We are being tourist sightseeing, stop and open our street map, immediately a young couple stops and asks if we need assistance.  No, we are doing OK, but thanks.

Yesterday, Sunday, we stopped in several villages trying to find a place to stay for the night, everything was closed – Nada.  On to the next village where we stopped at a crowded pizza shop, where two women were busy making the pizzas. Neither of them spoke English, but one indicated there was no hotel, but grabbed her phone and making calls to two Chambres de notes, continued making pizza with other hand.  Sorry, no place is open. Then she asked the waiting customers, and now we have a committee of 4 or 5 debating our problem in French. Then a customer arrives with a smattering of English, she translates that down the road past the next three roundabouts is a hotel.  We spent last night at that hotel.

There is one piece of art found in every village in France, like the statue of Joan of Arc, it is a statue to the war dead of WWI (the war to end all wars.). Then you visit the churches and other historic buildings that have been restored or are still being restored from the bombings of WWII. Then you see the news films of Aleppo today.  Have we not learned anything?