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Driving a Polestar 2
Our car is still off the road while we wait for a back-ordered drive shaft (the result of a brief conversation I had with a lamppost). We had trips planned over Christmas and New Year to see Richard’s family in Margate and for a holiday in Buckinghamshire, so we decided to hire a car. I deliberately chose an EV because that is what feels familiar to us now.
On Christmas Eve morning, we turned up at our local Hertz and were handed the keys to a Polestar 2. It’s a big car, and certainly a lot larger than we’re used to. One feature I really liked was the aerial view for parking. It felt pretty essential in a car of that size.
The integrated Google Maps display was another highlight. I haven’t actually used Google Maps for driving before, as I usually rely on the in-built TomTom navigation system, or sometimes Waze or Apple Maps. It was helpful to see the expected battery percentage as part of the route, and it offered eco-friendly routes as standard. I think I’ll be giving Google Maps a go in our car when we eventually get it back to see how we get on.
One thing that did bother me was the gear lever. I’ve been told it’s quite common in these cars, but I found it counter-intuitive. To reverse I had to move the lever forward, and to drive I had to pull it back. I had to stop and think about it every single time. In our Fiat, we just have buttons to press.
It was an interesting chance to live with a different car for a while. The extra storage was incredibly useful over the holidays because the boot space was enormous. While I would obviously rather have my own car back, I’m glad we treated the hire as a bit of a learning opportunity.
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70 unclaimed Guinness World Records
I spotted another fun find via The Knowledge. To mark their 70th anniversary, Guinness World Records has released a list of 70 records that have never actually been set in all that time.
I love the idea of someone digging through the archives to find these gaps. It feels like a little treasure hunt for things just waiting to be claimed. I wonder how many will still be unclaimed by the end of the year. I hope I get to find out somehow.
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Today’s walk: Swyncombe and Ewelme Park
This was another walk from the book, though this one turned out to be a bit longer than advertised! It was supposed to be 5.6km, but either we plotted it on our OS Maps incorrectly, or the book is a little off. Not a problem for us in terms of ability, but it definitely affected our expectations.
Despite the surprise mileage, it was a beautiful walk. We enjoyed a variety of scenery, moving from woodland paths through fields to open farmland.
The snow on the ground was sparkling in the sunlight, creating beautiful views across the countryside. We even spotted Red Kites flying overhead, which is always a treat.
This was our final walk in The Chilterns, and it was a magnificent way to finish. I suspect we’ll be returning to the area again in the not too distant future.
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