Today is the 7th anniversary of my move to France. Usually, I forget because the date on my visa is one month later, but as I was thinking about this post, I remembered. My mom was here for 10 days and she spent last week visiting with Australian friends who had rented a house in one of the hilltop villages in the Département Var, just to the west of us. Listening to her tales of the road made me remember what it was like in those early days.
Moving to France gave me a second childhood. Everything was new. New food, language and customs. But also the color of sunlight and the smells and taste of the air. I was suffering from serious sensory overload and trying to adapt at what seemed a snail's pace and function as an adult. In this context, I remember driving and trying to make sense of the customs on the road, the fact that I was supposed to drive right up to the stoplight, leave my left signal one while passing someone, and try to figure out how to navigate.
On my first visits, long before I moved, I was afraid to drive. Mostly I was afraid to get lost or end up on a tiny road unable to manoeuvre. Things changed in phases. First, E and I went on a 3-day road trip through Provence. He set the Michelin Guide Routiere in my lap and I learned how to navigate using these colorful maps. We would often arrive someplace and I couldn't find it on the map, but eventually I made friends with Michelin. The second phase was to make sense of the roads. France is a country of roundabouts with signs pointing the way. Street signs, though present, are mostly useless since by the time I see it, it's too late. Or I may not know the road I'm on. I figured out early that the directional signs were very helpful. They may not always lead me on the fastest route, but I never get lost. The trick, which my mom has learned in her visits here, is to look at the map and see the main towns in between where she is and where she wants to go. Then follow the signs like stepping stones until arriving at the destination.
Parking is another story altogether.
Map Image: Copyright Michelin from ViaMichelin
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