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. 5 Episodes. 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. -Great Continental Railway Journeys - The night soil man told me as I emptied my chamberpot, I seem to recall. 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. The daring rail line, built in the late nineteenth century to haul oil across the Caucasus from Baku to Batumi reveals grand views from viaducts and passes through a 4km-long tunnel blasted through mountain rock. The first series detailed four railway journeys following an 1840 Bradshaw's guide, split into a run of 20 separate episodes. He carries with him the Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide book from 1913 and compares photos of then versus the reality of today. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. 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. Aboard the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg, Michael discovers the history behind the line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. Great Continental Railway Journeys - Episodes - IMDb 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. 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. [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. Number of seasons: 7 Number of episodes: 37. He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. On this leg he 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. 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. Prague to Munich. 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. Great Continental Railway Journeys, Series 2 - Episode guide - BBC 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. On this leg Michael explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. No one would. His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. 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. For the similar show broadcast from 2010, see. The new series starts in Romania. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on a Sicilian speciality, spaghetti and sardines. Start the wiki. 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. Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. Great Continental Railway Journeys (TV Series 2012- ) - IMDb Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Poland. 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. 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. Michael Portillo uses his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Guidebook to undertake the second leg of his journey through Italy from the Riviera to the Alps. 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. Like the railway traveller of a hundred years ago, Michael discovers a land full of surprises. Glinka: Travelling Song (The Train Song), 1840. Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide was published in 1913 and was a guide to Europe's rail network on the brink of the First World War. GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS: Series One 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 Portillo embarks on a rail journey through Germany. Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish. 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. In Cordoba, Michael dances with an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of the feria. 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. BBC's Great Continental Railway Journeys - Facebook Watch 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. Michael makes a scenic journey from Stockholm to Abisko. I joined in. With his 1913 guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo explores the stunning art nouveau architecture of the Czech capital. To cap off his journey, Michael travels to the Austrian border and the famous Brenner Pass, mastered by the railways in the 19th century and the scene today of a groundbreaking engineering project to build one of the world's longest rail tunnels. Ever keen to try his hand, Michael takes instruction from a top chef on how to make an omelette, but his efforts fail to impress. Michael Portillo continues his journey through Germany, guided by his 1936 Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide. Great Continental Railway Journeys, Portillo, Michael, Used; Good Book 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. 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. In the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous waters and wallows in peat and mud. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Heading south west from Warsaw, Michael's fellow passengers come to his rescue with a crash course in Polish pronunciation. And I like your trousers. No, she didnt say the last bit. 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. Michael visits the University to hear of opposition to the fascist takeover of Spain by General Francisco Franco and gains access to the generals archive of enemies of the state. Michael travels through Austria and the Czech Republic, exploring a dark era in history. The Young British Artists who took on the old guard and changed the art world forever, Artist Roxana Halls paints twin sisters who survived a crocodile attack in Mexico, The trailblazing designer who worked with Ye and Louis Vuitton before his 2021 death, Sonia Boyce: Finding Her Voice. His destination lies close to his heart: the ancient kingdom of Spain and land of his father, recommended in Michaels guidebook for its exceptional climate and glorious history.