A trip to a second-hand bookshop rarely disappoints, especially if tea and ice cream are available next door.
The hope is to find something you've been after for years. The dream is to find something you didn't know existed.
So imagine my delight when a single Asterix book was there on the shelf. And it was one I never knew about.
Written in 1989 by Uderzo (Goscinny died in 1977), the story was born out of a short comic strip written in 1965.
As fans of Asterix will know, not a story goes that doesn't reference the fact Obelix can't hve any magic potion because he fell into the cauldron as a baby.
Until now, however, the details of that misadventure have remained a mystery.
Told through the eyes of Asterix, who naturally was involved, in narrative form, this is not an Asterix book as you know it.
No panels, no larger-than-life comic illustrations, here the story is told and the illustrations are allowed to take over whole pages.
It is both delightful and beautiful in what it achieves.
Along with the backstory to a much-loved character, this is a testament to Goscinny's storytelling, and as Uderzo himself says at the start, is a tribute to his old friend.
Sometimes you can forget how much a character in a book actually means to you. Being reminded is heartwarming and delightful.