Michael embarks on a rail journey through Germany, steered by a Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide published in 1936. Starting in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, he travels via Bratislava in Slovakia, to the beautiful and elegant city of Vienna where he immerses himself in pre-war decadence. BBC Two Great Continental Railway Journeys Home Episodes Clips Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913. His journey begins in the capital of cuisine, Lyon, where he finds out about the early 20th-century Meres Lyonnaises, to whom the city owes its gastronomic reputation. Number of seasons: 7 Number of episodes: 37. Michael takes the helm to explore the port of Siracusa by boat and enjoys a sumptuous picnic of Sicilian specialities before visiting a controversial monument, which depicts a dark chapter in Italian history. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on spaghetti and sardines in the citys Ballaro market. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. Feature films include Flying Blind starring the late Helen McCrory and documentaries including BAFTA winning The Murder Trial (Channel 4) and The Age Of Nature (BBC). Michael Portillo follows in the footsteps of Edwardian travellers to trace a route recommended in his Bradshaw's guide, journeying from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast. Michael concludes his Sicilian journey on the circular railway around Mount Etna, aboard the sleek, futurist-inspired train inaugurated by Mussolini in 1937, La Littorina. At Goettingen University, Michael discovers two sides of student life at the turn of the 20th century - the duelling fraternities and the groundbreaking scientists who laid the foundation for Germany's world class transport technology today. A performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty at Odessa's exquisite opera house rounds off his journey. In Baku, Michael explores the thousand-year-old walled quarter and is treated to a thrilling display of Chovgan, the national horseback game of Azerbaijan. , tracks: In Bucharest, Romania's leading violinist, Alexandre Tomescu, introduces Michael Portillo to the music of his countrys greatest composer, George Enescu, in a private recital with his Stradivarius. Jon studied at the National Film & Television School graduating with a Masters degree in composing for Film and Television and lives between London and Madrid. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Among the spectacular ancient Greek and Roman temples of Agrigento, Michael hears of the passionate ten-year search by a British archaeologist at the time of his guide for a long-lost ancient Greek theatre. He encounters mummified monks in a medieval monastery and works out alongside two of the strongest women in the world. From Tbilisi Michael takes a trip along the 120-mile Georgian Military Road, built by the colonising Russian army in the early nineteenth century. as the hour and the miles unfolded. The overnight service from Tbilisi to Baku delivers Michael to Azerbaijan, the so-called 'land of fire' because of the natural gas which seeps from the ground and ignites the hills. And I like your trousers. No, she didnt say the last bit. A spot of on-the-job training as a welder is a salutary lesson to stick with the day job. Making history in contemporary art at the Venice Biennale, Sensationalists: The Bad Girls and Boys of British Art. Michael Portillo's 1936 Bradshaw's Guide brings him to the Italian 'treasure island' of Sicily, full of natural beauty and 'scenery of the greatest charm'. Special dispensation to fly to the Balearic island of Mallorca allows Michael to spoil himself rotten with spectacularly scenic rides aboard a sublime 1912 vintage railway and a 1913 tram. Heading south west from Warsaw, Michael's fellow passengers come to his rescue with a crash course in Polish pronunciation. Crossing the border from Bohemia to Bavaria, Michael encounters a fire-breathing dragon in Furth-im-Wald and in Nuremberg he rides German railway history - made in Britain. Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. He learns from the buffet car cooks how to prepare a supper of meat-filled dumplings - Dagestani specialities called pylmeni. Zaragozas modern tram network takes Michael to a factory where he is invited to test-drive new rolling stock destined for Britain. At Biel or Bienne, Michael tries his hand at watchmaking and learns how a timekeeping innovation by Omega became indispensable in the trenches of the First World War. Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Poland. Overview: Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games. Like the railway traveller of a hundred years ago, Michael discovers a land full of surprises. Michael Portillo heads for the Netherlands, where he roots around the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem, operates a crane in Europe's largest container port, Rotterdam, and investigates Amsterdam's famous red-light district. Back in the city again, Michael meets former Russia correspondent Martin Sixsmith to discover how the strikes, mutinies and massacres, which took place shortly before Bradshaw's 1913 guidebook was published, were to unfold and the part the railways were to play in those tumultuous events. In Stockholm, Michael braves a precarious tour of the city from its rooftops, before boarding a heritage tram to get the lowdown on 1930s Sweden from an expert. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. On the island, Michael finds out about apocalyptic scenes at Messina only five years prior to publication of his guidebook and marvels at the survival - and beauty - of the ancient hilltop town of Taormina, in the shadow of Mount Etna. Along the way, he roots around the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem and investigates Amsterdam's famous red light district. Michael makes a scenic journey from Stockholm to Abisko. Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to venture beyond Europe as he travels through the Holy Land. The first series detailed four railway journeys following an 1840 Bradshaw's guide, split into a run of 20 separate episodes. Michael Portillo braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and finds peace paddling a canoe on the Lakes of Finland. Takes to the skies in a vintage bi-plane and tries watchmaking, James Bond style. North of Helsinki, in Tampere, Michael takes to the water again to explore one of Finland's 180,000 lakes. The fourth series aired in 2015. With his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east through Romania. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a journey from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. They just have to make sure Portillo and the sartorial choices I suspect someone must once have assured him add a cheery charm to his overwhelming urbanity stand well enough to the side. Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits the scene of a grim assassination attempt at the royal wedding of a British princess and a Spanish king. In Delphi, he discovers how at the turn of the 20th century an entire village was removed in order to excavate the site of the oracle. At the capitals Royal Institute of Technology, Michael investigates transport of the future in a near vacuum tube. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. Travelling through the Corinth Canal, Michael finds out about the surprisingly ancient origins of the modern railway. The night soil man told me as I emptied my chamberpot, I seem to recall. He visits the beautiful country estate of Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy wrote his masterpieces, and learns how the author's life and works were inextricably entwined with the railways. In Rotterdam, Michael finds the great commercial activity mentioned in his guidebook has reached epic proportions through the port's automated terminal. Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels east through the Balkans along the most exotic section of the route taken by the Orient Express. Vrai, More Hope, Efficient, Having Doubts (AlbumModern string ensemble). At Prague Central Station, Michael meets a woman who, as a young girl, travelled by train to safety in London. This episode offers beautiful views along the Rhine and also shows various cities in the area including Colonge and Koblenz. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MOTIVATE :)Support me here : https://www.paypal.me/CSinha7This Will Enable me to Optimize My Creative Production to Showcase Journeys of. At Belorussky Station in Moscow, Michael hears how thousands of Russians journeyed to the capital in 1913 to mark the Romanov royal family's tercentenary year. He then ends his journey as he arrives at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. York to Frizinghall. Books have been published to accompany the first three series, with a chapter by each of the presenters on their particular journey: A similar book was also published on Great Little Railways: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Great Continental Railway Journeys, Portillo, Michael, Used; Good Book at the best online prices at eBay! Fortified by railway wine and Swiss fondue, Michael makes his way to the capital, Bern, where in a 1930s bi-plane, he follows in the slipstream of the Swiss pilot Oskar Bider, first to fly across the Alps. 253 pages : 25 cm. Steered by his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo heads for the Netherlands, where he operates a crane in Europe's largest container port in Rotterdam, and experiences the power of Kinderdijk's picturesque windmills. He then heads over the rail bridge across the lagoon to Venice, where he finds a microcosm of pre-First World War Europe in the Venice Biennale art exhibition. Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures deep into the Black Forest on a quest to discover the essence of Germany and discovers how Hansel and Gretel helped to unify the nation. It took Portillo to Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, and Spain. Was that a compliment, I wonder. From the from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps Michael visits remote villages of the Cinque Terre he then heads to Parma next up is the Alps stopping off in Rovereto he ends his trip at the Brenner Pass home to on of the world's longest rail tunnels. Michael celebrates Midsummer in Marielund, learns to decorate a Dala horse in Mora and takes an icy dip in one of the countrys 96,000 lakes. Exploring the Acropolis and delighting in the tastes of moussaka and baklava, Michael discovers the many influences at play in the creation of modern Greece - from its classical past to the oriental Ottomans and the Great European Powers of Britain, France and Russia. For the younglings among you, this was the question that burst exuberantly from leftist lips in the days and weeks after Labours landslide electoral victory. 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Arriving in Istanbul, Michael orients himself with a boat trip on the Bosphorus, samples some Turkish delight and crosses from Europe to Asia on the Marmaray metro line which now joins the two continents. Plucking up Dutch courage Michael takes to two wheels in Amsterdam's fast moving cycle lane and heads for the Indies district, where he samples a delicious "rijstafel" of dishes from the Dutch empire. Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. Athens to Thessaloniki Rotterdam to Utrecht Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. It detailed railway journeys in mainland Europe, following a 1913 Bradshaw's guide to European rail travel. In Vienna, he encounters a pre-Cold War spy and hears for himself the concert that caused a riot in 1913. Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a Greek odyssey from Athens's port of Piraeus north to the city of Thessaloniki, captured the year before from the Ottoman Turks, who had ruled much of Greece for 400 years. En route, he is caught up in a war zone with the Red Cross, takes to the skies in a vintage bi-plane and tries his hand at watchmaking, James Bond style. The bodies of two lovers are entwined and the female figure is clearly in ecstasy. He will end his epic journey in the forest of Compiegne to hear how, after four years of conflict, the Armistice was finally signed in a railway carriage. To capture his own view of the mighty Mount Kazbek Michael boards a helicopter to soar above the 5,000 metre peak first climbed in 1868. Michael begins in the port of Batumi on the dazzling Caucasian Riviera. All seven of the 1980 Series 1 programs, including Palin's Confessions of a Train Spotter, were released in 1986 in cooperation with the BBC on VHS tapes by Pentrex, a California railroad video company. Following in the footsteps of King Edward VII, who visited his cousin King Carlos in 1903, Michael explores the city from the Santa Justa lift to the harbour at Belem. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on the second part of this train journey through Germany, Michael Portillo continues through the industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready before traveling south to Cologne and along the tourist trail of the castle-studded River Rhine. In some cases, the narrator did not partake in the train journey, and simply recited the writing of that episode's producer. Michael discovers from a British engineer how the leaning tower of Pisa was rescued from near collapse. He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. His idiosyncratic style strikes us as boldly modern a century later, but his building is in essence a gothic cathedral stripped of the buttresses. This will follow Michael as he journeys from Berlin to Stuttgart, soaking up all of Germany's history. Great Continental Railway Journeys. