Aberystwyth UK

 When last we left our fearless couple they had arrived at Gwesty Cymru, their hotel in Aberystwyth (roughly pronounced ah-buh-RIST-with). This was on June 10^th, the evening before the lovely couple’s 38^th wedding anniversary.

The town's seaside promenade is lined with classic Victorian and Edwardian stucco-and-brick terraced townhouses similar to Tenby. Aberystwyth is a university town, home to Aberystwyth University.  At the north end of the promenade is Constitution Hill with panoramic views though we did not ascend (it can be reached by a funicular) as the weather was drizzly and cold.  At the south end is the mouth of the Afon (river) Rheidol.

Several locations in and around Aberystwyth were used in the filming of a TV series called Hinterland. I think it was first aired by the BBC; we saw it on Netflix. We enjoyed it. It was a police procedural drama and dates back to 2013 to 2016. There were three seasons. The story line in the first season involved the murder of a woman whose body was thrown from the parapet of Devil’s Bridge (aka Pontarfynach). This is located about 12 miles east of Aberystwyth. There is a historic narrow-gauge railway (the Vale of Rheidol Railway) which follows the Afon Rheidol which you can take to the Devil’s Bridge (and we did!). We reserved plush seats in the VIP car (it was our anniversary after all). The bridge and surrounding area were quite dramatic. The adjacent hotel featured in the TV series as well (as a former home for orphans). The bridge attracted tourists even before it was featured in the TV show.

After our adventure at Devil’s Bridge we returned to the hotel to relax before heading to an anniversary dinner at a very good restaurant (Dennis had done his advance research) called Y Ffarmers.

We left Aberystwyth on Friday, June 12 with the day’s final destination being Caernarfon (which we learned is pronounced kr-naar-vn). We made a few stops along the way. The first was at Dyfi National Nature Reserve.  It features dunes, mudflats, sandbanks and saltmarsh.  Dennis enjoyed the dune walk. Signs warned of adders (a venomous snake) which prompted Miki to walk along the beach instead (wimp!). We stopped for lunch at a busy little vegetarian and vegan place called Ty Medi in Machynlleth. Quite good.

The weather improved and we went on to the Harlech Castle (the royal court and family home of Owain Glyndwr - remember him - in the early 1400s). This was perched on a hill (which involved a tricky drive up to the parking lot) and was very impressive.

We arrived safely in Caernarfon where we stayed at the Black Boy Inn which was comprised of multiple connected and unconnected buildings and a warren of bars/restaurants). Our room (actually a small suite with a separate sitting area) was up two flights of stairs (no elevator!). We were scheduled to be here for 4 nights, so we settled in, had dinner in the inn and rested up for the coming days.

To be continued ….

UK Continued - Cardiff to Aberytswyth

Our plan for the next several days after leaving Cardiff was to follow along the coast of Wales in a clockwise direction.

Leaving Cardiff the weather was good with blue sky and puffy white clouds; also a bit warmer than it had been.

Our first stop was at St. Fagan's National Museum of History. It’s an open-air museum demonstrating a timeline of Welsh history and representing the architecture and culture of Wales. It includes several relocated historic buildings taken stone-by-stone from across the country and rebuilt including a blacksmith forge, water mills, a chapel, a schoolhouse, and a typical row of workers cottages. 

We made a quick stop at the ruins of Ogmore Castle which was adjacent to a farm and near a small stream with stepping stones. Two horseback riders crossed the stream while we were there, going to the farm.

Next, on to Carreg Cennen Castle – this was perched on a hill and was reached by the usual single lane (two-way) roads lined with shrubbery. The castle was a short steep hike up the hill with great views of the surrounding area which was quite beautiful with green pastures dotted with sheep.

