Amsterdam to Northern France Part 1 Great Continental Railway Journeys

'I'm embarking on a new railway adventure,

'that will take me across the heart of Europe.'

I'll be using this,

my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, dated 1913,

which opened up an exotic world of foreign travel

for the British tourist.

'It told travellers where to go, what to see

'and how to navigate the thousands of miles of tracks

'criss-crossing the Continent.

'Now, a century later,

'I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,

'where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing.'

I want to rediscover that lost Europe that, in 1913, couldn't know

that its way of life would shortly be swept aside

by the advent of war.

'Steered by my 1913 railway guide,

'I've completed four illuminating journeys

'through prosperous pre-war Europe.'

'Today's final leg will take me

'to where that peaceful world was to be swept away.

'I'll experience the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries.'

-£200,000? For one of these?

-Absolutely.

'Sampling the delicacies...'

Feels like you want to take a bath in it, doesn't it?

Yes, you would like to take a bath.

'And meeting today's locals...'

It's like a bible. It's like a railway bible.

'..before reaching the French sector of the Western Front...'

WHISTLE BLOWS

'..where from 1914,

'the trains carried a new cargo - of artillery shells...'

That's amazing. In two minutes, we laid five metres.

'..and the Edwardian tourists were replaced by soldiers,

'facing the horrors of the trenches.'

He was one of the 72,000 people

who never had a grave.

'This journey starts in Amsterdam,

'then takes me south, via The Hague, to Belgium.

'I'll witness the decadence of fin de siecle in Brussels,

'then visit Mons, where British troops first fought in 1914.

'Then the French front line,

'finishing in Compiegne, where four years of warfare came to an end.'

I'm travelling along the first railway line ever built

in the Netherlands and the view from my window

is of the characteristically flat Dutch countryside,

although without the thousands of windmills promised by my Bradshaw's.

But Bradshaw's does say that,

"Holland, which was once an extended swamp,

"alternately covered by, and abandoned by, the sea,

"presents the picture of a people

"owing not only their wealth and high commercial position,

"but even the very land to their own labour and enterprise."

These were industrious and resourceful people,

the sort that we British could admire.

'This nation's achievements were showcased in Amsterdam, described

'in my 1913 guide as "the commercial capital of Holland"

' "and one of the great financial centres of Europe." '

'Its vast Centraal Station was the first advertisement to visitors

'of the city's enterprising spirit.'

'Arriving here in 1913,

'British tourists could enjoy the opulent facilities,

'including a luxurious restaurant for first-class passengers.'

'But I'm tearing myself away, to look for traces of the Amsterdam

'that they would have seen.'

My Bradshaw's tells me that - "The canals are very numerous,

"and of the greatest utility in draining off the waters

"and in facilitating internal trade.

"They are lined with trees,

"which tend greatly to improve the country.

"The traveller will find an occasional trip on the canals

"an interesting experience."

And it's one that I intend to enjoy, right now.

'Amsterdam's most famous canals date back to

'the city's 17th-Century golden age,

'and with over 60 miles of waterways to explore,

'I'm hitching a ride with lifelong local, Franck Hakkert.'

-Franck.

-Michael.

-Hello.

-Nice meeting you.

-Good to see you.

-Come aboard.

-Take that, sir.

-Come aboard.

-Very good.

'Towards the end of the 19th century,

'new water routes linking Amsterdam to the sea

'were constructed, heralding a fresh boom for the city.

'In 1913, the grand canal-front houses belonged to rich merchants,

'trading oil and other commodities from the Dutch East Indies.

'A boat like Franck's, which is 120 years old,

'would have been a familiar sight in the thriving harbour.'

This sort of boat was used for what?

This boat was called a parlevinker, in Dutch,

there's no translation for that in English.

But it was used to supply bigger sea boats with oil and grease.

They were selling to the bigger boats. It was a shop on the water.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! That's so pretty.

Franck, Amsterdam is not designed for

tall people standing in boats, is it?

