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Like I said in previous review, the "Train De Pignes" is an extra adventure to get from Digne, early in the morning, descend to Nice, get out after about two hours in ENTREVAUX, see
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, have a nice lunch, like I did in "L'Echaugette", Place Charles. You have others like "Le Restaurant Le Pont Levis", on the Place Moreau, "Le Planet" more a bar and creperie on the Place Charles Panier, or maybe at "Max Fournier", a snack-bar on Place du Pont, or the "Bar des Arcades".
I continued once to Nice. Another time I stayed in Entrevaux and returned in to Digne with the last train.
This 151 km long rail track got his name "Pignes", because in ancient times, the steam engine stokers aliment the fire with "pignes", which were the fir-cones they plucked out of the trees during the trip. . It's in 1911 that the part with the steam traction was opened. It climbs 1013 metres (Mèailles station) from sea level and then descends to Dignes. It storms trough 17 tunnels and crosses 33 bridges and viaducts. In 1935 the steam train was replaced by "automotrices" (self-moving wagons on diesel). Today the Train de Pignes is only a simple passenger diesel train with sometimes a luggage wagon on it. The journey lasts 3h10min.
So let's forget the myth that the train de Pignes is only a touristy show, maintained for our visual pleasure. On the contrary, it is a useful, "humanitarian" and commercial connection from the seashore to villages in the mountain, often very difficult to reach in bad weather conditions. But from May to October, steam train addicts, finance and organize, daily a purely touristy steam train service between the 20km Puget-Theniers- and Annot.
But let's describe my journey from Digne to Entrevaux. It had an awkward feeling to it. The only wagon was divided in two sections (God knows why?), and the softly covered seats, looked so inviting for rest and dreaming. Large windows offered a spectacular view on the Alpine postcard views. But suddenly, a redoubtable shaking and jolting shuddered the wagon that reading travel guides, following the route on a map or even lying down your head on the very agreeable pillows became impossible. Only looking out the windows was the thing to do.. After a first stop, my mind feared already the part to the second stop. Imagine how big my relieve was when the train stopped suddenly in the middle of nowhere, I saw the conductor stepping out of the train, turning some knobs and other things and from then on the train moved moreless normally.
Only when I was back in Digne, I found a remark in the "Guide Bleu", about this disturbing stomach cakewalk feeling. It is said "Le train boulègue", which means that it plays as ball from one side to another. A passenger who complained once to the driver about this phenomenon answered in this typical French logic: "if the train boulègues, it means that he is in motion!"
Anyway, when I arrived in Entrevaux, I was bewildered by the beauty of the scenery of my journey but also freed from that stomach "boulègue":-):-)
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