Graz

Semantically there are numerous expressions conveying the identical message, though subtle distinctions in terms of emotion lie within the selection of exact words and the order that words are placed.

12/12/202212 min read

This blog is originally written in Chinese. The English translation may have slight differences from the original text.

- The one reason that brought me to Graz.

Graz是奥地利第二大城市。然而其实我本来并不知道这点，我知道第一、三、四分别是Wien、Linz、Salzburg，但我未曾知道Graz。

前一天还在Dresden，面对九个半小时的火车选项，毅然还是选择了在München转机，虽然从地理上似乎东辕西辙。

凌晨四点就出门登上S-Bahn，Dresden到München的航班上选好的左侧靠窗座位正好看到了日出，短暂的金光之后在大雾中降落München。

I did not know that Graz is the 2nd largest city in Austria, though I know the 1st, 3rd and 4th are Vienna, Linz and Salzburg respectively. I didn't know Graz.

I was in Dresden the night before. It was not a hard choice at all to choose flying through Munich rather than 9.5hr train journey, although it might seem like a detour geographically. Boarded Dresden S-Bahn around 4am. I pre-selected left side window seat on the flight from Dresden to Munich, and I was able to see the golden dawnlight albeit for a short while only, before landing in the heavy fog.

有些沮丧，本来München到Graz早已选好了靠窗的座位想着一路上可以看到奥地利的山脉，Hallstatt也在这侧。不曾想到这一程起飞后不久就穿过靠近地面的那层云雾，云开雾散。起飞之后首先是巴伐利亚的平原农田景观，看到Königssee国王湖就要进入奥地利境内了。

I was a bit upset, thinking I would not be able to see the mountains of Austria, and Hallstatt on the flight from Munich to Graz. Unexpectedly, after taking off in the fog near the ground, the sky became clear. I was able to see the rural farm scene of Bavaria. Spotting Königssee, I knew the plane was entering Austria.

进入奥地利境内，首先经过的城市就是Salzburg。然而恰巧飞机在此时爬升穿过第二道云层，因此也未能如愿。大约是航路在Hallstätter See上方，因此也未能看到，倒是看到了更远处的Wolfgangsee, Attersee和Mondsee。

The first city after entering Austrian airspace was Salzburg, but unfortunately I could not see it as the plane was ascending through the second layer of cloud above ground. Hallstätter See was probably below the flight path thus was invisible also, though I did recognise Wolfgangsee, Attersee and Mondsee.

飞机很快进入下降状态，看到Google Maps上标的Flughafen Graz内的一个卡丁车场后就到了。

It was a short flight and the plane started to descend not long after. There is a go-kart racing track in the premise of Graz airport. Upon seeing it, arrival was imminent.

小小的Graz机场很有效率，装饰也很有设计感，不幸的是洗手间需要下楼并且没有无障碍电梯。到达大厅一排各国语言的地图和本地刊物免费供取用。

Graz is a small airport and as the result it operates quite efficiently. The decor is modernist, although the toilet should not be placed at where the staircase leading to it is not wheelchair friendly. Maps in foreign languages and some brochures are provided for free on the shelves in the arrival hall.

走路穿过一片建筑工地去搭S-Bahn进城。中间没有路牌我一度以为自己走错了路，但最后还是柳暗花明看到了开放式的站台，进城的方向就在同侧不用跨过铁轨好评。十几分钟后便到了Graz Hbf。车站天花板鲜红的艺术作品引人注目，而此时我还不知道接下来的日子会经过多少次站外广场公交站巨大的环形屋顶。

There is a 5-min walk from the airport arrival hall to the airport S-Bahn station. The surroundings were mostly under construction and I doubted if I was walking on the correct path, but finally I reached the platform, which was on the side closer to airport more convenient for travellers. The S-Bahn train took me less than 20 minutes to arrive at Graz main train station. The ceiling of Graz main train station was a massive piece of artwork. I did not know yet how many times I would be passing the circular shelter outside the station in the following days.

