20100409 Victoria Dip Into the Sensual Pleasures of This Canadian Harbor Town (2)

Victoria: Dip Into the Sensual Pleasures of This Canadian Harbor Town

Spa on the cheap: Victoria has several spas, including the high-end Willow Stream Spa at the Empress. Expensive and too booked to fit me in on short notice. Happily, I ended up at a spa so charming that I wouldn't have missed it. Silk Road has a mellow little tea and aromatherapy shop upstairs. Downstairs, spa rooms offer a full range of services, with organic tonics and lotions. My pedicure was "au natural," no nail polish, but a peppermint pedicure ending with a gleaming nail buff plus a reflexology massage that lifted my spirits.

Take a peek inside the Fairmont Empress
Hotel Victoria, which is located halfway between Asia and Europe, once provided a pleasant stop for the great steamships, offloading wealthy travelers and government officials. Dine in the Bengal Lounge, with its Indian decor, or sip tea in the elegant palm-fronded Tea Lobby.

Butchart Gardens.
If you could walk in Butchart Gardens alone, you would find floral bliss among flowers bursting to retina-rousing colors. You would find soothing exploration in the gardens trailing one to another. The problem is, you will not be alone in this busy tour-bus destination.



mellow adj. 令人愉快的/令人放鬆的
=> relax/calm
eg: This mellow cafe is always packed with customers from the neighborhood.
=> 這家令人放鬆的咖啡館總是擠滿了從附近來的顧客。
eg: The mellow atmosphere of this bookstore makes you want to stay longer.
=> 這家書店令人愉樂的氣分使人想要多逗留一下。

pedi- 腳
cure- 照料
pedicure n. 足部治療/修趾甲術
eg: Mom went for a pedicure before taking a trip to the beach.
=> 去海灘渡假之前媽媽去做足部護理。

manicure n. 手部治療
eg: More and more men are having manicures.
=> 越來越多男士也做手部護理。

gleam v. 閃爍
gleaming adj. 乾淨到閃閃發亮的
eg: The customers can see gleaming counters in the kitchen through the windows.
=> 顧客能透過櫥窗看到閃閃發亮的廚房流理台。
eg: The gleaming new car attracted people's attention.
=> 閃閃發亮的新車吸引了人們的目光。


aroma n. 芳香/香氣/香味
=> a pleasing/good smell

therapy n. 治療/療法
=> a technique that is used to cure people

aromatherapy n. 芳香療法

tonic n. 補藥

lotion n. 乳液
eg: suntan lotion 防曬乳

gleamingly 1.隱約可見地

peek v. 偷看/窺視
=> take a quick look



steamship n. 汽船/輪船

offload v. 卸(貨)/下(客)/卸(載)

palm n. 棕櫚(樹)

floral adj. 花的/似花的

blissful adj. 樂而忘憂的/帶來福氣的
bliss n. 極樂/至喜/天堂之樂
=> extremely happiness/pleasure
=> very happy

retina-rousing
rouse
=> to open it up your eyes


soothing adj. 使人寬心的

//== Chat room ==//

on the cheap 很便宜的
=> 英國人用法，表示很便宜的，相當於美國的bargain(特價商品/便宜貨)
eg: Plan your own vacation on the cheap.
eg: Go to a fastfood restaurant to eat dinner on the cheap.
eg: To travel on the cheap. 省錢的旅遊

bargain n.
=> Something is cheap or at low cost



高消費不能說on the expensive而要說on the expensive side 有點昂贵

on the busy side 有點忙碌
one the tired side 有些累
one the cheap side 便宜的價錢
one the quiet side 有些安静



//== More Information ==//

If you haven't experienced a Bed and Breakfast, you must! In Victoria, there are many to choose from. The Heathergate House, near downtown Victoria, is a great place to start. All of the rooms are beautifully decorated with antiques. You really feel as if you are staying in a small English Inn. Every morning a hearty breakfast is served, including homemade scones and blueberry muffins!