Alternate Route

Just when I thought I was doing well...

I know how to drive all the places our family goes on a regular basis.  I have learned how to navigate around SHAPE, even when they close roads (for no obvious reason).    I do not know however, any alternate routes when off SHAPE.

This was painfully clear this morning when a truck fire stopped traffic on the main road between our house and SHAPE.  Traffic could only move one way at a time.  What is usually a 10 minute trip became a 30 minute trip and I got to experience it both ways!

Most of the route was bordered by fields but there were side roads in parts.  These would have been helpful, had I known where they would take me.  I do know there is a back road way to reach our house, but knowing it exists and knowing how to navigate it are two different things.

I miss the handy ADC maps I had back home.  When stuck in traffic I could get it out, study side streets and plot a course.  Here, I just got to sit (twice!).

I've learned basic navigation, I'm getting used to the culture, I'm studying French, now I need to learn alternate routes, either that or I need a tractor so I can just drive through the fields.

Directions

Last Friday I was driving Kyra home from dance when the car next to me rolled down the window and the driver asked me for directions.  I gave him directions and we both continued on our way.

Not a very remarkable occurrence, but it made my day for the following reasons -

1.  the request for directions was made in French

2.  I didn't have to ask him to repeat the question

3.  I knew where he wanted to go and the direction to send him in

4.  I replied in French

The Beltway in Mons

Driving in Mons has taken a bit of getting used to.  My first few weeks driving around the city were quite stressful.  Definitely a white knuckle experience.

Now with routes that are familiar to me, I whip around the city with a bit more ease.  

One of Kyra's dance studios is located south of the city.  Traveling to the studio it is fastest to take the express way - the A7/E19/E42.  Headed home it is faster to just take the Mons' Beltway - the R50.

I tried to find a good map of it, but this was the best I can do.  Only a small portion of the R50 is obscured from your view.  Those of you who have experienced Washington DC's beltway know how much fun it can be at any time of the day, but particularly at rush hour.  

I travel the Mons beltway in rush hour.  My drive takes me around half of it.  This portion of my drive takes me under two minutes.  To circle the Mons beltway takes between three and five minutes, during rush hour, still no more than 10 minutes.

When it comes to traffic and driving, I'm definitely getting spoiled here.  Places we go are further away, but I certainly don't have to work my way through as much traffic as back home.   I'm sure I'll pine for the Mons beltway when I've returned to the US.  

Belgian Driving

Now that I've had my car for over a week and have passed my driver's tests, I'm getting used to driving in Belgium.  I'm not completely comfortable yet, but do expect that to come.

A few things I've noted:

Belgians drive fast!  Speed limits are generally higher here than in the US.  Drivers don't make much accommodation for pedestrians.  In the US, most of us will slow down when driving by a person walking along the side of the road.  Here, the car moves over (slightly!) and whizzes by at full speed.

Yield signs are the norm.  There are very few stop signs.  Mostly drivers are encouraged to slow down for a brief moment and then go if the coast is clear.  This is kind of nice as it eliminates much stop and go traffic.

Roundabouts are the norm.  Instead of traffic lights (there are some but not as many as in US), many intersections are roundabouts.  I find them fairly easy to navigate as they are nowhere near as complicated as Washington DC has managed to make them.  Belgian roundabouts do not have traffic lights.  The rule is that cars in the roundabout have priority.  If no one is in the circle, you go right on in and turn off where you want.  If someone is in the circle, you yield and enter when the coast is clear.

The hardest thing to get used to is "priority to the right."  This means if you are driving down a road, you have to slow down at every intersection on your right and yield if someone is turning out onto the road in front of you.  There are exceptions for some major roads but not all.  For example, my street is about one and a half cars wide, it intersects with a larger road that is about two and a half cars wide and has significantly more traffic traveling at a higher speed.  When I want to turn out left out of my neighborhood, I only have to look right before I can pull out in front of traffic (because I'm on the right of those on my left).  I'm not brave enough to do this yet, I wait for traffic to clear.  I'm also really cautious about driving down roads with many right intersections.

I do miss more common sense road conventions and all the driving habits I've developed driving in the US, but honestly I don't miss the traffic.