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From Times Online

March 30, 2003

Canari hits a high note in France

A tiny yellow train patrols the Pyrenees - and it's a little marvel

Michael de Larrabeiti

Toulouse railway station was busy, with flocks of children chattering like sparrows in their favourite tree. They were off to the mountains with rucksacks and teachers. The train was a real train, with corridors and high steps and a grey-haired controleur.

He sauntered by, chanting to himself: "On va a la montagne, on va a la montagne."

I settled back in my seat. Work might be taking me to Perpignan, but I was going the pretty way - up to the Spanish frontier, along the Pyrenees, then down to the Mediterranean.

It was my kind of train. It dawdled at stations and, even at top speed, was overtaken by cars. Louring escarpments rose on either side of the line, and directly ahead were the great peaks of the Pyrenees.

At Tarascon sur Ariege the river became a mysterious murky green under the trees.

At Ax les Thermes the valley was sheer. There was pine and silver birch, and thin streams of white water running down swathes of shale, the deep scars of ancient avalanches. The only buildings to be seen were farmhouses: sombre, built out of mountain stone, the roof tiles too - everything the same colour, painted over in verdigris.

Swaying, the train took us on over the Col de Puymorens at 6,200ft, then we dropped back again to 4,000 and into our destination, Latour de Carol.

"Une gare internationale," said the controleur.

He was singing now, anticipating his lunch in the station buffet, impatient for his ape-ritif. He waited for the children to disembark.

"This is nothing, it takes half an hour to get Parisians out of their couchettes in the high season. God knows what they get up to at night ..." He winked at me.

"Change here for Barcelona, and the Canari - the little Yellow Bird."

The Canari is a narrow-gauge train with dinky carriages, each with an open platform fenced off with tiny red gates. There was a notice: "Those passengers wishing to alight at request stops should get into the front and inform the controleur." I did as I was told and installed myself on a Rexine bench seat, the only person in the carriage.