【環遊尋美拾遺錄】

【皇氏古建築大全】【黃劍博客圖文集】

【Jumbo Heritage List & The Globetrotting Adventure of Jumbo Huang】

第502回：高卢尼姆佩皮尼昂，捭阖伊比利亚半岛

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作品中图片不得直接或者间接用于以营利为目的一切商业行为，违者必究。本图文中部分章节文字内容可能局部来自公开网络或公有领域，仅供个人学习研究和欣赏而使用，没有明确商业用途。原创照片来源：《皇氏古建築大全》和《環遊尋美拾遺錄》及《黄剑博客图文集》）

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从法国马赛出发到达巴塞罗那的列车上，我们会先途经尼姆市，它是法国南部加尔省的省会，面积162平方公里，人口不足三十万，靠近地中海，每年阳光照耀的时间达到三百天以上。其以法国最暖热城市而著名，是一个既浪漫古典又现代的艺术之都。有泉水精灵之称的尼姆处处是造型特殊的喷泉，让整个城市充满活泼的气息。

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尼姆到处都有罗马的遗迹，这一点与阿尔勒很相似，但它的历史要比阿尔勒悠久。尼姆位于历史与人际交往的十字道。它的罗马古迹数量仅次于意大利的罗马市。尼姆是加尔省的省会，并是此省的最大城市，位于罗讷河以西。

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我们的火车也会经过罗讷河上的桥梁。隆河是流经瑞士和法国的大河，也是欧洲主要河流，法国五大河流之首，流往地中海的除非洲的尼罗河以外的第二大河流。源出瑞士境内南阿尔卑斯山达马施托克峰南侧罗讷冰川。在法、瑞边界通日内瓦湖流出后经法国东南部流入地中海。全长812公里，流域面积9.7万平方公里。在欧洲史上占有重要地位。上游出日内瓦湖后，沿阿尔卑斯山的西部高地边缘，切穿冰川横谷南流，转向西北再折向西至里昂，其间有安河和索恩河汇入。

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里昂至阿维尼翁为中游。河流在中央高地和阿尔卑斯山前地带之间流过，西岸多短小流急的支流和东岸山麓冰碛平原众多的支流注入。阿维尼翁以南为下游和三角洲地区，先后有阿尔代什河、加尔河和迪朗斯河等汇入。下游分大、小罗讷河两支入海形成三角洲。

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里昂至地中海之间的内河运输，成为联系法国北部、东部和地中海沿岸的重要通道。罗讷河水量丰沛，常常造成洪水灾害。1856年洪水冲毁了阿维尼翁城墙，给当地农业和人民的生命财产造成了巨大损失，这是该流域历史上发生的最大洪水。

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1910年和1935年的洪水，淹没了该地区的数十万公顷良田。罗讷河沿岸河网纵横，支流众多。公元前一世纪尼姆已为繁荣城镇。十六世纪时是基督教加尔文宗的重要流行地之一。葡萄酒、蔬菜和水果贸易中心。有纺织、食品、机械、制革等工业。交通中心。有许多古老的建筑：建于公元一世纪可容纳数万人的圆形剧场；高30多米的八角形塔；曾供应城市用水的古水塔等。

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这里的罗马竞技场虽然面积比不上罗马的斗兽场，但保存情况非常好，每年4、7、8月，还常在竞技场举行斗牛。这个城镇的四分之三的人口是新教徒，因此这里成了宗教改革时代虐杀教徒的胡格诺派的根据地，同时也是新旧两教派融合的“南特勒令”被废止时新教徒的亡命之地。

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近年来，尼姆对过去的竞技场进行了改建，同时增添了一些融入现代建筑风格的新设施等，使得这座城市重新焕发了活力。如今的尼姆，不仅拥有了两千年悠久的历史，而且同时还具有站在时代最前列的法兰西精神。这是一座能够令人同时体味出历史与未来的优美城市。

