Well, home about an hour from taking my second driving exam and I this time passed. The whole process will have taken seven months. I will still have to wait for another week, but I will then have my very own permission to drive here.
I have already driven here for four months, but last August 6 was the last time I could legally drive here as my 185 days since registering to live here were expired.
I began in July finding a driving school and a good instructor. I had two attempts at passing the theory (very difficult indeed) then applied for the formal driving test. I failed the first one, even though I have driven for 42 years without an accident, but passed the second one this afternoon.
Here you cannot drive as a learner with a registered driver beside you - you can only practice with a driving instructor (at 45 euro an hour). Once my Australian licence was no longer valid, I needed instruction for learning road rules etc, especially dealing with bikes and narrow roads, so I had five lessons before the first exam then another couple before the next one; then there was the cost of the on line time and resource book for learning the theory (examined in a room full of tables, computers and young people) plus after today I have to go again to a local government office with a passport photo and euro 45.50 then wait five working days for the driver's licence to be available for picking up.
(euro)
Theory book and 15 hours online tuition 70
9 hours @ 45/hr 405
Theory exam (x2) 120
Practical test (x2) 369
Licence issued 45
Total cost 1009 (That's A$1296)
Rene and I are going out tonight to celebrate with a delicious dinner. I have four more days of midterm vacation to go, so I intend enjoying them since this test was hanging over my head like a dagger all week and was spoiling my days off.
