It’s the inverse of what you expect. As the speed increases, everything becomes more zen. As the wind and tyre noise rise in volume, they combine to create a unique blend of white noise that would send a baby to sleep in seconds.
The scenery is coming towards you at an ever greater rate, yet it’s almost easier to pick out what is important. A complicated machine is propelling you along in a complex, constantly evolving situation, yet there is a terrific sense of simplicity. At least that’s how I feel. Life on a derestricted stretch of autobahn is delightful.
This sense of speed-induced serenity washed over me again the other day as I was on my way back to Munich airport. It was the final stretch of a four-hour journey from Austria, and ostensibly the first three hours should have been more relaxing. A leisurely cruise at 80mph with a minimal speed differential to the traffic around you sounds much calmer than clipping along at twice that speed, flashing past cars and lorries like they’re parked. But I swear I felt calmer in those miles where I could travel uninhibited by the shackles of a limit.
