A wide ford across the river Bouvier was too much for Gamin. With bare feet I stood in the middle of the ice-cold river and pulled the lead - without success. Suddenly, Gamin turned around and tried to pull me into the water. Perhaps he wanted to let me have this particular experience, also because it would have been material for a funny drawing later on. But I did not do him the favour. I was able to stay on my feet.
Before freezing to death I gave up my plan. We retreated and looked for a bridge. Three more kilometres. Just great!
After all we managed to go through Clérieux, where I hoped to find a store in order to replenish my depleted stock of provisions. Alas, the only store in the village was close.
We walked on, crossing the Isere on a spooky bridge that had already appeared in the nightmares of my childhood. Gamin didn't like it either, but I was really afraid.
Finally I was allowed to pitch the tent behind the house of an old couple who were farmers.
This morning I decided to definitely look for a place to go shopping. In the distance I saw a big building with a large car park full of cars, just like I knew it from French supermarkets. So that is where we went. I left the GPS track and we walked across the fields. After three quarters of an hour there came the disappointment: it was not a supermarket, but some sort of nondescript company. This is how travellers must feel when they cross a desert and fall for a fata morgana.
A little further on I saw a large petrol station. Well, they must have sandwiches at last, and maybe even gas cartridges. Mine are running dangerously low.
The access to this petrol station was somehow very difficult. When I saw the reason, it was already too late: we had ended up on a motorway service station.
Totally lost, with a donkey, in the middle of lorries, cars and staring people - there is nothing better. But that's the kind of effort I take for the politician of my heart.
They had sandwiches, but no gas, and, luckily, they gave us instructions how to get off the motorway again.
After a while we reached another little parking place. A car pulled in, and I immediately knew: this meeting is meant to happen.
The driver talked to me, and fifteen minutes later it was clear that we could stay in her place for the night, she gave me the address and told me to go ther. She would join me in the evening, after work.
It was a large and beautiful estate, with walls and a CCTV camera. This is why I was insecure at first about how the other inhabitants, who knew noting about our agreement, might welcome me. An unnecessary worry. I was kindly received, and soon I sat under a large sycamore tree and drew pictures, freshly showered and with a pot of tea and some chocolate before me.
Lovely conversations with the friendly and interesting inhabitants made this day perfect.
The narrow alleyways ... Gamin would have fit through, but not the luggage.
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