0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm embarking on a new railway adventure that will take me
0:00:07 > 0:00:09across the heart of Europe.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12I'll be using this,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20dated 1913, which opened up an exotic world of foreign
0:00:20 > 0:00:22travel for the British tourist.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27It told travellers where to go, what to see, and how to navigate
0:00:27 > 0:00:31the thousands of miles of tracks crisscrossing the continent.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Now, a century later,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy
0:00:37 > 0:00:42where 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 > 0:00:52that its way of life would shortly be swept aside by the advent of war.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13This time I'm retracing a route outlined in my 1913 guide
0:01:13 > 0:01:16from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20A century ago, the British in France were tourists
0:01:20 > 0:01:23in the territory of the traditional enemy
0:01:23 > 0:01:28lured, despite prejudices, by sun, food and natural wonders.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33In 1913, rather to their surprise, the British found themselves
0:01:33 > 0:01:37allied to their traditional enemy, the French.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Suspicion might still attach to a country which, as Bradshaw's
0:01:40 > 0:01:45tells me, had in 1870 declared a republic for the third time
0:01:45 > 0:01:48in a Europe composed largely of monarchies.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50But then again, Queen Victoria
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and King Edward VII had both extolled the virtues
0:01:54 > 0:01:57of holidaying in the South of France,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and by now, Germany, ruled
0:02:00 > 0:02:04by their unruly relative the Kaiser, was looking much more dangerous.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Following one of the key arteries
0:02:08 > 0:02:10of the early 20th century railway network,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15I'll rediscover a country at the height of its technical prowess...
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Wow, off we go.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23..where railway explorers could sample the finest French cuisine.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24It's rolling itself!
0:02:27 > 0:02:31My journey will take me from Lyon, following the mistral wind,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33down the Rhone Valley into Provence,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35via historic Avignon
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and Arles, a magnet for fin-de-siecle painters.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41I'll then head for the coast,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44finishing up at the gateway to the former French Empire.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52My first stop will be Lyon.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Bradshaw's tells me that it is,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57"After Paris, the first city of France for size
0:02:57 > 0:02:59"and commercial importance."
0:03:01 > 0:03:03The Birmingham of France,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07industrial boom-town Lyon was served by the first-ever French
0:03:07 > 0:03:11railway, built for coal, which reached the city in 1832.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19According to Bradshaw's, "It is the centre of the French silk,
0:03:19 > 0:03:20"velvet, and ribbon trades"
0:03:20 > 0:03:25and, "Its commercial prominence is largely due to its favoured
0:03:25 > 0:03:29"situation on two navigable rivers - the Rhone and the Saone."
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The peninsula that lies between Lyon's two rivers is
0:03:33 > 0:03:37known as the Presque-ile, and I'm following my guidebook to its heart.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45I've come to the Place Bellecourt because Bradshaw's tells me,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49"It's the centre of activity in Lyon. Here are the principal cafes."
0:03:49 > 0:03:53True enough, but some would go further and say that whilst Paris
0:03:53 > 0:03:58is the great metropolis of France, Lyon is the capital of cuisine.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08For the Edwardian traveller,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11the chance to sample Lyonnaise cuisine was not to be missed.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Back in Britain, French cooking was all the rage.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20And Lyon in particular was making a name for culinary excellence.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Home to no fewer than 15 Michelin-starred restaurants,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Lyon still draws in gastronomes from across the globe.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39According to American-born cookery teacher Lucy Vanel
0:04:39 > 0:04:44it's all down to the abundance of first-class local ingredients.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49To the east of Lyon, we have the Alps, and you've got the foraged
0:04:49 > 0:04:53mushrooms and the beautiful mountain cheeses. And then we have...