These bridges are very low.

Actually, I have hit my head myself once against the bridge.

I ended up in hospital.

Oh, my goodness.

This is very, very low.

Not much headroom there.

-We're there.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Have a nice trip.

'My boat ride has brought me to the south of the city.

'When my 1913 railway guide was written,

'this area was home to a community of artisans,

'producing a luxury that bedazzled Europe's glamorous elite.'

In this glittering city, my Bradshaw's points out that -

"Among the arts or crafts practiced here,

"that of diamond polishing should be mentioned.

"The craft is mostly in the hands of Jews, employing several thousands."

And the story of one particular gem made an Amsterdam name

famous in Edwardian Britain.

'Jews in Amsterdam had been cutting diamonds

'since the 16th century and, in the 1900s, they were kept busy

'by a flood of jewels from mines recently opened in South Africa.

'There, in 1905, a stone was found

'which was to make the Asscher Diamond Company universally famous.'

-Hello, Michael. Nice to see you.

-Hello. How good to see you.

'Edward Asscher's family has run the firm for five generations.

'A century ago, his grandfather shone in the story of the legendary

'Cullinan diamond.'

The Cullinan is a very famous diamond. Tell me about that.

It's the biggest rough diamond ever found.

It was found in the premier mine in South Africa,

and was given to the UK

as a token of reconciliation after the Boer War.

This is a copy of the original rough Cullinan.

How rare is a diamond of this size and this quality?

Never in history has a bigger diamond been found anywhere in the world.

Still today, it's the largest rough diamond that we have known.

'The flamboyant British king, Edward VII, was passionate

'about diamonds, so the 3,106-carat Cullinan was the perfect gift.

'But a highly-skilled cutter was needed

'to transform the rough stone into jewels fit for royalty.'

We were invited by the King to come to London

and study the diamond.

When the King decided we could polish it,

they published in all the British and Dutch newspapers

the story that they would send a destroyer

with this, the biggest diamond in the world.

Well, actually, my grandfather put it in his pocket

and took the boat from Harwich to the Hook of Holland.

'This was the Asschers' biggest task yet.

'There was a tiny flaw at the centre of the diamond

'and the first challenge was to cut it in two.'

Here we have the tools of the Cullinan.

You can see this is a footprint of the real rough Cullinan

before the cleaving.

Sorry, you mean these tools were actually used to cut the Cullinan?

-These are historic tools.

-Indeed, they are.

'A crowd gathered to watch Joseph Asscher cut the priceless stone.'

My grandfather tried to cleave it with this.

First, the blade broke in two pieces.

'Having failed first time, Joseph sent away his audience,

'and gathered his strength once again.'

And then, with this original one, he held it like that,

used a hammer to hit the diamond, then it was cleft in two pieces.

What a responsibility.

'Nine large and 96 smaller gems were cut from the stone,

'and the two biggest now form part of the British Crown Jewels,

'set in the Imperial Sceptre and the Imperial State Crown.'

THEY CHANT

Is this the Cullinan here, is it?

Yes, this a replica of the Imperial State Crown,

in which the Cullinan two are mounted here.

All this is made of gold and diamonds,

except, of course, this little stone.

'Amsterdam's diamond industry was crushed during the Second World War,

'when the city's Jewish diamond cutters

'were sent to concentration camps.

'Of Asscher's 500 workers, only 15 survived.

'Among them were Edward's father and uncle,

'who returned to Amsterdam and rebuilt the business from scratch.'

Michael, here is a six-carat diamond.

This shape we call a "brilliant", it's the most popular shape.

And this six-carat diamond has a value of about £200,000.

-£200,000 for one of these?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-That's amazing.

What makes it SO valuable?

The cut, the colour, the clarity and the weight -

what we call the four Cs - together decides the value of a diamond.

'Today, the firm's skilled polishers still use techniques

'that readers of my guidebook would have seen,

'but some aspects of the business have changed dramatically.'

Put the diamond in front of lens.