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. In Verona, Michael discovers the 'House of the Capulets', bought to attract Edwardian tourists to the scene of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The first series, which used the longer title, was broadcast on BBC2 in 1980. Since summer visitors have not yet arrived, spring is a great time to get hotel discounts. Research of a more sombre kind leads Michael to the roots of our modern welfare state in the work of an early 20th-century . Second is the increasing awareness . Travelling with author Julia Boyd to Nuremberg, Michael discovers that despite the First World War and the Third Reich, Britons and Americans loved Germany and German culture in the 1930s. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo returns to his native Spain to discover what the intrepid tourists of the Belle Epoque experienced on their travels through the fading Spanish empire. Michael continues his rail journey through Spain with his 1930s Bradshaws guide. Back in the city again, Michael meets former Russia correspondent Martin Sixsmith to discover how the strikes, mutinies and massacres, which took place shortly before Bradshaw's 1913 guidebook was published, were to unfold and the part the railways were to play in those tumultuous events. Following in the footsteps of Edwardian railway travellers, Michael discovers a nation already famous for its neutrality when the rest of the continent was on the brink of war. In the ancient city of Plovdiv, Michael discovers a Roman amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD and still in use today. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaws Continental Handbook, dated 1936. Season 2. Bram Stoker had never visited Bran Castle, home of the fearsome Vlad the Impaler when he wrote Dracula, but he studied images in the British Library carefully enough to describe it well. The third episode of Great Continental Railway Journeys series 7 will return to its usual slot come Wednesday, August 19th. The highlight of the trip for me was to be given a private recital by the great Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu, playing music by George Enescu, a composer who was coming of age as Romania gained its freedom from the Habsburg empire, and who celebrated his country's folk tradition. The deeply shocking piece now has pride of place in the gallery of the Belvedere Palace, painted between 1907 and 1908 during his golden period. And there was a mercifully brief attempt at learning a few steps from the Aragonese folk dance la jota, but, for the most part, he stuck to limning Spains history and detailing the horrors of the civil war. Beginning in Dresden, Michael explores the city of one of his favourite opera composers, Richard Wagner. Gaud perished on the tracks, hit by a tram. Title screen for most episodes from Series 2 onward. Michael explores Sicilian life under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. He is at his best and most comfortable with the ex cathedra element of presenting. Series 1 - Reversions: London to Monte Carlo (1), Series 1 - Reversions: London to Monte Carlo (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Hungary to Austria (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Hungary to Austria (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Amsterdam to Northern France (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Amsterdam to Northern France (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Berlin to the Rhein (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Berlin to the Rhein (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Madrid to Gibraltar (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Madrid to Gibraltar (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Turin to Venice (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Turin to Venice (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Dresden to Kiel (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Dresden to Kiel (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Copenhagen to Oslo (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Copenhagen to Oslo (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Prague to Munich (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Prague to Munich (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Tula to St Petersburg (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Tula to St Petersburg (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Rome to Taormina (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Rome to Taormina (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Warsaw to Krakow (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Warsaw to Krakow (2), Series 3 - Reversions: La Coruna to Lisbon (1), Series 3 - Reversions: La Coruna to Lisbon (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Lyon to Marseille (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Lyon to Marseille (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Sofia To Istanbul (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Sofia To Istanbul (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Vienna to Trieste (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Vienna to Trieste (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Pisa to Lake Garda (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Pisa to Lake Garda (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Athens to Thessaloniki (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Athens to Thessaloniki (2), Series 4 - Reversions: The Black Forest to Hannover (1), Series 4 - Reversions: The Black Forest to Hannover (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Transylvania to the Black Sea (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Transylvania to the Black Sea (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Zermatt to Geneva (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Zermatt to Geneva (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Genoa to Brenner Pass (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Genoa to Brenner Pass (2), Series 5 - Reversions: The Netherlands (1), Series 5 - Reversions: The Netherlands (2), Series 6 - Reversions - Kiev to Odessa (1), Series 6 - Reversions - Kiev to Odessa (2), Series 6 - Reversions - Batumi to Baku (1), Series 6 - Reversions - Batumi to Baku (2), Series 7 - Shortened Versions: Episode 10. With Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo penetrates the eastern extreme of Europe to journey through the vast country of Russia. In Delphi, he discovers how at the turn of the 20th century an entire village was removed in order to excavate the site of the oracle. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, in the second part of his journey from London to Monte Carlo, Michael Portillo follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France.