0:00:04 > 0:00:07'I'm embarking on a new railway adventure,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10'that will take me across the heart of Europe.'
0:00:11 > 0:00:12I'll be using this,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, dated 1913,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20which opened up an exotic world of foreign travel
0:00:20 > 0:00:21for the British tourist.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26'It told travellers where to go, what to see
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'and how to navigate the thousands of miles of tracks
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'criss-crossing the Continent.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'Now, a century later,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37'I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42'where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:47I want to rediscover that lost Europe that, in 1913, couldn't know
0:00:47 > 0:00:51that its way of life would shortly be swept aside
0:00:51 > 0:00:52by the advent of war.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11'Steered by my 1913 railway guide,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'I've completed four illuminating journeys
0:01:14 > 0:01:16'through prosperous pre-war Europe.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:21'Today's final leg will take me
0:01:21 > 0:01:25'to where that peaceful world was to be swept away.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29'I'll experience the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries.'
0:01:29 > 0:01:33- £200,000? For one of these? - Absolutely.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'Sampling the delicacies...'
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Feels like you want to take a bath in it, doesn't it?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Yes, you would like to take a bath.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40'And meeting today's locals...'
0:01:40 > 0:01:45It's like a bible. It's like a railway bible.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48'..before reaching the French sector of the Western Front...'
0:01:48 > 0:01:49WHISTLE BLOWS
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'..where from 1914,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55'the trains carried a new cargo - of artillery shells...'
0:01:55 > 0:01:59That's amazing. In two minutes, we laid five metres.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'..and the Edwardian tourists were replaced by soldiers,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'facing the horrors of the trenches.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:10He was one of the 72,000 people
0:02:10 > 0:02:13who never had a grave.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'This journey starts in Amsterdam,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29'then takes me south, via The Hague, to Belgium.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33'I'll witness the decadence of fin de siecle in Brussels,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'then visit Mons, where British troops first fought in 1914.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39'Then the French front line,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44'finishing in Compiegne, where four years of warfare came to an end.'
0:02:47 > 0:02:50I'm travelling along the first railway line ever built
0:02:50 > 0:02:53in the Netherlands and the view from my window
0:02:53 > 0:02:55is of the characteristically flat Dutch countryside,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59although without the thousands of windmills promised by my Bradshaw's.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But Bradshaw's does say that,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04"Holland, which was once an extended swamp,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06"alternately covered by, and abandoned by, the sea,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08"presents the picture of a people
0:03:08 > 0:03:11"owing not only their wealth and high commercial position,
0:03:11 > 0:03:16"but even the very land to their own labour and enterprise."
0:03:16 > 0:03:20These were industrious and resourceful people,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23the sort that we British could admire.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'This nation's achievements were showcased in Amsterdam, described
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'in my 1913 guide as "the commercial capital of Holland"
0:03:39 > 0:03:42' "and one of the great financial centres of Europe." '
0:03:44 > 0:03:48'Its vast Centraal Station was the first advertisement to visitors
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'of the city's enterprising spirit.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:55'Arriving here in 1913,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58'British tourists could enjoy the opulent facilities,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02'including a luxurious restaurant for first-class passengers.'
0:04:04 > 0:04:08'But I'm tearing myself away, to look for traces of the Amsterdam
0:04:08 > 0:04:10'that they would have seen.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:17My Bradshaw's tells me that - "The canals are very numerous,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20"and of the greatest utility in draining off the waters
0:04:20 > 0:04:22"and in facilitating internal trade.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24"They are lined with trees,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26"which tend greatly to improve the country.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30"The traveller will find an occasional trip on the canals
0:04:30 > 0:04:32"an interesting experience."
0:04:32 > 0:04:36And it's one that I intend to enjoy, right now.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'Amsterdam's most famous canals date back to
0:04:39 > 0:04:41'the city's 17th-Century golden age,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'and with over 60 miles of waterways to explore,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48'I'm hitching a ride with lifelong local, Franck Hakkert.'
