I sing in praise of the GPS/Satnav.

 Everyone either has, or at least knows of these little aids to navigation, which have rendered map-reading almost superfluous. However, familiarity has never removed my sense of wonder at the sheer brilliance of the device. Imagine the development conference between the accessory manufacturer and the engineer---Right I want something that can detect and measure the angles of the satellites the Americans have kindly suspended 33,000 miles above the earth and work out where you are to within 50 yards. OK, what next? I want the position displayed on a map you will generate on a TV screen. Then what? I want a database with all the streets and towns of France included, and for you to work out the best route from here to wherever I choose from the database. Anything else? Yes I want vocal directions in umpteen languages to direct you to this destination.  OK, I`ll get to work. I`ll need a three ton truck with a couple of dish aerials on the roof, a BIG computer, a couple of loudspeakers assorted power supplies..... What do you mean it must fit in a box the size of a packet of fags, what do you think I am, a magician or something!!! Nevertheless, it has been done and some features I haven`t even mentioned included on top.
   We bought our GPS several years ago when we were going to go from here to Lille in NE France and then direct to Aucun in the Pyrenees. True, the route the device chose was not much different to what we had always followed, but following it was much easier. Now we scarcely go anywhere without plugging it in, not least because it can be set to warn you if you exceed a set speed. For finding an address in a large town it`s almost indispensable. And we also use it to play games. If you regulate it to take the shortest route to somewhere you will be surprised at following roads you have never seen before. It`s surprising how you get habituated to a certain route like a snail that never deviates.
    Mind you, if you mess up the input, you may well end up in a town with a similar name that you had no intention of visiting, it`s as well not to follow the advice blindly. We had a puzzled English couple turn up at La Mort Limousin (our village) under the impression they were in the Limousin! We had to tell them they were 50 kilometers adrift, and they should have entered Limoges on the machine....
  Still, we have found the GPS a boon, and would not willingly be without it now.  But we still carry maps in the car, you never know!

     Bye for now animal feeding time!