Dante's Inferno



OH MY GOD - was on the tube this morning with a huge party of Italians (there were ten of them). I have nothing against Italians I just have a problem with large loud gesticulating people talking at the tops of their voices and shouting "Maria", "Eh Giovanni", "Lucia" down the carriage at about 9.30 in the morning when you're just trying to come to terms with the day. Horrible thoughts came through my mind about what would happen if I got stuck in the tunnel with these people. How would I survive without killing them?



Amazingly, the person in the party who was most irritating/fascinating (apart from the one sitting next to me shouting "Eh Giovanni" down the carriage) was the woman diagonally opposite me. She was wearing an enormous pair of really black sunglasses (sunglasses worn in the tunnels of tubes is always the sign of a dubious character or someone with something to hide) and constantly fanning herself with a decorative lacy looking fan. We could have been in Venice sailing gently down canals on a gondola as she looked totally distracted and unaware of her noisy friends.



I wish I could have swapped places with her.