2016-05-24

Train des Pignes to Le Fugeret Spring Festival

The 2016 season for Train des Pignes à Vapeur started on May 8 this year, as previous years with a journey extended to Le Fugeret and its village Spring Festival.

Before the steam engine could back out of the engine shed, the switcher had to arrange that two more, green, passenger carriages were attached to the red ones.


With that done, the steam engine could back out and prepare for the train's entry into the Puget-Théniers station.




Five passenger carriages means that already the first journey of the year has many passengers.


As usual the train stops for a short while in Entrevaux.


After Entrevaux follows the passage of the two "elephants", built to protect the train and the road from avalanches.


At Annot the steam train has to wait for the arrival of the AMP railcar from Digne-les-Bains. The railcar enters a smokefilled station.


The steam train moves outsite the platform which attracts many passengers' interest, but is somewhat a headache to yard staff, when passenger somewhat randomly move along the tracks.




In Le Fugeret, the Spring Festival  has started in the village main square, but seems to be a rather quiet event, attracting much less participation that the annual Chestnut Festival.


As usual, the Mayor of Le Fugeret opens the Festival, followed by music from a brass brand. All participants and visitors are invited to a wine cocktail in front of the Mairie, located in a "corner" of the main square. The village restaurant offers a special menu this day.


The remainder of the village is rather quiet (We may remember that the commune of Le Fugeret only has a couple of hundred inhabitants).


 In a corner of the main square we find the nice little village church. 


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