Daniel's Diary

1st – February – 2009 at 6 p.m. I arrived at the airport with my family who was very sad for my departure because it was the first time that I went far from home for this long time, but they were also very happy for the opportunity the school gave me.
At this point, I said good-bye to my family and I got on on the airplane with my friends. We were very excited and impatient for the departure.
The flight was about two hours and we arrived on the same day at 8 p.m. in the Gatwick airport in London. We took our baggage and we went by bus to Hastings. In this evening, the weather was very bad, because there was snow and wind. The travel by bus was unforgettable: it was a slow agony! We were very tired and we were very hungry, but the road never ended…! The bus was going very slowly during the journey, because the road was full of snow. We had to be in Hastings at 10 p.m., but we arrived about two hours late … Our “English-Family” was waiting for us under the snow when we got there.

We met our host family and we went to their home by car. At home, we went to our bedroom and we went to sleep…
The next day we got up early in the morning and we had our breakfast: two pieces of toast, one with cheese and cooked ham and the second one with chocolate; we drunk milk and a very long coffee… After the breakfast, our host family took us to “EAC Hastings School”, an English school for the people from other countries.
We had to go to school every day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and we had a break at 10.30 a.m. In the first day we did a test to evaluate our competences and we have been divided in three groups. After the lessons we had lunch all together and everyday, in the afternoon, we went to visit many places in Hastings with our English teacher of the “EAC HS”; in the evening, we stayed with the family or at the school to watch a film all together and at the disco. The teachers were very good and nice. Our teacher was Oliver and he doesn’t like football…
On Monday, the first day of our trip, the weather was snowy and in the afternoon we stayed at home. The second day we went to Hastings Castle: it was very beautiful with the snow; at the castle we watched a video on William the Conqueror.

The third day we went to Battle to visit its castle and abbey. On Wednesday we visited the Caves in Hastings and the museum. The fifth day we visited the Fisherman museum and Old Town museum. On Sunday we went to London and it was the best day of the trip: London is really great and beautiful! We left Hastings by bus early in the morning to go there and we visited London all day, but one day isn’t enough! We saw:
- the Big-Ben ;
- the Buckingham Palace ;
- the Houses of Parliament ;
- “London Eye” ;
- the London Bridge ;
- Trafalgar Square .

The Big-Ben is very beautiful, but for me the best monument in London was the Buckingham Palace with the guard who never moved.
To travel around London we took the “underground” and we saw the typical red phone boxes.
The day in London passed very quickly and it was very amusing, but also tiring.
At the end of the trip, my friends and I were very happy for the experience and tired, but we felt homesick and looking forward to having some Italian food! We left from London on Sunday to go back home sweet home…


DANIEL DI MARTINO

Beatrice's Diary

The trip to England was wonderful! When the teacher told us about this project, I already saw me into the London and Hastings’ shops! At the beginning all my class wanted to go on this trip, but later only seven people took part in it. We left on 1st February and we came back on 8th February. I had a good time there and I met many new friends because other classes of my school took part in this trip. Hastings is a nice city but we didn’t visit it very much. My friend Claudia and me ate and slept with a family who hosted us. Please don’t speak about the house! It was disgusting! The dirtiness was everywhere! And the food…oh my God! I often didn’t breathe so I didn’t smell every bad taste!
The family was composed of: father, mother, two girls and two boys. We only spoke with the mother, but we often didn’t understand very well what she said.
In the morning we met at school (AEC) and we had lessons (only English). In the afternoon, after lunch, we went on excursions and we visited castles, caves, museums, etc. After we went shopping and, at 6 o’clock, we came back home for dinner.
In the evening we sometimes went out together; one evening we went to a pub with the teachers and another evening we went to a beautiful games-hall…I believed I was in a casino!  (the teachers didn’t know it, but I think they imagined it!) 
Another evening (maybe the last one) we went to an Italian restaurant…finally some good food!!!
On Saturday morning we left to London! It’s a wonderful city with many shops and…taxis! I love travelling by taxi! It seems to be in a film! My friends and me went to Harrods…beautiful! I wanted to buy everything!
I understand that speaking English is easy, but understanding it is more difficult because the people speak very fast! But it was a wonderful experience and I hope to repeat it!