Great British And Continental Railway Journeys dvd | Films & TV, DVDs & Blu-rays | eBay! Backstage at the legendary Folies Bergere, Michael asks the 'enfant terrible' of fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier, about his homage to the black American dancer, Josephine Baker, and goes backstage to meet the stars of the show. 7.673. He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. His first stop is Paris where he absorbs the atmosphere of La Belle poque, before travelling south to the Cote d'Azur. Following in the footsteps of Bradshaw's travellers, Michael explores the cradle of the Renaissance through Edwardian eyes but learns in Florence that the tourists' 'Italietta' was far removed from the new Italy envisaged by the futurists of the time. 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. In GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS, British broadcaster and journalist Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes . Takes to the skies in a vintage bi-plane and tries watchmaking, James Bond style. His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. I shall not easily forget his bow and Stradivarius whirling close to my head as the gorgeous music poured forth. At a private museum dedicated to the life of the most infamous Georgian, Joseph Stalin, Michael asks how Georgians today feel about the former dictator of the Soviet Union. Among the golden onion domes and icons of Tula, Michael is moved by the sound of a Russian Orthodox choir. Airs Sundays, July 20 - August 10 & Sept. 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. on KPBS TV. Great Continental Railway Journeys. At the winter sports resort of Semmering, rails of a slippier kind prove hard to navigate when Michael takes to a toboggan. To hear the story, Michael hitches a ride in the famous marque's most modern counterpart, a gleaming new convertible Dawn. In the medieval Bavarian city of Nuremberg, Michael visits the monumental buildings and parade grounds, which were the stage for vast Nazi rallies to publicise the regime around the world and arouse popular support at home. Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo makes a grand tour of a favourite Edwardian destination - Italy - where he experiences first hand the nation's need for speed in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports car. He discovers the magnificent art and architecture of the Dutch Golden Age and marvels at the engineering ingenuity of this fiercely independent nation. The scenery was unrelentingly, heart-swellingly beautiful the golden sandstone of Salamanca; the best of Roman, Christian and Islamic art and architecture poured into Zaragoza; the enclosed medieval citadel of vila seemingly glowing with centuries of stored sunlight. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train from the former political capital of Italy, Turin, to Casanova's capital of romance, Venice. Inspired by the music and story of Poland's national icon Frederic Chopin, Michael takes to the floor to dance the polonaise with high school students rehearsing for their leavers' ball. His journey begins in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, and includes stops in the ancient city of Plovdiv, the region of Rumelia, and former capital of the Ottoman Empire Edirne. [6] This series relied on narrators rather than presenters who appeared on camera. Making history in contemporary art at the Venice Biennale, Sensationalists: The Bad Girls and Boys of British Art. Michael is in his element, stoking the boiler on the footplate of the enormous locomotive. Great British Railway Journeys - Season 9 Episode 12. 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. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. The new series starts in Romania. Sometimes the programmes take a more frivolous look at continental culture. Michael begins in the port of Batumi on the dazzling Caucasian Riviera. Without access to a smartphone, though, I had to wait until the morning to find out precisely why. List of all seasons: Season 1. 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. Michael ends his journey in futuristic style with a high-speed boat trip across Lake Garda. At the Palais de la Bourse, Michael hears how, at the time of his guide, the city was still reeling from the assassination of the country's president and how a shocked French nation rallied in support of the Third Republic. 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. 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. From Tallinn, Michael crosses the Baltic Sea by ferry to Helsinki, where he discovers the music of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and learns how his masterpiece Finlandia spurred Finns towards independence. Today he experiences the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries and tastes the delicacies of Brussels before travelling to the French sector of the Western Front, where from 1914, the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells, and the Edwardian tourists of 1913 were replaced by soldiers, facing the horrors of the trenches. Michael travels through Austria and the Czech Republic, exploring a dark era in history. On his travels, he is trampled underfoot at the bottom of a Catalan people steeple and learns to make the perfect paella. He is at his best and most comfortable with the ex cathedra element of presenting. 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. After a picnic of chewy dried fish and beer on board a Soviet-era train, Michael arrives in Estonia where, in the magical setting of a ruined 13th-century cathedral, he hears a choir sing the nation's most important song and learns how, more recently, the Baltic countries demonstrated their desire for independence from the Soviet Union with a Singing Revolution. In a vast stadium in Berlin, Michael hears how new rail lines were constructed to transport crowds of spectators to the Nazi Olympic Games in 1936. Michael uncovers the Celtic roots of the Galician people and tries to master the bagpipes but finds himself upstaged by a six-year-old. Along the way, he recreates the famous Italian Job on an historic Fiat test track and follows fashion in Milan before investigating the early 20th-century British love affair with Lake Como in a seaplane. In Bologna, he embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti bolognese - until a cookery teacher takes pity on him and shows him how to make a much more authentic tagliatelle al ragu. Despite it having no direct connection to the European railway network, a chapter was devoted to Gibraltar in the 1913 guidebook.