Escapisms

I was collected at some place and driven to Gatwick with Rose T by Mrs Monroe. There was some confusion over where to park the car etc – but we got there in very good time. We saw two people who looked very like our tutors but we didnt want to go up to them staright away in case it wasnt actually them. Bettina and Lindsay soon arrived off the Gatwick Express and we eventually decided that it was them and so Mrs Monroe went up to them and we introduced ourseves to ‘Tom’ and ‘Charlotte’.

We checked in to flight AMM448 to Pisa and we went through customs Bettina pinged – luckily I didn’t. I brought a magazine, some chewing gum and sweets for the plane etc. There are 15 students in all – 7 from Wycombe Abbey, 2 from Downe House, 5 from Calne and 1 from Eton. They all seem perfectly nice and friendly.

We boarded the plane just after I gave the parents a call. The flight took an hour and 40mins and supper – well they called it lunch for some extraordinary reason – was fine, chicken and ham pie with cherry and rasin cake. Going through immigration didnt take long and I was in desperate need for the loo! I got some Duty Free chocolate off the plane as did most of us from Calne! I got my bag very quickly, it must have been one of the first off. We were given a pic-nic by Nick who was waiting for us at Pisa just before he went back to London. We got on a bus to the centre of the city and I talked a bit to Dee on the bus who is one of the girls from Wydcombe.

We had our pic-nic outside the train station and it consisted of wine, ham, cheese, water, radishes & anchovies. We had an hour or so to wait so we stayed by the train station but we were surrounded by horribe old Italian men. We finally caught our train at 10.12 in the evening and we got into Florence at 11.30pm tired and ready for our bed time. We sorted out the sleeping arrangements. I am with Lindsay, Rose & Sue in a 4, there is a six and another 4 and a 2. We all unpacked and went to sleep.