Losing the north*

There were times on last autumn's trip when I felt I was losing my handle on France: I tend to assume that I know how to find the things I want, where to stay, where to eat... When our night on a trout farm was followed by a failure to find any lunch, self-doubt set in. Other factors may have been involved - things were noticeably more expensive than the previous year (not just because our pounds bought fewer euros, the actual prices in euros seemed higher, and bought less) - and we still had a good time, but I was disappointed in my inability to read the townscape and find the café...

( Beerless in Stenay )

( Lunchless in Mouzon )

( Clueless in Montherme )

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ETA missing footnote: * perdre le nord translated by my Collins Robert as 'to panic, go to pieces'. Losing my religion, in fact.