And then we close it, so we can look at it on the computer.

This is modern technology.

If we would do this to the Cullinan,

it would also show that we could improve on it.

Is it becoming more perfect?

No, I don't think so. It is more efficient.

But if you look at old diamonds that fetch a very high price,

it's the beauty of it, it is the romance, it is the background

and not only the technology.

'I'm now leaving behind the bustling commercial centre of Amsterdam

'to continue my journey in the footsteps of Edwardian tourists.'

'To while away the train trip,

'I'm sampling a traditional Dutch delicacy.'

It's very important when travelling abroad to immerse yourself

in the local culture.

I'm about to do that big time.

By eating raw herring.

In case it's not smelly enough, it has then been dipped in raw onion...

And then the important thing is to feed it into your face this way.

Urgh. Oh!

Absolutely overpowering.

I'm hoping my next stop will be rather more to my taste.

Because I'm bound for the home of Dutch politics, The Hague.

My Bradshaw's tells me that The Hague -

"Is a town of broad handsome thoroughfares,

"with stately public buildings and houses.

"It's the political capital of Holland,

"the residence of the Queen and the seat of government."

I can already feel the pull of political power

attracting me like a magnet.

'The Hague is still where you'll find the Dutch parliament,

'but internationally, it's better known for its role in global politics.

'The city rejoices to be the home of international peace and justice,

'and the iconic symbol of that mission

'is this majestic structure, which opened its doors in 1913.'

I'm at the Peace Palace, towards whose cost my Bradshaw's tells me

"Mr Carnegie gave £300,000."

I'd like to know more about this multi-millionaire, who devoted

his philanthropy, and his idealism, to finding alternatives to war.

'Andrew Carnegie would have been well-known

'to readers of my 1913 guidebook.

'A British-born steel magnate, he began his career on the railways

'and rose to being one of the richest men in the world.'

'To learn about his connection with this awe-inspiring building,

'I'm exploring the archives with

'General Director of the Carnegie Foundation, Steven van Hoogstraten.'

Steven, this is absolutely vast. What is in this great archive here?

This is the collection of the Peace Palace Library.

Basically, this is 22km of shelves for books,

and we occupy something like 15 or 16. It's close to a million books.

'The palace and its library were borne out of

'an international peace movement

'that flowered at the end of the 19th century.

'In that age of both fear and idealism,

'many hoped that the march of civilisation could one day

'put a stop to war, with the rule of global law replacing conflict.

'Peace campaigners lobbied statesmen

'and later philanthropists to support their cause.'

Why did Carnegie think of giving his money to a Peace Palace?

Andrew Carnegie was a large steel producer, a very rich man,

who decided at the age of 60 that he wanted to become

a philanthropist and give his money away.

And he was approached by people who had participated

in a big peace conference in The Hague in 1899.

'The conference was an international meeting,

'attended by heads of state, campaigners and journalists.'

Here is a cartoon of all the nations

that participated in the first conference.

And this, the American President, a Turkish high representative...

They don't give all the names here,

but it is a rather funny get-together.

And here I recognise, I think, Queen Victoria,

-because this was just before her death.

-Yeah.

'At the conference, it was decided to create an

'international court of arbitration to resolve disputes between nations.

'Such an important institution required a suitably imposing home,

'and Carnegie was rich enough to fund it.'

This, Michael, is a copy of the cheque

and it says that there is 1.5m

that he makes available for the creation of the Peace Palace.

1.5m. My guidebook tells me £300,000,

so the exchange rate was a great deal more favourable

to the pound in those days!

'Work began on the grand building in 1907.

'It was completed six years later,

'but by then, the storm clouds of war were gathering.'

That is very poignant, isn't it?

Less than one year before WWI, the Peace Palace opened.

That was one of the great disappointments of the people

who worked in the Peace Palace

and notably, Andrew Carnegie, was very depressed about that.

'The Peace Palace is still home

'to the 1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration.

'With the International Criminal Court based nearby,

'The Hague is uniquely a centre for global justice.