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尼姆有一个古代奇迹，那就是建于公元一世纪的伟大工程：加尔桥，是罗马时代的高架渠桥。据传，当时每天从50公里外的水源处于泽斯向尼姆供水二万立方米。乍一看来，这座高架渠桥呈水平形式，很难想像它是怎样使水流动的。其实，建筑技术堪称天才的罗马人，在设计时即已造好了坡度，水是由拱门的最上层流淌下来的。这座桥的风景美不胜收，基本算得上普罗旺斯独一无二的最佳休息地了。

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登上尼姆泉后面的丘陵，可以看到另一座古罗马遗迹马涅塔。该塔昔日原是用来眺望远处以防止敌人入侵的，现在塔内还有残留的有140级阶梯，可以拾级登塔，凭栏远眺，体验一下古罗马士兵守土御敌时的心情。而站在塔顶上，远近风景尽收眼底：前面是地中海沿岸的广阔平原，后面是连绵不尽的山峰，

而脚下则是尼姆老街。红褐色的屋瓦、绿色的树，衬托出美丽的中世纪石构建筑。四方形神殿位于古竞技场的后面，距竞技场约10分钟的路程。这是一座古旧的希腊罗马式神殿，神殿三面都是空地，令这座本身已经建筑得壮丽雄伟的殿堂更添一份气势。

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神殿的建筑特色是科林斯式的圆柱。这座建筑高约17米，深26米，建于公元前1世纪的奥古斯都大帝时代，它把罗马时期的神殿形式原原本本的保留了下来。古罗马竞技场是尼姆的主要罗马古迹之一，是当前世界保存得最完整的古罗马竞技场，也是世界上现存400座罗马竞技场中最大的20座之一。

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公元前49年时，马赛沦陷，尼姆城沦为罗马帝国的殖民地，当时社会经济非常繁华，因此今天在尼姆的街头，还可以看到许多古罗马时代的建筑物。竞技场建于公元2世纪初，罗马竞技场起源于猎人与野兽的争斗，后来更多的是角斗士之间的争斗，再演变为训练有素的角斗士们的争斗表演，如今进入现代生活，演变变成剧院和仪式表演。竞技场呈椭圆型，整个场地东西长133米，南北长101米。高21米，气势雄伟而典雅，拥有24000个座位，从外面可看到顶端的60道拱门，公元5世纪曾被歌德人当作军事要塞。

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坐在竞技场顶层可眺望整个尼姆市风光。竞技场旁边是自由广场，广场面积非常的大，与尼姆火车站遥遥相对。尼姆的奔牛节一般是在春季和夏季的主保圣人节期间举办，每天晚上日落凉爽时分，小城内就会响起一片沸腾的奔跑和尖叫声了。在地理位置上，尼姆接近意大利和西班牙，所以它有意大利的建筑，也有西班牙的风俗。奔牛节是西班牙潘普洛纳的传统节日，年轻人愿意冒着生命危险与斗牛同奔，体验惊险和刺激。

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火车离开尼姆之后，又到达了一座叫纳博讷市的地方，从很远的地方就能看到古城中间一座建在高地上的巨大城堡，公元前118年，高卢人建立了纳博讷，它位于高卢第一条罗马之路多美亚大道上，当时是作为殖民地而成立，将意大利和西班牙连接起来。纳博讷坐落在多美亚大道连接阿奎塔尼亚大道处，穿过图卢兹和波尔多抵达大西洋，因此在地理上是一个重要的十字口。

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奥德河穿城而过。在政治上，纳博讷和马赛同等重要。当马赛人反抗罗马的统治时，恺撒在那里设置了他的第十兵团，并试图发展港口，如今的纳博讷是法国南部的一个市镇，位于朗格多克鲁西永大区奥德省。它距离巴黎849千米，离地中海岸15千米。其面积为173平方千米，是奥德省最大的市镇，人口约五万人，