We went on to Tenby, our destination for the night, and checked in to the Premier Inn (with an elevator!) in Tenby (a quaint seaside town) and strolled about. There’s a castle on a rocky promontory so we walked along the path circling it and happened upon a lifeboat station about 30 minutes before they were going to do a training launch of their very expensive (2.7 million pounds in 2006) lifeboat. We stayed to watch. It was quite interesting. You can kind of see the ramp through the opening. They use cables to bring the boat just beyond the opening, then they let it go. The engines are running when they release it and it takes off right away once it reaches the water.

The next morning we took a quick walkabout in Tenby. It’s a very picturesque sea front with colorful houses (Georgian and Victorian Regency Style according to google). It was a walled city and some of the walls are still present.  Excellent breakfast at a little place called Fuchsia. Also stopped in to Loafley Bakery and bought a couple of cinnamon rolls for later (yummy!!). 

Upon leaving Tenby our destination was St. Davids. It was another good weather day!

We stopped along the way to tour Carew Castle (pretty decent) then continued to Pembroke where we had lunch at Will’s (good sandwiches). In a bit of a reversal the table had Hellmann’s Ketchup and Heinz Mayonnaise.

We travelled along more narrow roads to get to Marloes Sands car park and then took a walk down to Marloes Sands beach and along a portion of the Wales Coast Path with gorgeous views. It’s not just that the roads are narrow (with potential for 2-way traffic) but they are windy, and bordered by dense overgrown hedges seriously limiting the view ahead.

We stayed overnight at St. David’s Cross Hotel. Up 2 flights of stairs (no elevator). We had time for a quick stroll in St. David’s and popped into their lovely cathedral.

The next day, Wednesday, June 10, it was on to Aberytswyth.  It was colder and windy.

We made a quick stop at the Pentre Ifan burial chamber (a large rock balanced on 3 standing rocks). One of those things where you wonder how they managed to do it with primitive tools.

We drove along more treacherous narrow roads to reach Mwnt Beach where there was a small 13th century church (The Holy Cross Church); some stairs to climb down to a secluded beach, and a small hill to climb up to a nice viewpoint.

We arrived at our hotel, Gwesty Cymru, in Aberystwyth. It was very nicely renovated a few years ago. We had a large room on the 3rd floor (no elevator!). After eating at a local restaurant, it was time to crash and get recharged for the next day.

To be continued...

Spanish classes and Toasts

Written by Maureen, with input from Dennis

I’m taking a brief respite from relating our UK adventure to talk about 2 topics.

First, is an update on our Spanish classes.  We are both enjoying them so we have signed up for another week (we can add a week at a time). My class has 8 students. Other than me they all seems to be in their 20s except one who just had his 19^th birthday this week. From what I have learned there is one from Germany, one from France, one from Norway, and two from the Ukraine.  Since we only speak in Spanish it doesn’t matter what one’s first language is.

Denny is in the beginner’s class with eight other students ranging in age from 19 to 64. Again, a diversity of ethnicities; three Germans, two Swedes, one each of a Turk, an Iraqi and an Indian. The instructor mostly speaks Spanish, but the common language that everyone seems to know is English.

The picture below shows the entrance to the main building. There is a little café with drinks and croissants or sandwiches, vending machines, a sitting area, and several classrooms.  Denny’s class is in this building.

The next picture shows one of their other buildings. It is diagonally across the street from the main building. I’m not sure what The House of Jendrix Rock is all about but the door I enter through is between the 2 colorful murals. The classrooms are one flight up (considered the first floor in Europe).

My second topic is toasts (aka tostadas in Spanish). Pretty much any café you go to that serves breakfast will have tostadas on the menu (and sometimes only tostadas). The tostada is half of a submarine-shaped piece of bread, toasted, and topped with your choice of topping. The picture shows Denny’s salmon and avocado, and Maureen’s tomato and Manchego cheese. The options listed on the menu in the next photo are: oil, tomato, butter and jam, ham, ham, turkey, fresh cheese, Manchego cheese, tuna, salmon, avocado, anchovies, sobrasada (a type of sausage), or tortilla.

