Legally driving
Finally I’m decently licensed again. After 1 year in the UK, you’re supposed to exchange your foreign licence for a UK one. So I might not have been technically speaking legally driving all those times that I was, you know, driving for the last 2 years.
It’s a funny system over here. You have a normal card with your photo on it, but you also get some piece of paper which is meant to go with it. The most critical functions that one might wish to perform with a driver’s license (eg hire a car) seem to need both. My wallet is unnecessarily fat.
The funny thing is that the photo is black and white. Actually, no, the funny thing is that the photos used to be in colour, but the letter that came with my new licence proudly proclaimed to have improved their systems with technological advancements… by making the photos black and white. (!)
Of course, France always has to outdo England in the beaurocracy stakes. In order to get me on his car insurance, Rico has to show my licence (seems normal enough). Except in France, licences show the date you first received your full driving licence. My new UK licence has a date from about a week ago. That's still a challenge to be resolved.
The sun’s been shining for the last few days, and today (Sunday) I went for some nice long walks. It still astounds me how much my mood can depend on getting enough sunshine and warmth. I could literally feel myself getting happier as I walked in the sun. I’d never felt this before moving to England, probably because I’d never gone such a long time without my vitamin D.
My house is a shambles at the moment because I’m undertaking cellar renovations, and it’s very bad for my waistline and wallet! I pop into my local pub across the road every now and then and so met the guys who are undertaking the work. Every night we have a “project meeting” in the pub to discuss how the day’s work went. Other jobs have a contingency added on; I’ve had to add a beer-ingency! But it’s going to be great (I hope) when it’s finished.
Although, one challenge is heating. Can you believe that the English don't know what an IXL Tastic is? I'm going to have to try and order one over the internet.
Next Saturday I’m off on holiday. Normally I would avoid August like the plague when it comes to holidays in Europe, but Rico and I were constrained timing wise by his job. So I booked the two cheapest flights I could find – I’m flying into Geneva and out of Milan and we’re going to drive somewhere in between. It should be great, and I’ll try and remember to take lots of photos.