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比卡尔卡松少一些。在公元前二世纪末，在希腊殖民地马赛的影响下并由于高卢族和地中海的贸易交流，高卢族的一些部落开始希腊化，也开始运用希腊字写高卢语，但是由于宗教的忌讳，高卢族没有把其丰富的口传历史写成文字，限定文字的运用范围为商业和贸易。

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因此，在高卢语消失之后，这些传统随着被淡忘了。罗马人征服高卢之前一个世纪是高卢文明的鼎盛时代，经济繁荣，文化发达，在那个时代出现了规模非常大的城堡，比如纳博讷的城堡等，也开始运用钱币，其实高卢人文明的水平不低于前二世纪的罗马。

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其实奥德省最漂亮的城堡位于卡尔卡松，它的旧城是一个中世纪要塞城市，隔比利牛斯山与西班牙相望。在中世纪的欧洲，常常以某个封建领主的宫殿或城堡为中心，在其周围修建教堂、广场、市场和房屋街道等公共设施，形成城市。又因战事频繁，两千年来历经罗马人、西哥特人、阿拉伯人、十字军等占领，

在建城、毁城、修城的过程中，发展成全长三公里多的卡尔卡松城墙，而卡尔卡松城内的古城堡号称是欧洲现存的最大、保存最完整的城堡，是固若金汤的中世纪古堡，几百年间，无数的骑士、剑客和弓箭手们血洒于此，很多改变历史进程的著名战役成就了卡尔卡松城的荣誉和辉煌。

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而长期的战争，也把这座城堡打造成了固若金汤的巨型要塞，卡尔卡松古堡拥有内城与外城双重城墙，26座箭楼点缀其间，组成一道密不透风的防御网。躲藏在将近二米厚的哥特式城墙之后的，是宫殿、教堂、广场、市集和房屋街道等错落有致的庞大公共设施，长达三公里的主干道延伸出一座完全可以自给自足的巨型城市。登上最高的碉楼远眺，远方比利牛斯山顶的积雪若隐若现。

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内城四处可见日常生活的场景，铁匠铺、面包坊、裁缝店，依旧是千百年前的摆设与布置。现在卡尔卡松不仅重现千年的军事堡垒建筑，更保存了两千六百年的悠久历史。

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后来我们的火车驶离了纳博讷火车站，然后又陆续经过一些小镇的火车站，法国大部分火车站都是用简易的钢架搭建的，并没有我国的火车站那么豪华。客运线旁边有一些运送集装箱的火车，之后列车经过一个很大的湖泊，湖边有一座巨型的工厂，后续能看到很多葡萄园，最后火车又到达了佩皮尼昂，我碰到一位女背包客，胸前背后都背着大包，这是一个非常休闲的城市，距离巴塞罗那只有192公里左右了。

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佩皮尼昂是朗格多克鲁西永大区东比利牛斯省的省会。地处法国最南端的鲁西永平原，泰河两岸，东近地中海岸，西接比利牛斯山脉。佩皮尼昂是法国南部著名的旅游城市之一，不仅其风景多样，山海相连，而且其温暖的气候更是让法国其它地区，特别是北方的民众羡慕不已；同时，佩皮尼昂地处法国与西班牙交界的地方，是加泰罗尼亚文化圈内重要的城市之一。独特的魅力使得佩皮尼昂吸引了大量的外来人口，很多人直接选择了在这里常年居住，这在促进了旅游业发展的同时，也带来了失业率升高、治安恶化、物价上涨等负面影响。

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佩皮尼昂东侧为地中海，西侧和南侧为比利牛斯山，北侧则为科尔比耶尔山。佩皮尼昂市区位于地中海沿岸的冲积平原之上，地势较为平坦，市中心的马略卡宫位于一块高地之上，海拔可达71米。佩皮尼昂是法国历史文化名城之一，自罗马帝国时代就有人定居，但直到约10世纪初才开始建镇。此后不久，佩皮尼昂成为鲁西永地区的首府。1172年，鲁西永吉拉尔二世伯爵将土地遗赠给巴塞罗那伯爵。1197年，佩皮尼昂获得部分自治权利。1258年，根据《科尔贝条约》，路易九世开始对佩皮尼昂进行封建统治。1276年，阿拉贡国王、巴塞罗那伯爵海梅一世建立了马略卡王国，佩皮尼昂成为其大陆领土的首都。

