My First Experience of Bla Bla Car

Bla Bla Car is an international, online car share service where drivers list their journeys and passengers sign up for the ride for a small fee. For my journey from Avignon to Carcassonne, it is cheaper and quicker than the train so I'm giving it a go.

Featuring:

The driver

Charlotte - tall, tanned, slim, chic, French girl wearing a stripy top.

The passengers

Me - English, denim mini, rucksack, sketchbook and novel poking out of my bag

Man 1 - French, slightly stinky, dreadlocks, tent and dog. Does a double take at every campervan we see

Man 2 - Spanish (I'm guessing, either way he's not French), slightly stinky, straw hat and guitar, dozes most of the way

Dog - black and white mongrel, well behaved, not stinky, dozes most of the way

The only things that save this unlikely combination of people from being a ridiculous bunch of stereotypes is that Charlotte drives a black VW Polo, not a Renault Clio and the French people wait a whole 50 minutes before lighting up.

The car has no air con, there is euro rave on the stereo, which merges into the Fugees. I'm on the sunny side of the car, melting, and trying to see to type through my hair which is whipping about in the warm blast from the open windows. 

Vineyards and olive trees, interspersed with low, craggy hills line the road. The sky is a pale blue and everything is... fine!

3 hours later, I have arrived safely, on time and there were no dramas, so aside from whiffy people and the odd bit of cigarette smoke, it was really quite good. I'll do it again.

https://www.blablacar.co.uk