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Franck.- Michael.- Hello. - Nice meeting you.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Good to see you.- Come aboard. - Take that, sir.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Come aboard.- Very good.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58'Towards the end of the 19th century,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'new water routes linking Amsterdam to the sea
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'were constructed, heralding a fresh boom for the city.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08'In 1913, the grand canal-front houses belonged to rich merchants,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'trading oil and other commodities from the Dutch East Indies.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'A boat like Franck's, which is 120 years old,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19'would have been a familiar sight in the thriving harbour.'
0:05:19 > 0:05:21This sort of boat was used for what?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23This boat was called a parlevinker, in Dutch,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25there's no translation for that in English.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30But it was used to supply bigger sea boats with oil and grease.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34They were selling to the bigger boats. It was a shop on the water.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! That's so pretty.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Franck, Amsterdam is not designed for
0:05:50 > 0:05:52tall people standing in boats, is it?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54These bridges are very low.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Actually, I have hit my head myself once against the bridge.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I ended up in hospital.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Oh, my goodness.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03This is very, very low.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Not much headroom there.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- We're there. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Have a nice trip.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'My boat ride has brought me to the south of the city.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'When my 1913 railway guide was written,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'this area was home to a community of artisans,
0:06:28 > 0:06:33'producing a luxury that bedazzled Europe's glamorous elite.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:36In this glittering city, my Bradshaw's points out that -
0:06:36 > 0:06:38"Among the arts or crafts practiced here,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40"that of diamond polishing should be mentioned.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45"The craft is mostly in the hands of Jews, employing several thousands."
0:06:45 > 0:06:50And the story of one particular gem made an Amsterdam name
0:06:50 > 0:06:53famous in Edwardian Britain.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56'Jews in Amsterdam had been cutting diamonds
0:06:56 > 0:07:00'since the 16th century and, in the 1900s, they were kept busy
0:07:00 > 0:07:04'by a flood of jewels from mines recently opened in South Africa.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'There, in 1905, a stone was found
0:07:08 > 0:07:13'which was to make the Asscher Diamond Company universally famous.'
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Hello, Michael. Nice to see you. - Hello. How good to see you.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'Edward Asscher's family has run the firm for five generations.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'A century ago, his grandfather shone in the story of the legendary
0:07:26 > 0:07:28'Cullinan diamond.'
0:07:29 > 0:07:32The Cullinan is a very famous diamond. Tell me about that.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It's the biggest rough diamond ever found.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39It was found in the premier mine in South Africa,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and was given to the UK
0:07:43 > 0:07:47as a token of reconciliation after the Boer War.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51This is a copy of the original rough Cullinan.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55How rare is a diamond of this size and this quality?
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Never in history has a bigger diamond been found anywhere in the world.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06Still today, it's the largest rough diamond that we have known.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10'The flamboyant British king, Edward VII, was passionate
0:08:10 > 0:08:16'about diamonds, so the 3,106-carat Cullinan was the perfect gift.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'But a highly-skilled cutter was needed
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'to transform the rough stone into jewels fit for royalty.'
0:08:23 > 0:08:27We were invited by the King to come to London
0:08:27 > 0:08:29and study the diamond.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33When the King decided we could polish it,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37they published in all the British and Dutch newspapers
0:08:37 > 0:08:40the story that they would send a destroyer
0:08:40 > 0:08:43with this, the biggest diamond in the world.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Well, actually, my grandfather put it in his pocket
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and took the boat from Harwich to the Hook of Holland.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54'This was the Asschers' biggest task yet.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57'There was a tiny flaw at the centre of the diamond
0:08:57 > 0:09:01'and the first challenge was to cut it in two.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Here we have the tools of the Cullinan.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10You can see this is a footprint of the real rough Cullinan
0:09:10 > 0:09:11before the cleaving.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Sorry, you mean these tools were actually used to cut the Cullinan?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- These are historic tools. - Indeed, they are.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25'A crowd gathered to watch Joseph Asscher cut the priceless stone.'