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随后的几十年，佩皮尼昂进入了历史上的黄金期，并逐渐成为了制衣、制皮、打金及其它奢侈品制造的中心。1285年，腓力三世在征战阿拉贡王国失败后的回国途中在佩皮尼昂逝世。1344年，佩德罗三世再次将马略卡王国和佩皮尼昂一同成为巴塞罗那国的一部分。几年后，由于黑死病传染，其近一半人口死亡。1463年，佩皮尼昂被路易十四攻占。1473年，佩皮尼昂发生反抗法国统治的起意，但最终被镇压。1493年，为了解决后顾之忧、能放手攻打意大利，查理八世将佩皮尼昂归还斐迪南二世。

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1642年9月，在三十年战争中，佩皮尼昂再次被法国人占领。十七年后，根据《比利牛斯和约》，西班牙正式放弃佩皮尼昂。自此，佩皮尼昂成为法国的一部分。所以这个边境城市曾经是多次在法国和西班牙之前易主了。这个城市的主要景点有：佩皮尼昂城门，位于佩皮尼昂市中心，泰河南岸，是佩皮尼昂的标志性建筑，现已成为加泰罗尼亚历史文化博物馆。马略卡宫，位于佩皮尼昂市中心的一块高地之上，建于1309年，是马略卡公国的皇宫所在，这个建筑也见证了佩皮尼昂辉煌的历史。圣雅克教堂位于佩皮尼昂市区北部，建于公元14世纪，是典型的加泰罗尼亚风格的宗教建筑。

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圣让巴蒂斯特大教堂，位于佩皮尼昂市中心，法国国家文物保护单位，建于中世纪末期。佩皮尼昂地区是法国著名的旅游胜地之一，该地区盛产新鲜的水果、蔬菜及高质量的葡萄酒、开胃酒。旅游业是佩皮尼昂地区的主要经济支柱。四季瓜果品种繁多，季节性工作常年不断，这些得天独厚的条件也使得佩皮尼昂大学成为外国留学生的天堂。因为曾属于西班牙，所以这里是两种文化的融合地，人们还保留了很多西班牙传统。但佩皮尼昂也可以说是法国本土最穷最乱的省会城市，佩皮尼昂由于靠近西班牙边境，同时又靠近北非国家，外来流动人口众多，人员混杂，治安相当混乱，刑事案件层出不穷，饱受人们的诟病。

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列车离开佩皮尼昂不久就驶进了西班牙境内了，这是我造访的第24个国家。

80万年前，就有人类居住在伊比利亚半岛，他们主要定居在地中海沿岸以及更往南的地区，在那里伊比利亚人创造了许多不同的文化。古希腊的历史中对其中最重要的一支有过记载，希腊人称他们为“图尔多人”。他们是伊比利亚人的一个部落，在瓜达尔基维尔河流域建立了文化灿烂的王国。西班牙北部的阿尔达米拉洞穴留下的举世闻名的岩画生动地记载了原始人生活情况。公元前1200年，来自中北欧的凯尔特人从北部进入半岛，并且扩展到整个半岛。伊比利亚半岛历史上唯一未被任何外来势力侵入的地区是巴斯克人居住的北部山区。

