Some observations from driving in Europe:

* The German autobahn is great. We could use one in Wisconsin. When I reported to my students that I was driving at a top speed of 180 kph (just over 110 mph), they said in all seriousness, "So, you didn't go really fast?" The most amazing thing to me was how frequently and quickly I was being passed, usually by a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi going 250 kph or more.

* The Global Positioning System (GPS) is awesome. I am driving a rented Mercedes A-Class, which is equipped with GPS. This is my first experience with it and now I am convinced that I can't live without it. My next car will definitely have it.

* No right turn on red. What's with that? I found myself habitually beginning a turn when the person behind me started honking and pointing at the red light. Conscientious lot, these Germans.

* Traffic lights only on the near side of the street = no creeping. I have been trained to stop before I reach the traffic light because there are no lights on the opposite side of the intersections. It really threw me for the first couple of days because I am a creeper at red lights.

* This is not my first continental European driving experience, but driving in Germany is not nearly as jarring to an American as driving in England, which I did earlier in this trip. I have been told that the English drive on the left-hand side of the road because in olden days (Middle Ages?), people in horses and wagons wanted their right hands toward the center of the road, the better to fight with. Is this true? Hmm. I wonder if that's why we lefties are so rare. A sort of natural selection.

* The Corrs must be the most popular band in Germany, if radio play is the measure. I had never heard of "Summer Sunshine" before this visit, but I heard the song at least 10 times in one day while driving and scanning through stations.

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