Manual transmission error

See, I’m a very comfortable city driver. I learn the dimensions of a vehicle quickly, and can maneuver around other cars relatively well, requiring little room to safely do so. I enjoy parallel parking, and I’m a quick learner. These are some of my pros.​

Look at that concentration.

​One of my cons, however, is that I’ll get so excited about things I can do, sometimes I don’t bother looking for things that I can't do.

So we’re leaving our hostel in Vianden, which our car is parked directly next to in a narrow, steeply declined, cobble stone alley. This is pictured below

Narrow alley with obstacles on all sides? That’s fine says mike, the confident fellow that he is.

There’s room to pullout around the car in front of us, to squeeze between the car and the alley wall on the left. That way I don’t have to start a standard in reverse on an incline, and we can just coast down the other side of the alley. Brilliant!

​I delicately and slowly glide around the parked car in front of us, with Lindy grimacing during all of the necessary close shaves with nearby obstacles, and safely arrive on the other side of the parked car.

Now it’s just a straight shot down to the stairs at the end of the alley. Stairs? Oh boy, when did those stairs appear.

See the stairs at the end? Yea, neither did I. Cars don't go downstairs very well.

Silence ensues as I realize I got us in a situation I could not get myself out of, all the while I’m trying to avoid the gaze of the one next to me, who recommended against the chosen option to begin with.. BUT, If we got around that car in the first place we can get back the same way! 

I hand the keys to Lindy and she expertly rides the clutch back up the hill. The fishy diesel smell that was with us for hours didn’t help me to forget the stress…

But we prevailed! Lesson learned: before you implement a plan, make sure there's no stairs at the end of the alley.

(Google, showing the alley on the left in dark grey near the hostel)

Frig you, stairs, frig you.