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公元前1100年，腓尼基人在半岛上建立了殖民地，创建了加迪尔。腓尼基人与西班牙建立了贸易关系。为进一步开发半岛资源，腓尼基人在地中海沿岸建立了永久居留地。公元前9世纪，凯尔特人从中欧迁入。公元前8世纪起，伊比利亚半岛先后遭外族入侵，长期受罗马人、西哥特人和摩尔人的统治。西班牙人为反对外族侵略进行了长期斗争。公元前218年，罗马人大举入侵西班牙。公元前206年，罗马人将卡塔戈人逐出伊比利亚半岛。罗马人在征服塞尔梯贝里亚人的过程中遭到英勇抵抗。

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公元前19年，罗马人才彻底征服整个伊比利亚半岛。此后在长达500年的时间里西班牙成为罗马帝国的一个省。公元5世纪，罗马帝国开始走向崩溃。公元409年，西哥特人入侵西班牙，建立西哥特王国，从而开始了长达300年的统治。公元711年，西哥特人的结束了对伊比利亚半岛的统治。公元710年，由于争夺王位，西哥特人的一位王位竞争者寻求阿拉伯摩尔人的帮助，从而开始了摩尔人的入侵历史。

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公元711年，摩尔人入侵西班牙，赢得了瓜达莱特战役大捷。之后只用了七年时间就征服了伊比利亚半岛，从而西班牙开始了为期近800年的伊斯兰统治，称做“安达卢斯国”，我国古代称之为“绿衣大食”。初期，西班牙有几个酋长国并存，隶属于大马士革哈里发帝国。公元722年，在阿斯图里亚斯地区的科瓦东加山打响了光复运动的第一役。在这场战斗中，基督教军队在领袖佩拉约的领导下战胜了阿拉伯军队。欧洲其它国家的基督教徒也纷纷响应教皇的号召，到西班牙参加反阿圣战。在同阿拉伯人征战的同时，基督教形成了卡斯蒂利亚和阿拉贡两大王国。

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公元756年，第一位摩尔国王阿夫德拉曼一世定都科尔多瓦，同时宣布独立。公元10世纪，摩尔人统治达到鼎盛时期。后来，科尔多瓦哈里发帝国分裂为若干个王国。面对阿拉伯人对西班牙的侵略和占领，基督教人开始进行反抗。1085年，基督教军队收复了托莱多，卡斯蒂利亚将该城定为首都。1212年，在阿方索八世的领导下，卡斯蒂利亚王国的军队在拉斯纳瓦斯德托洛萨取得了战胜摩尔人的决定性胜利；此后，又收复了科尔多瓦、塞维利亚、赫雷斯、加的斯等城市，最后只剩下格拉纳达王国。

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1469年，伊莎贝尔嫁给了阿拉贡的王子费尔南多，卡斯蒂利亚和阿拉贡两个王国联姻，为两个王国的最后统一奠定了基础。1474年，23岁的伊莎贝尔被立为卡斯蒂利亚女王，她建立起新的法庭和城镇行政制度。1479年，费尔南多继位，成为阿拉贡国王，两国正式合并为统一的西班牙王国，夫妇二人被称为“天主教双王”。阿拉贡王国最早建于九世纪，这个国家生来就是为了驱逐阿拉伯人，1104年阿方索一世当政，王国疆界向南扩展，直达西班牙南部的格拉纳达。1492年1月2日，摩尔人首都格拉纳达陷落，西班牙光复运动宣告完成，西班牙最终实现统一。

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1492年，哥伦布率船队由西班牙加迪斯出发，10月12月发现了美洲新大陆并登上巴哈马的圣萨尔瓦多岛，然后带了几个土著人及一些物品返回西班牙。哥伦布发现西印度群岛后，西班牙逐渐成为海上强国，此后，西班牙殖民者开始了对拉美的征服和占领，将疆土扩展到大西洋的彼岸和菲律宾。

