| 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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