In Spain, a tortilla (which literally means a small cake, from the root torta – when you insert “ill” it makes it diminutive) is made with eggs and potatoes. It is sometimes referred to as an omelet but it is nothing like what we think of as an omelet in the US. Apparently, whether or not to include onions is a divisive issue, pitting concebollistas against sincebollistas. Cebolla is onion; con and sin are with and without). Myself, I prefer with.

Next, we'll pick up with the UK (I think).

M & D

Continuation of UK trip - Cardiff

 

After touring the Caerphilly Castle we drove on to Cardiff. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and was a very active port for the coal trade in the 1800s. At one time it was the largest coal-exporting port in the world. The shift away from coal in the mid-20^th century caused a steep decline in the activity of the port and the last coal shipment left the docks in 1964. Subsequently the area of the docks underwent a massive urban renewal creating an area for leisure, and cultural activities, as well as residences. Also located there is the Senedd Building where the Welsh parliament meets.

Upon arrival in Cardiff we checked in to The Coal Exchange Hotel. At one time it was the central marketplace where shipowners, coal owners, and merchants negotiated sales and shipping contracts. The hotel was a bit dark and dreary. The staff were not impressive. I noticed some stepping just outside the door at the main entrance for their smoke break. The path to our room seemed a bit of a warren but at least there was an elevator. The room itself was well appointed with a large bathroom including a spa tub. We took an Uber (for the first time!, it worked well) to a great dinner at restaurant called Bacchus. It was tapas-style. We had: Padron peppers with Canadian maple drizzle; Focaccia with olive oil and sea salt; cheddar potato rosti with jalapeño marscapone; tempura broccoli with harissa yoghurt and almonds; duck tostada with plum sauce and sesame (Dennis); and chocolate crèmeux for dessert. Dennis then asked about single malt scotches (it was his birthday dinner after all) and the waitress sent her boss (the owner, I think) to describe what was available. Dennis made his choice (Dalmore 12 yr) and enjoyed it. The boss then returned to ask how he liked it and made small talk; I mentioned it was Dennis’ birthday and he immediately insisted on taking the cost of the scotch off the check (14 pounds, $18.60). We thanked him profusely and took another successful Uber back to the hotel.

Saturday, June 6, was cold and windy; intermittently rainy. We visited the Pierhead Building where historically the ships coming in an out of the docks were managed. We learned a bit about the coal trade that went on there. We also visited the nearby Senedd Building. It is very modern and beautiful. Dennis had to temporarily surrender his tiny Swiss army knife and the lock on his shoulder bag to enter.

We strolled through the Cardiff Market (seemed a little cheesy; lots of fried foods on sale). The downtown area had LOTS of bars; apparently Cardiff has a heavy drinking/partying reputation.

We paid a brief visit to the National Museum of Cardiff. They had a few notable works including Renoir’s La Parisienne, Van Gogh’s Rain at Auvers, and one of Monet’s Waterlilies (apparently he painted more than 200 versions).

Dinner was at Bill’s Cardiff Bay Restaurant. Of note, most restaurants in the UK automatically add a service charge (instead of tipping) to the bill. It is anywhere from 10 to 15%. It is said to be “voluntary” and you can ask for it to be taken off.

The buffet breakfast at the hotel was a bit boring so for our second morning we decided to go out for breakfast and found a small nearby café called Lisboa. They had decent coffee and croissants. Later we stopped at a place called Brod/The Danish Bakery to pick up something for breakfast the next day (Jam Spandauer, good choice!) since we’d be checking out and moving on.

We made our way back into town to visit the Cardiff Castle. As we left the hotel we went around the back side of it and noticed that the northeast corner of the building is basically a shambles. There are broken windows, absent roof, and trees growing inside.

The Cardiff Castle and grounds were a worthwhile visit. The castle keep (fortified tower, built in the 1100s) is on a hill within the grounds and allows nice views. There are also the castle apartments (dating from 1400s but extensively remodeled in the19th century as a lavish Victorian residence for the Bute family known for their role in creating the Cardiff docks.