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1516年，胡安娜和王夫腓力一世的儿子查理一世以特拉斯塔马拉家族的外孙资格继承卡斯蒂利亚、莱昂、阿拉贡、纳瓦拉等国的王位，是为卡洛斯一世。建立了欧洲最早的统一中央王权的共主邦联的国家。十六世纪是海上强国，以后渐衰。1519年埃尔南科尔特斯等从古巴抵达墨西哥，征服了阿兹特克部落的首府特诺奇蒂特兰。1530年弗朗西斯科皮萨罗率人从巴拿马出发，几个月后到达印加帝国，征服了印加帝国的首府库斯科。

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许多部落被消灭、印第安人文明被毁灭。1588年，腓力二世对英进行讨伐，但西班牙海军装备落后，加上风暴袭击，西班牙的“无敌舰队”被出身海盗的德雷克率领的英国海军击溃，从而西班牙丧失了海上强国的地位，开始衰落。1648年，西班牙对法国作战失利，在陆地上的军事优势也宣告结束。此后，在西班牙王位继承战争中，又向英国割让了直布罗陀并陆续丧失了葡萄牙和在意大利与荷兰的领土，西班牙逐渐走向衰落。

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1700年查理二世去世，其姐玛丽亚.特里萨和法国国王路易十世的孙子费利佩继位，它就是腓力五世，从此西班牙王位由奥地利哈布斯堡家族转到法国波旁家族手中。尽管费利佩当上了西班牙国王，但为争夺西班牙王位，法西与奥地利开始了一场战争，并于1713年签订了乌德勒支和约，奥地利得到了佛兰德、米兰、撒丁岛和那不勒斯，英国得到直布罗陀等地，荷兰得到佛兰德的许多要塞，西班牙只剩下本土，换取的是各国对腓力五世的承认。

19世纪拿破仑夺取法国政权后，将扩张的目标对准西班牙。以借路攻打葡萄牙为借口，派军队占领了西班牙并安排自己的兄弟任西班牙国王。西班牙人民奋起抗法。1808年5月2日独立战争爆发，西班牙为这场战争付出了沉重代价，西班牙丧失了绝大部分海外殖民地。1837年伊莎贝尔二世在通过君主立宪的法案之后将其正式合并为一个国家，决定用西班牙一词来命名这个国家，它源于腓尼基语，意为“野兔”，自此结束了历经300多年的共主邦联模式。

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1873年爆发利益钱派革掵，建立第一共和国。1874年12月24日王朝复辟。1898年爆发的美西战争以西班牙失败而告终，古巴获得独立，西班牙向美国割让了波多黎各、关岛并廉价出售了菲律宾，到此西班牙丧失了所有海外殖民地，国际大国地位不复存在，并在第一次世界大战中保持中立。1931年4月12日，西班牙王朝被推翻，第二共和国建立。市政选举中，左翼势力获胜；14日在巴塞罗那、圣塞瓦斯蒂安等地宣布成立共和国；在马德里，革掵委员会宣布成立临时政府；阿方索十三世自愿流亡国外。同年6月28日，共和派举行全国大选，宣布宗教自由。

同年12月，西班牙通过了新的《宪法》，新政府着手进行农业、教育、区域自治等方面的改革和立法；1932年，政变军人被赦免，中央政府与加泰罗尼亚地区政府发生冲突。1936年7月17日佛狼葛发动叛O乱，引发三年的西班牙内O战，于1939年4月夺取政权，实行独O裁统治达36年之久。1947年7月佛狼葛宣布西班牙为君主国，自任终身国家元首。1966年7月立末代国王阿方索十三世之孙胡安.卡洛斯为承继人，如果说佛狼葛太过专O制吧，但他也不傻，至少他让在二战中选择了明智的中立，使西班牙逃过了一场浩劫和宰割，

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虽然他本人非常专横，但至少他指定了一个非常有民主思想的人当成他的继承人，使西班牙的民主化事业在他死后水到渠成。1975年11月20日罪大恶极的佛狼葛终于病死了，据说死在他手里的群众达二十多万。胡安卡洛斯一世登基，恢复君主制，实行君主立宪制及展开民主改革，长达四十年的独裁统治结束。1982年西班牙加入北约，1986年西班牙加入欧共体。这个国家的历史，重温起来还是令人惋惜的。

