Starting with nothing the traditional (傳統的) family holiday (假日) was always going to be a gamble (賭博). But getting three generations (世代) together for a week in the country in this house seemed to have a wonderful (奇妙的) appeal (上訴). It was called The House in the Clouds - a disused (棄置不用) water tower (塔) disguised (偽裝) as a house 70 feet up in the air and with a working windmill (風車) in the garden (花園). This refined (精製的) holiday village (鄉村) was built in the 1920s. Thorpeness was for "people who want to experience (經驗) life as it was when England was Merrie England". For our week in the House in the Clouds, we had to book (預訂) five months ahead (領先). The house was very British with a red telephone box by the back door, full of ancient tennis racquets and the equipment (裝備) for croquet (槌球). At the top of the house, in the space, which had been used to hold 50,000-gallon (加崙) of water, someone had built a big playroom with a ping pong table, gallery (畫廊), a dress-up box and a toy soldier (士兵). On the first day, we set off to explore (探險). The Meare appealed to everyone. All of the children found the idea of a rowing boat and islands to explore to be very interesting. It is very safe: the instructions (指示) say that if u fall in, the emergency procedure (緊急程序) is to stand up - the water being only three feet deep. The entertainment (娛樂) was good. The children played with the dressing-up box costumes (服裝). This happens every week at the House in the Clouds. The House of Clouds is not only a place for birthdays, parties and reunions (ࢵ...
