I've been I've been learning to drive on the city streets lately and this has been a pretty nerve-racking experience for both me and my passengers. I am comfortable driving on the highway or in the countryside, but it's a totally different story in Paris. The traffic, pedestrians, bikes, scooters, unfamiliar road signs, strange intersections, and roundabouts (my nemesis) make driving here a dangerous new adventure for me. 
Faustine has been teaching me and we are practicing in the Smart Car that she and her sister share. I don't know if you have ever seen one of these things, but they are tiny (5ft tall by 8ft long, 2 passengers max). They get great gas mileage and you can park practically anywhere but they are quite lacking in amenities, engine power, and safety features. They are manufactured by Mercedes, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you drive one- no power steering, jerky shifting mechanism, and a low, low, low top speed around 65-70 mph. The itsy-bitsy car doesn't exactly scream safety and you sure don't feel comfortable on the interstate with the big trucks.
Overall, the city driving experiences have been pretty good. Sometimes it is a piece of cake, other times it is a little scarier. The ultimate driving test comes in the form of the massive roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe where 12 avenues merge. The etoile (French for star) is hectic mess of speed, nerves, and adrenaline. Accidents are so commonplace there that the police no longer investigate them; it's just so routine.
My one time driving through there was a little scary. Faustine thought we were going to die as a collision seemed imminent. I wasn't particularly worried about car speeding towards us (at least not like she was) because it was a nice, big, shiny, brand-new, Mercedes. This guy had a lot more to lose if he didn't hit the brakes. And so it was... he stopped I kept going and life went on as usual.
Faustine has been teaching me and we are practicing in the Smart Car that she and her sister share. I don't know if you have ever seen one of these things, but they are tiny (5ft tall by 8ft long, 2 passengers max). They get great gas mileage and you can park practically anywhere but they are quite lacking in amenities, engine power, and safety features. They are manufactured by Mercedes, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you drive one- no power steering, jerky shifting mechanism, and a low, low, low top speed around 65-70 mph. The itsy-bitsy car doesn't exactly scream safety and you sure don't feel comfortable on the interstate with the big trucks.Overall, the city driving experiences have been pretty good. Sometimes it is a piece of cake, other times it is a little scarier. The ultimate driving test comes in the form of the massive roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe where 12 avenues merge. The etoile (French for star) is hectic mess of speed, nerves, and adrenaline. Accidents are so commonplace there that the police no longer investigate them; it's just so routine.
My one time driving through there was a little scary. Faustine thought we were going to die as a collision seemed imminent. I wasn't particularly worried about car speeding towards us (at least not like she was) because it was a nice, big, shiny, brand-new, Mercedes. This guy had a lot more to lose if he didn't hit the brakes. And so it was... he stopped I kept going and life went on as usual.
Driving crappy cars has taught me that people in fancy cars are a lot more cautious, so if you are in a junker you can take more risks. I guess you have a little wiggle room when you just don't car if your busted, old car gets another dent. Wish me luck out there!
Click on the pic below for a funny roundabout clip from the Chevy Chase classic, National Lampoon's European Vacation.
I love this movie- so stupid, but so good!
Finally catching up on your blog - you do a nice job updating it. Sounds like you are enjoying springtime in paris!! Roundabouts are the worst - last time we were driving in Europe we had the GPS unit which would say "take the 5th exit in the roundabout" - the problem was we never knew where the darn thing started counting! or we would be in the middle of the mess frantically trying to count the exits and inevitably taking the wrong turn. anyway i wish you luck with your driving adventures & have fun on the cheese discovery quest! Miss you....MA
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