49. Bollards

In Italy you park where you feel like it. Who ever said you cn't see round corners? In Italy you use your side mirror, which is sticking out around a corner. (People are, however, fined - we actually saw this happen. Guess it's an attempt by the State to raise some money in a country where not paying taxes is a national pasttime).

In France, things are much more orderly. Or at least the city of Avignon and some private driveway owners are attempting, by a variety of means, to corral their fellow denizens' anarchist tendencies.

Ever since the first Roman pulled up his/her chariot in Gallia Transalpina (or Gallia Narbonenesis, or "nostra provincia" as they knew it affectionately - follow me here - Provence is derived from the Romans' proprietorial sobriquet) there's probably been a premium on parking space.

Here's a select few methods of parking dissuasion. And lest you think there's no traffic - these were mostly taken early-ish on a Sunday morning!

Below: Ooops! (And note the tree. Anyone who has ever seen a French movie, well one set outside Paris anyway, tell me there wasn't a scene with a car driving down one of those narrow country roads lined with plane, or are they lime, or maybe poplar - no that's more Italy - trees? I'm sure those trees are there to stop you parking to take a good picture - of the trees. Or to stop you driving into the ditch which is inevitably a metre deep on both sides of the road. They don't do road shoulders in French country roads spectacularly well. But you can't be good at everything, and this is the parkign obstacle capital of the universe.)

Below: Free parking outside the walls of Avignon! See those bollards? Well if anyone is parked behind them, you can't double park and thus trap them. Same if they have a tree in front, or anything to prevent them driving out on to the road. Otherwise you CAN double park - just perpendicular to the cars thus parked closest to the road. Neat huh?
Below: I think it's artistically placed on an angle on purpose, not the result of an incident.
Below: I think I'll dump these concrete blocks here and build a new bollard in front of my gate.
Below: Just try getting your truck through here!
Below: Hadn't they better erect some across the road to prevent head-on collisions?
Below: If we just push it a little way - that way - we might fit....
Below: There's always one in a crowd who has to be different
Below: Classical bollards. Chariot prevention . Or not.
Below: Smart cars not welcome here.
Below: Look out! You might be protected on the footpath, Piero, but absent minded eating of the ends of your baguette might have had unfortunate consequences. You might have banged your shins on something.
Below: Road signs to no-where, but that's better than No Parking signs.
Below: A-ha! the secret confraternity of the access-priveleged must be round here somewhere.
...and one lot in Montpellier