The Wisdom of Driver Training & Hike Around Besalú

This is my last entry about obtaining a driver's license in Spain, but I thought I would reflect on the benefits that I discovered from going through this process.

I was not a happy camper when I found out that I could not just transfer my Virginia driver´s license to a Spanish one and that I needed to take both the written exam and driving test to get a Spanish driver's license.  It's logical that Spain would require you to have a Spanish driver's license if you live here for over six months (U.S. states require the same thing), but I believe that because the U.S. does not have a national driver's license, but rather 50 driver's licenses from the 50 states, there is no nation-to-nation agreement for a U.S. citizen to transfer their state license for a Spanish license.

Here in Spain, they do not issue learner's permits and allow a person who already has a driver's license to accompany a person who is learning to drive.  One must use a car with two sets of peddles (one on the driver's side and the other on the passenger's side) and generally one must enroll in a driver's school.  The bottom line is that it costs.... a lot.  Probably I will spend around 400 euros, including the test fees and driving practices.  But in the end I think it was worth it.  Why, you might ask?

Well, as an American, do you know the difference between:

I know it's kind of small, but you get the point.  Some of the European signs are obvious to Americans, but others are not so intuitive.  Some of the signs above could land you a ticket and one of them, if not followed, could cause a serious accident or death!

And that's just the written test.  I have found that driving in the city of Barcelona is a very different experience than driving in an American city.  We have the same rules such as pedestrians have the right of way and yield to the car on your right.  However, our city roads are very much controlled by stop signs and traffic lights.  There are very few chances of error there.  Also, although theoretically pedestrians have the right of way, in reality the automobile rules.  Pedestrians need to watch out!

Not so on many Barcelona streets.  In residential areas, there could be 3-4 pedestrian walkways

within one city block!!  And pedestrians know they have right of way and may assume that the driver knows that too and will walk into the walkway, sometimes without really looking.  The level of alertness for a city driver has to be much sharper.  And in Barcelona, there are so many more pedestrians than we would typically find in a U.S. city, other than in tourist areas.  This is not to say that pedestrians here should not be alert and walk with precaution.  There are some crazy drivers here, especially some motorcyclists and moped drivers.  But the rules are followed differently here than in the U.S.

For example, yield signs are ubiquitous in Barcelona.  The driver needs to be aware, not only whether they need to yield, but whether the
driver in the crossing street should yield to you.  So you need to look for Do-Not-Turn-Right signs, which usually means that traffic is coming from your right and you need to yield, but not always!  Especially if they have a yield sign facing them, which you need to look for as well.

So, in spite of the expense, I am grateful for the training that I'm receiving.   My driving skills have definitely improved.  I take my driving test on May 28 and hope to pass on the first try.  The factors that will play into passing will be my own state of mind, the evaluator who will be assigned to me, and the conditions that I run across during the 35 minute driving session.  Wish me luck!!

Hiking in the Comarca of Garrotxa and Visiting the Town of Besalú

A couple of weeks ago, I hiked about 17 kilometers in the mountains around a beautiful medieval town called Besalú.  It was a warm but gorgeous day and a rigorous but fun hike.  Below are some pictures of the trip.