I reckon I know the local woods as well as anyone; even better than most. But a few days ago my friend José took me to see the above.
We live right on the cusp of 3 departments (counties). The Dordogne, The Lot, and The Lot et Garonne; the latter being just a couple of hundred metres away from my front door.
Amazingly, this small concrete borne, with a cross on top, represents the highest point in the whole department of The Lot et Garonne, something I was quite shocked to discover as it is just a short leap inside their boundary. It doesn't mention the height, nor is it a nicely fashioned piece of stone. Just a lump of concrete with a X marking the spot.
I can stand on it, look south, and see the whole department beneath me (if it wasn't for the trees in between).
That same afternoon I came across yet another strange concrete object that I'd never seen before. This time slightly less interesting.
Under this circular concrete cover is some type of pressure valve, which releases air from a very comprehensive system of pipes that deliver water to our local farmers. Although it is just a hundred metres from our house, I had no idea it was there.
One never ceases to discover; and I hope that continues.
28 comments:
Amazing what can be under our nose but never noticed.
You have not been looking down, only straight ahead.
Absolutely. I'm ashamed of myself.
The opposite Rachel. When I'm in the woods I'm usually looking for mushrooms.
At first glance I thought the second photo was a land mine, so I hope all your future discoveries are pleasant ones.
That is so interesting and amazing,also here around us you can always find things from many many years ago.
Anywhere else in the world it probably would have been! Yes; me too.
Israel is filled with archaeology; as is the whole area (Jordan Egypt etc). These two objects are only a few years old, which is why I was so surprised that I didn't know about them.
If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise....your walks are going to be even better now . You'll be on high alert for hidden treasures.
That is the whole point of living, isn't it Cro? Once we stop discovering things
and finding new things to wonder about then we might as well be dead. Don't you agree?
It is odd how often things are not indicated and little is known...
Pauline and I were on a walking holiday in the North of France... along the course of the Meuse...
we were walking through a wood... following the map we'd been given, and came across a very decrepid, hand painted sign in three languages...
pointing, once we'd deciphered the scrawl.... to a Roman Road
we fought our way through the bushes that half blocked the path and found... about 200 metres of perfectly original Roman main road...
someone must have had the responsibility of its maintainance, it was swept clear and kept weed free... I still wonder how many people each year actually deliberately visited it... there was NOTHING in the local tourist information that mentioned it...
and the path we were using wasn't one of the Grand Randonées... just a local one...
I'll never forget that bit of road, lost in a forest... but I am so glad we diverted for a few minutes.
I might even find a Teddy Bear's picnic.
Absolutely. I often say that a day where I don't learn something is a day wasted.
For a short while there was a very expensive looking sign indicating an ancient Stone Age flint mine. I notice that is has now fallen into disrepair, and I can't imagine it being replaced. The Flint Mine is very small and insignificant; hardly worthy of even a hand written sign.
Tends to be the things close to us that take time to discover I feel.
That is the most unassuming trig-point I have ever seen.
We have a trig point not far from us but it is a much grander affair than yours a sort of cairn with a brass plaque on top - surprised you hadn't come across it before on your daily walks.
I'd also not realised that we were so high up.
My friend showed it to me one day, and I returned the next to take a photo, but I couldn't find it. Luckily he turned up to chop more trees, and took me to it again. It was already covered with leaves.
It's not really in a spot where I go. The fact that it's so insignificant probably indicates what it means to people.
It is nice that you have lived there for decades but there are still discoveries to be made.
I'd be happier if it was a cache of gold coins.
When your grandchildren visit, I hope you will show them that first marker. I suspect they will enjoy learning about it.
I think that your grandchildren need to know that it's something to do with pirates !!!! You could make an old pirate map and that could be a clue { as if you haven't got enough to do !!! } XXXX
If I can find it again, I certainly will.
X marks the spot of buried treasure. I could bury something nearby!
Just read your previous post cro, thank you for writing it, a fitting tribute me thinks.
His last blog weighed heavy with me.....and like you, i was affected by it greatly.........
Thanks
We must be like-minded. It had quite an effect on me too.
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