This is the view from our apartment on a hot August afternoon. The fact that there are almost no cars on the street can only be due to the majority of the population being on holiday. I can assure you there are plenty now!
Since we arrived I have had a fascination with les voitures (that means 'cars'). Perhaps it is all part of the culture shock after living for 3 1/2 years in places where AWD/4WD vehicles are almost essential. Or maybe it is just one of the adjustment processes that we are experiencing.
Apart from the ferraris, porsches, mustangs and jags on the streets here, there are a myriad of small cars, ranging from the swift and sporty to funky fiats to the almost ridiculous smart car. Here are a few photos from around town.
The smart car makes me giggle, and when driven at speed around a bend it looks challenging to keep four wheels on the road! I have even seen a convertible smart car - but didn't get a photo of that one. We've decided that our favourite is the fiat, but I am also paticularly fond of the mini coopers that are very popular here too.
The small cars do make alot of sense around the city where petrol is twice the price of that down-under and parking is at a premium. Last week I observed a car wedged between two others in a parallel park with approximately 6 inches clearance at the front and one inch at the back. But the real reason I suspect for the proliferation of such tiny vehicles, are the narrow city streets - yes they do drive up these!
