My sister Sharon would not enjoy driving in the US.  It is not just that the speed limits are low, which they are, but that they re-enforced.  No messing around here with airy-fairy speed cameras - around every corner there appears to lurk a police cruiser, just like in the movies.  With armed cops just waiting for some smart-ass foreigner to break their speed limits.

OK, the last wee bit I am sure is not true but they are there lurking and, anywhere near a town, everybody drives at a glacial 25 mph.  Between towns, on wide, open roads, you can do 45 mph and then it is either 55 or 65 mph on the highways.  No point in bring your Jag convertible here.

One of the many reasons why se didn't go for one of the bigger family vans was that, perched high up in a  car that purred along, driving with one finger, it did seem as if you were crawling along when passing through the town.

What is frustrating here is that, despite the plethora of roadsigns about speed, or whether or not you can turn right on red, there are very few signposts that actually tell you where you are going ie with the names of towns.  So very easy to get lost.  Maybe this is why Anne is son good at directions and getting around - you have to be good to avoid getting continually lost in America.

Fortunately we have a satnav, although it would be better if it worked properly.  Half the time, she isn't sure where she is, she gets distances wrong, says 'half of a mile' (a petty irritation, that one) and sometimes only tells you to turn when you are a few yards from the turning.  And the map is always facing north so if you are going south you have look carefully which way the wee arrow is pointed.

We have been doing a lot of shopping recently and going to malls.  I have spent far to much time driving around highways and strip malls that all look the same and cursing the bloody satnav.