（小編悄悄話：這篇同步刊於9/25週六工商時報”世界公民weekly”。每次閱讀一個有趣的城市，讓你以英文暢遊全世界！）

C’est la vie-- Nice
啊，尼斯，這就是人生！

文/Wendy周

The city that freed me. The city that freed my soul. A place that after you set foot in, you’ll feel freed from yourself. Freed from the restrictions in the world. Freed from all.

In this southern French city, I see people that come from all over the world. Different colors, different cultures, different backgrounds. All come for the purpose of true relaxation. To drink in the beauty of this city. Artists come to seek inspiration. Families come for relaxation. People come for the inspiration of life.

走在蔚藍海岸，它的藍、它自由的空氣，喚醒我渴望自由的心靈。我可以看見Henri Matisse在此感受到靈感，他形容尼斯是乾淨、澄澈、精緻、明淨的；尼斯的天氣、尼斯的蔚藍海岸、尼斯的陽光促成了他的創作。在這裡，混合著地中海的熱情，我的靈魂不由自主的被它帶進異國澎湃。位於南法的這片土地有著獨有的魔力，無論是古老的舊城區、香味四溢的蔬果市集、佈滿粗獷小石頭的海灘、路旁叫賣的攤販，每個角落都在訴說自己的故事。

I walked to the beach. I’ve always loved people watching at the beach. Because you see life, you see people, you see culture. And you get to feel the immensity of the sea. At the beach, by the bonfire, there were people juggling, people laughing, it’s like a big carnival within itself. I was having the fun of my life. I just wanted to shout out, “C’est la vie.” My soul is awakened.

C’est la vie :這是一句法語，是連老美都愛用的法語。相當於英文裡This is life的這就是人生。法國人的生活節奏慢，喜歡享受人生，每當法國人享受生活的時候就會說C'est la vie，已經成為他們的口頭語了。注意發音：大致是se-la-VEE。

延伸的用法：這就是人生，也可以用在感嘆莫可奈何的時候。來看兩個例子：something that you say when something happens that you do not like but which you have to accept because you cannot change it. 有些事我們不得不接受，因為我們無法改變事實，所以就是無奈的意思了。

例句：I've got so much work that I can't go away this weekend. Oh well, c'est la vie. 我有很多工作要做，週末我走不開，哎，無奈啊。

我坐在天使濱海大道Promenade des Anglais上的餐廳，揣摩著尼斯人的悠閒，點了海鮮盤，喝著白酒，在這個曾隸屬於義大利的土地上，時間彷彿凝結了。餐後，在這個象徵狂放、自由、濃豔、不受拘束的蔚藍天堂中，我盡情享受著陽光，帶著我的筆記本，坐在海灘，用文字試圖記下這一切，努力記下這海的藍和天空的清澈所連成一線的景觀。在這裡，我終於懂了，懂世界之美包含它的外表和內涵：外表的美是短暫的，但內涵的美才能真正永垂不朽，就如尼斯一般。

My Nice Experience

時尚民宿Bed and Breakfast- Le Dortoir (http://www.ledortoir.net/en)

In Nice, right in the center of all the buzz sits a very tasteful and fabulously designed little place called Le Dortoir. As soon as I walked into my room, I knew I was in B&B heaven. The design was so modern and chic but warm at the same time. I put down everything, got out the wine I just bought and sat at the terrace to feel the cool breeze. I took a long bath in the gorgeous cast-iron tub next to the bed. Everything was designed to details and just enough personal touches to welcome its guests. It’s the perfect start for my Nice adventure.

Le Dortoir是兼具時尚與品味的民宿，每個角落都看得到主人的用心。開放式的浴室讓整個空間更加寬廣，可在外面陽台俯瞰尼斯街景；夜晚，仿古的浴缸正是沉澱心靈的角落。房間設計彷彿置身在五星級飯店，但高級的享受伴隨著的是一般人都付得起的價格。早晨還有主人特別準備的早餐貼心送到房門口；每間房間裡有研磨咖啡機，濃郁的咖啡香配上法式可頌，尼斯的一天正要開始。

lBuzz原是形容一種聲音，在這可形容成「熱鬧」。

lChic可譯為"別致"，要注意的是它的發音，ch不發原本的音而是發sh的音。

旅遊小知識

國外通常會看到以下幾類住宿型態：

1.Hotel: 大飯店，如Hilton, Four Seasons, Hyatt.

2.Hostel: 青年旅館，是背包客的最愛。

3.Motel: 常位於高速公路旁的小型飯店，給開車的旅客停留一晚的地方。在美國公路旁到處可見Motel 6。 

4.Inn: 小型飯店，通常價錢比Hotel低，Holiday Inn就是一家眾所皆知的inn。

5.Lodge: 小木屋，常位於樹林裡。

6.Bed and Breakfast: 民宿，提供早餐但種類沒有hotel多，淡季時房價會調得很平價來吸引顧客。

7.Resort: 大型度假村，在許多度假勝地可見。

Kind of food

In Nice, their cuisine shows a clear inspiration from Spanish, Catalan and Italian traditions, and is strongly based on vegetables, herbs and olive oil. Typical starters are vegetable salad and cheese.

lSocca：尼斯的鹹餅，有濃郁的橄欖油香味，在當地到處可見。

lPan-bagnat：尼斯三明治，有生菜、蒜醬、番茄、水煮蛋、青蔥、橄欖油醃漬的鮪魚。

lPissaladiere：它是一種餡餅，包著洋蔥、鯷魚與黑橄欖。

lRatatouille：什錦蔬菜，包括番茄、紅甜椒、茄子、洋蔥、蒜頭。

lMesclun：尼斯特產的沙拉，有許多當地產的蔬菜，如蒲公英的莖、菊苣、馬齒莧和山蘿蔔。

lTripes a la nicoise：牛或豬肚淋上用番茄熬煮的醬汁。

lSoupe au pistou：一種用馬鈴薯和不同蔬菜去燉煮的湯。

Where to grab food

The sunny boulevards of Nice are lined with exceptional restaurants for different tastes and budgets. Promenade de Anglais is home to some of the most prestigious cuisine in the city, all featuring a wonderful view of the sea. In the Old Town, you’ll find a mix of pubs and bars.

尼斯的美食混合著地中海的特色，從路邊的小攤販到餐廳林立的天使濱海大道，再到老城區裡的酒吧，都可以嗅到橄欖加上香料的香氣，無論是在cafe裡吃著mesclun沙拉或在高級飯店品嘗米其林三星的料理，都是人生一大享受。

Tip for eating in Nice

There's a rule to keep in mind when you’re eating in Nice. Bread is seen in all meals there. Biting on a whole piece of bread might raise a number of eyebrows. Locals usually tear it into small pieces with their hands and then only eat the bits.

在法國，有一個很重要的餐桌禮儀不可不知：因為餐餐都附有麵包，吃麵包時很重要的一點就是不要整塊拿起來啃食，那樣在當地人的眼裡看起來是一件非常不禮貌的事，在當地，應該是要把麵包撕成小塊，再放進嘴裡。

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