Geography

[Jon898]

Maps and Nautical Charts have always held a fascination for me, but I agree that GPS is counter-intuitively making navigation more difficult as you become dependent on it.  Of course in this country, geography appears to be a failed art...I was once asked by a secretary Admin Assistant where my accent was from, and when I said "England", she asked if I had driven here (to Chicago)  . 

[longbridge]

Maps and Nautical Charts have always held a fascination for me, but I agree that GPS is counter-intuitively making navigation more difficult as you become dependent on it.  Of course in this country, geography appears to be a failed art...I was once asked by a secretary Admin Assistant where my accent was from, and when I said "England", she asked if I had driven here (to Chicago)  .

[Jon898]

SWMBO had a similar experience when one of her colleagues (Italian American girl qualified as a school teacher) announced she was going on holiday to Europe.  The girl was asked how she would deal with the languages and said that she spoke Italian at home and was going to Italy and the Italian part of Switzerland, and the other country she'd visit was Austria and everyone spoke English there  .  SWMBO tried to disabuse her of this assumption and was told in no uncertain terms that of course the Austrians spoke English...hadn't my wife ever seen The Sound of Music? ( Of course, in the film the Austrians (Plummer, Andrews, etc.) all had english accents and the germans all spoke viz ze gut cherman accents)