We had lunch near the castle and I noticed a restaurant across the street called Owain Glyndwr (Owain being the Welsh version of Owen). We were to hear a lot about Owain Glyndwr in the coming days including that he and his army burned most of Cardiff to the ground in 1404 in a revolt against British rule.

On Monday, June 8^th, we had our Brod breakfast and coffee in our room and packed up for the next leg of our journey; destination Tenby with stops along the way.  Very nice day; blue sky with puffy white clouds; a bit warmer than it had been.

To be continued...

United Kingdom - Travelling to the UK, the Cotswolds and entering Wales

Since this blog is titled European “Experiences” I thought I would tell you about the trip we took to the UK in June this year. There will be multiple parts.

We left Alicante on June 2^nd taking a taxi to the Alicante airport (Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport). It was our first experience with the Alicante airport and it seems quite nice and modern. We were plenty early and ate the muffins we had brought the day before from Levaduramadre and bought some coffee at the ever present Tim Horton’s.

Our flight (Ryan Air) went smoothly and we arrived at Stansted Airport (outside of London) only about 10 minutes behind schedule. The arrivals area of the airport seemed very disorganized, chaotic, and crowded. We had a quick lunch  from M&S foods (Marks & Spenser) then took a shuttle bus to the “Car Rental Village”.  We had reserved a Mini for the first couple of weeks. The counter person tried hard to up-sell us to a BMW 1-series. He seemed to think it would save us a lot of money in gas due to better gas mileage; however, it would increase the cost of the rental by 200 pounds ($267; that’s a lot of gas!). No … we want the Mini. Finally, a squeaky clean red Mini was driven up and we loaded in our luggage. Unfortunately, it didn’t all fit in the boot (Brit speak), and one bag had to ride on the back seat.

Our first destination was Bourton-on-the-Water in the area known as the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is an area in England known for picturesque villages with buildings made of yellow limestone which was sourced locally. Dennis took the (“wrong sided”) steering wheel for this first day of driving. It was raining off and on and there was a lot of traffic (especially trucks) on the ring road outside London but this lessened as we moved away from the city. We arrived at the Landsdowne Hotel just after 6 pm. Our room was in the “Boutique Quarters” across the street from the main inn, up one flight of stairs (carrying luggage). The ceiling sloped in the room but no heads were hit. It was cozy.  There was a tiny refrigerator holding a small container of milk for coffee (or tea).

Breakfast the next morning was at the main inn. First thing first – “do you want something to drink” (i.e. coffee or tea), and “do you want toast” (which is brought out cut on the diagonal and arranged in a special toast rack); then you can order your main breakfast (Avocado on Toast for me and Full English Vegetarian breakfast – seems like a contradiction in terms - for Dennis).

The day was cool and intermittently rainy. Our first stop was the Broadway Tower and surrounding grounds. It turns out the tower was never a fortification of any kind, but rather a “folly” built for the wife of the 6^th Earl of Coventry in 1798. We got quite wet during this stop.

We went on to stroll through the villages of Broadway, Chipping Camden, Moreton-in-Marsh, and Stow-on-the-Wold. We had a very good lunch (Greek Salad for Miki and a Pitta Pocket for Denny) at Michael’s Mediterranean restaurant (small, cozy) in Chipping Camden and later returned to Moreton-in-Marsh for dinner at Wolds Bar Bistro; it was very good.

We checked out of the Landsdowne after breakfast and moved on to Hay-on-Wye which is just over the border into Wales. It was my first turn behind the wheel. It takes a while to get used to your position on the road; the tendency is to shy away from the center line and go too close to the left edge. Hay-on-Wye is known for its book stores (mainly used) and we browsed through a couple (I could have spent all day!). I found a couple of books from the Martin Beck series (Sjöwall/Wahlöö) that I haven’t read yet . Of course, there was a castle in the town to visit as well. There’s a world-renowned annual literary festival held there (concluded just before we arrived).