'But touring the Peace Palace gardens,

'with my 1913 guidebook in hand,

'it's poignant to recall how its founders' hopes, expressed

'in this monumental architecture, were soon to be dashed.'

'A new day, and time to continue my voyage through the Low Countries,

'guided by my railway handbook.'

'For me, this next leg carries a whiff of nostalgia.'

Do you remember corridor trains like this?

Where would the writers of romantic novels or murder mysteries

have been without corridor trains?

How I miss them.

'I'm settling in for a two-hour ride

'which will take me across an international frontier.'

This nice old-fashioned train is carrying me into Belgium.

My Bradshaw's notes - "With narrow limits, easily travelled,

"Belgium offers great attractions of

"a wonderful, modern, industrial development.

"Railways - 2,915 miles open, mostly belonging to the state."

Belgium followed Britain in developing its railways,

but here, the state planned the network, in sharp contrast

to Britain's topsy-turvy, hell-for-leather,

free market railway mania.

'When Belgium opened its first line in 1835,

'it was the pioneer in Continental Europe.

'With no local railway industry, the locomotives were imported -

'built in Britain at the Stephenson Works.'

'As with us, the earliest lines were built for industry

'but soon carried people, too.

'In 1913, a journey on these tracks held the promise

'of chance encounters and impromptu friendships,

'and the same is true today.'

Excuse me. The terrible thing about these trains with compartments

is that the person next to you thinks they can talk to you.

Have you noticed that?

A little bit. THEY LAUGH

In Britain, we no longer have these trains.

We used to have them, but they make people more sociable.

You know, when you've got the door and...

-It's a bit cosy.

-A bit cosy, yeah.

People used to share food. You haven't got any food, have you?

-I have chewing gum, if you'd like some.

-No, no.

-THEY LAUGH

-No, thank you. Thank you.

You have an interesting book.

Ah, this is my 1913 guidebook,

so this very nearly 100 years old.

-Really old!

-You may hold it, if you like.

It looks a bit like a bible, like a railway bible.

That's exactly what it is, it is a railway bible.

'And my railway bible has brought me to Brussels, the Belgian capital.

'I'm surprised to find that the city

'gets a somewhat muted entry in my 1913 guide.

'It says, "Consequent upon improvements,

' "very little of historic Brussels remains,

' "nor are the local industries of great importance."

'But more recently,

'the city's position and excellent transport links

'have helped to place it at the heart of European politics.'

Bradshaw's comments that Brussels lacks a claim to fame,

but that was before the European Union came to town.

When I was a minister, I used to attend meetings in this building,

but I was always unpopular, because I was the Eurosceptic.

So, after years of isolation and ostracism,

it's good to visit Brussels today

and sample what the tourists enjoy.

'By 1913, like Britain, Europe's industrialised nations

'had experienced an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity.

'Belgium had grown rich on the profits of its African colony, the Congo,

'and the Brussels bourgeoisie enjoyed a privileged lifestyle,

'shopping for luxury goods in the city's grand arcades.

'A century ago, in the glamorous Galerie de la Reine,

'an enterprising businessman created a new delicacy.'

-Hello.

-This is the most beautiful shop.

-Thank you.

-The smell of chocolate is amazing, isn't it?

-Yes.

Why are the Belgians famous for chocolate?

Because we invented the bite-sized filled chocolate.

The real first one was invented in 1912, exactly in this very shop.

'Owner Jean Neuhaus had created the very first praline

'a hard chocolate shell, with a soft creamy filling.

'And a few years later, with his wife,

'he invented the first special packaging.

'The modern box of chocolates was born.'

So what are the most popular today?

The most popular are the "les irresistible".

Les irresistible, as we say in French. Those five here.

"The irresistibles". Could I try one irresistible?

Of course! Which one?

-I'll have a dark chocolate one.

-Dark chocolate?

-Yes, please.

-There you go.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

Dear, oh, dear. Goodbye diet.

