English driving

Arrived at Heathrow a few minutes early and went through the long Immigration line with no particular delay. Bags were retrieved quickly and we ound the Avis counter, with 3 people (groups) ahead of us. One clerk. Over an hour from getting in the queue to getting on the shuttle to the car park. Tiring. Met a retired couple from London Ont.., Mr & Mrs Anthony Woolley. They live in Westmount and have a trailer at Wildwood in Bayfield. Just proves the world is small.

Got our car, a Renault Mégane Scenic…small minivan or fat wagon. Pretty posh. I got in the wrong side at first, and found it Extremely spacious…then I realized that was because the steering wheel was at the other seat! Got in my proper place and checked out the space-age controls. The key is not a key: it’s a fat card that slides into a slot just below a large button marked “START STOP”, which is what you push to start or stop. I think we have found all the window, door lock, temperature and radio controls. The shift is located high and central, and works well, even for me. I have some regrets about insisting on a standard, but that is what I have driven all other times in England and Ireland, and it was never a problem….

We have been on a variety of roads, starting with the M25 and M3 (400 class in Ontario), country highways, tree-shaded country roads and lanes, and several tiny roads with the ominous, long-winded sign: “Warning, Oncoming traffic in middle of the road” … I’ll get the exact wording later. The scariest ones are those with parked cars and traffic. There is no extra lane for parking and our car feels quite wide… I have a tendency to stop and let everyone go through first, which slows down the journey. I have done well enough, though. Bumped a few offside curbs (kerbs) and a few roadside bushes (vegetation is rampant here, like the Pays de Gex or any rainforest) but no stone walls, people or cars. So far so good!

That’s the road report. Other topics to cover include Mary Ann (& Antoine)’s job, their plans, our hotel (Marwell: a room with a Zoo), the Isle of Wight and whatever happens next….