We checked in to The Old Black Lion (old, but neat, and highly rated) for one night. We hauled our luggage up one flight of stairs and ducked under the low support beams and doorways.

The next day, Friday, June 5, was Denny’s Birthday!  We had breakfast at the Old Black Lion before heading out; started with coffee and triangle toast again (the toast rack spelled out T-O-A-S-T).

This day’s destination was Cardiff with a few stops along the way.

First was Llanthony Priory which is a ruin that dates back to the 1100s. It’s in a pretty isolated area and much of the way was narrow one-lane (but two way) roads. Weather was nice, cool and sunny. We passed through a lovely open mountainous area (Gospel Path) with lots of sheep alongside (an in) the road.

Next we visited the Aberfan Disaster Memorial. It was very somber and heartbreaking. In 1966 a spoil pile (from coal mining operations) became saturated with water from recent heavy rains and collapsed, sliding down the hill and engulfing a school and some houses. There were 116 children killed (mostly aged 7 to 11) as well as 28 adults.

Lastly, we stopped in Caerphilly and toured the Caerphilly Castle (built around 1260’s by Gilbert de Clare).

On to Cardiff … to be continued.

Voting and Spanish classes/La Votación y Clases de español

 Written by Maureen

In case you have been living under a rock (or desperately trying to), you are aware that mid-term elections are coming up. As US citizens, not currently living in the US, we have a right to vote by mail (despite some deranged person trying to limit that right). The process to request a ballot from the Gilford NH town clerk was remarkably easy. The forms necessary are accessed on-line and printed. Since we don’t have a printer we took them on a thumb drive to a local copy shop to be printed. We signed them and then had the copy shop scan the signed versions back onto the thumb drive. The forms were then able to be e-mailed to the Gilford town clerk. We did this on a Sunday (September 6^th) and got a response the next day! The town clerk sent us a primary ballot though acknowledging it would be impossible for us to mail it back in time for the primary on September 7^th, but stated she was obligated to send it to us anyway. On Saturday September 19^th we received an email with our ballots for the mid-terms. We’ll be doing those ASAP since they have to be mailed back and the transit time is unpredictable [we recently mailed a check for deposit to our bank in the US and it took about 15 days from when we mailed it for it to be deposited].

We had our first Spanish classes today. Language proficiency levels are standardized as:

A1 beginner, A2 elementary

B1 intermediate, B2 upper-intermediate

C1 advanced, C2 proficiency

Dennis is in a beginner class but I think he’ll move quickly to elementary. I took a pre-test and was put in a B2, upper intermediate, class. There are 8 students in my class this week. They appear to be all young (in their 20s) singles. Many of the students who attend this school don’t live here but come for several weeks on a student visa.  The school arranges accommodations for them. Dennis has a couple of older (though not older than us) couples in his class.

The teacher speaks only in Spanish. I was able to follow her for the most part but it took a lot of concentration. We only signed up for one week but I think we’ll probably continue beyond that.

 ¡Salud!

En caso de que han estado viviendo bajo una piedra (o lo intentan desesperadamente), saben que se acercan elecciones de la mitad del mandato. Como ciudadanos estadounidenses que no vivimos actualmente en los estados unidos, tenemos derecho a votar por correo (a pesar de que algún loco intenta limitar ese derecho). El proceso para solicitar una papeleta al secretario municipal de Gilford NH fue sorprendentemente sencillo. Los formularios necesarios se pueden consultar en línea e imprimirse. Como no tenemos impresora, los llevamos en un pendrive USB a una copisaría local para imprimirlos. Los firmamos y luego la copiería escaneó las versiones firmadas de nuevo en la memoria USB. Los formularios se enviaron por correo electrónico al secretario municipal de Gilford.  Hicimos esto un domingo (6 de septiembre) y ¡recibimos una respuesta al día siguiente! El secretario del pueblo nos envió una boleta de votación primaria aunque reconociendo que sería imposible para nosotros enviarla a tiempo para la primaria el 7 de septiembre, per dijo que estaba obligada a enviárnosla de todos modos.

