山中威尼斯

台北縣雙溪鄉，位於貢寮鄉隔壁，是一個因礦業沒落而逐漸被遺忘的小山城。坦白說，這並不是很稀罕的一檔事，因為沒落的小山城在北台灣有一狗票。不過近年來，九份與金瓜石因觀光業興起而鹹魚翻身。平溪與侯硐因有一些地方特色，所以也多少有一些觀光客湧入。可是雙溪算是個異數，多數的人根本不知道有這個鄉鎮的存在。當我說出「雙溪」兩個字時，大部分的人的反應是：內雙溪還是外雙溪？

呵呵，要知道，藺相如，司馬相如，名相如，實不相如。有時候，差一個字就差到十萬八千里去了。

幾年前，我在某雜誌上看到說雙溪鄉這個從來沒聽過的地方有一家特色民宿，叫山中威尼斯。它位於人煙罕至的深山內，沒有衛星導航就甭想找到。而且，若是使用陸製的雜牌衛導，一定會被導到墓仔坡或是夜總會旁繞圈圈。這家民宿主要的特色是曾有好幾個偶像劇都來這裡取景。微笑 Pasta，放羊的星星，還有東方茱麗葉等等都曾來過這裡拍片。

自從我試鏡流星花園男主角失敗後，就沒有在看偶像劇了 (靠，都是那個言承旭的錯)。不過當這麼多偶像劇不約而同的選擇到這裡取景，那一定是個風景優美，氣氛絕佳的風水寶地。所以我當下就把這個地方牢牢記了起來。多年後，終於逮到機會，率夫人暨兩位少爺前往。

有高民環的衛導指路，到這裡一點都不困難。道路雖然沒有很寬，但是會車也不會有問題。況且，路上一輛車也沒有，所以好開得很。不過，若是要自己找路，那真要佛祖保庇才有機會找到。這種鄉間小路岔路不少而且完全沒有告示牌，只要走錯一條就準備上演星際迷航記。

第一印象，環境還真是幽雅。這裡離雙溪火車站雖然才三四公里，可是已是人煙稀少，四面都是茂密的森林。白色的油桐花，正盛開著。

隨意鳥地方大直店

隨意鳥地方一直是我最喜歡的西餐廳。雖然他們做的菜不是甚麼正宗的歐式料理，可是就是很合我的胃口。價錢嘛，也還算實惠。不過，最重要的是：他們不收開瓶費，客人可以自己帶酒喝到爽。所以這幾年來，若是要揪團大杯喝酒大塊吃肉的話，我一定會選這裡。

在全盛時期，隨意鳥地方在台北市有四家分店。我最常去的是 101 四樓那家。不過後來因為大陸同胞太喜歡光顧 101 了，而且一來就狂買一拖拉庫的包包與手錶。相較之下，餐廳就好像沒那麼有賺頭。於是最美麗的董事長頒下了驅逐令，把四樓原來的餐廳通通掃地出門，然後整個樓層租給了數錢數到手抽筋的 LVMH 集團。從此，酒池肉林教主的 AVL 上少了一筆。

不過，就如同雪萊說的：冬天到了，春天還會遠嗎？隨意鳥地方從信義商圈撤退不久後，又在其他地方開了兩家分店：一家在大直美麗華旁，一家在仁愛路。近日教眾鼓譟說要吃肉喝酒，教主靈光一閃：大直離總壇不遠，而且新的分店也遵循免收開瓶費的優良傳統。所以傳下號令，率眾前往。

第一個印象是，餐廳比以前更大了，共兩層樓。這是二樓用餐區

By the River of Keelung

Just 20 years ago, Keelung River stunk to high heaven. It should, because the city was pumping raw sewage and industrial waste into it by the truckload. The water (if you can call it that) was jet black, and no marine life could survive in it. It was widely reported that a cockroach, perhaps the toughest land-based lifeform the planet has ever seen, died from cholera after taking a drink from the river. Its dying words were: "Dang! I am hardy enough to survive nuclear blasts, but not this."

Today, there are numerous parks along the levee, connected by bike paths. And the water ALMOST don't smell no more. So, it's now fashionable to live near the river. Oddly, though, the smelly portion is located right next to a very swank neighborhood. Maybe the one percenters' sense of smell have been dulled by constant exposure to the scent of freshly printed money.

Don't get me wrong, the Keelung River isn't a triumph of environmentalism. I still wouldn't touch the water with a ten foot pole, and the fish (yes, there are now fish) from these waters would probably glow in the dark. Still, it is an example of what's right with The System. Call me an optimist, but given time, the people (if they are an enlightened lot) and the government (if it is accountable to the people) will do the right thing, when all other options have been exhausted.

So, this is Keelung River. Once winding like snake, is now straight as an arrow. This project greatly reduced flooding in the city, but the poor folks living upstream (namely Sichih) got the shaft. It is only after the Yuansanjih Conduit was completed that flooding became a thing of the past.

2010 Evodia Old Vine Grenache

This wine appeared on Vol. 31 of Kami no Shizuku. If Gary Vaynerchuk were reviewing this wine, he'd probably say something like: "This wine has a BOATLOAD of thunder, and it's ROCKING my world while RIPPING my face off."

Right out of the bottle, it makes a powerful impression. When poured into a glass, I could smell it from 2 feet away. The bouquet is gorgeous, with lots of earth and mineral elements, On the palate, it is a medium/light bodied fruit bomb, loaded to the brim with raspberry and cherry, which balances out the chewy tannin at the backend.