This is how we roll!

For all you doubters out there who thought I was finished blogging about my recent vacation, man were you ever wrong! While I am winding down, hearing myself talk over and over and over and over again about my trip just isn't old enough for me yet, so I am back with a new vengance! ;)

When it came to transportation on this trip, there were a few things our group had crash courses in. The first was walking, our predominate mode of getting from point A to point B. I knew mentally that we would be doing a lot of it, but my feet had absolutely no idea, as can be seen by the cankles I developed for a little more than half of the trip in the picture to the right. Em-bar-assing. I even bought some cute leather sandles in Spain and had to hope they would fit when I got them home becuase my feet were so swolen that I coldn't buckle them, and Spanish women must have tiny feet becuase I had the biggest size they make. Luckily they do fit. But this is not the only type of transportation that we - or the natives - use.

I think I saw two pickup trucks the whole time we were in France (a Nissan and a Toyota). Not a single mini van, but that makes sense since Parisians only have one or two children. Cars come mostly in one size: ultra-compact. There are so many people you would have to be clinically deranged to have anything different. Tour busses are everywhere, but smart cars are very popular to compensate. The horn is used a LOT. Now, Spain is bigger-car territory, but they also have larger families. More of the SUV and four door sedan crowd.

But Spain (and big-city France) has TONS of mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles. They just make sense in cities with so many millions of people and no place to park, becuase with one of these pretty maids, you can make up a parking spot anywhere you need it!

Paris had lots of BMW's and Audi's. Barcelona had a Ferrari. In red. Bad A.!

And this little number - well, there was actually a caravan of three of them - went zipping through Carcassonne. I don't know what it is, but it sure was cute and expensive looking!

But the bikes are also an economical, and often faster, way to meneuver the city and traffic that doesn't encourage movement in a rush. That is, unless you are a pedestrian and a bicycle is coming your way!

Paris has racks of bikes you can rent. I think they get used more at night on weekends. But I did see some people using them. If time had permitted I would have love using one of these. In fact, one way to fight obesity in America would be to enlist a rental program like Paris has. Any takers?
But for us lowly commoners - well, for everyone - the Metro was the way to go. There are times where a literally broken-dam flow of people rushes through the stations, but it really is convenient as long as you're willing to pay attention and have a reliable metro map. Oh, and don't stop at the information desk at the line 12 Metro station at the intersection by the phone booth and Starbucks when it's not busy when you're looking for the line 8 station becuase they guy working the desk won't even attempt to help you!


For longer journeys, the train may come in handy. This station (above) seemed to cater to a rougher crowd, so, just as we were accustomed to doing on the Metro, we had to make sure our eyes were on our personal effects at all times, lest they disappear. I suggest paying for a a second class sleeper cabin if you are traveling overnight. Packing light is a MUST (if you pack like the women from Kansas did, you will make a fool of yourself and I dare say America), but at least you'll get to your destination while you would be sleeping anyway, so it saves a lot of valuable time.

We also saw the inside of a bus a lot, ,especially in Spain. Some were better than others. This comes from the expert opinion of my knees and how much room they had.

Buses are also a way for the ulta sleepy to catch up on a few Z's. I stayed awake as much as possible in order to see the countryside, and it was worth it. Where else can you come around a bend in the road and see an abandoned castle or fortress, or a sleepy little rural town on a hill with a church spire piercing the sky? None other place I know of around here!