| I
arranged to stay in a farmhouse outside a
village in southern Italy. My itinerary said
that the plane arrived in Italy at five o'clock
in the afternoon and it was a thirty-minute
drive from the airport to the village. I wanted
to get to my destination before it got dark,
so I could have a drink, watch the sunset,
and enjoy an evening meal!
The
problems began at Heathrow airport My plane
was three hours late. I walked around the
airport looked in the shops, and drank coffee
in the cafes. I didn't eat anything. That
was a mistake! When the plane finally took
off, they gave me a cold, tasteless meal
which I couldn't eat.
We
arrived in Italy in the early evening. The
sun was setting as I was collecting my bags!
I missed it completely! I went to the desk
to find my hire car and that's when I discovered
the next problem. The receptionist couldn't
find my name on the computer and there were
no more cars. There were no buses or trains
to the village, and the taxis were on strike.
The
receptionist felt sorry for me. She phoned
her brother, Alessandro, who agreed to take
me to the village. Alessandro arrived in
a very old car and we set off. Fifteen minutes
later ... we broke down. I was tired, depressed,
and very, very hungry. Luckily, Alessandro
was a mechanic. Alter an hour, he fixed
the car and we started driving again.
It
was nearly midnight when we arrived at the
farmhouse. A man opened the door and smiled.
'Come in,' he said. 'We waited for you.'
I sat with a group of the friendliest people
I've ever met and had an absolutely wonderful
meal.
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