El sábado 19 de septiembre recibimos un correo electrónico con nuestras papeletas para las elecciones de mitad de mandato. Las haremos cuanto antes, ya que hay que envarlas por correo y el tiempo de tránsito es impredecible [Recientemente enviamos un cheque para ingreso a nuestro banco en EE. UU. y tardaron unos 15 días desde que lo enviamos hasta que se depositó].

Hoy, tuvimos nuestro primeras clases de español. Los niveles de competencia lingüística se estandarizan como:

A1 principiante, A2 elemental

B1 intermedio, B2 intermedio alto

C1 advanzado, C2 competencia

Dennis está en un clase para principiantes pero creo que pasará rápido a elemental. Hice un preexamen y me pusieron en una clase B2, intermedia alta. Hay 8 estudiantes en mi clase esta semana. Parecen ser todos jóvenes (en sus veintes) solteros. Muchos de los estudiantes que asisten a esta escuela no viven aquí, pero vienen por varias semanas con una visa de estudiante. La escuela organiza alojamiento para ellos. Dennis tiene un par de parejas mayores (aunque no mayores que nosotros) en su clase.

The teacher speaks only in Spanish. I was able to follow her for the most part but it took a lot of concentration. We only signed up for one week but I think we’ll probably continue beyond that.

La profesora solo habla en español. Pude seguirla en su mayor parte, pero requirió mucha concentración. Solo nos apuntamos una semana, pero creo que probablemente sequiremos más allá de eso.

We're back/Ya volvimos

Written by Maureen/Escrito por Maureen – Spanish translation follows (don’t think for a minute that I wrote the Spanish translation without a lot of help). A continuación la traducción al español (no pienses ni por un momento que escribí la traducción al español sin mucha ayuda).

I going to try reviving the blog. Our last few posts told the tales of Dennis’ medical issues and our Spain bureaucratic woes. With all that behind us now we are ready to move on.

We have finally taken steps to further our progress toward Spanish fluency. We have signed up for classes at a school in the city center. They start tomorrow. We are not sure what to expect. Dennis is going to be in the beginner class. I took an on line exam to determine my level. I don’t know yet what level they will put me in. We just signed up for one week (3 hours a day for 5 days) to try it out. We can continue the class longer after that if we like it. The class starts at 9 am and it will take us about 30 minutes to get there. This will require me to move my usual morning walk (which I currently start at 7 am and finish at 8:45 am – timing varies throughout the year due to changing sunrise time) to the end of the day. FYI: today’s sunrise and sunset times here are 7:47 am and 8:02 pm compared to Portsmouth NH at 6:28 am and 6:44 pm.  I will miss seeing the sunrise.

In a post from last October we briefly described the process for getting a Spanish driver’s license. We are still working on this. We have learned that if we want to rent and drive a car anywhere in the EU we need a driver’s license from an EU country (since we have lived there longer than 6 months).  The first step is a written “driving theory” test which we both took in January this year. There are 30 multiple choice questions (you can take the test in English, fortunately) and you can only get 3 wrong. Superstar Dennis passed. Loser Miki failed.

Unfortunately, for the practical driving test (where you drive with an examiner, supposedly for 25 to 30 minutes !!!) the examiner only speaks in Spanish. Dennis signed up for practice driving with a driving instructor from a school. It did not go well. When you apply for a license you have to select a license which allows you to drive both manual and automatic, or just automatic. He planned to do the manual and automatic license. The instructor did not speak much English and he required Dennis to do things which didn’t make sense to him. When slowing down to stop at a lighted intersection he told Dennis he had to keep the car in gear until reaching the light, then depress the clutch and keep the car in first gear until the light changes (rather than putting the car in neutral and coasting to the light and not putting the car in gear until the light changes); on an uphill he was to slowly release the clutch while in first gear until the engine engaged and not touch the gas until the car started moving. He also told him not to turn his head to look over his shoulder – only use the mirrors. Dennis would leave these sessions very frustrated and finally decided to quit. We have found another school which has an instructor who speaks English and he is changing to the automatic only license. We’re waiting to hear from the instructor with a practice schedule. He is scheduled for his driving test on December 23. Miki is retaking the written test on October 23.