0:04:53 > 0:04:57to the south, we have Provence, with all of its colourful vegetables
0:04:57 > 0:05:01and the beautiful oils and spices and things coming up from there.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Charolais beef is just outside of Lyon to the west,
0:05:05 > 0:05:06and then Burgundy to the north.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Until the late 19th century, Lyon was known for rustic dishes,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16based on cheap cuts of meat such as tripe - the traditional
0:05:16 > 0:05:21fare of the silk workers who toiled in the city's mills.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But then, a new force occupied the city's kitchens,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the so-called meres lyonnaises.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29These were the Lyonnais mothers,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33women who came from domestic staff backgrounds.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They knew how to cook "la cuisine bourgeoise",
0:05:36 > 0:05:42which was a very elaborate type of cuisine with truffles and foie gras
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and all of this. So these women created restaurants where they
0:05:46 > 0:05:49would take the food that was known for Lyon
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and make it a little bit better.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55For example, take a roast chicken
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and tuck truffles all around under the skin
0:05:58 > 0:06:03and then cook that and then serve it with morels in cream sauce.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09To begin with, these former domestic servants set up humble
0:06:09 > 0:06:12establishments, but their reputation soon grew.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And who were the key figures amongst these meres lyonnaises?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19La Mere Brazier was the most legendary,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and she was the first woman in France to get three Michelin stars
0:06:22 > 0:06:23for her restaurant.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27This influence of the women in the restaurants, is this quite unusual?
0:06:27 > 0:06:33At the time, it was unusual because women were not allowed to be
0:06:33 > 0:06:35chefs in restaurants, they could mop the floor,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37wait the tables, do things like this,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40but they were really not allowed to be the people who were in charge
0:06:40 > 0:06:43of the menu and in charge of the whole business. This was not going
0:06:43 > 0:06:46on in France. But in Lyon, it was.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- Well, praise to les meres lyonnaises.- Yes!
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Today, La Mere Brazier's restaurant is still going strong,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00under the leadership of Mathieu Viannay.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- Eh, Michael, en cuisine.- Oui, Chef.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I've stopped by for a cookery lesson.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Alors, Chef, je suis a votre disposition,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I am your servant, qu'est-ce qu'on va faire?
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Une omelette.- An omelette? Sounds easy.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Le plus facile, mais le plus dur.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Oh, my goodness - it is the easiest,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27but it is the most difficult thing to do.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32First, beat the eggs with salt. It sounds simple enough.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35Et la,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37on met les oeufs, d'accord.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41It's all in the way he moves it,
0:07:41 > 0:07:42I've never done that
0:07:42 > 0:07:43when I've made an omelette,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45never moved it like that.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48It's rolling itself!
0:07:48 > 0:07:50That is amazing.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54- D'accord?- Parfait!
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Je dois faire la meme chose - I now have to do the same thing.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Et tout, tout, tout.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Bien remuez comme ca, stop. Comme ca.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Ah, comme ca.- D'accord. - Round motion.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Et maintenant, je commence...
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Regard. Apres tu enleves, est c'est la...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Now I have to start turning it. - D'accord.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Il faut taper, il faut taper la!
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Non, comme ca! Non.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23Ah, oui, oui...
0:08:29 > 0:08:31C'est pas bien, c'est pas bien, stop!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's not good, not good.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38Poubelle!
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Vas-y donne moi la poubelle!
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Donne-moi la poubelle!
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Allez, tiens.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47C'est pas bien, d'accord?
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Je suis desole, Chef, je suis desole.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57'I fear that la Mere Brazier must be turning in her grave!'
0:09:00 > 0:09:04For British visitors to Lyon in 1913, the city's hedonistic
0:09:04 > 0:09:09pleasures must have been tinged with a sense of lingering danger.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The declaration of the Third Republic 43 years earlier
0:09:12 > 0:09:15had been the latest of a series of revolutions
0:09:15 > 0:09:16and counter-revolutions.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Political tensions had continued to smoulder.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25And according to my guidebook, in 1894, they erupted here,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29at Lyon's Bourse, or stock exchange, when President Carnot
0:09:29 > 0:09:31was assassinated.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34I'm hearing the story from historian Cecile Brun.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40So, here we are outside the Bourse, who was President Carnot?
0:09:40 > 0:09:46He was born in the centre of France in a rather high family,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49rather wealthy, and so he was an engineer at first,
0:09:49 > 0:09:55and then he becomes Minister of Public Works and Finance.
