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December 31, 2015

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Pete Frenquelle

I LOVED reading this. I had a slightly different driving adventure overseas - in Britain, learning to drive on the "wrong" side of the road and sitting in the right hand seat to drive. I picked up a rental car at Heathrow and my very first experience, right outside the airport, was a roundabout (traffic circle). I had to think quick to figure our the correct way to rotate. Onramps and exit ramps on their version of interstates were also challenging. Thanks for all your great stories!

Ellen

Thanks Pete.
Oh yes, I remember the "wrong side" driving experience. I had to leave my left hand on the gear shift or I'd end up reaching for the driver side door when I wanted to shift. And I had to talk to myself when it came to turns. For example, for a left turn, "hug the curb, hug the curb."
Oh those roundabouts! If they're going to drive on the wrong side over there, must there be so many roundabouts??

Stephen Garone

Driving in Italy was a bit of a challenge for me, too, especially when I approached a traffic circle that would have, oh, about two dozen signs of different sizes and lettering, including a couple indicating the same town but pointing in opposite directions. But, like you said, the Italians were so extraordinarily helpful that on three separate occasions, they got into their cars and escorted me to where I needed to go.

Ellen

Stephen,

I know exactly what you mean about all the signs. The friend who I was staying with told me to follow the brown signs to a nature preserve to get to her house - those signs were smaller than other signs and usually at the bottom of a stack of them, and I'd have seconds to scan all the signs to finally find that one. U-turns became my friend.

Several times I drove around and around a traffic circle until I finally found the sign I needed. And yes, sometimes the signs seemed conflicting. Okay, maybe the town was in both directions but which way got me to what I wanted to see?

That's impressive that you got escorted by people. Nice folks those Italians!Thanks for weighing in. I love other people's stories.

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