Next time, we’ll talk about voting!

Voy a intentar revivir el blog. Nuestros últimas publicaciones contaban las historias de los problemos médicos de Dennis y nuestras dificultades burocráticas en España. Con todo eso ya atrás, estamos listos para seguir adelante.

Por fin, hemos dado pasos para avanzar hacia la fluidez español. Nos hemos apuntado a clases en un colegio del centro de la ciudad. Empiezan mañana. No sabemos qué esperar. Dennis va a estar en la clase de principiantes. Hice un examen en linea para determinar mi nivel.  Aún no sé en qué nivel me pondrán. Solo nos apuntamos por una semana (3 horas al día durante 5 días) para probarlo. Podemos continuar la clase más tiempo después si nos gusta.  

La clase comienza a las 9 am y nos llevará unos 30 minutos llegar allí. Esto requerirá que mueva mi caminata matutina habitual (que actualmente empiezo a las 7 am y termino a las 8:45 am – el tiempo varía a lo largo del año debido a los cambios en la hora del amanecer) al final del día. FYI: Las horas de salida y puesta del sol de hoy aquí son 7:47 am y 8:02 pm en comparación con Portsmouth NH a las 6:28 am y 6:44 pm. Echaré de menos ver el amanecer.

En una publicación de pasado Octubre describimos brevemente el proceso para obtener el carnet de conducir español. Todavía estamos trabajando en esto. Hemos aprendido que queremos alquilar y conducer un coche en cualquier parte de la UE necesitamos un carnet de conducir de un país de UE (porque llevamos más de 6 meses viviendo aquí). El primer paso es un examen escrito de “teoría de conducción” que ambos hicimos en enero de este año. Hay 30 preguntas de opción multiple (por suerte puedes hacer el examen en inglés) y solo puede fallar 3). Dennis, la superestrella, lo aprobó. Miki, la perdedora, no lo aprobó.

Desafortunadamente, para el examen práctico de conducir (donde conduces con un examinador, supuestamente durante 25 a 30 minutos !!) el examinador solo habla en español. Dennis se apuntó a la práctica de conducción con un instructor de conducción de un colegio. No fue bien.  Cuando solicitas un carnet de conducir tienes que elegir uno que te permita conducir ambos en manual y en automático, o solo en automático. Planeaba hacer la licencia para permitir ambos el manual y el automático. El instructor no hablaba mucho inglés y le exigía a Dennis que hiciera cosas que no le tenían sentido. Al reducir la velocidad para detenerse en una intersección iluminada, le dijo a Dennis que tenía que mantener el coche en marcha hasta llegar a la luz, luego apriete el embrague y mantenga el coche en la primera marcha hasta que la luz cambie (en lugar de poner el coche en neutral y navegar hacia la luz y no poner el coche en marcha hasta que la luz cambie);  en una subida debía soltar el embrague lentamente en primera marcha hasta que el motor se acoplara y no pisar el acelerador hasta que el coche empezara a moverse. También le dijo que no girara la cabeza para mirar por encima del hombro, solo usara los espejos. Dennis salía de esas sesiones muy frustrado y finalmente decidió dejarlo. Hemos encontrado otra escuela que tiene un instructor que habla inglés y que está cambiando a la licencia automática. Estamos esperando escuchar del instructor con un horario de práctica. Está programado para su examen de conducción el 23 de diciembre. Miki está retomando la prueba escrita el 23 de octubre.

La próxima vez, hablaremos de votar.

M&D