0:09:26 > 0:09:30My grandfather tried to cleave it with this.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34First, the blade broke in two pieces.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38'Having failed first time, Joseph sent away his audience,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'and gathered his strength once again.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And then, with this original one, he held it like that,
0:09:44 > 0:09:50used a hammer to hit the diamond, then it was cleft in two pieces.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51What a responsibility.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55'Nine large and 96 smaller gems were cut from the stone,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'and the two biggest now form part of the British Crown Jewels,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03'set in the Imperial Sceptre and the Imperial State Crown.'
0:10:05 > 0:10:07THEY CHANT
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Is this the Cullinan here, is it?
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Yes, this a replica of the Imperial State Crown,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17in which the Cullinan two are mounted here.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21All this is made of gold and diamonds,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24except, of course, this little stone.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29'Amsterdam's diamond industry was crushed during the Second World War,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31'when the city's Jewish diamond cutters
0:10:31 > 0:10:33'were sent to concentration camps.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38'Of Asscher's 500 workers, only 15 survived.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41'Among them were Edward's father and uncle,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46'who returned to Amsterdam and rebuilt the business from scratch.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Michael, here is a six-carat diamond.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54This shape we call a "brilliant", it's the most popular shape.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00And this six-carat diamond has a value of about £200,000.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- £200,000 for one of these?- Yes.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- Absolutely.- That's amazing.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10What makes it SO valuable?
0:11:10 > 0:11:14The cut, the colour, the clarity and the weight -
0:11:14 > 0:11:18what we call the four Cs - together decides the value of a diamond.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22'Today, the firm's skilled polishers still use techniques
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'that readers of my guidebook would have seen,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'but some aspects of the business have changed dramatically.'
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Put the diamond in front of lens.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38And then we close it, so we can look at it on the computer.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39This is modern technology.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42If we would do this to the Cullinan,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45it would also show that we could improve on it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Is it becoming more perfect?
0:11:48 > 0:11:52No, I don't think so. It is more efficient.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56But if you look at old diamonds that fetch a very high price,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01it's the beauty of it, it is the romance, it is the background
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and not only the technology.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14'I'm now leaving behind the bustling commercial centre of Amsterdam
0:12:14 > 0:12:18'to continue my journey in the footsteps of Edwardian tourists.'
0:12:21 > 0:12:23'To while away the train trip,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'I'm sampling a traditional Dutch delicacy.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It's very important when travelling abroad to immerse yourself
0:12:30 > 0:12:32in the local culture.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34I'm about to do that big time.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38By eating raw herring.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44In case it's not smelly enough, it has then been dipped in raw onion...
0:12:45 > 0:12:50And then the important thing is to feed it into your face this way.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Urgh. Oh!
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Absolutely overpowering.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07I'm hoping my next stop will be rather more to my taste.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Because I'm bound for the home of Dutch politics, The Hague.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14My Bradshaw's tells me that The Hague -
0:13:14 > 0:13:17"Is a town of broad handsome thoroughfares,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20"with stately public buildings and houses.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22"It's the political capital of Holland,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25"the residence of the Queen and the seat of government."
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I can already feel the pull of political power
0:13:28 > 0:13:32attracting me like a magnet.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'The Hague is still where you'll find the Dutch parliament,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'but internationally, it's better known for its role in global politics.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45'The city rejoices to be the home of international peace and justice,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48'and the iconic symbol of that mission
0:13:48 > 0:13:52'is this majestic structure, which opened its doors in 1913.'
0:13:53 > 0:13:58I'm at the Peace Palace, towards whose cost my Bradshaw's tells me
0:13:58 > 0:14:02"Mr Carnegie gave £300,000."
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I'd like to know more about this multi-millionaire, who devoted
0:14:05 > 0:14:10his philanthropy, and his idealism, to finding alternatives to war.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'Andrew Carnegie would have been well-known
0:14:14 > 0:14:16'to readers of my 1913 guidebook.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20'A British-born steel magnate, he began his career on the railways
0:14:20 > 0:14:23'and rose to being one of the richest men in the world.'
