Saturday 3rd October Lake Maggiore Metz

Up at 03:30 and in zombie mode! Shower, dress and make cup of tea without realising what I am doing! Am I still asleep? Only kidding but do feel a little lethargic.
I arrive at the coach at 04:20 and am surprised to see Brian and Jason sitting on Brian's coach drinking coffee! They are doing a day trip to Blackpool today but do not pick up until 06:20 in Whitehill, about five minutes drive away. I ask Brian why he is in so early and he said he couldn't sleep so decided to come in! Very strange. Apparently Jason came in last night and slept in his car so that he wouldn't oversleep! Also very strange!
Anyway I sort myself out and leave them to it. I only have two pick up points today, the first in Petersfield and the second in Liphook.
We are way from Petersfield on time and arrive in Liphook at 05:45 for a 06:00 departure. At six we are a taxi short which is very unusual as the firm involved are normally very reliable. I call there office but there is no reply and the two mobile numbers are no better. I can't even leave a message. Am very frustrated and worried as the taxi is picking eight passengers from Whitehill, Liss and Headley.
I call David Bridger to see if he can do the Whitehill and Liss pick ups for me and take them to the lay-by at Wisley and I then call Will who has already picked some people up for me but has gone back to bed! He calls back to say he is on his way to Headley and will meet me at Wisley.
Meanwhile Mr Pearcey, one of the Liss people, calls his friend on the coach to say he has been picked up. I ask Ken, his friend, to ask the driver his name. Phil he says. Oh I say! We now have two taxi's picking one lot of passengers up! I call David again and say panic is over and we don't need him now.
Will appears at Wisley with Mr & Mrs Kirkland saying that is the quickest they have travelled down the A3! Phil turns up with his passengers saying much the same thing! David drives past on his way to Heathrow with a toot!
Before I go any further I would like to thank David Bridger of Bridgers Taxi's and Will from WMC Services for their help. If you want a taxi in Haslemere or Petersfield these are the boys for you.
I drive straight to Folkestone and manage to change our booking from the 09:20 to the 09:50 shuttle which means we have only lost half an hour. I am glad of the break at the shuttle terminal. I quickly meet David from Fenns Coaches, in a brand new impressive looking coach, on his way to Alassio in Italy.
Arriving in Calais I now have a five hour drive to Metz. We have a couple of stops before arriving in Metz at 18:45. We are staying at the Mercure Metz Centre, a hotel I have stayed in many times but not in the last six years.
We are the only coach in the hotel and I can park right outside which is very handy.
I have a bit of a shock before dinner. Having showered and changed I am just about ready for a beer. I go to the bar and wait a while before finding the gentleman on reception to find me a barman. He ends up pouring my beer himself. I must be a little tired as I give him the money for my beer without question. I soon realise I have paid €9 for a beer! That is about £8.25! That is robbery! I ask the young lady who has appeared behind the bar to check the price and it is indeed correct. I will be haunted by this tonight!
The meal tonight was excellent, especially from an overnight hotel. We had Mozzerella, Tomato and Parma ham to start followed by a Chicken dish and then an Apple Tart with Ice Cream. All washed down with water, wine and coffee. As well as being very tasty the presentation of the food was superb and the service very good.
I don't venture far today and am ready for a good nights sleep.