0:09:55 > 0:10:01And in 1887, he became the fifth President of the French Republic.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Ever since the first French Revolution of 1789,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09monarchists and republicans had battled for control of the country.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Since 1870, there had been a republic,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14but it was challenged by monarchists on one side
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and radical socialists and anarchists on the other.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21President Carnot set out to try to unify the splintered nation.
0:10:23 > 0:10:30He made a lot of travels in France. He visited, I think, 73 towns.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32And so, it was the occasion for him
0:10:32 > 0:10:37to show to the people the Republic. And the people, they don't know him,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41so it was a way to make him a more familiar figure for them.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48On the 24th of June, 1894, Carnot's travels brought him to Lyon,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51to attend a glittering world fair,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55designed to show off the vitality of France's second city.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Having explored the exhibition,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02he attended a lavish banquet at the Palais de la Bourse.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06But as he left in his carriage, an assassin leapt from the crowd,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08stabbing the president fatally.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14So, who was it who killed Carnot and why?
0:11:14 > 0:11:19He was killed by an anarchist - Sante Geronimo Caserio, who was an Italian.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23It was, for him, a way to attack the...what represents for him
0:11:23 > 0:11:28the bourgeoisie, at the time, so these were his motivations.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Caserio showed no remorse,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35even as he later faced the guillotine.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40But rather than bolstering support for anarchism,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42the murder shocked the French nation,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46which rallied against this attack on its symbolic figurehead.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Paradoxically, it reinforced the Third Republic.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It was quite fragile at the beginning,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55from a political point of view,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00and then it becomes more and more stronger, from the point of view
0:12:00 > 0:12:01of the institutions,
0:12:01 > 0:12:07and people were more united around the Third Republic.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The nation became more firmly committed to the republican idea
0:12:10 > 0:12:14than before and some of the pillars of modern French national identity
0:12:14 > 0:12:16were put in place.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21And so, the Third Republic was a moment that was really important
0:12:21 > 0:12:24for all the symbols that are today ours,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29for instance, symbols that became official at that time -
0:12:29 > 0:12:32for instance, La Marseillaise, that became our...
0:12:32 > 0:12:35our own national hymn
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and, for instance, also the 14th of July,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42which is our day still now.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47By making the anniversary of the storming
0:12:47 > 0:12:49of the Bastille France's national day,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52the Third Republic anchored itself in the country's
0:12:52 > 0:12:56revolutionary past and closed the door on restoring the monarchy.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02And by the early 20th century, the efficient French railway network
0:13:02 > 0:13:05was also helping to bind the nation together.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Thanks to lines radiating out from Paris,
0:13:08 > 0:13:13a Bradshaw traveller could get to Lyon from London in just 15 hours.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But the tracks couldn't reach into every corner of this vast
0:13:17 > 0:13:21country, so it fell to another mode of transport to plug the gaps.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26British expat David Wilson has researched France's love affair
0:13:26 > 0:13:28with life on two wheels.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30- Hello, David.- Hello, Michael.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Nice to meet you. - Great to see you.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Surrounded by bicycles!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37David, I think, you know, part of the British stereotype
0:13:37 > 0:13:38of the Frenchman,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41apart from, you know, the beret and the onions, involves a bicycle.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I mean, a bicycle is a big part of French life, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It has been for a long time.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Yes, it certainly has been. Over 100 years ago, the French were very keen
0:13:48 > 0:13:52on cycling. And bicycles had been invented in 1818
0:13:52 > 0:13:54by the Baron von Drais, a German,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58but in fact, it was the French, apparently, who invented the pedal.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01By the eve of the First World War,
