roadtripping.

The Honeymoon: Beerman, Blinky, and Me.

Before starting our adventure, there was breakfast to attend to, which of course had to be a croissant and chocolate to drink, sitting on a sidewalk under the trees. Okay, now I'm just making myself hungry.

On the advice of our hotelier, we headed to the Gare du Nord to find a rental car. There were a number of agencies there, and because of the number of English tourists arriving there by train, they'd be more likely to have a car with automatic transmission (I don't drive stick, and TG doesn't drive at all).

There was a row of about six different agencies, and we hit each one with our request: a small car, must be automatic. No, no, and no. Finally at Avis, the fellow apologetically said they had one car that was automatic, but we wouldn't want it. Too small. "We want small!" we said. But this is very small, he warned, a Smart car. That was exactly what we were hoping for! "We'll take it!" The Smart4Two is indeed tiny. We named it Blinky, after it's beep-and-flash when you lock and unlock it.

Driving in Paris is an adventure, especially in the smallest car known to man. Especially when you're from a country not known for its roundabouts.

All we had to do was get to the hotel, load up, and get out of town. And make a quick stop at the internet cafe, to find a hotel in Lyon.

The first roundabout was the biggest and most frightening. TG has an interactive map programme on his mobile phone, so he talked me through it - it is hard to tell sometimes which street is which - but the huge trucks bearing down on us as six lanes of traffic tried to merge into two were unnerving. but we did it!

Soon we were on the highway heading south. We took a break at one of the many little rest-stops along the highway (prenez l'aire a un aire!) and enjoyed our first glimpses of the French country side. Highway driving in France is a piece of cake, except for the perils of the scenery. I kept scaring the heck out of my poor husband by gasping in sudden delight at the various chateaux we could see from the highway (you would think he would know by now that a sudden gasp from me is usually nothing serious, but it still gives him a shock of worry). Castles! Cathedrals! Everywhere you look! But of course I couldn't look, because I was driving. TG saw a peacock walking along the ridge of a barn! I of course missed it. The only "exciting" thing I saw was when we stopped for gas, and the shop at the gas station had a tape (tapes? I mean, they did have CDs as well, but tapes?) by Nolwenn Leroy. "Look!" I shrieked. "It's a MaxFACT recipient!" TG did not find it so exciting.

The only downside of the drive was the toll for the highway. We were rooting around for change, but it came to 37 euros! Steeper than I've ever paid for a toll before!

continue to page 5

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