Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Wednesday 26 January 2022

A New Drive

 



Since last month I have again a car. I told you that in Berlin five years ago I sold Knut, the little red Fiat 500, because I had many, many undergrounds and busses right in my neighbourhood and wanted to do a little bit for saving the planet. 

When the pandemic time began I saw that this had been a fault. (It has been sort of a fault from the beginning: before I always had big and quick cars - the Fiat 500 is cute - but neither big nor quick. Though very useful in a city). 

In Bavaria - in a village that has no shop, not even a bakery - I had to go by train to the next "bigger" village to buy groceries - and carry them up a long steep hill. My son helped me to find a car with 7 seats (guess why :-)  - and the funny thing is that now he drives my car - and I got permanent -- No, not his Corvette, sigh..., but their family one above. (It is without a flaw - what looks strange is water from thawing frost, photographed through my kitchen window). 

And I am very happy with it! 




17 comments:

  1. Very handy trade, Britta. You'll be enjoying life in the not-so-fast-lane with this one :)

    We, too, had a Fiat 500, cream with red leather seats, a.k.a. Gino! We've been car-free for the same reasons since around 2017 from memory but we only have the city now to contend with and getting about has proved no-fuss for us. Well, no fuss for me, personally - I don't drive! - but Mr. P says he still doesn't miss having Gino.

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    1. Pip, my Fiat 500 was red with cream white leather seats! In a city as Berlin there is no need for a car - so difficult to find a parking place, and I think it very amusing to watch people in the underground. (At the moment a bit less..)

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  2. I still have a very small car, but it doesn't matter much; since retirement I have barely driven outside my suburb. Fortunately the sons have their own family cars :)

    But now I have to weigh up the pros and cons of a small electric car.

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    1. Dear Helen, my son has these two cars (the Corvette only for summertime), but my now bought is better for him: not needing that much gasoline (though it is big too - with 7 seats...).
      The train to Berlin is a very quick one, a sprinter, thus I would never dream to go there by car. Also Munich is more comfortable with train. For my shopping a small electric car would do fine - but the 7 seats are needed when we sometimes do little trips on Sunday, with me in addition :-)

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  3. Do you receive busses when riding on buses?

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    1. If "busses" are what in Bavaria are called "Bussi" (= kisses), it depends who is on the bus with me :-)

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    2. Britta, you are witty and pretty and clever. My dictionary says buss = archaic or dialect word for kiss. Compare with German dialect bussi - little kiss.
      I only know the difference in spelling because I once made the same mistake. I know the difference between busses and buses in real life and send you xxxx.

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    3. Dear Tasker, I love real life, and agree with Mark Twain: "I can live for two months on a good compliment." Thank you!

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  4. It makes sense to have a car in a semi-rural area. I am surprised you survived for so long without. It is becoming your home.

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    1. It was really necessary, Rachel: one couldn't even get a taxi from the next near town (they have only three taxies!! - and those have patients to dialysis to transport).
      A personal reason: some years without driving on my own made me (in imagination) a bit anxious - but: the moment I sat behind the wheel: Yippie! I LOVE it. xxx

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  5. Given the choice between Porsche and Corvette, I would take Porsche. I don't like 'fun' in cars these days.

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    1. The Porsche is more comfortable (and safe?), and because here in Bavaria there are many fields with high crops in summer, in an SUV easier to survey. I still like "fun" in cars and enjoyed that a Corvette is always good for a gasp - but I noticed that a woman driving a big Porsche isn't invisible either. :-)

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  6. If you are happy, the smears from the kitchen window don't matter. And what's not to like about a Porsche.

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    1. The smears from the kitchen window don't matter very seldom for me, Joanne. I wrote a bestselling book on Household Management, thus I proved that I know the "How to.." In theory leastwise :-)

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  7. It looks lovely Britta and black …. I always have black cars !!! XXXX

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    1. Dear Jackie, thank you! My (many) cars had very different colours - red and silver and black and white - now I am very content with shiny black.

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