trippy.paws: The Drive

Tyson tried to tell me, but I just wouldn’t listen...
Yes, he did mention a while back that the drive would be long, but I think it just didn’t register in my mind.

The drive had everything you can think of.
Bad weather? Check. It rained and drizzled along the way.
Icy roads? Check. For a while we kept watching the thermometer dancing around 32F (0C). The roads were wet the entire way and, as I mentioned before, the car has no snow tires. It was intense and stressful. Luckily, ice never formed.
Construction? Check. There were miles and miles of construction and reduced speeds and narrow lanes.
Fog? Check. And the fog lamps just wouldn’t turn on!

The speed limit is 130 km (80mph) in France and the highways are not free. Driving from the German/French border to Paris cost us around 30 euros.

We finally got into town at 2am. Exhausted, Tyson quickly woke up when he got to Champs-Elysees. The traffic wasnt dreadful. It was simply...a pandemonium. French are in love with traffic circles. They are very convenient, yes; only it takes time to figure out the system which governs the driving.
There were buses that did 4 lane changes, cars that stopped right in the middle blocking traffic, and crazy motorcycle drivers that shot around cars like there was no tomorrow. There were even bicyclists.
What is interesting is that there was very little honking, no accidents, and no traffic lights – somehow it just worked.

French drivers are better than American. More skilled, I should say. I think it has to do with manual transmission that keeps a driver alert. Tyson is trying to convert me to become a “real” driver.