0:14:25 > 0:14:29'To learn about his connection with this awe-inspiring building,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31'I'm exploring the archives with
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'General Director of the Carnegie Foundation, Steven van Hoogstraten.'
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Steven, this is absolutely vast. What is in this great archive here?
0:14:40 > 0:14:45This is the collection of the Peace Palace Library.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Basically, this is 22km of shelves for books,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53and we occupy something like 15 or 16. It's close to a million books.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'The palace and its library were borne out of
0:14:56 > 0:14:58'an international peace movement
0:14:58 > 0:15:00'that flowered at the end of the 19th century.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02'In that age of both fear and idealism,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05'many hoped that the march of civilisation could one day
0:15:05 > 0:15:10'put a stop to war, with the rule of global law replacing conflict.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12'Peace campaigners lobbied statesmen
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'and later philanthropists to support their cause.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Why did Carnegie think of giving his money to a Peace Palace?
0:15:18 > 0:15:25Andrew Carnegie was a large steel producer, a very rich man,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28who decided at the age of 60 that he wanted to become
0:15:28 > 0:15:30a philanthropist and give his money away.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34And he was approached by people who had participated
0:15:34 > 0:15:38in a big peace conference in The Hague in 1899.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41'The conference was an international meeting,
0:15:41 > 0:15:46'attended by heads of state, campaigners and journalists.'
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Here is a cartoon of all the nations
0:15:50 > 0:15:52that participated in the first conference.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57And this, the American President, a Turkish high representative...
0:15:57 > 0:15:59They don't give all the names here,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02but it is a rather funny get-together.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04And here I recognise, I think, Queen Victoria,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- because this was just before her death.- Yeah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'At the conference, it was decided to create an
0:16:10 > 0:16:14'international court of arbitration to resolve disputes between nations.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'Such an important institution required a suitably imposing home,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'and Carnegie was rich enough to fund it.'
0:16:24 > 0:16:26This, Michael, is a copy of the cheque
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and it says that there is 1.5m
0:16:30 > 0:16:35that he makes available for the creation of the Peace Palace.
0:16:35 > 0:16:391.5m. My guidebook tells me £300,000,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42so the exchange rate was a great deal more favourable
0:16:42 > 0:16:43to the pound in those days!
0:16:44 > 0:16:48'Work began on the grand building in 1907.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50'It was completed six years later,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55'but by then, the storm clouds of war were gathering.'
0:16:55 > 0:16:56That is very poignant, isn't it?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Less than one year before WWI, the Peace Palace opened.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03That was one of the great disappointments of the people
0:17:03 > 0:17:05who worked in the Peace Palace
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and notably, Andrew Carnegie, was very depressed about that.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14'The Peace Palace is still home
0:17:14 > 0:17:16'to the 1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20'With the International Criminal Court based nearby,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'The Hague is uniquely a centre for global justice.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'But touring the Peace Palace gardens,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31'with my 1913 guidebook in hand,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35'it's poignant to recall how its founders' hopes, expressed
0:17:35 > 0:17:39'in this monumental architecture, were soon to be dashed.'
0:17:56 > 0:18:00'A new day, and time to continue my voyage through the Low Countries,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02'guided by my railway handbook.'
0:18:04 > 0:18:08'For me, this next leg carries a whiff of nostalgia.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Do you remember corridor trains like this?
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Where would the writers of romantic novels or murder mysteries
0:18:19 > 0:18:22have been without corridor trains?
0:18:22 > 0:18:23How I miss them.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26'I'm settling in for a two-hour ride
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'which will take me across an international frontier.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:35This nice old-fashioned train is carrying me into Belgium.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39My Bradshaw's notes - "With narrow limits, easily travelled,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41"Belgium offers great attractions of
0:18:41 > 0:18:45"a wonderful, modern, industrial development.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50"Railways - 2,915 miles open, mostly belonging to the state."