Fantastic.

So creamy and crunchy at the same time.

And dark chocolate. Wow. Irresistible indeed.

'Soon the railways were helping to spread the fame

'of Belgian chocolates across the world

'and today, the country produces 320,000 tonnes a year.

'It takes two years to qualify as a chocolatier, but I'm taking

'a crash course, with the Brussels Chocolate Museum's Helene Verbeyst.'

-Hello, Helene.

-Hello, Michael.

So, what are we going to do today?

Well, I will try to teach you a little bit about chocolate.

Splendid!

'Helene demonstrates praline-making to tourists,

'so I have an audience for my initiation.'

You feel the consistency of the chocolate.

It feels lovely.

Feels like you want to take a bath in it, doesn't it?

Yes, you would like to take a bath.

'The first step is to make the crisp chocolate shells,

'by filling a mould with melted chocolate...'

-Voila!

-Voila!

'..Then knocking out any air bubbles.'

You can make more noise if you want.

Thank you, Helene. Helene, the bubbles are coming out.

'The perfect praline has a glossy, delicate shell,

'and only the thinnest layer of chocolate

'should be left in the mould.'

You have to have a lot of trust for this. Here goes.

Whoa!

Voila. You need...

-It's coming.

-It's coming out. It's coming out.

Oh, you people of little faith.

'After filling the shells with chocolate ganache,

'the pralines are closed off with a final chocolate layer.'

-And now scra-a-a-ape it off!

-Very good.

And scra-a-a-ape it off.

They seem to have some holes in them.

This is my signature.

This is how people will know that it's a Portillo chocolate.

Voila! You did a very good job.

'Despite the flaws, I'm pretty proud of my first attempt,

'but the proof of the praline is in the eating.

'I've come to the Grand Place, which my guidebook tells me is,

' "The great historic spot of Brussels,

' "often described as the finest medieval square in existence."

'In 1913, as today, this was the tourist hotspot -

'the perfect place to find some guinea pigs for my chocolates.'

I wonder if you would like to try one of my chocolates.

-HE LAUGHS

-No, no. There's no catch.

-Nice.

-Is that OK?

-Hazelnut.

-Really?

-HE LAUGHS

I don't think that's what I put in it.

I didn't realise there was stuffing inside.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's good.

Would I give you a chocolate that wasn't stuffed?

Did you notice any difference between that and a professional chocolate?

Is there something wrong in it?

No! I...I'm not very good at it, you see.

-I don't believe you.

-THEY LAUGH

You're a fine man. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you.

'It's now time to consult my guidebook,

'because I'm in need of a hotel for the night.

'Edwardian readers could pick from 12 listed in my 1913 Bradshaw's,

'and I've found one which is still going today.'

My Bradshaw's is very helpful to the tourist.

It recommends the Metropole Hotel

because it has a lift and electric light.

And an advertisement tells me that,

"the rooms have telephone to foreign countries."

What's more, my Bradshaw's has a handy list of phrases

to help one out in hotels and I'm going to try them out now.

'The palatial Metropole opened in 1894 and, stepping inside,

'you can see why it was advertised as "the leading hotel in Belgium".

'But while the fin de siecle atmosphere has survived intact,

'travellers' needs have changed somewhat since 1913 -

'so I'm not sure how Bradshaw's travellers' vocabulary

'is going to go down.'

-Bon soir, mademoiselle.

-Bon soir.

You weren't very surprised that I asked you for a footbath?

I understood.

We don't give this kind of service to the client,

but everything is possible.

We are trained to do our best for the clients!

Thank you so much. You've been very helpful.

-I'm looking forward to staying here.

-You're always welcome.

'On the second part of this journey, I'll continue south

'to the French sector of the Western Front,

'where from 1914 the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells...'

Well, that's amazing. In two minutes we laid five metres.

'..And Edwardian tourists were replaced by soldiers,

'facing the horrors of the trenches.'

He was one of the 72,000 people

who never had a grave.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd