TULLE VISIT OCTOBER 2010

Puy de Sancy, Mont Dore, Auvergne. The source of the River Dordogne

As we drove south from Calais on

Saturday 23 October, really heavy

rain turned the autoroute into a

‘water-chute’ but a ‘water-chute’ that

was over a hundred kilometres long.

On Sunday we continued south in

glorious sunshine, and decided that

we had done the right thing by not

taking the plane. At Vierzon we

took the ramp down from the A 71

onto the A 20 and drove into thick

fog! The fog lasted for 50 miles.

It had been a difficult decision to

make; the British papers had shown

drivers pushing their cars into petrol

stations which did not have any fuel

to sell, as well as pictures of burning

vehicles in the nation wide strikes

and demonstrations. But, with a bit

of mutual support from other members who were also driving to Tulle we forged ahead. In fact, we saw the tail end of one demonstration and a couple of petrol stations had run out of gazole, but we had been able to top up the tank at regular intervals and we arrived at our host’s home with a fuel tank containing sufficient diesel to get us back to Calais.

It was still raining slightly when we

stopped outside the Station Hotel

and met the members who had travelled by plane and that was about the last we saw of the inclement weather. We all had a typically warm welcome from our hosts and

after short speeches of welcome the

twenty two visitors including the

Mayor of Bury and the Mayoress,

Councillor and Mrs John Byrne were

driven off to their hosts for dinner.

Monday was spent with hosts and on Tuesday, before it was light we set off by coach for Vulcania; an amazing volcanic theme park, demonstrating with 3D viewers and moving floors and wildly vibrating seats, the geological history and the power of the primordial forces that shaped the Region of the Auvergne. As we were driven over the mountains from the Correze, the sun lifted over the mountains and we could see the snowy peaks of the Mont Dore range against a magnificent azure sky. It was really special.

On Wednesday people shopped in

the lovely market along the bank of

the river and outside the cathedral

and in the afternoon, shopped some

more at the Denoix Liquor factory in

Brive, after taking the opportunity to

taste the many flavoured brandies

and yet again, in the nearby Choco-

Laterie Lamy.

The following day we were privileged

to be received by the Préfet,

M. Alain Zabulon and his wife, Mme. Nora Zabulon in the Préfecture.

The Préfet is the representative

of the President of the Republic in

the Department of Correze and the

equivalent post does not exist in the

1. Returning in the evening from Vulcania.

2. The Salon of the Préfecture in

Tulle.

3. Our Secretary and the Mayor

and the Mayoress of Bury are welcomed

by the Préfet and his wife.

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