Monday 4th August – Friday 8th August 2008
Although Exeter city centre is within just-about-walkable-distance from the house, it's a bit too far with children and with Jane still fairly weak I drove us all up there and parked in a car park at the edge of town.
Off we wandered, looking at the shops, getting coffee and a sit down, browsing the books and magazines before finally ending up at the other end of town outside Hawkins Bazaar. Rhiannon was on the verge of kicking off about getting get another toy when she'd already been spoiled enough. I was tired through lack of sleep when suddenly I remembered the stupid parking system in Britain.
Hells bells! It was a Pay and Display car park and I hadn't done either!! OMG (I had to get that in here somewhere.)
Car parks in Japan are all sensible. Either you take a ticket at the barrier on the way in and pay for the time you've spent in there on the way out. Or in other car parks a clever raised clamp thing pops up under your car so you can't leave until you've paid at the machine (each parking space is numbered, so you tap in your bay number, pay and the clamp lowers).
So I made Rhiannon come with me all the way back to the car park, hoping against hope that we hadn't been clamped of fined or towed away. Thankfully, none of these had happened. So I paid and displayed – eventually.
And Eve got her "fluffy ball".
