Wait...you bring your own beans with you to Europe and a little grinder+everything you need to make a cup of coffee? That's amazing. It would never have occurred to me to do anything other than order a cappuccino in a cafe or coffee shop anywhere in the world.
I've spent quite a bit of time in France and never noticed that the espresso was bad. My brother's apartment in Paris is directly above a really good patisserie so you wake up to the smell of freshly baked croissants in the morning, wander downstairs in your slippers and grab a few while the coffee is brewing in the kitchen.
Second wait...I just noticed that you are in the middle of nowhere in France. It's no different than the U.S. or anywhere else, the further you are from civilization, the worse the food and apparently coffee beans are.