There are a few things that are absolutely essential when traveling in a foreign city. One of the most important is finding your way around. Guidebooks often leave out some of the most essential information.

In the UK, as you know, traffic moves on the left side. So in crossing a street as a pedestrian, the first car that may hit you is coming from your right side. It pays to look that way. Busy streets have an island at strategic crossings, which may not be at the corner. When you are clear to cross the street from your right, you go to the island and wait until it is clear from the left. That sounds very simple, and it is, unless you have traffic turning right into the left lane. I have not learned how to anticipate that. Crossing the street is exhilarating.

But if you are lucky enough to find a yellow globe on a lamppost, near where you want to cross, you have it made. If a pedestrian is standing at the crossing, the traffic from both directions will stop, letting you safely go to the other side. It must be the law.

It seems that stop signs are not used here. Instead there is a round about, which is a small traffic circle. Cars do not have to stop unless another is in the round about coming from the right. It does seem to move traffic along much faster.

The Tourist Information Center is extremely helpful. Each time that I have been in to ask a question, they have gone to great effort to get the correct answer. At times this has involved making several phone calls, some long distance, which they have done without being asked. All the time they are smiling in a genuine, friendly fashion, even when I am having difficulty with the language.

I have found that if I go into a shop and ask for an item which they do not have, the shopkeepers volunteer to tell me where I may find it. Several have even walked out to the sidewalk to point the way. This certainly leaves a very favorable impression.

Mail is delivered to my cottage and dropped through the mail slot in the front door. But mail is not picked up here. It must be taken to a Royal Mail box. There is one on High Street and one at the Post Office. They will not accept outgoing mail at the window. All mail goes in the Royal Mail box.

I have not encountered one person who has been curt or rude when I have needed assistance. Even in the grocery store (which is a whole other story) I have found not only the employees to be courteous, but also other shoppers. For instance, when I could not locate the salt, I stopped a lady shopping in the same aisle, and asked her where would I find salt. She didn’t know, but she approached another shopper and asked her. Then they went together to find an employee to ask. The group escorted me to the correct aisle for the salt. Another day, I had a great discussion with two ladies about the merits of various laundry products. I am not accustomed to finding such willingness to help others in American stores. Are we so busy, that we don’t have time to be accommodating?

I have found that the best approach to finding which way to go is to smile a lot, don’t be afraid to admit I don’t know, remember to say “please”, “thank you” , and “I beg your pardon”, and always keep a reference point that I can return to. After all I am the foreigner. I may not look any different, but the moment I open my mouth, my speech betrays me.

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