Great Railway Journeys, originally titled Great Railway Journeys of the World, is a recurring series of travel documentaries produced by BBC Television. He then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the Industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. Michael uncovers the Celtic roots of the Galician people and tries to master the bagpipes but finds himself upstaged by a six-year-old. He then travels the Habsburg imperial line across the Semmering Pass, a line blasted through the Alps. In 1983, the BBC made a further series on rail travel entitled Great Little Railways, this time exclusively featuring narrow gauge railways. But the interwar guidebook also tells him that the head of government in Italy is the fascist leader Signor Benito Mussolini. In Bologna, he embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti Bolognese until a cookery teacher shows him how to make a much more authentic tagliatelle al ragu. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Both series are fronted by ex-politician Michael Portillo and in this European odyssey he travels around continental Europe, using George Bradshaw's1913 Continental Railway Guide. He savours the soul of Georgia in its wine and discovers a surprise 19th-century tea plantation in the West Georgian countryside. He encounters a bloodsucking vampire in Transylvania and brown bears in the Carpathian forest before visiting a fairy tale castle with modern conveniences in Sinaia, striking oil in Ploesti. Arriving in Geneva, Michael is thrust into tense conflict training at a military checkpoint as he explores the city's famously international character, beginning with the International Committee for the Red Cross. Glinka: Travelling Song (The Train Song), 1840. 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. He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. Michael Portillo travels by rail throughout Continental Europe. Similar series were broadcast in 1983, Great Little Railways, and 2010, Great British Railway Journeys . Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on a Sicilian speciality, spaghetti and sardines. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) This song completes a trio of great "message s Continue Reading 7 1 6 Quinn Cooper Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. Michael Portillo follows his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to continue his journey through the Netherlands. With his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east through Romania. Michael Portillo continues his journey through Germany, guided by his 1936 Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide. But whilst the facades are beautiful, behind the buildings were cheaply constructed warrens. Michael Portillo sets out to sample the delights of the Atlantic coasts of Spain and France, beginning in Bordeaux, where he uncovers a historic British connection to the region's wines. Aboard a beautifully restored tram built in 1901, Michael finds that Riga in 1913 was one of the Russian empire's most important cities, where industry was booming. Michael bags a ride in a high performance Porsche to the manufacturers Stuttgart headquarters and discovers that, in the 1930s, the founder designed an affordable car for mass production the Beetle. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo explores Scandinavia and discovers the royal roots of early 20th century British travellers' close dynastic ties with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway. 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. 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. Among the golden onion domes and icons of Tula, Michael is moved by the sound of a Russian Orthodox choir. Now he embarks on the sixth series of Great Continental Railway Journeys (BBC Two), beginning in Spain and this time guided by the 1936 edition of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, which was . Michael then crosses the separation barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank in the company of his Palestinian guide and meets the embroiderers of the Arab Women's Union in Bethlehem, before finishing his journey in the Negev desert. Aboard the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg, Michael discovers the history behind the line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. In a caf popular with artists of the time he discovers the dance craze of the day - the tango - and gamely gives it a go. In Tallinn, seasoned members of the Tallinn Ice Swimming Club introduce Michael to their sport. A visit to a sardine cannery has Michael scrubbing octopus tentacles, and a taste for the cephalopod sees Michael set sail with local fishermen to see if he can trap one. On the winding roads at Rovereto, he discovers how one of the world's best known carmakers sealed its international reputation by winning the 1913 Alpine Trial in a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Prague to Munich. Michael learns of the role it played during the Second World War and hears about its forthcoming new lease of life. He discovers in Montreux how a ballet caused a riot and how a prisoner became immortalised in verse. Great Canadian Railway Journeys is a BBC travel documentary series presented by Michael Portillo and aired on BBC Two. Please download one of our supported browsers. Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish . / Great Continental Railway Journeys. 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. 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. In Spains beautiful capital city, Madrid, Michael visits the 1930s art deco Telefonica Building and discovers what happened there during the civil war. 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. Vrai, More Hope, Efficient, Having Doubts (AlbumModern string ensemble). After sampling la dolce vita in Portofino, Michael takes the train as it clings to the cliffs along the Riviera Di Levanti to reach the impossibly picturesque and remote villages of the Cinque Terre, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national park. 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. With his 1913 guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo explores the stunning art nouveau architecture of the Czech capital. Great Continental Railway Journeys is a British television documentary series presented by Michael Portillo. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy as he travels from Rome to Sicily. 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. Arriving in Naples, Michael savours spectacular views across the bay. Without access to a smartphone, though, I had to wait until the morning to find out precisely why. Similar series were broadcast in 1983, Great Little Railways, and 2010, Great British Railway Journeys. 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. Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels to the Ukrainian capital, Now using a 1936 edition of Bradshaws Continental Handbook, Portillo visits the city of, Portillo begins this journey in the historic city of, In the final episode of the series, Portillo begins his journey in the, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 12:38. In a caf popular with artists of the time he discovers the dance craze of the day - the tango - and gamely gives it a go. Together, they visit the preserved trenches, and Michael finds out how Orwells experiences shaped his novels. Described by the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians as "probably the first ever railway song", Glinka's express Travelling Song is a . [1] In the early series, Portillo explores the railway networks of continental Europe, but in later series he also ventured further afield. Great Asian Railway Journeys. At least they dont make him do too much in the way of Activities. 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]. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael's journey through Germany begins in Berlin, which at the beginning of the 20th Century was a powerhouse of science and technology. Cycling in tandem with his guide, Michael discovers Lyon's role in the country's most famous sporting event, the Tour de France. After braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters in Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens, Michael takes the train across the Oresund Bridge linking Denmark to Sweden, where he retraces the tracks of a train which carried a revolutionary Russian passenger on an epic voyage. The fourth series aired in 2015. As he embarks on a new series, Portillo selects some of his favourite trips and cultural highlights, drawn from the five series of railway journeys. In Carrara, he finds out how the marble used by Michelangelo is still quarried today and is invited to chip away at a contemporary sculpture. Moving south to the city of Arles, he learns how its light and the famous mistral drew artists from all over Europe. After visiting Potsdam, he explores Weimar in central Germany, a city that has twelve buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage list. 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. 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. 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. Italy's most famous ingredients, parmesan cheese and parma ham go down well in Parma, as does a trip to the exquisite Teatro Regio opera, where the company is rehearsing work by the hero of Italian unification, Giuseppe Verdi. In Graz, the former politician ventures underground at the Lurgrotte Caves to find out about a famous rescue operation of the past, then in Slovenia discovers how an earthquake in Ljubljana prompted its citizens to assert their national identity in architecture and art. 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. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Michael begins an emotional rail journey that takes him deep into his familys past and reveals the tentacles of the regime which forced his father into exile. 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. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home, and where, in the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen. It took Portillo to Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, and Spain. From Agrigento he heads inland to Enna and the picturesque but remote village of Gangi. Coming back down to earth, Michael samples the amber wine of Georgia and learns about its role in Georgian national culture. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games. Start the wiki. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures to the northernmost reaches of Europe. A century ago, Michael's journey would have been interrupted by hostilities - the Balkan Wars - on account of which, train services were suspended. Michael hears how one British tourist above all was welcomed by Hitler to Germany, the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII. At Prague Central Station, Michael meets a woman who, as a young girl, travelled by train to safety in London. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, today Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. In Haarlem, Michael goes behind the scenes to see how 21 million stems and 2 million potted plants are auctioned every day from a vast complex roughly the size of Monaco. 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. A hundred years ago, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were part of the Russian Tsar's vast empire but, as Michael discovers, each country had a vibrant identity and culture of its own. 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. At the Skoda factory in Pilsen he investigates how the machine products of peacetime gave way to the manufacture of armaments for war and test drives a state of the art passenger train locomotive made there today. Michael continues his railway journey from Sicilys capital, Palermo, through the ancient town of Agrigento and the port of Siracusa to Europes largest volcano, Mount Etna. His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. At Kiev's beautiful St Sophia Cathedral, Michael seeks to understand the history behind Ukraine's current conflict with its vast neighbour and discovers how Ukraine adopted Orthodox Christianity. The new boulevard was a metaphor for the empire which, beneath a veneer of pomp, was dissolving into dozens of ethnicities. Michael Portillo follows in the footsteps of Edwardian travellers to trace a route recommended in his Bradshaw's guide from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast. In January 2010 BBC Two broadcast Great British Railway Journeys, a documentary with similar basic idea to Great Railway Journeys but with a different format. In Lund, he samples a smorgasbord before having a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives a vintage Volvo. At La Spezia, an important Italian naval base, Michael discovers how Italy's imperial ambitions put her at the forefront of modern aerial warfare. One newspaper commented that only Eric Morecambe was funnier. Transylvania to the Black Sea With his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east to a land which a century ago was part of the Russian Empire and today is the independent state of Ukraine. 