Michael boards an early 20th-century yacht to experience the thrill for himself and learns how British yachtsmen spied on the German navy. 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. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. 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. You need to enable JavaScript to use SoundCloud. 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. Michael learns how diplomacy brought Britain and Spain closer together and rides on a hair-raising scenic railway. The temperature varies from 33F to 66F. He then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the Industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. Today, the route remains a chequered one but for a happier reason - a new European railway network is being constructed and engineering work is underway. York to Frizinghall. 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. 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. Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. 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. Arriving in Paris at the Champs de Mars station, Michael takes in an epic view of the city from the top of the Arc de Triomphe before heading for Montparnasse, where wildly creative artists and writers of the 1920s and 1930s spawned new art movements. 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. Its a heady journey, although a tweed jacket wouldnt go amiss. Honestly yellow jacket, purple shirt and tomato trousers comprised his opening outfit. 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. Aboard the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg, Michael discovers the history behind the line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a journey from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. Like the railway traveller of a hundred years ago, Michael discovers a land full of surprises. Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Great Canadian Railway Journeys is a BBC travel documentary series presented by Michael Portillo and aired on BBC Two. With his 1913 Bradshaw's in hand, Michael Portillo journeys deep into central Europe to explore a country where east meets west: Poland. He is at his best and most comfortable with the ex cathedra element of presenting. 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. Michael Portillo embarks on a railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. 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. In some cases, the narrator did not partake in the train journey, and simply recited the writing of that episode's producer. After arriving in the German capital, Berlin, Portillo is reminded of its turbulent past. Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. 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. 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. He then heads to Poznan and rides one of the few remaining steam-powered commuter trains, visits a factory in Wroclaw that manufactures car bodies for locomotives, and ends his journey in Krakow, where he takes a tour in an iconic vehicle of the communist era. Getting off the train at Montreux, the most genteel of Swiss resorts, I came across the statue of Igor Stravinsky. Braving the traffic, Michael begins his Roman holiday by weaving among the capital city's magnificent landmarks on the back of a 1950s Vespa. It detailed railway journeys in mainland Europe, following a 1913 Bradshaw's guide to European rail travel. 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 is piped aboard the frigate ITS Virginio Fasan to learn about naval technology today. 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. Leaving London behind, Michael follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France. 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. 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. Relax. In his view they marred the gothic style, and can be dispensed with thanks to modern construction techniques. 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. Production of a second series included filming in Spain and Gibraltar in May and June 2013, following the RondaAlgeciras railway line, built in the 1890s by British interests under the Algeciras Gibraltar Railway Company, for the benefit of British officers stationed in Gibraltar wanting to travel to Spain and the rest of Europe. At the Bolshoi Theatre, Michael performs an important role in one of Russia's most dramatic operas. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. Overview: York to FrizinghallArmed with his Edwardian Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo conducts important research in an historic tea room, built by an Edwardian immigrant to the city of York. , tracks: In GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS, British broadcaster and journalist Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes . About sixty singers and dancers gave a magnificent performance in astrakhan hats and colourful waistcoats and bodices. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. Home. . 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. The third episode of Great Continental Railway Journeys series 7 will return to its usual slot come Wednesday, August 19th. 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. Leaving Paris behind, Michael travels south to the Cote D'Azur to learn why the area attracted the rich and artistic alike and samples the Edwardian highlife before ending his journey at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. 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. I shall not easily forget his bow and Stradivarius whirling close to my head as the gorgeous music poured forth. 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. Season 2. 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. Journeys world posted a video to playlist Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 3. . For the similar show broadcast from 2010, see. Beginning in Dresden, Michael explores the city of one of his favourite opera composers, Richard Wagner. 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. English musician and sound artist Chris Watson worked as an audio recorder for the fourth episode "Los Mochis to Veracruz" of the fourth season. When The Rite of Spring premiered, there was pandemonium. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures to the northernmost reaches of Europe. Immagini degli episodi (Great Continental Railway Journeys - Stagione 6 Episodio 2) Il regista e la squadra dietro Great Continental Railway Journeys Stagione 6 Episodio 2. At the medieval convent of Gelati Michael sees how magnificent frescoes are being painstakingly restored and finds out about the most powerful king in Georgian history. 