Why me?

Since arriving eight weeks ago, I have been asked many times how have I found driving on the right (wrong) side of the road? Most of the time I reply “Not to badly, haven’t killed anyone yet!”. Don’t worry, in case you’re alarmed I haven’t killed anyone, but I have had my first official (and hopefully only) car crash in Germany, in fact my only car crash ever - where I have been at fault anyway. It wasn’t even because of being on the wrong side of the road, it could’ve happened anywhere. Let me explain – I was driving towards an intersection and I stopped at the traffic lights, in the far left lane, and indicated to turn left. I was the front vehicle in the queue of traffic, and when the lights changed to green, I drove slowly into the middle of the intersection, and waited for a bus going straight (northwards up the road I was waiting at) to pass, before completing the manoeuvre. The bus driver then gestured (rather rudely and aggressively I might add) that there was not sufficient room for him to pass easily (of which there was plenty). So, I put the car into reverse, and moved the car backwards. When doing so, I accidentally bumped the front bumper of the car directly behind me. Of course it had to be a brand new, flash convertible. Don’t ask me what kind – it was Blue okay! Actually I think someone said it may have been a Rover.

When the bus passed, I carried on down street until it was safe to pullover. There, I got out of the vehicle and apologised profusely to the woman driving the car. Thankfully she wasn’t really angry and spoke English. There was not sufficient enough force from the impact, to leave any visible scratches, dents or damage to either car, much to my relief. Details were exchanged regardless, and because of the apparent lack of damage – no police were called and neither of us had a camera readily available. The boys didn’t have a clue I’d crashed at all, and were wondering what all the fuss was about! The moment I got home I told Frank and thought that was that. But oh no! A few days later we got a letter from the Insurance Company saying that she’d filed a claim. For what I have no idea, as the phone number she gave me isn’t correct. So now I’ve written out a statement, and I am waiting to hear what’s going to happen.

Here is me standing in an old Castle Mote in Eltville, filled in now with roses. I just thought it might break up the monotony of all the text!

Now as you will remember, I said three things had happened. Yup, just a few short days later I got a speeding ticket! I wasn’t going too fast, I think 45km in a 30km zone. But as it was a speed camera, I will have to wait until the mail arrives to find out how much that will be. The streets here aren't as heavily speedsign posted like they are back home. If that wasn’t the final straw that broke the camels back then the next saga was. When Lisa was here we tried to find one of the big monuments, on top of a hill overlooking Wiesbaden. We were surrounded by a large forest, we had our maps out and after going around in circles (we were having a bit of a problem trying to match the roads on the map, to the roads in front of us as there were no signs anywhere, and after passing some very angry looking women) we stopped and asked some men working on the side of the road for directions. We basically had to speak ‘Germish’ (the pathetic little I know of German, mixed with basic English in which a lot of people seem to understand) and after only a few seconds it became very clear we most certainly were not allowed to be there. The paths (which look exactly like roads) are strictly for cyclists and pedestrians. The ‘paths’ were clearly displayed as roads on the map, there were no road signs at all that we saw indicating we weren’t supposed to be there. But the men said if we didn’t leave immediately they were going to have to fine us, and if we had come across their boss he would have done it regardless of our situation. So they opened a gate for us and shooed us out, with some very strong ‘tut, tutting’ directed our way. We learnt a lot about Germans that day, you are no allowed to make mistakes! In the end we found the monument, which is accessible only by foot and it wasn’t even that great.

I put this shocking last week down to several things. The heat at the moment is terrific, most days it’s around 34/35oC and the humidity is unbearable. You can’t think, sleep or move it’s so bad. Nicole says it’s never like this ever in Germany. The thunder storms, and lightning shows are almost worth it - almost. But I am not sure how much more I can handle. So the heat, mixed with feeling awful (I blame dehydration and lacking Iron) and concentrating so hard on keeping to the right side of the road, has severely compromised my concentration on everything else. Oh and Bus drivers are bullies, who need to be taken down a peg or two!

Well that’s all for the moment. Expect another instalment in the next day or two, going over Lisa’s stay, the boys and of course making new friends.