A romantic stop at the ruined Schloss in Heidelberg follows before Michael gets an insider's guide to share dealing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Here he visits the emperor's Austrian summer house at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 European history changed course forever. 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. 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. The title Great Continental Railway Journeys has led some to believe that the series is designed solely for train spotters. 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. 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. Arriving at the ornately tiled Sao Bento station in Porto, he finds out about the birth of Britain's long alliance with the Portuguese. 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. Portillo made five separate journeys across France, Germany, the Low Countries, Switzerland, and the countries whose land made up the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. But that is what Portillo now is (and wears and does). . His journey ends in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its age old vineyards. Relax. His journey begins in Lyon, where he learns how the city got its gastronomic reputation, and takes instruction from a leading chef on making an omelette. Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish . Without access to a smartphone, though, I had to wait until the morning to find out precisely why. The first series is notable in that it featured the first television travelogue by comedian and comic actor Michael Palin ("Confessions of a Trainspotter"), who would go on to become as well known for his travel series (such as Pole to Pole and Sahara) as for his comedy. Michael Portillo embarks on a glorious action-packed adventure from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps with his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Guidebook in hand. He then ends his journey as he arrives at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. Great Continental Railway Journeys. Airs Sundays, July 20 - August 10 & Sept. 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. on KPBS TV. (The smartest thing Spain ever did was stay out of the first world war.) There is always the slight impression that the involvement of other people even though they are usually archivists and experts there to unpack a historical moment or explain the significance of an artefact feels like an intrusion on his time. Arriving in Tbilisi Michael is struck by the warm welcome of Georgians and is invited to a wedding, where he experiences the legendary feast, known as a supra. [8] A third series followed in January 2012, including five episodes on railways in Ireland. 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. After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras on Spain's Costa del Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on the Rock of Gibraltar. This early 20th-century handbook opened up an exotic world to the Edwardian tourist. At the winter sports resort of Semmering, rails of a slippier kind prove hard to navigate when Michael takes to a toboggan. 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. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. Great British Railway Journeys soundtrack music, videos, stats, and photos | Last.fm Search Live Music Charts Log In Sign Up Great British Railway Journeys soundtrack Play artist More actions Listeners 6 Scrobbles 501 Join others and track this artist Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account Sign Up to Last.fm You might also like: Michael Portillo on going from politics to riding the rails. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games. Rotterdam to Utrecht The seat of power beckons in Kutaisi, home to the wonderful glass dome built for the Parliament of Georgia when it moved here from the capital, Tbilisi, in 2012. Along the way, he roots around the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem and investigates Amsterdam's famous red light district. Sorry, comments are closed for this item. With Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east through Romania. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on spaghetti and sardines in the citys Ballaro market. In the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous waters and wallows in peat and mud. A little over a year ago, confronted by a new series of Great Continental Railway Journeys, I wrote a piece confessing that I couldn't stand its presenter. He visits the Reichstag and the city's Olympic stadium, site of the 1936 Summer Olympics. He then heads for the glorious Alps and learns how astonishing engineering feats conquered the most challenging peaks, before taking in the striking beauty of Lake Lucerne. 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. In Poznan, at the heart of former German Poland, Michael takes in the view from the kaiser's balcony before climbing aboard what is possibly the last steam-powered commuter train. Michael Portillo, the treasury secretary with the curiously collapsed yet labile face and shoo-in for next Tory leader, lost the seat he had held comfortably five years before, to a Labour unknown, Stephen Twigg. In Tallinn, seasoned members of the Tallinn Ice Swimming Club introduce Michael to their sport. After arriving in the German capital, Berlin, Portillo is reminded of its turbulent past. In Delft, Michael learns how the city came to specialise in pottery and finds out the secrets of its success. Looking at history and trying 21st century things that changed since before The Great War. After visiting Potsdam, he explores Weimar in central Germany, a city that has twelve buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Striking north, Michael boards the long distance train which runs from the Caspian Sea to the capital. 6 / 6 Michael Portillo samples the delights of the French and Spanish Atlantic coast. Michael is piped aboard the frigate ITS Virginio Fasan to learn about naval technology today. 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. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games. On this leg, he finds peace paddling a canoe on the lakes of Finland, grills sausages in Helsinki, and samples cloudberry liqueur in a hot tub by the light of Finland's midnight sun. Travelling through the Corinth Canal, Michael finds out about the surprisingly ancient origins of the modern railway. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. 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. 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. Among the golden onion domes and icons of Tula, Michael is moved by the sound of a Russian Orthodox choir. In the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen. Your current browser isn't compatible with SoundCloud. Arriving in the Italian port of Trieste, Michael savours the imported coffee that fuelled a cafe culture. Striking north on the fast train across the Po Valley, Michael heads towards the Alps. A romantic stop at the ruined Schloss in Heidelberg follows before Michael gets an insider's guide to share dealing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw, Michael Portillo explores a very different Spain from the one he knows best and ventures across its border with Britain's oldest ally, Portugal. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home. 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. Jon Wygens is a multi-instrumentalist and award winning composer for film and television. Featured peformers: Jon Wygens (composer). In Madrid, he visits the scene of an assaination attempt at the royal wedding of a British princess and a Spanish king. Steered by his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo continues his journey through Romania, tapping into the nation's musical soul in Bucharest and loading cargo from a 100-foot crane in Constanta. On his travels, he is trampled underfoot at the bottom of a Catalan people steeple and learns to make the perfect paella. His unique window on Europe between the world wars takes him through a tumultuous period in German history, when the nations first democracy and its vibrant culture of art, design and decadence were swept away by fascism, nationalism and the increasing likelihood of war. You need to enable JavaScript to use SoundCloud. At the Bolshoi Theatre, Michael performs an important role in one of Russia's most dramatic operas. