Chapter *11.38*

Vierwaldstattersee

“Nite Dad, nite everyone.”

“G'nite Drew, Amanda.” Dave replied.

“Don't be late in the morning.” Caro added.

“We won't.” Drew chirped before following Manda inside.

“Someone's happy.” Chris suggested.

“Indeed,” Dave agreed thoughtfully, ‘indeed.'

Once up in my room all thoughts of packing were forgotten, I kicked off my sandals and dropped onto the bed. What an evening. I think it's fair to say however that it wasn't the pasta feast or particularly mucking about on the beach that captured my thoughts, no it was a certain individual of local extraction .

All of my insides seem to go gooey at the mere thought of him and when I remember the er kissing, mama mia! And we're leaving tomorrow, maybe I can come visit? Or he could come to Germany? No, not a good idea, the girls'll try to nick him off me, no I'll come here, I can probably fly to Milan and ride up here.

My thoughts returned to our earlier passion, at some point I must've dropped off as the next conscious thought was focused on the sounds of a refuse truck clanging and beeping somewhere nearby. My alarm joined the cacophony, sugar, seven thirty!

I wasn't the last to reach the breakfast room in fact none of the girls were there so I plonked myself down with Darren.

“Yo.”

“Unlike you to be so early.” He observed.

“Packing didn't take too long.” I noted before taking a good pull of my coffee cup.

“I wouldn't mind coming here again. It's been pretty cool even with all the riding.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, “the place certainly has its attractions.” One metre seventy-five, brown hair, lips like hmm wine.

“You listening?”

“Sorry.”

“I was just saying, the food's been brill, I thought it'd be all pasta.”

“They probably think you only eat roast beef in England.”

“Never thought of it like that.”

The others drifted in over the next few minutes; we wouldn't be waiting for anyone this morning. Not needing to rush meant we could linger over an extra coffee before our nine o'clock evacuation. Having got pretty much everything packed before breakfast I only needed another ten minutes to clear the room and finish the job.

I plonked my bags down with the rest.

“Leg better this morning?” Jemma enquired.

“Bit itchy.”

“That's good, means it's healing.”

“Still annoying.”

“You put the cream on this morning?”

“Er yeah.” I hedged.

“Drew.”

“Well I finished packing before I remembered.”

“Promise me you'll do it once we get to Lucerne.”

“I promise.” I sighed.

It was easier to keep out of the way than try to help with the loading so I drifted over to the waterfront where Mand was gazing over the lake.

“Wotcha.”

“Hmm.” She allowed.

“Been nice here.”

“Not much entertainment.”

“Oh I don't know, the beach was alright. What's up Mand, you've hardly said a word all morning.”

“Nothing.” Except the pretty blonde gets the man again.

“So you want to hit the shops when we get to Luzern?” Drew suggested.

‘Why did it have to be you?'

“I guess.”

The mini convoy left the Hotel Como and with it Lezzeno shortly before Chris' ten o'clock deadline but instead of heading towards the ferries at Bellagio they turned south towards the town that gave the lake its name, Como. It seemed a bit illogical to spend half an hour going south when they were headed north but they quickly joined the E35 northbound almost immediately crossing into Switzerland. They were soon past Lugano and approaching Bellinzona by eleven o'clock and the start of the long approach to the Gotthard Pass.

It's a long climb to the tunnel, seventy kilometres, seventy kilometres filled with seemingly every truck in Europe wanting to travel up through Switzerland to Germany, France and beyond. Somewhere around Biasca the truck fell behind, the incessant grade having taken its toll. The tunnel was open today so they used the twenty-kilometre shortcut under Andermatt that spat them out after a dark and noisy climb into the Reustal.

Somehow there seemed to be less traffic as they dropped towards Altdorf where they caught a brief glimpse of Vierwaldstattersee before entering the Seelisberg Tunnel, another dozen kilometres underground. Once at the northern end it was barely thirty minutes to the Luzern Centre turn off although fifteen minutes more to reach their accommodation, a small but fairly modern affair behind the Altstadt.

