英语博客：Fresh day in the sun.

　　"Mummy, can I pet the horses?" said my daughter as we crossed the road to the center of the town of Leavenworth. We had decided¹ to spend a few hours in a nearby town, for a change of scenery. The horses in the road were attached to carts that were well decorated, intended for tourists. There were leather straps² on the cart with bells and flowers, and the drivers were dressed in traditional German costume. "One day, darling, we'll go on one of those rides," I told my daughter as I took her by the hand and we all crossed the road. There is a restaurant on the main strip of Leavenworth called Pav's, a creperie, where I planned on taking everyone. I wasn't sure if it was open or not, with it being Sunday. Mind you, Leavenworth is a tourist town, so I had a feeling that it would be open. The children and I walked along the main road, past many shops of all kinds, and tourists who had obviously come from all over the world. I could hear people chatting to eachother in many different languages. What a refreshing³ change! We found Pav's, and yes, it was open. When we were seated, I told the kids that they could only have a dessert, because the dishes are huge, and there was no way that they could eat a main dish and a dessert. As the kids looked at the menu, I looked around at the decor: thick, heavy curtains in each room, dark, earthy colors on the walls, a massive⁴ mirror that takes up a whole wall, and lots of French pictures. The kitchen is in the entryway, and completely open. It is a restaurant that has a lot of atmosphere and character, which is important to me; I like to enjoy my surroundings when I eat. My husband joined us after a while; he had cycled up to Leavenworth. The food came and, oh my, what a feast⁵! Two of my sons had ordered fresh pear crepes with vanilla⁶ icecream and whipped cream. The other two had chocolate gelato and lemon cheese cake. Hey, you have to make memories while you can. I actually only ordered a coffee, because I knew that my children would never finish their food, so, like a vulture, I would finish it off. After Pav's, we walked through the town and down to the park which has two bridges and lots of trails. We saw several deer and geese with their goslings. It was a magical day, a full Spring day with a feast for the stomach and the eyes as well.
Grammar notes.
Practice of the preterite with related vocabulary: the strip, to finish off, to take up (space), surroundings.
1. The main strip of Las Vegas was a sea of flashing lights and giant hotels.
2. The caterers finished off the wedding cake while everyone was still dancing.
3. The sofa took up too much room, so we got a smaller one instead.
4. All of a sudden, he found himself in unfamiliar⁷ surroundings.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

3 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

4 massive   

adj.巨大的，大规模的，大量的，大范围的

参考例句：

• A massive sea search has failed to find any survivors.经过大规模的海上搜救仍未找到幸存者。
• He drank a massive amount of alcohol.他喝了大量的烈酒。

5 feast   

n.盛宴，筵席，节日

参考例句：

• After the feast she spent a week dieting to salve her conscience.大吃了一顿之后，她花了一周时间节食以安慰自己。
• You shouldn't have troubled yourself to prepare such a feast!你不该准备这样丰盛的饭菜，这样太麻烦你了！

6 vanilla   

n.香子兰，香草

参考例句：

• He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
• I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。

7 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。