On the road

"I pulled to the side of the street and got out my book of road maps. But to find where you are going you need to know where you are, and I didn’t".

On the Road With Charley by John Steinbeck

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1956 Mercury Montclair spotted in … Waitrose car park. I don’t think the owner was on a road trip but love the way he hogged two parking spaces. I’m actually surprised he didn’t put himself at the centre of four and hog a whole grid’s worth. 

Steinbeck had a pick up truck rather than a sedan. Charley was a dog with crooked teeth and a one word vocabulary. They toured America when Steinbeck was dying and had desperate need to reconnect with his country and himself. It’s a wonderful book. Like Bill Bryson but with grit and substance.

Our day was largely given over to domestics, shopping and food preparation. We were hosting a small meal to welcome in the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. There are several Jewish Festivals over the next few weeks including Yom Kippur. It was also a kind of farewell as our guest from Australia leaves us to visit other family in London tomorrow.

Our car was taken by The Dizzle tonight. He has to go to Sidcup tomorrow for an early start (7am). That’s not much of a road trip, and he doesn’t have a dog …