早上十点到酒店，前台仅用了一分钟便麻利地递上房卡，放下行李就跳上电车去老城区了。电车有朴素的，有多彩的，有老式带台阶的，也有新式低地板的。之前我有些抗拒电车，但在2022年带屏幕显示到站信息的电车已经没有什么搭乘的困难了，没有查票和闸机也让它比地铁方便许多。为什么新加坡就没有tram呢？同是英国殖民地，墨尔本就有方便便捷的电车。陆上共享路权的有轨/无轨电车造价也远比地铁低，可能唯一的解释是空中交织如谱写一曲音乐的输电网不太美观吧。

Arriving at hotel front desk at 10am, and it took only a minute for me to get my room key. After dropping off my luggage, I left the hotel and hopped on a tram which took me to the old town. Condition and appearance of trams in Graz are diverse: some are painted in bold colours whereas some are painted in traditional, railway-associated colours; some are from older times whereas some are modern carriages. I was not used to taking a tram as I was afraid I could miss my stop due to being unfamiliar to the tram lines. Apparently it is no longer a concern with modern trams installed with screens showing the next stop information. Absence of gantry and ticket inspector makes tram a more accessible way of commuting than underground. I started to wonder why tram was not adopted in Singapore. Melbourne, which was a British colony, has tramlines that go to every corner of the city. Tram is also less costly than underground. Maybe the only explanation to my own question is that the overhead power supply lines which some find ugly. I do think so, too.

在小巷里七拐八绕就到了Glockenspiel，每天三次玩具人偶会沿着固定的轨道驶出窗户出来旋转，伴着清脆明亮的音乐钟声。人偶固然没有情感，来来往往的看客也乐得欣赏这一数年不变雷打不动的固定节目而不觉得乏味。

Glockenspiel is a landmark. The puppets go out for around 5 minutes at 11am, 3pm and 6pm everyday. Tourists like it although the puppets will not know.

欧洲正是深秋的时节，栗子是时令的食物，无论是烤栗子还是栗子蓉的包心巧克力。再看到vegan的栗子蓉gelato，本着事不过三的原则果断下手。之后离开时在机场免税店更是看到了栗子蓉利口酒。

Chestnut is a seasonal food in Europe around late autumn. I saw a kiosk selling roasted chestnuts, and later a chocolatier selling chestnut chocolate. I finally pulled the trigger when I saw chestnut paste gelato. Later when I left from Vienna airport, I even saw chestnut liqueur in the duty free shop.

格拉茨老城是世界遗产，世遗标志在Rathaus市政厅入口。友好城市里这次旅途里恰巧还去了意大利的Trieste (德语拼写Triest)，斯洛文尼亚的首都Ljubljana (德语名Laibach)，克罗地亚的Pula和Dubrovnik。德国的Darmstadt也在德国境内搭DB时途径过。

Graz old town was prescribed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. At the entrance of Graz city hall, I saw another post displaying all the partner cities of Graz. Among them, I visited Ljubljana (German name Laibach), Triest, Pula and Dubrovnik subsequently after my visit to Graz.

在Hauptplatz主广场沿街有着精美雕刻或壁画的外立面的房子，不知它们的前世，建造它们的主人是谁，而今生是确定的，它们如今都已变成了商铺。

There are some old houses with delicate façade near the main square. I don't know who built them and lived in them, but they are now being used as shopfronts.

路遇一家明黄主题色的门面，室内黑色金属质感的灯具、木质沙发、灰色织物坐垫和温暖的灯带的组合引得我驻足拍照。直到走到另一边，看到ATM方才意识到这是家银行。我零碎的几个词汇并不足以让我看懂全部内容，查了意思是“Without security (there is) no freedom. Security cannot be created if everyone only thinks about it for themselves. "

This shopfront caught my eye with black lamp with black metallic reflecting surfaces, wooden sofa with grey woven cushions decorated with warm strip light. I only realised this is a bank after I walked to the other end where an ATM is there. I cannot read all the German words so I took to Google Translate, and it says "Without security (there is) no freedom. Security cannot be created if everyone only thinks about it for themselves. "