Jumbo Huang citation resources: We left the hotel in the morning and reached the train station, and we left Marseille by train, Nimes city was our first stop, Nîmes was a city in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It is the capital of the Gard department. Nîmes is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Cévennes mountains. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire when the city was home to about 60000 people. Several famous monuments are in Nîmes, such as the Nîmes Arena and the Maison Carrée. Because of this, Nîmes is often referred to as the French Rome, The city derives its name from that of a spring in the Roman village. Nimes has a stunning Roman Coliseum that is second only to Rome's. There are a few other fine Roman relics and Diana's Palace. The SNCF connects Nîmes to Montpellier and Avignon by TER (regional train) and Paris, Valence, Lyon, Lille and Spain with the TGV. Nîmes became a Roman colony sometime before 28 BC, as witnessed by the earliest coins, Some years later a sanctuary and other constructions connected with the fountain were raised on the site. Nîmes was already under Roman influence, though it was Augustus who made the city the capital of Narbonne province, and gave it all its glory. Augustus gave the town a ring of ramparts six kilometres (3.7 miles) long, reinforced by fourteen towers; two gates remain today: the Porta Augusta and the Porte de France. An aqueduct was built to bring water from the hills to the north. Where this crossed the River Gard between Uzes and Remoulins, the spectacular Pont du Gard was built. This is 20 kilometres north east of the city. Also, the Maison Carrée is one of the best preserved temples to be found anywhere in the territory of the former Roman Empire. Soon after we left Nimes, our train arrived at Narbonne, it was a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Once a prosperous port, and a major city in Roman times, it is now located about 15 km from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is marginally the largest commune in Aude, although the prefecture is the slightly smaller commune of Carcassonne. The landmark of the city was Narbonne Cathedral, it is a former cathedral, and national monument of France, located in the town of Narbonne. It is dedicated to Saints Justus and Pastor. It was the seat of the Archbishop of Narbonne until the Archbishopric was merged into the Diocese of Carcassonne under the Concordat of 1801. The church was declared a basilica minor in 1886. The building begun in 1272 is noted for being unfinished. Nearby was another remarkable city named Carcassonne, The Cité de Carcassonne, a medieval fortress settlement with a history that exceeds two and a half thousand years. Picturesque fortifications (over 3 km of walls with 52 towers, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was partly shot here) were reconstructed by Viollet-le-Duc in 19th century (like with most monuments reconstructed in that time authenticity was not the main objective). It is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Later we reached Perpignan, Perpignan is the capital of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, the Northern Catalonia part of France and is situated about 15km from the sea. Perpignan is home to about 117 000 people, and has two rivers flowing through it; with the Têt to the north, and the Basse through the centre. Perpignan is served by the SNCF TGV, the renfe/SNCF Spanish and French TGV cooperative service, and other SNCF combinations (intercity and TER). On TGVs. Traditional commerce was in wine and olive oil, corks, wool and leather, and iron. In May 1907 it was a seat of agitation by southern producers for government enforcement of wine quality following a collapse in prices. Main site was the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was begun in 1324 and finished in 1509. Very soon we left the France, but we would return after two weeks, Today we finally landed Spain, the 24th countries which I had visited. the Kingdom of Spain was a sovereign state largely located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with a small section of its territory located on the African continent. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Along with France and Morocco, it is one of only three countries to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Extending to 1214 km, the Portugal–Spain border is the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union. Spanish territory also includes two archipelagos; the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast; two major exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, in continental North Africa; and the islands and peñones (rocks) of Alborán, Alhucemas, Chafarinas and Vélez de la Gomera. With an area of 505,990 km2, Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in Europe. