Wandering On Streets

　　It was refreshing to roam through the streets of Oxford which had elements of the medieval era. Not only the busy "High Street", but serene alleys between brick walls were also wonderful. Viewing the historic buildings and recalling the bygone days are the best part of travel for me.
　　E-scooters which I often saw on the streets are available for anyone? Or, do they require a driver's license to get on? I asked my daughter how to use them, but she strictly told me not to ride on them, because she had often given treatments for seriously injured patients due to traffic accidents associated with e-scooters. I followed her advice. When in Oxford, do as my daughter says.(grin)
　　The hotel which I stayed in five years ago was a 20 minute walk from the city center. This visit, however, I booked another hotel which was further away from the downtown to save the hotel fee. I had to get on the bus to move to the city center and it cost ￡2. Luckily, I was able to use my contact-less card and it was really helpful. I didn't use the oyster card five years ago. It was like a Suica card or something in Japan, but I didn't know how to use it. It was super-helpful that I was able to use the same card as I use in Japan as the oyster card.
　　There are several kinds of prepaid transportation cards, but they are limited in domestic use. For sightseers from overseas, should we introduce the contact-less system for their convenience. By traveling abroad, you can sometimes understand your own country more precisely.

(Vocabulary)
the best part of sth ～の醍醐味

市内散策

　中世の街並みが多く残るオックスフォードの散策はとても楽しい。賑やかなハイストリートもよいが石の壁に囲まれた静かな裏通りも素晴らしい。数百年も前に築かれた建物を見ながら往時を思い起こすのは散策の醍醐味。

　街中で時折見かけた電動キックボード、免許が必要なのだろうか？娘に尋ねると事故が多いから絶対に乗るなと厳命が下った。イギリスでは娘に従う方が良いだろう。（笑）

　５年前に泊まったホテルは中心部から徒歩だと２０分ほど。今回は経費を抑えるためにやや離れたホテルを取った。そのため中心部まではバス料金２ポンドが必要なのだが、コンタクトレスカードが使えて実に便利だった。５年前、オイスターカードの存在は知っていても使わなかった。日本で言うスイカのようなものだが、使い方が良くわからなかったから。日本で日頃使っているカードをそのままオイスターカードの代わりに出来るという便利さは有り難かった。

　日本にも運賃支払用のカードはいろいろあるが、限られた日数しか滞在しない外国人観光客のために日本もこのようなシステムを導入する必要があるのでは無いか？  外国を旅すると自国のことが返って良くわかることがある。