Kunsthaus，艺术中心。建筑蓝色的玻璃façade和怪诞的外形在老城区的红瓦坡顶之中显得特立独行。从后巷的地上看去它仿佛一架飞艇；从顶上俯瞰又如同心脏；从正前方观察则像一个身上布满突触的外星来客。俗话说一千个人眼中有一千个哈姆雷特，无论是美术、雕塑、音乐、文学，人们都只看到他们自己投影反射的那一面。

Kunsthaus literally translates to "Art House". The building stands out from the houses in the old town with its eerie design covered with bluish glass façade. From the back, it looks like a airship; from above, it looks like a beating heart; and from the other side of the river it looks like an alien with some protrusions on its skin. What people see from whichever form of art, be it paintings, sculptures, music or literature, people only see the reflection of themselves.

路遇一家餐厅，这次条幅上写的我能看懂了，not all but all the best。弱水三千，只取一瓢。不同文化的人类的情感在此时相通。

A banner of a restaurant wrote "not all but all the best". In Chinese culture there is a proverb expressing the similar meaning. People from different cultures and distant territories share the same emotions even if they have never met each other.

Doppelwendeltreppe 双螺旋楼梯。于实用价值上可能除了增大人流量并没有特别的优点，似乎是顺应当时的时代潮流而建造的。

有说法说如果争吵中的情侣分别从两头走上楼梯，他们在顶端再会的时候就会和好如初。可是，已经疏远分飞的关系，真的能被冥冥中命运的螺旋拉回来和好如一吗？独自从底端走到顶端，再会的时候心境还能像高程一样平齐吗？

The Doppelwendeltreppe (double spiral staircases) is located in the Graz Burg. It does not provide much practice uses other than aesthetic values compared to traditional staircases. It was built to follow the fashion back in the days.

Some say if a quarrelling couple walk from the bottom, when they meet again at the top their relationship will recover. I highly doubt that. How can couples who are already distant love each other again by walking through a spatial contraint? How can they still feel the same after struggling through a hard time without each other?

Landeszeughaus。为了不落到拿破仑的侵略军手里，这些武器铁甲辗转多地最后被卖到塞尔维亚的Novi Sad (Нови Сад)，今天它们又回到了原来的地方，只是欧洲已经成为一片和平的土地而不是野心家的征场。精致设计的铁甲在更先进的武器前毫无招架之力，而这些沉重的甲胄后来最大的意义是显耀社会地位。人类的科技史同时也是一部武器发展史、战争史，而科技更多是穷兵黩武的副产物。人类这个物种热爱杀戮，却在枪炮声里发展壮大，这矛盾的特性让人着迷。

Landeszeughaus was the largest armoury of the state of Styria (German name Steiremark) in 15th to 17th century. During the invasion by Napolean's troops, most of the weapons were transferred and sold to Novi Sad, Serbia. It was restored and reopened as a museum in 1882. As weapons develop, armours become display of social status rather than protective equipment. Technology is often the by-product of wars along the entire human history. It is paradoxically fascinating to learn that civilisations evolve along with warfare.

Graz的城堡山。Graz城死守抵御拿破仑的铁骑多年后才因为法军威胁要毁掉维也纳而悲愤投降，法军毁掉了城堡和所有的防御工事，而市民们出资赎回了钟楼免受摧毁。

从华语的语境长大，对战争、围城与投降的感知都是扬州十日、嘉定三屠，而听到这个故事里守军和百姓没有被报复性屠杀，富人没有被清算，甚至胜利的一方还能同意百姓出钱赎回城里的建筑，这对我来说太不可思议了，震惊之余，感叹为什么会有这么文明的军队。

Graz Schlossberg. After long resistance to Napolean's troops, Graz finally surrendered to the French when the French threatened to destroy Vienna. The castle and fortification were completely demolished, but Graz people paid the ransom for the clock tower. I grew up in Chinese culture and this story came as a shock to me. About siege and surrender, my mind always relate them to revenge and massacre. But in this story of Graz, it just sounds way too civilised to me.

