Lorna at Vicenza

Stories of drowning scare the shit out of me since I jumped into a swimming pool to save Chloe two summers ago.

We were at a friend's holiday flat for the weekend at Lake Garda with a beautiful pool in beautiful grounds with views across the lake.
Friend said "take the kids (his daughter too) to the pool while I unpack the car." Same friend never told me that the pool went from about 1m to 3m deep in one deep drop without any kind of gentle slope. There were no markings on the pool either.

I kept checking on the girls as I unpacked the beach bag. Alex was with me.
Next time I checked it looked like Chloe was struggling but she had her back to me on the other side of the pool. I called to her and waited a few seconds as it took my brain that time to register what was going on. She was bobbing and whilst not really going completely under she was definately struggling and frantically trying to reach the steps.

And then I dived in with headband - sunglasses and all and swam over to the other side - scooped her up under her armpits and lifted her out onto the edge and cuddled her.

I was shaking but trying to control myself so as not to alarm her too much. She was scared anyway as the first thing she said was a big wailing "credevo di morire" ( I thought I was going to die ).

I kept her in my arms until she was okay and I kept reassuring her that it was all okay - that Mummy had been watching her and will always look after her and it wasn't her fault she took just one step too far and ended up out of her depth.

I kept my calm until one of the stupid bitches in her Italian designer crotched bikini who had been gossiping with her friend right by the steps and in front of Chloe said to me,


"well Signora - she's ok now and it's not like she called out for help or anything."

So I screamed at her "how the ***** do you think she was supposed to scream out with her mouth under the water you stupid bloody cow ?"

Fifteen minutes later after marking out the shallow end with Chloe and where the drop was she back in splashing with her friend and having fun. She still loves pools and the sea but I felt like I needed a heart transplant and I have never taken my eyes of my kids since anytime they have been near water unless I know that their dad is carefully watching them.

And they are having swimming lessons.

And I have had several nightmares since that day about one of my kids drowning. Chloe doesn't seem to have suffered at all from the incident but I think it scarred me.
Bloody awful.

Lorna at Vicenza

just realised I wrote :

crotch-ed bikini.

It should of course have been crochet-ed bikini.

Doesn't matter what she was wearing anyway - she would still have been the same stupid silly tart !

irish girl in italy

Can just imagine her LORNA all oiled and basted like an ole chicken turning every 10 minutes then sitting up checking her skin to see if she is toasting ok. I HATE THEM ITALIAN barbie dolls without brains.

Lorna at Vicenza

Just having a little celebratory drink - but to be good I've diluted the prosecco with orange juice.

Got back from Chloe's school parent night.
She behaves well. She is the politest girl in class, always says please, thank you and you're welcome ....... (that's the English drummed into her that she converted into Italian and kept the habit) and all her marks out of 10 so far are 8 or above.

I'm celebrating now because in the future when she discovers boys etc. I might be crying into my drink over bad results rather than being pleased with good ones !!

It did pain me to see (as always) some parents that exchange a few words when one comes out the classroom.

"allora" says one ........ how did it go?
'Ah ye know ..... same as last year - never sits still - could do better - interrupts constantly - annoys classmates.

THEN THEY HAVE A BLOODY GIGGLE ABOUT IT !!!

Right - before I annoy you all by coming across as a big smug mamma I'd better get off and let her Daddy know the news and tell him that he almost risked not having a car in England on Sunday because bloody AVIS have let us down. Lufthansa has come through with a booking now for Europcar.

duffer

aren't Hertz cheaper?

Lorna at Vicenza

Had a massive row last year with hertz. Vocuher is valid for 7 days - rang them to say we would be keeping the car longer. Even told them personally when we were at airport desk.

No problem they assured me. Then in January we got a bill for about 800 quid !!!!
When I queried it they wrote back basically saying - "you kept car for longer than voucher which is why you have been charged premium rates."

I wrote a truly stinking (but polite) letter to their headquarters and offered telecom itemised bill as well and they eventually reimbursed the difference.

They gave us a Ford Fiesta and then charged us so much we could have had a Merc for the same money !

TestaRossa

How did Avis let you down?! Steve uses them all the time - he has the quick getaway account, really brill! For really cheap though use National/Alamo - they are the ones that upgraded me to a Merc but not for the cost of a fiesta!!

Did I say the Wii had landed???? Still in it's box - OH back in Spain until Sunday and as it is "our" presie I'm not allowed to mess with it until he is back. Didn't stop son from reading the instruction book while I was feeling off-colour on the sofa though did it!!

Lorna at Vicenza

Lufthansa told me that they couldn't complete the booking and send me the voucher for Avis as Avis has now put "blackout days" on when vouchers can be used and this does not cover Christmas !!

I rang the Avis office in the airport and they said they would accept a voucher.

I rang back Lufthansa and they said their system will not let them send me a voucher as they are restricted by the Avis head marketing office and the blackout days are in their system.

I couldn't be arsed to ring the head marketing office so just told Lufthansa to find me another company but not Hertz.

Europcar might not be the cheapest but we still get the first 7 days free of charge thanks to the air miles.

Everyone was really friendly and very helpful but as we need the car on Sunday I am not messing about any longer and just wanted it booked and confirmed.

37100

Europcar downgraded us then charged us for the larger car. The smaller car had mechanical problems so we had to take it back and they tried to charge us for petrol because the tank wasn't full. And it took more than 6 months to get a refund. So I suppose it's just luck, good or bad.

Lorna at Vicenza

Bloody brilliant .................. let's hope we get the good luck then.

I have rung Europcar - told them I'll be keeping the car longer. Told them that if they behave like Hertz did last year to expect a really shitty letter from me and that I was also recording the call so that there could be no excuses for extra charges.

Lorna at Vicenza

She was just like that !

Lorna at Vicenza

I'm off to bed . Some folk say that the sound of rain is conducent to sleep, We shall see............

Lorna at Vicenza

It isn't.

I woke up at 3.10 am after dreaming that I was stuck inside a Nintendo game running all over looking for hidden keys, stars and coins and avoiding being bombed by poisonous mushrooms and killed by boulder rolling baddies !!
I never did get to rescue Mario

duffer

well??

TestaRossa

What??