English Driving Tour
In August of 2000 I rented a little Vauxhall Corsa and did a driving tour of the southern expanse of England. In addition to visiting Carolyn, I drove to Oxford, Dover, Stonehenge, Sommerset, Exmoor, and the Lynmouth Coast. It took me about a day to get used to driving on the left; e.g., the first day I smacked a curb as I wasn’t used to the expanse of “car” to the left of me, and a few hours later made a right turn into the wrong lane. From that point on I kept having to tell myself, “remember, WIDE right turn.” Roundabouts (traffic circles) were also a little tricky; I actually spent 20 minutes just watching how cars negotiated a 3-lane roundabout in Oxford, and came to the conclusion that people just know where other cars are and don’t really have hard-and-fast rules. I actually came to really like roundabouts and their efficient flow of traffic; much less stopping than with traffic lights.
Excerpts from the only email I wrote during this trip in England:
It just so happened that I was passing by an internet cafe in the Soho district of London, and I couldn’t resist that 35 min per £1 rates even though I am supposed to be on vacation away from computers.
So far I’ve had a very relaxing time here, getting lots of rest and relaxation. So far I’ve only visited London and some parts of Oxford, although when I drove up to Oxford I could not find the university, which is why I ended up stopping at a park to eat a sandwich and read a book.
The more interesting things that have occurred so far include trying to understand how the roads here work. I’m finally getting used to this drive-on-the-left-side type of driving.
![Atlantic Ocean](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_atlantic_ocean1.jpg)
![View of the Atlantic from the Lynmouth coast.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_atlantic_ocean2.jpg)
![Green Bay B&B in Sommerset](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_bread_and_breakfast.jpg)
![Church](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_cemetery.jpg)
![Cows grazing... hopefully not mad ones!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_cows_grazing.jpg)
![Port of Dover.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_dover_port.jpg)
![Dunster Castle.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_dunster_castle1.jpg)
![Flowers at Dunster Castle.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_dunster_castle2.jpg)
![Dunster Castle.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_dunster_castle3.jpg)
![Steps to the Dunster Castle.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_dunster_castle_steps.jpg)
![View of the English Channel from Dover.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_english_channel.jpg)
![English road.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_english_road1.jpg)
![Another pretty English road.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_english_road2.jpg)
![English country road.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_english_road3.jpg)
![Sheep along A39.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_english_road_sheep.jpg)
![Field opposite of Stonehenge. Kind of looks like CA!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_field_opposite_stonehenge.jpg)
![To Holland park with Carolyn.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_holland_park.jpg)
![Inside Holland park.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_holland_park2.jpg)
![Kensington Gardens.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_kensington_gardens.jpg)
![Lamb.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_lamb1.jpg)
![Another lamb.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_lamb2.jpg)
![Lynmouth coast.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_lynmouth_coast.jpg)
![Lynmouth Incline.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_lynmouth_incline.jpg)
![England 8/00](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_park_in_oxford.jpg)
![Porlock Hill. It's steep!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_porlock_hill.jpg)
![25% grade on Porlock Hill!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_porlock_hill_grade.jpg)
![Stonehenge.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_stonehenge.jpg)
![My trusty little Vauxhall Corsa.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_vauxhall_corsa.jpg)
![Characteristically narrow village road.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/images/e/england00_village_road_narrow.jpg)
![The white cliffs of Dover.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/e/england00_white_cliffs_of_dover.jpg)