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a middle power and a developed country with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP. After reached Barcelona, we left the train station and took Metro to Vallaroel, we actually followed the guideline from the hotel but nearly got lost at the midway, but finally we found the hotel by tough walking. The Email from the hostel:”Dear Jumbo,Thank you for your reservation to stay at our apartment through Booking .com. My name is Ahmed and I am the apartment manager who will receive you at the apartment. Please tell me as soon as possible your time of arrival at the apartment, so that I can arrange my schedule to receive you on time and hand the keys over. Please note the following directions you can take to arrive at the apartment from the airport (El Prat) :By Train or metro: (Recommended)Take the direct train to Sants train station follow by a metro (blue line 5) to (Hospital Clinic) and take the exit to Vallaroel. Once you exit the station, take the street called Casanova up towards Avenidad Diagonal 578. The building is between Rolex showroom and Hugo Boss. Ring the bell for the 4th floor to access the building. There will only be one door on the 4th floor for you to access the apartment. If you are not coming from El Prat airport or require further help with directions, do not hesitate to contact me on my contact numbers provided below. On arrival I will request for the security deposit of 20 Euros cash. The security deposit is to be collected for following 4 reasons:1) To secure our keys from being lost, damaged or stolen.2) To prevent any issues with the residents of the building neighbors that will cause me or the police to receive a complain;3) To prevent the property and the material from being damaged.4) All rubbish& garbage is to be taken out of the room before the check out, Please note the facility to leave your luggage behind after your check out is available for 10 Euros. The luggage can be stored safe and secure until 11pm the same day….Best Regards, AHMAD Apartment manager,Diagonal Home Mobile: 0034 653 645 300 Email : evertrust578gmailcom, Address: Avinguda Diagonal 578, 4th floor Barcelona, Cataluna 08021”. After checked in, we put our bigger backpackers in the hotel, and headed for the Metro station, Barcelona was the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and Spain's second most populated city, with a population of 1.6 million within its administrative limits. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.7 million people, being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area, and Milan. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres high. Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon as an economical and administrative center of this Crown and the capital of the Principality of Catalonia. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural center and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments. Barcelona is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centers, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. It is a major cultural and economic center in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world. In 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand. Since 2011 Barcelona is a leading smart city in Europe. Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port. The Barri Gòtic is the center of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernista architecture developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. Several of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best-known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026. The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852 to 1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral, which must be the seat of a bishop. Construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882 and Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death. Today we also visited the Picasso Museum, Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France. As one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, he is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937), a portrayal of the Bombing of Guernica by the German and Italian airforces at the behest of the Spanish nationalist government during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso, Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp are regarded as the three artists who most defined the revolutionary developments in the plastic arts in the opening decades of the 20th century, responsible for significant developments in painting, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. Picasso demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years, painting in a naturalistic manner through his childhood and adolescence. During the first decade of the 20th century, his style changed as he experimented with different theories, techniques, and ideas. His work is often categorized into periods. While the names of many of his later periods are debated, the most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period (1901–1904), the Rose Period (1904–1906), the African-influenced Period (1907–1909), Analytic Cubism (1909–1912), and Synthetic Cubism (1912–1919), also referred to as the Crystal period. After came back to hotel, I began to check my tickets: ARATESA CIF A80239528,ORIGIN:BARCELONA/NORD,DESTINATION:MADRID-A.AME, Sortida 10：30，euro64.92 Alsa.es;Eurolines.es, Marriecos via Barcelona,ragona Tanger. Later in the night, I checked the email and sent a message to my hostess in Madrid, the content was “Dear Laura, This is Jumbo Huang from China, due to the limited train tickets from Barcelona to Madrid, tomorrow I can only take bus from Barcelona to MADRID A.AME (Intercambiador de Avenida de América), the arriving time is around 19:00pm, so I am not sure how could I go to Calle Mediodía Grande 7 Madrid from the bus station? Can I take Metro or any bus to your home at 19:00pm? Anyway, if you have no idea to figure out the routine, I probably will figure it out tomorrow.”