0:14:01 > 0:14:06there were an estimated four million bicycles on French roads.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08France was a major manufacturer,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11with many bikes produced here, in Lyon.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14But the city had another claim to cycling fame -
0:14:14 > 0:14:18as the end-point of the first-ever stage
0:14:18 > 0:14:20of the first-ever Tour de France.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25wanted the Tour de France to go in a clockwise direction,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28so quite naturally, Lyon was the first stopping point.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It had very important train links to Paris
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and it allowed the young Lefevre, who was the hack who originally
0:14:33 > 0:14:35thought of the idea of the Tour de France
0:14:35 > 0:14:38to get back to Paris, to file his report
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and get back down again, two days later,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44to see the cyclists depart on the second stage.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50Geo Lefevre and Henri Desgrange had dreamed up the Tour de France
0:14:50 > 0:14:53as a way of promoting their new sports newspaper.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57And their thirst for publicity was also behind one of the race's
0:14:57 > 0:14:58most iconic emblems.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01The yellow jersey was first introduced to the Tour de France
0:15:01 > 0:15:04in 1919 as a response to the general public who wanted to have
0:15:04 > 0:15:06some means of identifying the overall leader.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Desgrange's magazine was actually printed on yellow pages,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13so quite naturally, Desgrange thought that the best way of promoting
0:15:13 > 0:15:17his newspaper was also that the overall leader wore a yellow jersey.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23Of the 60 riders who set out to cover the 2,400 kilometres
0:15:23 > 0:15:27of the first Tour de France, only 21 made it back to Paris.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Since then, the race has evolved, and so have the bicycles used in it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37So, Michael, here we are, we have a modern bike.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42The maximum weight authorised by the cycling authority is 6.8 kilos.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44- That's very light.- A carbon bike.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- May I just test that? - Yes, by all means.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Oh, that's beautifully light, isn't it? So that's all carbon.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56And this, I take it, is not the newest model.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58No, this was the original.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00This would have been used in the first Tour de France in 1903.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- Really?!- And if you can imagine at that time,
0:16:03 > 0:16:04on roads that weren't tarmacked,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07these guys were pushing this thing, weighing 20 kilos,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10up these mountains and other hills
0:16:10 > 0:16:13without any kind of means of changing gear.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14My goodness!
0:16:14 > 0:16:17That is heavy, isn't it? That is amazing.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21So...these guys must have been pretty tough, I think.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Oh, they were referred to as the demigods, so, yes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Some people even referred to them as half bull.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30And to be quite honest, personally I see that today's racers
0:16:30 > 0:16:33are lightweight compared to these boys.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37In 2012, a British rider won the Tour de France for the very
0:16:37 > 0:16:39first time in its history.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43I'm no Bradley Wiggins, but I can't leave Lyon without taking to
0:16:43 > 0:16:45two wheels for myself.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Vive la bicyclette!
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Vive la France!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Well, with a little assistance from David.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Well, they say the engine's behind, Michael, so I think
0:16:59 > 0:17:00you're doing a great job.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I think my legs are just going round.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07With an extensive network of cycle paths,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Lyon is a perfect city to explore by bike.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Whoa! Through the chicane.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And my tour is following in the slipstream of cyclists
0:17:15 > 0:17:17who've made sporting history.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Well, Michael, here we are at the finish line of the first stage
0:17:22 > 0:17:25of the first Tour de France won by Maurice Garin
0:17:25 > 0:17:26on the 2nd of July, 1903.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Well, I think if the yellow jersey marks the leader,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31it must be the blue jacket that marks the tail-end Charlie.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38At the time of my guide,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Lyon was a stop on France's most important railway line,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43which linked the city with the capital
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and the nation's premier port at Marseille.
