April 21
"Chemin de la Sanglier - the Path of the Boar"
Slow going due to back tire problems all day. Had to whip out my new tire before going through Montargis.
Wasn't sure where the roads were going and I ended up on a rural road that I was worried might lead to nowhere. I ended up going the right way. I stayed on the smaller roads, hopping from small town to small town to avoid the traffic. Beautiful wooded countryside with ponds, woods and saw a cool water mill near some old stone barns.
Got flat before Oussoy and I walked it to La Cour Marigny, after using my patches to no avail. There, a guy helped me fix both tubes and then he inflated them w/ an electric pump that he had to start his car to use because it plugged into his cigarette igniter. We pumped it to 40psi but didn't last 5 minutes. I had to pass through the Forêt Orleans, which lies a few miles to the northeast of Ouzouer sur Loire, a town I had to pass through just before reaching Sully sur Loire, where my Loire cycling guide's paths began. Ended up walking all the way to the forest and pitched the tent in a clearing w/ little cover, because the forest had been cleared to some extent. Very rural, so I wasn't too worried.
Awoke in the middle of the night to a great uproar. I believe it was a "sanglier" as I was camped on "Chemin de la Sanglier" and it sort of soudned like a pig. It sounded really pissed and I think it was near where I had relieved myself the night before. I dared not move or open the tent, for fear of aggravating the beast and provoking him to attack the tent. I put on my cycling helmet and grabbed two aluminum tent stakes. I held them in a way resembling the X-Man Wolverine's claws.
I reasoned that if I showed myself, the boar would become so upset that it would just charge straight at me. I thought if I just stayed inside the tent it would continue posturing by angrily squealing until it figured I had gotten the point. I knew it knew I was there. They are supposed to have extremely keen sense of smell.
2 pain chocolat & baguette 2.70
2 waters & ice tea 1.09
2 apples & strawberry shortbread thing 3.82