[3]. Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaw's Handbook as he heads for Spain. Cycling in tandem with his guide, Michael discovers Lyon's role in the country's most famous sporting event, the Tour de France. In Uppsala, he tours the historic university before boarding an exquisite steam train to Marielund, where he celebrates midsummer in true Abba style. Other similar series followed: Great Indian Railway Journeys in 2018 and Great Alaskan and Canadian Railroad Journeys and Great Australian Railway Journeys in 2019. In this borderland where Europe meets Asia, Michael crosses swords with Cossacks, learns the secrets of Ukrainian cuisine and gets down and dirty in a mud spa. Back up to: Great Continental Railway Journeys. He begins in the capital Warsaw, where he takes to the floor to dance to one of Chopin's polonaises with high-school students rehearsing for their leavers' ball, before discovering how the former industrial city of Lodz supplied the vast Russian empire of the early 20th century. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. In Bologna, he embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti bolognese - until a cookery teacher takes pity on him and shows him how to make a much more authentic tagliatelle al ragu. Among its cobbled streets and classical buildings Michael discovers the seeds of Ukrainian nationalism in song. The fourth series aired in 2015. [1] Using an 1899 copy of Appleton's Guidebook to the railways of the United States and Canada, Portillo explores historic Canadian railways and learns about the places along the way. Fingers crossed there will be no more . In Avignon, Michael savours the scent of Provence in the region's lavender fields before relaxing with a glass of the city's famous tipple, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Great Continental Railway Journeys Der britische Journalist und Ex-Minister Michael Portillo reist mit der Eisenbahn quer durch Europa. In the vast port, Michael joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. Boarding the fast train to Lviv, Michael reads in his Bradshaw that the city was formerly known as Lemberg and at the time of his guidebook it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Similar series were broadcast in 1983, Great Little Railways, and 2010, Great British Railway Journeys . As of 2021, series 1-6 of Great Continental Railway Journeys have been released on DVD by FremantleMedia under licence from Boundless and the BBC. When The Rite of Spring premiered, there was pandemonium. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In Lund, he samples a smorgasbord before having a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives a vintage Volvo. Getting off the train at Montreux, the most genteel of Swiss resorts, I came across the statue of Igor Stravinsky. He then travels to the French sector of the Western Front, where from 1914 the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells, with the Edwardian tourists of 1913 replaced by soldiers facing the horrors of the trenches. [1] In the early series, Portillo explores the railway networks of continental Europe, but in later series he also ventured further afield. Not so, as culture also has a part to play. 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. North of Helsinki, in Tampere, Michael takes to the water again to explore one of Finland's 180,000 lakes. Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. Led by his 1913 railway guide, he then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to explore the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries before tasting the delicacies of Brussels. Further east in the beautiful region of Rumelia, Michael picks roses with the flower girls to produce precious rose oil in a 100-year-old distillery. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the futurists. In Vienna, he encounters a pre-Cold War spy and hears for himself the concert that caused a riot in 1913. Michael ends his journey in futuristic style with a high speed boat trip across Lake Garda. From there, he travels to Salzburg, before heading to the magnificent scenery of the Salzkammergut region to visit the emperor's Austrian summer house at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 European history changed course forever. Braving the traffic, Michael begins his Roman holiday by weaving among the capital city's magnificent landmarks on the back of a 1950s Vespa. On the pilgrims' trail to Santiago de Compostela, Michael meets walkers from all over the world heading for the cathedral, and he is led into the archive to see one of the world's first guidebooks, dating from the 12th century. In Kiel, Michael learns about the intense rivalry between Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and his uncle, British King Edward VII, at the Kiel Week yacht races. The beauty of the Carpathian mountains with their snow-clad granite peaks, gorges and lakes appears to him unchanged from their description in his 100-year-old guidebook and he is privileged to catch sight of some of the wild brown bears and wolves who continue to live in the region's last stretches of unbroken forest. Then he takes the super fast train to . But that is what Portillo now is (and wears and does). Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy as he travels from Rome to Sicily. The third episode of Great Continental Railway Journeys series 7 will return to its usual slot come Wednesday, August 19th. Having spent between five weeks to a month on the train, Watson used field recordings of the journey for his 2011 album El Tren Fantasma.[1][2][3]. And he discovers a beautiful art nouveau Palace of Music with an emotional history. Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In some cases, the narrator did not partake in the train journey, and simply recited the writing of that episode's producer. He then ends his journey as he arrives at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. In Vienna, Michael Portillo encounters a pre-Cold War spy and learns about the concert that caused a riot in 1913. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. In Avignon, he samples a glass of the region's famous wine Chateauneuf-du-Pape, before his journey ends at the Mediterranean port of Marseille, where he joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. He begins by weaving among the capital city's landmarks on the back of a 1950s Vespa, before boarding the train south to Naples, where he finds out about the first railway to be built in the country, and ventures into the crater of Mount Vesuvius. He then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the Industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. 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. Heading south west from Warsaw, Michael's fellow passengers come to his rescue with a crash course in Polish pronunciation. Skirting disputed Georgian territory occupied by Russians today, Michael discovers that a Briton was the first to conquer the highest mountain in the Caucasus range. He then travels south along the tourist trail of the castle-studded Rhein river and ends his journey in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its age old vineyards. In the shadow of the citys splendid cathedral, Michael learns to dance the Jota. The six episodes of 1994's Series 2 were also released on VHS. Was that a compliment, I wonder. 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. 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. Leaving Hungary behind, Michael begins this leg in the elegant city of Vienna, he continues his journey to Salzburg, before heading to the magnificent scenery of the Salzkammergut region. . At the capitals Royal Institute of Technology, Michael investigates transport of the future in a near vacuum tube. In the years before the Great War, Barcelona seemed to offer Marxists the best hope of proletarian revolution, due to the huge politicised urban population mainly working in factories. 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. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a journey from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. You need to enable JavaScript to use SoundCloud. On the shores of the Black Sea at Constanta, once the scene of intense pre-First World War diplomacy between Romanian and Russian royalty, Michael explores what is now emerging as Europe's largest grain port. He learns from the buffet car cooks how to prepare a supper of meat-filled dumplings - Dagestani specialities called pylmeni. Michael then boards the train that runs from the Caspian Sea to Moscow, where he performs an important role in a dramatic opera at the Bolshoi Theatre, before exploring the beauty and history of St Petersburg and riding on the first railway ever built in Russia. In 2020, the BBC made series 2 available on the BBC iPlayer. From the Grand Hotel, Europe, advertised in his Bradshaw's, Michael explores the beauty and history of St Petersburg, from the great Nevsky Prospekt to the magnificent Winter Palace with its Hermitage Museum, then rides the first railway ever built in Russia between the city and the Tsar's village - Tsarskoye Selo. An attempt to make Portugal's national sweetmeat proves challenging, but help is at hand. He finds out about the first railway to be built in the country, from Naples to Portici, around the base of Vesuvius and then plucks up his courage to venture into the mighty volcano's crater. Heading east to Avila, Michael overnights in a historic parador and learns how 1930s Spain positioned herself as a tourist destination. 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. He hitches a ride in a 1913 carriage to discover one of the secrets of its restoration. Prague to Munich. Michael Portillo travels across the European continent with his handy Bradshaw guide book. Together, they visit the preserved trenches, and Michael finds out how Orwells experiences shaped his novels. After a 14-year hiatus, a further three series were broadcast between 1994 and 1999, using the shorter series title. On this leg Michael explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. Were you still up for Portillo, a hundred years ago in 1997? Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Among the spectacular Renaissance palaces and fortresses of the River Loire, Michael is intrigued to discover a castle much modernized during the 1930s, which became a refuge for a British royal couple embroiled in scandal. East of Paris, in Champagne country, Michael finishes his journey in style with a tour of the cellars at Domaine Pommery and a glass of fizz with the owner. 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. Arriving in the Italian port of Trieste, Michael savours the imported coffee that fuelled a cafe culture. Beginning in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaws guide to the magnificent stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, which tell the story of the heroine of France, Joan of Arc. Michael Portillo embarks on a rail journey through Germany. Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account, Do you know any background info about this artist? 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. Michael's journey through the Balkans - the powder keg of Europe - follows the route of the historic Orient Express. One newspaper commented that only Eric Morecambe was funnier. The title Great Continental Railway Journeys has led some to believe that the series is designed solely for train spotters. A performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty at Odessa's exquisite opera house rounds off his journey. With his 1913 guidebook in hand, he discovers in Tangier how this once proudly independent nation fell under the control of the French as rival European powers scrambled to extend their empires in Africa. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. 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. Michael Portillo ventures once more on to the European rail network to retrace journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 publication Continental Guide, beginning by travelling through Russia. Michael's journey takes him through a patchwork of nations which a century ago formed part of the Austro Hungarian empire.