Hit and Miss, the Continuing Saga

Continuing with my looking back at what I will and will not miss about France and Europe.

Parking
Miss it:  You can legally park in both directions on either side of the street.

Will  not miss it:  I absolutely hate parking in France!  More than once I have spent twenty minutes driving around the neighborhood looking for a parking spot and ending up parking one kilometer away.  In Houston  we have a double car garage, long driveway and parking area in front of the house along the street.

Park in both directions.

Our old house, check out the curb in front of the double garage.

Streets
Will Miss:  Many towns and villages in France date back to medieval times where stone buildings and walls defined a street designed for horses.  One might describe these streets as "quaint" and/or "charming."

I will not miss:  Narrow streets, regardless of quaintness and charm often are one-way, have no room for parking and cause issues for even mid-size vehicles.  Delivery vehicles or transit buses with their stops can cause lengthy queues in traffic.  Knowing the rules for two-way traffic on a one lane street adds to the frustration.

Two-way street.

Two-way street.

The following photos are the ends of an actual street that shows up on my map app.  I am not sure how one uses this street.

Daylight
Will miss:  The wonderful long summer days.

Will not miss:  The seemingly endless winter nights.   France:  sunrise 08:15, sunset 16:30, Norway:  sunrise 09:30, sunset 15:00

Summer daylight hours.

Summer daylight hours.

Walking
Will miss:  With all the parking hassles, and the closeness of a small city many people walk wherever they need to go.  Within ten minutes I can be downtown, at the chateau or in the woods.  Bike riding is not far behind.  I can get to the big grocery store two kilometers away just as fast on my bike as I can driving, plus I do not have to hunt for a parking spot.

Will not miss:  Playing "dodge the dog poop" on the sidewalk.  This is a serious problem even though there are free doggie poop bag dispensers and special doggie potty zones.

Doggie potty zone.

Doggie potty zone.

Free doggie poop bags with instructions.

Latin Culture
Will miss:  North Americans are too busy, stressed and always in a hurry.  The Latin culture (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy) enjoy long casual meals, spending time with family and friends, vacations (at least 5 weeks a year) and taking time to enjoy life.

Will not miss:  Sometimes you want/need quickness and efficiency to get things done.

More to come?