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MOTIVATE :)Support me here : https://www.paypal.me/CSinha7This Will Enable me to Optimize My Creative Production to Showcase Journeys of. Travelling through the Corinth Canal, Michael finds out about the surprisingly ancient origins of the modern railway. York to Frizinghall. Michael learns how diplomacy brought Britain and Spain closer together and rides on a hair-raising scenic railway. There have been 10 series of Great British Railway Journeys, in which he used George Bradshaws 1863 tourist handbook to investigate the sociopolitical impact of the age of steam on Britain, and several spin-offs (including journeys through Asia, Australia and Alaska) since. This will follow Michael as he journeys from Berlin to Stuttgart, soaking up all of Germany's history. 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. 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. 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. 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. A humbling masterclass in carving cuckoo clocks shows him how the nation's reputation for quality and reliability in manufacturing was established from the early 18th century. 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. Great British Railway Journeys, an Album by Jon Wygens. Series 5 of Great Continental Railway Journeys begins on Tuesday 20 September on BBC Two at 9pm. Michael ends his journey in Thessaloniki where, in 1913, Greece's King George I was assassinated. Season 1. Michael hears how new rail lines transported spectators to the Nazi Olympic Games of 1936. In the ancient city of Plovdiv, Michael discovers a Roman amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD and still in use today. A spot of on-the-job training as a welder is a salutary lesson to stick with the day job. With his 1913 guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo explores the stunning art nouveau architecture of the Czech capital. He encounters mummified monks in a medieval monastery and works out alongside two of the strongest women in the world. In GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS, British broadcaster and journalist Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes . Great Continental Railway Journeys (2016), Zermatt to Geneva Similar series were broadcast in 1983, Great Little Railways, and 2010, Great British Railway Journeys . After a 14-year hiatus, a further three series were broadcast between 1994 and 1999, using the shorter series title. He learns about the health craze of the time and attempts the equivalent of a 1913 Jane Fonda workout. 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. 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. Radio Times Travel offers. Datum der letzten bertragung: 2020-09-10; Anzahl der Jahreszeiten: 7; And I like your trousers. No, she didnt say the last bit. Michael Portillo follows his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to continue his journey through the Netherlands. 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. One of the most spectacular events I have witnessed was a Thracian classical dance in the Roman Theatre in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv. 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. His final stop is the industrial city of Stuttgart, where he visits the Porsche factory and learns of the origin of the Volkswagen Beetle. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. North of Helsinki, in Tampere, Michael takes to the water again to explore one of Finland's 180,000 lakes. His destination is Istanbul, a multi-ethnic city where Europe and Asia meet via an underground railway. Second is the increasing awareness . Michael discovers from a British engineer how the leaning tower of Pisa was rescued from near collapse. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaw's Handbook as he heads for Spain. After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras on Spain's Costa del Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on the Rock of Gibraltar. 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. 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. Michael makes a scenic journey from Stockholm to Abisko. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Starting in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, he travels via Bratislava in Slovakia to the beautiful and elegant city of Vienna, where he immerses himself in pre-war decadence. 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. He then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the Industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. A century ago, Michael's journey would have been interrupted by hostilities - the Balkan Wars - on account of which, train services were suspended. The painter Gustav Klimt seemed to mock the stiff morality of the establishment with his painting The Kiss. And he discovers a beautiful art nouveau Palace of Music with an emotional history. He starts in the beautiful golden city of Salamanca, where his father was happy as a young left-wing professor. There he seeks the protection of a local historian as he traces the story behind this notorious mafia hideout of the 1930s. The night soil man told me as I emptied my chamberpot, I seem to recall. 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. 2022-12-27 06:12:03. 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. 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. Although there have been no complete series of Great Railway Journeys released on DVD, Michael Palin's 1980 and 1994 programmes are available individually (BBCDVD1626) and as part of a box set of his collected travel documentaries, The Michael Palin Collection (BBCDVD2214). Michael goes to the movies in Potsdam and discovers the success of the Babelsberg Studios, where directors such as Fritz Lang and stars such as Marlene Dietrich worked. 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. In high spirits, with the help of the local liquor, Michael says 'Nosdraviya' to Slovenia and heads south. 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. His destination lies close to his heart: the ancient kingdom of Spain and land of his father. In Lund, he samples a Smorgasbord before having a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives a vintage Volvo. The six episodes of 1994's Series 2 were also released on VHS. Leaving London behind, armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France. 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 uncovers the Celtic roots of the Galician people and tries to master the bagpipes but finds himself upstaged by a six-year-old. Michael's journey through the Balkans - the powder keg of Europe - follows the route of the historic Orient Express. Thats very nice, she replied. Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaws Continental Handbook, dated 1936. Transylvania to the Black Sea [4] In Nuremberg, Portillo travels to the Zeppelin Field and learns more of the city's WW2 connection with Hitler and the Nazis. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. Great Continental Railway Journeys continues on Tuesdays 9pm BBC2. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. Series 8 was filmed in Spring and Summer 2022. Season 2. 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. That gave way to a red jacket, orange shirt and yellow trousers. Coming back down to earth, Michael samples the amber wine of Georgia and learns about its role in Georgian national culture.