Yes, I drove THIS yesterday. In Paris. And didn't get a scratch on it, either.
I have driven in France twice before -- first time, in chateau country when we went to the Touraine for a long weekend, and the second time more recently when I drove my sister-in-law's car (with no power steering) in the south -- but never in Paris. I used to feel a bit intimidated by the idea of driving in Paris, and we don't have a car so it isn't normally an issue. But when we needed to rent a van to move the last of our things into storage, and I said to Georges that I had prior experience driving a big van (from my numerous moves in NJ), he decided I would be the designated driver for this little job. I was a bit relieved when he wasn't even able to rent the largest size van (more of a truck, really) and this van handled very well, but because it was smaller, we had to make two trips plus a stop-off at our new apartment to swap some things in and out. Fortunately, most of the routes we had to take were already familiar to me as they are along bus lines we use regularly, but at one point I missed a turn, and ended up having to drive through Place de Clichy, which if you're from Paris you know is HORRIBLE under normal conditions, and is currently undergoing major redesign so it's 10 times worse than usual.
But... I did it! And it was a little stressful but mostly FUN. I forget sometimes how great it is to have the freedom to come and go as you please, instead of waiting for a bus or subway.
I'll get to drive again soon, though, when I'm back home for two whole weeks. Now... if I can only convince GEORGES to drive in New Jersey this time...