0:17:48 > 0:17:4970 years later,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53this route was the first to run France's pioneering
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Train a Grande Vitesse -
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Europe's first experiment with high-speed rail.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04This country has long been an enthusiastic pioneer
0:18:04 > 0:18:06in transport technology.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And at the time of my guidebook,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13the passion for speed and adventure made its mark on literature.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18The author Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in this very square.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21His book, Le Petit Prince - The Little Prince -
0:18:21 > 0:18:24disguised adult philosophy within a childlike tale.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28The popularity of his book took off
0:18:28 > 0:18:30and has continued to soar ever since.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33But I have a feeling that in the country where he spent
0:18:33 > 0:18:37part of his childhood, I'll find the very source of his inspiration.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42The whimsical story of The Little Prince
0:18:42 > 0:18:45is a celebration of childhood innocence.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Its narrator - a pilot who has crashed in the desert -
0:18:48 > 0:18:51meets a boy from another planet,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54who's come to Earth to learn about life and love.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Some of the happiest hours of its author's boyhood
0:19:00 > 0:19:03were spent at his family's country retreat,
0:19:03 > 0:19:0550km outside Lyon.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09I'm taking a tour with Jean-Christophe Piffaut
0:19:09 > 0:19:13to learn how Saint-Exupery's lifelong love of flight
0:19:13 > 0:19:15helped to shape his writing.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Saint-Exupery, as an adult, shows a childlike imagination.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25When he was a little boy in this delightful country house,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27was he very imaginative then?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Yes, definitely.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34His mother called him Pique La Lune. I don't know if you know
0:19:34 > 0:19:36what it means. He was always looking at the moon,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and he always wanted to play and to...
0:19:40 > 0:19:42to fly, in fact.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45And he was eight years old,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49he tried to transform his bicycle into an aeroplane.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51His imagination was so strong
0:19:51 > 0:19:54that he thought that he could fly.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And he tried and, of course, he failed.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59That is extraordinary.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Why would a French boy be so fascinated by aviation?
0:20:02 > 0:20:07You know, in France, aviation was very important.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12It was, in fact, the image of France, of modernity.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16The first guy who crossed the Channel was French,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18he was Bleriot.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The first to cross the Mediterranean Sea
0:20:21 > 0:20:23was Roland Garros, a French pilot.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27So France was at the top at this time, in terms of aviation.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34The young Antoine was determined to join this pantheon of heroes,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and let nothing stand in his way.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Michael, it was his bedroom.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- A little run down today.- Yes.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Tell me, when did he achieve his dream of flying?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Oh, very early. He was 12 years old.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And at 4km from here,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56he did his first fly with a Wroblewski.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Wroblewski was a constructor of aeroplanes.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03And he said, "Please, please, I would like to fly with you."
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Wroblewski said, "You have the authorisation of your mother?"
0:21:08 > 0:21:09"Of course I have."
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Of course he didn't.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14And he did his first flight.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And he came just over here.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Over his own house?- Yes.- Fantastic.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Aged 21, Saint-Exupery joined the French air force -
0:21:24 > 0:21:25the start of a long
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and distinguished career as a military and commercial pilot.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36But flight in the early 20th century was fraught with danger.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45The most important crash he had, for his writing career after,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47was in the desert.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50He spent five days in the desert.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53He thought he would die because they had no water, no food.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Inspired by that incident,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and published in 1943,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01The Little Prince has since charmed readers across the globe,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04becoming probably the most translated work
0:22:04 > 0:22:07of 20th-century French literature.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11But Saint-Exupery himself didn't live to see this success.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And how did Saint-Exupery die?
0:22:14 > 0:22:19During the Second World War, he was a pilot, reconnaissance pilot,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21and he did a mission in France.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24And he came back, the 31st of July,
0:22:24 > 0:22:30in 1944. He crossed a Messerschmitt Bf 109
0:22:30 > 0:22:34and he fall down in the Mediterranean Sea.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40In today's jet age, it's hard to imagine the thrills
0:22:40 > 0:22:43and terrors of flying a century ago.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51To recapture some of the excitement, I'm going up in a light aircraft
0:22:51 > 0:22:54for a flying lesson with instructor Francois Pelletier.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01OK, you push maximum power.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03All in one go?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- Yes.- Push the throttle. - Yes.- Here we go!
0:23:05 > 0:23:06OK.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10It's OK.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13One more. You take the stick.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Do I pull it yet?
0:23:18 > 0:23:23The power is OK, all is OK.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- Yes.- Speed is OK. - Yes, pull the stick?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- OK.- Wow, off we go!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Oh, that's wonderful, Francois. - It's OK, Michael.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41OK, you turn left.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- Turning left.- OK.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Banking left.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Turn into the stick, is that all right?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Even in a modern plane with dual controls,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54taking off is a hairy business.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Back in 1913, most pilots had to learn solo,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01flying aircraft often made from wood and fabric.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02OK.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- Stick forward.- Stick forward.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Very soft. Yeah, good. - Thank you.- Good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15- Michael, you are a good pilot. - You're too kind.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I'm very glad you're there. Oh, I meant to ask you...
