We were driving from La Rochelle to Niort and wanted to stop somewhere for lunch. Turned off the N11 at La Laigne and drove into the village - this place seemed about the only place in town bar the boulangerie! It's definitely a locals haunt - was a bit strangers-walk-into-a-saloon when we arrived, not helped by our collective failure to communicate in French. Phrasebooks at least would be helpful, here, as the proprietors had little English. We tried to tell them we were looking for a bite to eat, orders some beers and coffees and then waited for a menu. After about 10 minutes the man appeared bearing platters of pastrami, that weird French version of bacon with chips and a massive tomato a...