“Bit different to Lezzeno.” Claire noted as we climbed down from the bus, stiff from almost three hours non-stop traveling.

“No kidding.” I agreed as a trolleybus trundled past.

Italy, well the tiny bit we've been in, was fairly parched, the lights different here, colours look more solid, trees greener. Not only that but gauging from our short transit of the city, it's a hell of a lot busier, I know you'd expect that but it was a jolt after the Lombardy countryside.

“Inside you lot.” Caro dictated.

We made our way inside to where Jemma was waiting with a tray of keys.

“Right then, same allocations as Lezzeno, the truck should be here in a couple of minutes with your bags but I'll give you your keys in a moment. Once you've got your bags in your rooms the afternoon is yours. If you want to eat this evening, seven o'clock sharp here in reception, there's no restaurant here so we'll be using a place in the old town.

"Okay then, Josh and Drew – room 416.”

Unlike the Hotel Como this place, the Löwenplatz Plaza Hotel is somewhat less involved and who sleeps with whom was of no interest.

“You go open the room, I'll bring the bags.” Josh told me once we'd located our domicile on the hotel plan.

“You sure?”

“Aye man, it's only a small lift, easier with less bodies like.”

“If you say so.”

As you might guess from our room number our accommodation is on the fourth floor so I used the lift myself to reach it. We are halfway along the corridor; I opened the door into what is pretty much a standard layout room. Toilet / shower by the door, two single beds taking up most of the main room, wardrobe, desk, a pair of easy chairs, wall mounted telly and big double glazed window – yup pretty standard.

I claimed the bed closest to the door before checking out the view. Ha, that's a laugh, the window looks out over the roofs of downtown Luzern and not much else, well you can see the top of some mountain in the distance but certainly not the lake.

“Drew? Open up man.”

Door! I bounded over to said portal and let a much laden Mr. Waugh into our temporary abode. He dropped the bags before collapsing into one of the chairs.

“There's too many steps.” He wheezed.

“I thought you were using the lift?”

“The girls beat me to it so I used the stairs.” He explained.

“You alright with the window?” I hinted.

“Aye, it's a bed like. You okay with this, sharing with me like?”

We've been here before of course.

“You've not got anything I've not seen before,” I grinned.

“You know what I mean man.”

“I'll change in the bathroom okay and I promise not to walk round in just my bra and frilly panties.”

“Bra?”

“Josh, I was joking, but seriously, are you okay with it?”

He hesitated slightly before replying, “Aye, I'll be able to boast that I've slept with the hottest chick on the team.”

“You getting it on with Mand?”

“Mand? No you yer daft bugger.” He chuckled.

I started to blush, “Just don't use the ‘c' word and I might let you live.”

“So what's the plan for this afternoon like?”

“Not entirely sure, explore the town I guess.”

“Mark and the guys are on about going to this Lido place?” Josh offered.

“Think I'll give that a miss, it's not like I can hit the pool.”

His face dropped; clearly the pool was his preferred afternoon entertainment.

“You don't have to nursemaid me, we're only sharing a room.” I pointed out.

“If you're sure like?”

“I'm sure. If we don't shake a leg we won't be doing anything, you need the bathroom?”

“It's all yours.”

“I just need to put this cream on my leg then I'm off.”

“How is it?”

“Better but still sore, the shoulder's not so bad,” I pulled my t-shirt off to show him, “See?”

“Um Drew, er bra?” it was Josh's turn to blush.

“Bra? Oops sorry.” I giggled before skipping into the bathroom.

“This us?” I enquired.

“Think so,” Claire agreed, “Lor and Sal are going to the pool place with Mark and co, Mand mumbled something about meeting us later?”

“Whatever.” She's been a bit off all day.

“I've got a town plan, so where first? Shops or gawking?”

“Probably both if we go to the Altstadt.” I suggested.

“Camera?”

“Check.”

“Wallet?”

“Check.”

“Let's do it!”

to be continued....