来到Joanneumsviertel，这是一个集合了几个不同主题的博物馆、美术馆的综合体。New Gallery里正在举办一场名为《远方战事》的特展。

从发源以来，欧洲就不是一片和平的土地。从希腊到罗马，到各个民族部落的混战，到贵族王室们的联姻与结盟、欺骗与背叛，到拿破仑，到一战和二战，即使是二战后表象的和平年代，布拉格、萨拉热窝、格罗兹尼依然传来枪炮声。人类建起城市，又砸烂它们。

Joanneumviertel is a complex consisting of some museums of different topics. In the New Gallery (Neue Gallerie), there was an exhibition titled "A War in the Distance" ongoing.

Europe is never as peaceful as one may think. Even in the seemingly peaceful time after WWII, conflicts and wars broke out in Prague, Sarajevo, Grozny, etc.

Museum für Geschichte，历史博物馆。展览文字都是德语的，不过在每个展厅入口有一本英语的小册子供参考，需要归还。

我没拿起翻译小册子，看得云里雾里。在历史的长河中个人的存在只是沧海一粟，what comes, what remains?

History Museum. The exhibitions are in German, but a booklet in English is placed at the entrance of each exhibition hall for those who needs it.

I didn't read the English booklet thus I didn't comprehend. The existence of individual is trivial in the entire human history. What really matters is what comes and what remains.

我踱到穆尔河边。穆尔河是一条小河，而人们常说大城市的标志是有一条著名河流穿城而过，按这个标准，三十万人口的Graz显然算不得大城市，北京也算不得大城市。穆尔河不是很宽，却在靠近Murinsel河心人工岛的河段有个落差，白色的水花拍打在河心爬满青苔的石头上，势能在这里消散，时间在这里逝去，而河水滋灌养育的人来来往往，不留踪影。

Mur river is a small river. Some reckon that a famous river flowing through a city makes it a large city. By that standard, Graz with 300,000 population certainly isn't a large city. Beijing isn't one either. There is a drop in elevation near Murinsel, where white splashes of water hit the rocks in the rivers. Gravitational energy dissipates and time flies. People come and leave, without any traces.

Murinsel是个为了2003年欧洲文化之都活动而设计建造的人工建筑，夜晚蓝色的灯光点亮，小剧场的台阶有如动感的波浪。

Murinsel is an artificial structure floating on the Mur river, designed for 2003 European Capital of Culture events. The stairs at the amphitheatre look like waves with the blue lightings at night.

太阳落下，夜幕降临。

似乎无论是在欧洲还是亚洲，人们都把锁当作爱情忠贞的象征。但桥就在那里静静地承受这一切，记得听说过某个旅游城市每年都要定期清理桥上挂的锁，不然桥已不堪重负。一个发明了几百年的机械结构能否锁住爱情是存疑的，不过有一点可以肯定的是，那些来这里的爱侣们，不管他们有没有一起走到最后，当他们挂上锁链扔掉钥匙的那一刻，他们的誓言是真诚的。

The sun set and the night fell.

Lock seems to be a symbol of fidelity both in European and Asian cultures. I once read that a tourist city has to clean the locks hanging on the famous ancient bridge periodically so as to maintain the bridge to be within its design load. How an ancient mechanism would guard love remains suspicious, but it is for sure that at least at the moment the couples come and place their lock and throw away the key, their vows are genuine and true.

夜晚的Hauptplatz和Jakominiplatz。临近圣诞，几天过去Hauptplatz的圣诞市场摊位已经布置好了，撤掉了围栏，人气也更多了。

Jakominiplatz是一大交通枢纽，天上纵横交错的电车输电线与点缀其中的路灯，在午夜带有湿度的空气里像漫天的繁星。

Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz at night. Christmas was coming and the Christmas market stands on the main square were setting up. People started to gather for mulled wine.

Jakomini square is a major tram hub. Standing lamp posts lighted up the sky, in the humid air at midnight it looked like starry night by illusion.