When in Rome, never let yourself be seduced by the offer of extra ice-cream for dessert (free of course) even if it's offered by a smooth-talking, handsome, Mediterranean waiter. Especially if it comes from a smooth-talking, handsome Mediterranean waiter; he just wants to take you on a private tour of Rome by night, most likely far away from your hotel. That's what happened to me, when on our second day in the Eternal City, the head waiter zeroed in on me to bestow his sweet talk and the offer of extra gelati, not just for me but for our whole table. I said yes to the extra gelati and a firm no to the private tour. I had no intention of being plied with champagne and compliments and then driven to goodness knows where for heaven knows what. I said I was booked on a tour with my new tour-group friends and that's exactly what I did.
However, he didn't give up easily. His ego, I expect. He accosted me in the hotel lobby the following day, touching me, calling me honey and trying to persuade me again to come out with him. The answer was another firm no and I sailed through the hotel doors, head held high to our waiting tour bus to the Colosseum and the Roman Catacombs. I looked young and innocent in those days, and he probably thought I would cave in with a simpering yes answer.
He acted all mock hurt and pouty throughout dinner that evening and tried to make me jealous by focusing on another girl. It was hilarious and I was relieved. I just hope she had the sense to say no as well.
He was gorgeous though, but for all I knew, he was a psychopath, an Italian Ted Bundy; not that I knew about Ted Bundy back in 1974. That was a good thing, because if you thought about people like Ted Bundy too much, you wouldn't have the courage to go anywhere, especially not overseas as a single girl.
These 'private tour' offers occurred quite frequently during the course of my various tours. There was one in Germany, in Paris and Salzburg, Stockholm and probably a few others I've forgotten about. The answer was always the same; a very firm no.
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Here, There and Everywhere Else
Non-FictionFirst came Here, There and Everywhere...Memoirs of an Air Hostess. Now i give you Here, There and Everywhere Else; for stories I had to leave out in the first book. Some are from my flying days, during my 11 and a half years as a Flight Attendant; o...
