When was the last time you got lost? Was it an enjoyable experience, or a stressful one? Tell us all about it.

Erm, that would be last Friday, in Sarlat, France. A few turns around the medieval streets and I was completely disoriented. I wasnt lost, I knew where I was….. I just didnt know which way I was facing. I always get lost in medieval towns, their recursive streets are usually four dimensional. They refuse to conform to the parallel lines I grew up with.  It’s all part of the fun.

I’ve been lost in Paris, Amsterdam and many other cities that have no horizons to navigate with. It can be annoying.  Like most men, I refuse to accept that I am lost…. just misplaced. Other cities are harder to get lost in, Kyoto for instance. However, finding places can be difficult. Eventually you learn to look up….. the restaurant or  bar you’re seeking might be five floors up.

It’s slightly disappointing though, when I can go somewhere and not be lost. I feel that a little of the magic of discovery has disappeared. Then again, that’s replaced by a sort of pride. I can find my way home in an amazing number of cities. Hopefully there’s more mysteries out there…. great little restaurants to be found tucked away in side streets. Then … joy of joys, to be found again!

I’ve always been a flagrant flaneur….. there is an art to being lost, it’s all part of the journey.

 

What’s around the corner?  Sarlat, France.