the sheer terror of navigating Europe's tiny streets

Here I stand contemplating the entire size of the two way street

It is equal to one side of the road on the other side of the world

I won't name names of them, or these English streets

I mean, what were they thinking?

If you are a nervous driver like myself

You will be terrified to drive here

One tiny swing of your steering wheel

And wham!

Accident waiting to happen

And the culture shock of roundabouts

There are so many!

I was born in Jamaica, we have roundabouts

But geez!

My head is spinning from the many roundabouts here

in the makeup of this place

Frankly, I am dizzy from the

Culture shock!

I was forewarned. But, still unprepared for the

many differences to be encountered.

One should definitely wait a few weeks, or maybe more, before finding the courage to tackle the tiny roads, the roundabouts, the many twists and turns and the nuances of performing this task while learning to drive on the opposite side of the road.

For now, I am driving on the passenger side of everyone's ride, trying not to holler at vehicles that seem to be careening into the ones that I am actually in. It is fine, they are just driving on the left rather than the right. Right?

This situation may seem oddly funny, but really it is the stuff that nightmares are made of. It is going to take some getting used to.

Week two. I am still jet lagged after flying for many hours. I left one country on Tuesday and arrived in the other on Wednesday. I had to rearrange my plans, since I slept away the hours that I should have spent exploring. I definitely needed more time to acclimate to my new surroundings.

I have plans to go visit the Eiffel Tower. Yes, it is in another country, but I am closer to it now, and it may be my only chance to see it up close. So I need to get over myself real fast.

It is now November, old man winter is still a bit young. There is a lot of rain and a small amount of snow. The sun peeks out now and then and I go for short walks.

I am so close to the cars on the tiny sidewalks that I cringe really close to the walled side, in the fear that I may stub my toe and somehow fall into the street.

Pardon my whining, but the terror is real and vacation time is short. I slap myself in the face and woman up to my fears and walk with a bit more confidence and less fear of the negative. I am embracing the positive as it appears everyone else has.

Do not get me wrong. There are much larger streets in the urban areas. I started out in the country and I am making my way into the larger towns. The roads are getting wider, the driving of the many varied large and strangely tiny and unique vehicles appear very unusual to what I am accustomed. But hope springs eternal (Alexander Pope), I am getting the urge to drive and get into the basic swing of things.

I am content to leave the driving to my chauffeurs, albeit family members, for right now. Let us leave the literal driving by me for at least week three. I should be quite ready and up to the task by then.

Now it is time for me to get the much cliched and hopefully enjoyable fish and chips of the English country. I am really looking forward to this mouth watering delicacy. I smile as I say this.

Let nothing spoil a well deserved and well planned vacation. I am adapting, learning and planning to have an enjoyable stay here.

I will certainly heed the words of the French, 'fleuris la ou tu es plantee', 'bloom where you are planted'.

Goodbye for now. My exploration of all things strange is awaiting.

N.A.