Turn back?
Very impressed with your candour in letting all know the build up to your 'moment'
As you said,the horizon was not too good,did you consider turning back?
Having read stuff about not trying to 'wing it' in bad vis/IMC, it may have been an option.I saw the 'appreciation of instruments' during my training as a way of getting yourself out of the brown stuff not as IMC Lite.
I recently had my first 'foreigner' EGBE to LFAT,but I chose to do it with the a/c owner (IR qualified) as with my low hours it helped to have someone to show me the ropes.The horizon was quite poor that day and I would probably have turned back if I had been alone.(maybe I am a wimp?).
I still plog/map/stopwatch but carry a GPS and if I am honest with myself I do use the GPS a lot to correct my track.
Happy landings
MM