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Belgium followed Britain in developing its railways,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57but here, the state planned the network, in sharp contrast
0:18:57 > 0:19:01to Britain's topsy-turvy, hell-for-leather,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04free market railway mania.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10'When Belgium opened its first line in 1835,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13'it was the pioneer in Continental Europe.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17'With no local railway industry, the locomotives were imported -
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'built in Britain at the Stephenson Works.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:25'As with us, the earliest lines were built for industry
0:19:25 > 0:19:28'but soon carried people, too.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32'In 1913, a journey on these tracks held the promise
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'of chance encounters and impromptu friendships,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38'and the same is true today.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Excuse me. The terrible thing about these trains with compartments
0:19:41 > 0:19:45is that the person next to you thinks they can talk to you.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Have you noticed that?
0:19:46 > 0:19:49A little bit. THEY LAUGH
0:19:49 > 0:19:52In Britain, we no longer have these trains.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55We used to have them, but they make people more sociable.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You know, when you've got the door and...
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- It's a bit cosy.- A bit cosy, yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05People used to share food. You haven't got any food, have you?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- I have chewing gum, if you'd like some.- No, no.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- THEY LAUGH - No, thank you. Thank you.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13You have an interesting book.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Ah, this is my 1913 guidebook,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20so this very nearly 100 years old.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- Really old! - You may hold it, if you like.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29It looks a bit like a bible, like a railway bible.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33That's exactly what it is, it is a railway bible.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42'And my railway bible has brought me to Brussels, the Belgian capital.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'I'm surprised to find that the city
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'gets a somewhat muted entry in my 1913 guide.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'It says, "Consequent upon improvements,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54' "very little of historic Brussels remains,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57' "nor are the local industries of great importance."
0:20:57 > 0:20:59'But more recently,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'the city's position and excellent transport links
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'have helped to place it at the heart of European politics.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:10Bradshaw's comments that Brussels lacks a claim to fame,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but that was before the European Union came to town.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16When I was a minister, I used to attend meetings in this building,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20but I was always unpopular, because I was the Eurosceptic.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23So, after years of isolation and ostracism,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26it's good to visit Brussels today
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and sample what the tourists enjoy.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33'By 1913, like Britain, Europe's industrialised nations
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'had experienced an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'Belgium had grown rich on the profits of its African colony, the Congo,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45'and the Brussels bourgeoisie enjoyed a privileged lifestyle,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50'shopping for luxury goods in the city's grand arcades.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53'A century ago, in the glamorous Galerie de la Reine,
0:21:53 > 0:21:58'an enterprising businessman created a new delicacy.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:02- Hello.- This is the most beautiful shop.- Thank you.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- The smell of chocolate is amazing, isn't it?- Yes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Why are the Belgians famous for chocolate?
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Because we invented the bite-sized filled chocolate.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16The real first one was invented in 1912, exactly in this very shop.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'Owner Jean Neuhaus had created the very first praline
0:22:22 > 0:22:26'a hard chocolate shell, with a soft creamy filling.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'And a few years later, with his wife,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'he invented the first special packaging.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34'The modern box of chocolates was born.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:36So what are the most popular today?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40The most popular are the "les irresistible".
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Les irresistible, as we say in French. Those five here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48"The irresistibles". Could I try one irresistible?
0:22:48 > 0:22:49Of course! Which one?
0:22:49 > 0:22:54- I'll have a dark chocolate one. - Dark chocolate?- Yes, please.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- There you go. - Thank you very much, indeed.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Dear, oh, dear. Goodbye diet.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Fantastic.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So creamy and crunchy at the same time.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14And dark chocolate. Wow. Irresistible indeed.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'Soon the railways were helping to spread the fame
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'of Belgian chocolates across the world
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'and today, the country produces 320,000 tonnes a year.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28'It takes two years to qualify as a chocolatier, but I'm taking
0:23:28 > 0:23:34'a crash course, with the Brussels Chocolate Museum's Helene Verbeyst.'
0:23:34 > 0:23:35- Hello, Helene.- Hello, Michael.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So, what are we going to do today?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Well, I will try to teach you a little bit about chocolate.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Splendid!
0:23:42 > 0:23:46'Helene demonstrates praline-making to tourists,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49'so I have an audience for my initiation.'
