Unit 54: Holiday plans

Unit 54: Holiday plans

1. I like to be ready.

(Here's a man who plans all his holidays. He likes to be ready.)

Father	We have a minute or two before tea, David. We can wait in here.
David	Are you going somewhere?
Father	What? Oh, these? I'm making plans for our next holiday.
David	Oh, yes.
Father	I like to be ready, you know. For example, we're going to drive from Paris to Toulouse. There's a good road through Orleans and Limoges, and perhaps it's quicker to go that way. But sometimes it's better to go a longer way round. You see more, there's less traffic, so it's easier to drive.
David	How do you know which road is best?
Father	The guides, my boy. They tell you everything. Look—there's a good restaurant in Bourges, so that's where you stop for lunch. Then, in the evening, you should stop there and stay at that hotel. In the morning, before you leave, you should see the castle. I write it all down, you see, one page for every day. It all goes in here. I couldn't go on holiday without that, and without the maps and guides.
David	Oh?
Father	Always make plans, David. That's the way. Always know what you're going to do, and when you're going to do it. Where are you going to go for your holiday?
David	Well—er—
Emma	Daddy—David! Tea is ready.
Father	Five o'clock. Time for tea.
David	Hello.
Emma	What were you talking about?
David	Holiday plans.
Emma	Oh!

2. We went there two years ago.

Mother	Have you and David decided where you're going to go on holiday this year, Emma?
Emma	We thought about Cornwall.
Father	Cornwall! Good idea! We went there two years ago, yes.
Emma	Daddy can tell you everything about every holiday. He writes it all down.
Father	Here it is. Cornwall. We left here on August 14th, and came back on the 21st. We went to Truro, and Falmouth, Penzance, Land's End —it's all here. All hotels we stayed at, how much they cost, what they were like.
Emma	Whether it was raining or sunny ...
Father	Of course. And what we saw and did every day. I made the plans before the holiday, and then I wrote down what happened. On August 14th, we stayed at the Garden hotel. We paid twenty pounds for a comfortable room and a good breakfast. We visited the local museum, talked to local people. Sunny and warm.
Mother	Yes, I remember that day.
Father	You can borrow this if you like, David. Perhaps it will help you with your holiday plans.
David	Ah, well, ... thank you, but you see, the thing is, we don't want to plan our holiday.
Father	Don't want to plan your holiday!
David	No.
Emma	No.
Father	Good heavens!

3. We want the holiday to be different.

Emma	You see, Daddy, David and I have to make i plans all the time, in our jobs.
David	We want the holiday to be different. We want to decide in the morning what we're going to do.
Emma	Then perhaps decide something else at lunchtime.
David	We don't really want to know what's going to happen. That's what "holiday" means. Because when we're not on holiday, we do know what's going to happen.
Emma	Every day.
Father	I see. But then, the holidays you had with me and your mother, Emma. You didn't enjoy them?
Emma	Of course, I did. So did mummy. You knew what was going to happen, but we didn't.
Mother	You enjoyed making the plans, Cecil. We enjoyed the holiday.
David	So everyone was happy.
Father	Are you sure?
Emma	Of course.
David	By the way, have you ever been to Greece?
Father	Yes.
David	Good. I'm going there next week. Can you tell me about the taxis? For example: how far is it from the airport to the centre of Athens? How much does it cost by taxi? Do I have to give a tip, and if so, how much?
Father	I'll get my book on Greece.
David	Thanks.
Father	Just a minute, you don't really want to know, do you? You're trying to be kind to an old fool.

4. I always plan business trips.

David	I'm not being kind. I really want to know. I'm going to Greece on a business trip, and I always plan business trips.
Father	Ah!