Driving in Italy for the First Time
Having never driven in Europe before, it was a big deal to me when I offered to move Felice's car, a Fiat Uno, from the roadside to the parking area by our apartment.
An easy challenge I thought, not very far to travel, just a matter of starting the engine, putting the gear in reverse, doing a 3 point turn and away you go! However, straightforward it most definitely was not. First of all, Felice's car has a lock underneath the steering wheel and naturally a key that unlocks it. The only difficulty is that the key has grooves that need to be matched up to the actual lock in order to release it. I tried again and again feeling more and more frustrated until finally, 20 minutes later I had managed to release it!!
Felice had been shouting instructions at me from the balcony of the apartment where he was carefully watching my every move fearing that I would go tumbling into the sea at the bottom of the road or something! Panic over, I managed to start the engine but had suddenly decided to move forward before reversing and as I did so, I lost my bearings and ended up driving on the wrong side of the road! It was just fortunate that there was nothing coming in the opposite direction at the time. After several deep breaths I regained self control and moved to the correct side of the road, turned left and successfully and skilfully (I thought anyway) manoeuvred my way into the parking area. I was shaking nervously by the time I locked up and returned to the apartment mind you, and I haven't driven the car since! But I have plans to get behind the wheel and drive a little further than the 50 yards from the roadside to our apartment block sometime in the near future!