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Ou est le parachute?
0:24:20 > 0:24:21No parachute.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Now for the real test - it's time to land.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- OK, the glide is OK.- Yes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Wow. Just clipping the top of the trees.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Adjusting our way onto the runway. - 100 feet.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- And what do we do now?- OK.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Stick up.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- Up.- Yes.- Stick up as we land. - Stick up, stick up.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- OK.- Oh, we're down. - Oh, very nice!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52That was very, very nice. Thank you, Francois,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54that was a beautiful landing.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Having safely returned to solid ground,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I'm now waving goodbye to Lyon,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and speeding south into Provence along the route of the famous
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Paris to Marseille railway.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17My next stop will be Avignon, which Bradshaw's tells me
0:25:17 > 0:25:18is on the River Rhone,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and a very important place in the history of the Catholic Church.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25It was the residence, from 1305 to 1377,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29of popes in antagonism to the popes of Rome.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32That was at a time of schism in the Church,
0:25:32 > 0:25:37and I'm sure that for those who couldn't occupy St Peter's throne,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Avignon, with all its beauties, must have offered some consolation.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- TANNOY:- Please make sure that you haven't left anything on the train.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54I'm struck straightaway by the fierceness of the light.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57We really are now in deep Southern France.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07100 years ago, visitors to Avignon
0:26:07 > 0:26:11toured the 14th-century Palais des Papes or Papal Palace.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17It's described in my guidebook as "a gloomy, fortress-like, Gothic
0:26:17 > 0:26:21"range of buildings, with endless corridors and staircases
0:26:21 > 0:26:25"and chambers of grim traditions."
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Still, railway tourists could follow the advice of their Bradshaw's
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and head to the river bank
0:26:30 > 0:26:34for a picturesque perspective on Avignon's medieval past.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- Bonjour, Cedric. - Bonjour, Michael. Hello.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Ca va?- Bien, bien, merci.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Je monte au milieu...
0:26:43 > 0:26:48Cedric Castel is paddling me towards an Avignon landmark even more
0:26:48 > 0:26:51celebrated than the Papal Palace.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55La nous allons nous rapprocher un petit peu du Pont d'Avignon, voila.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57The famous Pont d'Avignon.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Exactement.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Cedric, I don't want to be rude,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03but there's only half a bridge.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04Was it a big bridge before?
0:27:04 > 0:27:05C'etait grand avant?
0:27:05 > 0:27:09La, actuellement, nous n'avons plus que quatre arches encore sur pieds,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11mais avant notre pont faisait vingt-deux.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15It is now only four arches, but once upon a time, there were 22 arches,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18imagine that, stretching in that direction.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Built in 1185, over the centuries, the bridge was repeatedly
0:27:23 > 0:27:26damaged by flooding, until in the 17th century,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30it was abandoned, slowly to crumble into the Rhone.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Edwardian tourists would have known it from the famous song,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37popularised by an 1870s operetta.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40# Sur le Pont d'Avignon
0:27:40 > 0:27:42# L'on y danse, l'on y danse
0:27:42 > 0:27:45# Sur le Pont d'Avignon
0:27:45 > 0:27:48# L'on y danse tous en rond. #
0:27:50 > 0:27:52On the second part of my French journey,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I'll find out what inspired artists in Arles...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The answer is always the light.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01And the reason that the light here is so special is
0:28:01 > 0:28:05because of the wind, which is called the mistral.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08..I'll reach France's former imperial hub...
0:28:08 > 0:28:11The Port of Marseille is as big like Paris.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12- Big as Paris?!- Yes.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15That is extraordinary.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19..and feel the fervour of France's stirring national anthem.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21# Marchons
0:28:21 > 0:28:24# Qu'un sang
0:28:24 > 0:28:28# Abreuve nos sillons. #
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Bravo, monsieur.