0:23:49 > 0:23:51You feel the consistency of the chocolate.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52It feels lovely.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Feels like you want to take a bath in it, doesn't it?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Yes, you would like to take a bath.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00'The first step is to make the crisp chocolate shells,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'by filling a mould with melted chocolate...'
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- Voila!- Voila!
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'..Then knocking out any air bubbles.'
0:24:08 > 0:24:10You can make more noise if you want.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Thank you, Helene. Helene, the bubbles are coming out.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'The perfect praline has a glossy, delicate shell,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19'and only the thinnest layer of chocolate
0:24:19 > 0:24:21'should be left in the mould.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:24You have to have a lot of trust for this. Here goes.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Whoa!
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Voila. You need...
0:24:29 > 0:24:34- It's coming. - It's coming out. It's coming out.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Oh, you people of little faith.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39'After filling the shells with chocolate ganache,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43'the pralines are closed off with a final chocolate layer.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- And now scra-a-a-ape it off! - Very good.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And scra-a-a-ape it off.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54They seem to have some holes in them.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56This is my signature.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59This is how people will know that it's a Portillo chocolate.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Voila! You did a very good job.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05'Despite the flaws, I'm pretty proud of my first attempt,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08'but the proof of the praline is in the eating.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12'I've come to the Grand Place, which my guidebook tells me is,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15' "The great historic spot of Brussels,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19' "often described as the finest medieval square in existence."
0:25:19 > 0:25:22'In 1913, as today, this was the tourist hotspot -
0:25:22 > 0:25:27'the perfect place to find some guinea pigs for my chocolates.'
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I wonder if you would like to try one of my chocolates.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- HE LAUGHS - No, no. There's no catch.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Nice.- Is that OK?- Hazelnut.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- Really? - HE LAUGHS
0:25:38 > 0:25:40I don't think that's what I put in it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I didn't realise there was stuffing inside.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44- Oh, yeah.- It's good.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Would I give you a chocolate that wasn't stuffed?
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Did you notice any difference between that and a professional chocolate?
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Is there something wrong in it?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55No! I...I'm not very good at it, you see.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- I don't believe you. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:58 > 0:26:02You're a fine man. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10'It's now time to consult my guidebook,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12'because I'm in need of a hotel for the night.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18'Edwardian readers could pick from 12 listed in my 1913 Bradshaw's,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21'and I've found one which is still going today.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:26My Bradshaw's is very helpful to the tourist.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28It recommends the Metropole Hotel
0:26:28 > 0:26:32because it has a lift and electric light.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34And an advertisement tells me that,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37"the rooms have telephone to foreign countries."
0:26:37 > 0:26:41What's more, my Bradshaw's has a handy list of phrases
0:26:41 > 0:26:44to help one out in hotels and I'm going to try them out now.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51'The palatial Metropole opened in 1894 and, stepping inside,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56'you can see why it was advertised as "the leading hotel in Belgium".
0:26:56 > 0:26:59'But while the fin de siecle atmosphere has survived intact,
0:26:59 > 0:27:04'travellers' needs have changed somewhat since 1913 -
0:27:04 > 0:27:06'so I'm not sure how Bradshaw's travellers' vocabulary
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'is going to go down.'
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- Bon soir, mademoiselle.- Bon soir.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42You weren't very surprised that I asked you for a footbath?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I understood.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We don't give this kind of service to the client,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49but everything is possible.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51We are trained to do our best for the clients!
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Thank you so much. You've been very helpful.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- I'm looking forward to staying here. - You're always welcome.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10'On the second part of this journey, I'll continue south
0:28:10 > 0:28:13'to the French sector of the Western Front,
0:28:13 > 0:28:19'where from 1914 the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells...'
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Well, that's amazing. In two minutes we laid five metres.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'..And Edwardian tourists were replaced by soldiers,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'facing the horrors of the trenches.'
0:28:29 > 0:28:33He was one of the 72,000 people
0:28:33 > 0:28:36who never had a grave.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd