Italian Road Trip

One of the best things about living where we are in the south of France is the close proximity to Italy. Italy. It’s close, it’s warm, it’s beautiful, and they love kids. Sounded perfect for us.

The girls had a 12 day school break in late October, so we packed up our recently acquired Renault Scenic, the mini-mini-van, and set out early one Saturday morning.

This was to be the first test for our second-hand Renault. Our Scenic has a very French personality of its own and asserts itself occasionally, as if to say, “You are not the boss of me, you English-speaking drivers!” As soon as we bought it from “Eric”, whom we would meet for our business transactions at the “Quick Burger” just at the Antibes exit off the highway, the car began to shudder and lurch at every stop. Dave and I would look at each other, not daring to say out loud what each of us was thinking, and shake our heads. Miraculously, after we got the Scenic home, it seemed to approve of its new home, and stopped heaving on subsequent trips around Montauroux.

Ten minutes into the Italy trip, a warning light lit up on the dash board. With kids wound tight in the back seat, we began to translate the Renault Scenic manual. “Hmm, could be one thing, which is “pas grave” or hmm …, no, is definetly this other thing, which is très, très serieux!” The manual stated in French that we were to drive immediately to a Renault dealership before an imminent and dire Scenic disaster. So of course, we obeyed the Scenic and drove to a Renault dealership in Cannes, and being France, the dealership was naturally closed for le week-end. Dave, the master of solutions, turned the car off and turned it back on. The warning light was off, (yes!) and we re-commenced our trip to Italy. Score tied. One point Scenic, one point Dave.