The view from No 2027

摘要

On a remote country road that winds through vineyards, a metal letterbox mounted on a post marks the address of a hillside farm: 1710, route de Merindol. From the road, almost no other dwelling is in sight. The closest neighbour, further down this southern French valley, is at number 1460. On the opposite side, the nearest dwelling is number 2027. Across the country, a bewildering system of rural addresses has sprung up, which seems more suited to an American suburb than la France profonde.