Cars and Sheep

Isle of Skye Citizen

Stromness Street, heading to the pub

 More often than not, what I’ve come home with, post travel abroad, have been pics of cars and sheep. Sure, sure, I take landscape and cityscape shots too but there are far more shots of fluffy Shaun the Sheep and cool cars than anything else. Dunno if this is still the case but, back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, rural Scotland seemed jam packed with elderly Morris Minis and fleece on the hoof.

And lovely little pubs too. Of course.

It was in the cities, in Edinburgh and Amsterdam, that I’d see Citroëns -- the  2CV and the DS.

'The Citroën 2CV (French: "deux chevaux" i.e. "deux chevaux-vapeur [fiscaux]", literally "two tax horsepower") was an economy car produced by the French car manufacturer Citroën between 1948 and 1990.[1] It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork,[3] that belied the sheer quality of its underlying engineering. It was designed to move the French peasantry on from horses and carts. It is considered one of Citroën's most iconic cars.' from Wikipedia

Happy Orkadian 2CV

I'm just mad about the 1950s era deux chevaux -- so much so that I once, on Leith Street in Edinburgh -- during rush hour, flagged down a maroon 2 CV filled with 20somethings to ask them ALL about their awesome auto. Did you know? You can disassemble and reassemble these babies ever so easily in order to ship home to the US. OK, I sure as hell couldn't but maybe you could.

'The Citroën DS is an automobile which was manufactured and marketed by the French company Citroën from 1955 to 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative technology, including a hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.' from Wikipedia

great parking job on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam

I first saw the Bubble Cars in Rome and Mein Gott, I fell in love with these babies!

'Bubble car is a subjective term used for some small, economical microcars, usually produced in the 1950s and 1960s.' From Wikipedia  
'The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under licence in a number of different countries, including Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany and the United Kingdon. Produced in the post-World War II years, a time when cheap short-distance transportation was most needed, it became one of the most successful and influential city cars ever created. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name later given to other similar.'
Jesus three wheeled Christ, these are TOO cool! If anyone would like to slip one into my Christmas stocking, well, I'd be happier than a sand filled clam at high tide. or something.

Rome is where I first met the Smart Car too. These make 5,297 kinds of sense (more or less). When Horace, my aged Silver Beetle, craps out I will have to get one.

And sheep. They like to ride shotgun.