J7 – 12/24/2005

7H40 the town of Courville-sur-Eure is just beginning to wake up.  Serge will run on flat roads through the open countryside of the Beauce region and on a succession of deserted secondary roads, which show no sign of life.  As someone pointed out via the Internet, you need a detailed map to follow Serge.  To give you an idea of where we are today, Serge went around Chartres by the West and south to reach Janville and it’s wind mills. He went over the A10 toll road and came to Oison, a town of 60 souls.

Serge decided to shorten this stage and lengthen tomorrow’s because we are expected on Monday at the end of the afternoon in Monéteau (10 Km above Auxerre) by a welcoming committee.  We don’t want to be late.

Serge had two visits today:

Wilma and Jacques, motorcyclists, who came all the way from Nogent-le-Roi to deliver a message of encouragement.  They found him around noon on the outskirts of Meslay-le-Vidame.

I had to abandon Serge to go shopping in Charters, and once again he added 2Km to his stage while he was looking for the  D12 road  from the A10 which he crossed in Bourdinière.  Too taken up with buying food, I forgot to give a photo, as I usually do, to every visitor.

At 16H00 in Allaines, the second visit, that of Gérard, who lives in Orléans.  I ran with Serge until Oison, where he is celebrating Christmas Eve.  It’s in the courtyard of his in-law’s farm that we will spend the night.  We thank them for their hospitality.  Gérard, thanks for the six delicious oysters you brought Serge.

Serge’s morale is good in spite of the low mileage per hour due to his fatigue and painful legs, which, even at night give him no relief.  While he sleeps he wears BVS Sport support socks but last night he had to take them off because they were pressing on his right calf (still the after effects of the operation to correct anterior compartmental syndrome).  Fatigue is real in spite of the continued good weather.  The wind, which usually sweeps with vigor across this vast plateau, seems to be asleep and we have only to wish you a very Happy Christmas.