Getting High on New Year’s Day

We’d hoped to climb a volcano as an interesting way of seeing in the New Year but the weather conspired against us so we settled for a trip to the panoramic tower at Toulx St Croix. As it was we nearly got blown away there. Chris and I climbed the tower briefly.

The lights were shaking and there was a terrific noise of blustering winds. However, we got a glimpse of the distant Puy de Dôme, our intended destination, in stark contrast to the stormy skies. I didn’t take a photo as I’m pretty sure my camera would have been whipped from my hands.

Building of the tower began in 1932 at the suggestion of Abbé Aguillaume.

He thought it would be rather nice to have an observation tower on this high, rocky windswept hill – Les Rochers de Bruladis – and he was inspired by the signal towers of medieval times.

However, money ran out and it wasn’t until 1956 that it was finished and only because it was turned into a TV-relay antenna. That role ceased in 1972 and it was left empty until a few years ago when it was done up and opened to the public.

Some work (actually, quite a large undertaking) has been done recently and there’s now a pathway that takes you for a short circular walk below the tower.

The tower is a lovely spot to visit, if for nothing else than to blow your cobwebs away!

We laid our first geocache of 2014 somewhere in the tower’s vicinity…

Before we left, we had a look at our favourite map of the Pays du Boussac. Why is it our favourite? Well, because our lake appears on it! There it is, slightly north of the tip of the church tower in Nouzerines, surrounded by trees.

A finally, a lonely, decorated Christmas tree reminded us it was still the festive season so we went home for a Dagg Special party tea with Pringles!

Happy New Year!