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. He is at his best and most comfortable with the ex cathedra element of presenting. Then, as expected, the fourth episode will air on Wednesday, August 26th. 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. 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). The first series, which used the longer title, was broadcast on BBC2 in 1980. Give Peace a Chance Another anthem for peace, and a damn good song in its own right. Sorry, comments are closed for this item. Its rhythms were primitive and its themes unmistakably sexual. At the city's Great Synagogue he hears how the once sizeable Jewish population is beginning to recover after the violent pogroms of the 19th and early 20th centuries and the Holocaust. Beginning in Dresden, Michael explores the city of one of his favourite opera composers, Richard Wagner. Great Continental Railway Journeys (2016) Episodes: - Zermatt to Geneva - Transylvania to the Black Sea - The Flying Scotsman - Rotterdam to Utrecht - Riga to Tampere - Sofia to Istanbul - Athens to Thessaloniki tracks: - Vrai, More Hope, Efficient, Having Doubts (Album Modern string ensemble) - Neutrality (Album Cycle of Life) In Delft, Michael learns how the city came to specialise in pottery and finds out the secrets of its success. North of Helsinki, in Tampere, Michael takes to the water again to explore one of Finland's 180,000 lakes. Great Continental Railway Journeys: Dresden to Kiel: Part Two Great Continental Railway Journeys (2012) . 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. The climate provides a pleasant environment for sightseeing. Michael meets her modern-day incarnation. Research of a more sombre kind leads Michael to the roots of our modern welfare state in the work of an early 20th-century . Beginning in Galicia, Michael discovers the elegant city of La Coruna, a fashionable destination for Edwardian Britons, for whom the principal attraction was the tomb of a British military hero. Season 7. Michael discovers from a British engineer how the leaning tower of Pisa was rescued from near collapse. In Versailles, Michael visits the opulent palace and neighbouring Trianon Palace hotel, where his Bradshaws describes the signing of the Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War. 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. Arriving in Munich, he finds a blue horse created at the time of his guidebook and discovers an early 20th century pioneer who laid the foundations for the city's pre-eminence in science and technology today. 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. Striking south to historic Cordoba, Michael dances with an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of the feria. Michael Portillo leaves Europe behind to take in the sights, smells and tastes of north Africa as he travels from the Mediterranean port of Tangier to the Berber city of Marrakech. Michael is ambushed by singers of the city's legendary trallalero and learns to whip up a mean pesto Genovese. 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. Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. 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. 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. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo explores Germany, the powerhouse of today's European Union, and learns how tourists in the early 20th century would have been visiting quite a new country, which they admired and envied but also feared. In Austria's second city, Graz, Michael ventures underground at the Lurgrotte Caves to find out about a famous turn-of-the-century rescue operation. Gaud perished on the tracks, hit by a tram. Ebooks list page : 44962; 2022-09-26 Great Coastal Railway Journeys S01E06 Inverness to the Cairngorms 1080p HEVC x265-MeGusta; 2022-09-25 Great Coastal Railway Journeys S01E21 Avonmouth to Six Bells 1080p HEVC x265-MeGusta; 2022-09-25 Great Coastal Railway Journeys S01E22 Barry Island to Pyle 1080p HEVC x265-MeGusta; 2021-05-05 Great British Railway Journeys S12E08 Potters Bar To Cardington . His rail journey takes him from the grasslands of the Steppe to the shores of the Black Sea. A trip in a works train to oversee the electrification and straightening of the new 300 million section of line between Parvomay and Svilengrad culminates in a chance to live the dream - driving the train on the tracks of the historic Orient Express. Michael Portillo braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and finds peace paddling a canoe on the Lakes of Finland. Leaving London behind, armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France. I was drawn to it because when Jonathan Harker first encounters the vampire he is reading "of all things an English Bradshaw's guide" (studying the timetable between Whitby and King's Cross, the line that will carry Draculas coffins of earth!). 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. 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. 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. At the birthplace of Germanys first democracy, Weimar, Michael investigates the beginning of Bauhaus design and visits the movements first building, a family house encapsulating a vision of how people might live in the 20th century. 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. 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. He hitches a ride in a 1913 carriage to discover one of the secrets of its restoration. In the vast port, Michael joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. Michael embarks on a rail journey through Germany, steered by a Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide published in 1936.