicknamed "European mother-in-law". In 20 years, she gave birth to 12 children. When their daughters came of age, they were all sent out and became "princesses" in neighboring countries. It was through this form of marriage that Mother Teresa consolidated Austria's imperial position.

There are many statues hidden in the streets of Bratislava, the most famous of which is a statue called "Kumir". Kumir is a sewer repairman. The cover plate of the sidewalk wellhead was opened. He just repaired the obstacle from the sewer and got out of the ground. He had a rest on his stomach for a while. His helmet was still covered with mud and his hands were dirty, but it was obvious that the work had been finished and there was a smile on his lips. In the European "statue world" where royalty, nobles and religious celebrities abound, this statue is very precious. It is a tribute to the civilian class and a hymn of labor.

Bratislava's famous "Kumir" statue features an ordinary sewer repairman. (Chen Qing/map)

Similarly, when the ship arrived in Bratislava, the cruise staff provided us with two choices: one was to visit Bratislava with a guide, and the other was to drive to Austria's outlets with a guide. Most people choose the former. Other additional items are also very popular, such as trying on local traditional costumes while in Rome, visiting a photography museum and tasting local specialties accompanied by a tour guide, and these additional trips only cost more than ten euros. In the eyes of foreigners, China tourists have changed from blind consumption to exploring foreign cultures, which is also an improvement.

European culture and history are hidden in churches, monasteries and castles. On the fourth day, the cruise ship took us to merke, a small town famous for its monastery. The Merk Monastery on the rocks in the town is called "the most beautiful monastery in the world".

No matter how you look at Melk Abbey, it doesn't look like a real monastery. It is not only magnificent, but also full of gorgeous baroque style, more like a palace. Later, the tour guide's explanation confirmed my impression that this monastery was originally the castle of Leopold I, the first ruler of Austria, so this town became the capital at that time. It was not until 1089 that the capital was changed to Vienna, and the original castle gradually evolved into a monastery.

Melk Abbey is a place where Benedictine believers practice. Benedictine is a Catholic monastery with three main teachings: amazing, wealth deprivation and will deprivation. This is a very diligent and Puritan Sect. At its peak, there were more than 500 Buddhists. Today, there are only 33 Benedictines in Austria. The Benedictine church, which advocates "absolute wealth", practices in the most luxurious monastery in the world. How much determination and determination do Christians have to resist these secular temptations?

Benedictine monastery in Merck. (Chen Qing/map)

Coming out of Merke and sailing westward along the Danube, we landed in Linz, the third largest Austrian city. This is a transit station, take a bus to the southwest 132 km, which is Salzburg; Drive 85 kilometers to the north, and you will enter the Czech Republic, where there is the world cultural heritage town of Krumlov.

Linz is not a tourist city, and the scenery looks boring, similar to many cities in China, with many modern new buildings. But in fact, it has a secret identity-it is the hometown of Adolf Hitler, where Hitler spent his whole adolescence. Yes, a war fanatic who incited and led Germany to launch World War II was an Austrian. In Baidu Encyclopedia, Linz's introduction can't see Hitler's shadow. Perhaps Linz himself can't wait to erase Hitler from his city memory.

Many historians have thoroughly studied why Hitler hated Jews so much. To sum up, the primary reason is of course related to religion. In addition, the serious polarization between the rich and the poor at that time could not be ignored. Jews are born to be good businessmen, so in Europe, Jews were once synonymous with "rich people". When poor people can't even afford to drink milk, rich Jewish businessmen have stored tons of milk. Because they can't sell at a good price, they prefer to wait for the milk to go bad before pouring it into the Danube. All kinds of details have invisibly increased the opposition among the people. It can be said that when Hitler left Linz to study painting in Vienna to make a living, his hatred for Jews had reached the bone.

Leave Linz by car and drive to Salzburg for one and a half hours.

Aerial view of Salzburg. (Chen Qing/map)

Salzburg is one of the most popular tourist cities in Austria. It has several business cards, the former residence of Mozart and the hometown of karajan and Doppler. Music, art and science have all produced top talents. The cobblestone streets, limestone castles and medieval original cast iron signboards preserved in a large area give it a retro charm. Another reason that attracts many tourists is the famous Hollywood movie The Sound of Music. The prototype and shooting location of the story are in Salzburg, and many people can hum a paragraph or two of Doraemon and edelweiss.

But when I really approached Salzburg, I was a little disappointed. Mozart is consumed everywhere in this city. In addition to all kinds of place names named after Mozart, there are all kinds of Mozart's hand gifts, Mozart's chocolates, Mozart's candy balls, Mozart's perfume, Mozart's daily necessities ... Mozart can basically be equated with Disney's ubiquitous Mickey. What's more, in its bustling commercial street "Wugu Hutong", shops of all sizes, as soon as they walk in, are confronted with the strong flavor of Yiwu small commodities, and the Austrian rigorous craftsman spirit seems to have lost their strength one by one. Perhaps the sudden influx of tourists in recent years has overwhelmed Salzburg, so it has to be shoddy to satisfy the greedy appetite of tourists.

Of course, if you just stroll around the city and buy nothing, Salzburg will still unveil its charming skirt.

In contrast, another Czech town, Krumlov, is much more interesting. The German name of the town is "Czech Krumlov", so it is called CK Town for short. From 65438 to 0994, the whole town was listed as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO. Vltava river, the mother river of the Czech Republic, became gentle when it reached Krumlov, and surrounded the town in a horseshoe shape.

CK town surrounded by vltava river. (Chen Qing/map)

Walking in the town, people in the Middle Ages took the same road, and even the buildings on both sides did not change much. The merchants in the building can change their owners at most, and Baroque, Goth, Rococo ... all kinds of architectural styles are integrated here. For 6.700 years, this land seems to have been blessed by heaven, not trampled by war or army, and even natural disasters are rarely visited, so buildings of all sizes are well preserved.

In addition, it also benefits from its title of "World Cultural Heritage". Since it is a "heritage", the appearance must not be changed, and there will be a special person to monitor, enlarge the satellite image and monitor the trend of the town. If the appearance is renovated, it will be ordered to change back to its original appearance, and there is a risk of being banned from the title of "World Cultural Heritage". Tourism is now the number one industry supporting Krumlov's economy. Once its cheese is moved, it will affect the work of tour guides, restaurants, hotels and other industries in the town. Therefore, the residents in the town are very careful and will never easily break ground on historic sites. So that there are many blank murals on the walls of the castle. The original murals have gradually faded and become blurred because of the erosion of years. Artists dare not guess what the original picture looks like, preferring to leave it blank.

As a popular tourist destination, CK Town certainly has many souvenir shops, but there are others here. You can kayak on the crystal clear vltava river, and when you are tired, you can find a beer house to quench your thirst. In order to avoid the crowds, these beer houses are specially opened in forests far away from tourist areas, and you have to work hard to find them.

Chen Qing