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. Heading north to Gargnano, Michael discovers the romantic hideaway of one of Britain's most famous writers, DH Lawrence, whose affair with his professor's wife scandalised his home country. Travelling through the Corinth Canal, Michael finds out about the surprisingly ancient origins of the modern railway. His first stop is Paris where he absorbs the atmosphere of La Belle poque, before travelling south to the Cote d'Azur. 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. Journeys are mainly focused on Great Britain, and is presented by the ex-politician and broadcaster Michael Portillo. They are now long out-of-print, but occasionally are offered from online sellers. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. At the time of his guidebook it was a magnificent terminus, but today it stands ruined and derelict. 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. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo returns to Spain to trace the early 20th-century roots of the Spanish Civil War, which divided his Spanish family and sent his father into exile. Without access to a smartphone, though, I had to wait until the morning to find out precisely why. The title Great Continental Railway Journeys has led some to believe that the series is designed solely for train spotters. There he seeks the protection of a local historian as he traces the story behind this notorious mafia hideout of the 1930s. A performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty at Odessa's exquisite opera house rounds off his journey. Number of seasons: 7 Number of episodes: 37. In the Capo district, he learns how the islands distinctive puppets are made and is enchanted to meet one carrying a Bradshaw. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels the Habsburg imperial line from Vienna across the awe-inspiring Semmering Pass, a handmade railway line blasted through the Alps. 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. Michael ends his journey in futuristic style with a high-speed boat trip across Lake Garda. Following in the footsteps of early 20th-century British tourists, Michael tours this compact country, which boasted a mighty navy and a global empire to rival that of Britain. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "El Tren Fantasma: ambient recording of a ghostly train journey", http://www.indiaprofile.com/transportation/railways/greatrailwayjourneys.htm, "Michael Portillo films Great Railway Journeys", "BBC Two - Great Asian Railway Journeys, Series 1, Yogyakarta to Ambarawa", Great Little Railways - "The Good and The Quick", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Railway_Journeys&oldid=1106612062, 1980s British documentary television series, 1990s British documentary television series, Documentary television series about railway transport, Articles needing cleanup from August 2022, Articles with bare URLs for citations from August 2022, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from August 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles needing additional references from February 2008, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Introduction (extracts from forthcoming episodes in the series), "Journey to the Land Beyond the Mountains", This page was last edited on 25 August 2022, at 13:55. In one of the areas elegant cafes, Michael learns about dada and the avant garde during the Crazy Years after the First World War. In Fez, he dodges the donkeys and learns how to make lamb tagine before being scrubbed down in a traditional hammam. 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). Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo visits Italy, where he experiences first-hand the nation's need for speed in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports car. In Brunswick, he learns how the arrival of the railway added its own flavour to the local beer before moving on to Hamburg, where he discovers model railway making on the grandest of scales. He starts in the centrally located capital Madrid, Europe's highest and until a century ago uneasily accessed, focusing on the monument for a Spanish king's tragically bombed wedding to an English princess. His destination is Istanbul, a multi-ethnic city where Europe and Asia meet via an underground railway. "Chief Minister is Interviewed for Popular BBC Show", "UNESCO World Heritage Sites Thuringia", Article by Michael Portillo - 25 Oct 2013, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Continental_Railway_Journeys&oldid=1132138884, 2010s British documentary television series, 2020s British documentary television series, Documentary television series about railway transport, Television shows set in the Czech Republic, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The assassination attempt at the royal wedding of the British princess, One of the world's oldest roller-coasters in Copenhagen's. From Tbilisi Michael takes a trip along the 120-mile Georgian Military Road, built by the colonising Russian army in the early nineteenth century. Michael hears how new rail lines transported spectators to the Nazi Olympic Games of 1936. At La Spezia, an important Italian naval base, Michael discovers how Italy's imperial ambitions put her at the forefront of modern aerial warfare. At Asilah, Michael lends a hand with the construction of Morocco's new 3 billion high-speed railway line to Casablanca. Heading north to Gargnano, Michael discovers the romantic hideaway of one of Britain's most famous writers, DH Lawrence, whose affair with his professor's wife scandalised his home country. 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. Athens to Thessaloniki 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 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. [6] This series relied on narrators rather than presenters who appeared on camera. In the Romanian capital Bucharest, the nation's leading violinist Alexandre Tomescu introduces Michael to the music of his country's greatest musician and composer, George Enescu, in a private recital with his Stradivarius. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy as he travels from Rome to Sicily. Vrai, More Hope, Efficient, Having Doubts (AlbumModern string ensemble). 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. 7.673. On the first stretch of his journey from the Latvian capital, Riga, to Tampere in Finland, he braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and encounters medieval knights. He starts in the beautiful golden city of Salamanca, where his father was happy as a young left-wing professor. Using his 1913 railway guide, in the second part of his journey through the low countries and France, Michael Portillo travels 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. Heading south again on the long journey to Reggio Calabria, Michael shares lunch on board with fellow British travellers before their train is loaded onto a ferry for the short sail to Sicily. Great Continental Railway Journeys. Michael is in his element, stoking the boiler on the footplate of the enormous locomotive.