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 just rolling itself!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27En route to France's imperial hub...
0:02:27 > 0:02:32- The port of Marseille is as big like Paris.- As big as Paris?- Yes.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34That is extraordinary.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37..Bradshaw tourists who travelled these tracks were witnessing
0:02:37 > 0:02:39the birth of modern France.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42From its most famous sporting event...
0:02:42 > 0:02:45This would have been used in the first Tour de France in 1903.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47My goodness, that is heavy, isn't it?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50..to its stirring national anthem.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51# Marchons
0:02:51 > 0:02:54# Qu'un sang impur
0:02:54 > 0:02:58# Abreuve nos sillons! #
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Bravo, monsieur!
0:03:02 > 0:03:06My journey will take me from Lyon, following the mistral wind,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09down the Rhone Valley into Provence,
0:03:09 > 0:03:10via historic Avignon
0:03:10 > 0:03:15and Arles, a magnet for fin-de-siecle painters.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16I'll then head for the coast,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20finishing up at the gateway to the former French Empire.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27My first stop will be Lyon.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Bradshaw's tells me that it is,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32"After Paris, the first city of France for size
0:03:32 > 0:03:34"and commercial importance."
0:03:37 > 0:03:38The Birmingham of France,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42industrial boom-town Lyon was served by the first-ever French
0:03:42 > 0:03:46railway, built for coal, which reached the city in 1832.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54According to Bradshaw's, "It is the centre of the French silk,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56"velvet, and ribbon trades"
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and, "Its commercial prominence is largely due to its favoured
0:04:00 > 0:04:04"situation on two navigable rivers - the Rhone and the Saone."
0:04:05 > 0:04:08The peninsula that lies between Lyon's two rivers is
0:04:08 > 0:04:13known as the Presque-ile, and I'm following my guidebook to its heart.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I've come to the Place Bellecourt because Bradshaw's tells me,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24"It's the centre of activity in Lyon. Here are the principal cafes."
0:04:24 > 0:04:28True enough, but some would go further and say that whilst Paris
0:04:28 > 0:04:33is the great metropolis of France, Lyon is the capital of cuisine.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43For the Edwardian traveller,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47the chance to sample Lyonnaise cuisine was not to be missed.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Back in Britain, French cooking was all the rage.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55And Lyon in particular was making a name for culinary excellence.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Home to no fewer than 15 Michelin-starred restaurants,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Lyon still draws in gastronomes from across the globe.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14According to American-born cookery teacher Lucy Vanel
0:05:14 > 0:05:19it's all down to the abundance of first-class local ingredients.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24To the east of Lyon, we have the Alps, and you've got the foraged
0:05:24 > 0:05:28mushrooms and the beautiful mountain cheeses. And then we have...
0:05:28 > 0:05:32to the south, we have Provence, with all of its colourful vegetables
0:05:32 > 0:05:36and the beautiful oils and spices and things coming up from there.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Charolais beef is just outside of Lyon to the west,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and then Burgundy to the north.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Until the late 19th century, Lyon was known for rustic dishes,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52based on cheap cuts of meat such as tripe - the traditional
0:05:52 > 0:05:56fare of the silk workers who toiled in the city's mills.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But then, a new force occupied the city's kitchens,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02the so-called meres lyonnaises.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05These were the Lyonnais mothers,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08women who came from domestic staff backgrounds.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11They knew how to cook "la cuisine bourgeoise",
0:06:11 > 0:06:17which was a very elaborate type of cuisine with truffles and foie gras
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and all of this. So these women created restaurants where they
0:06:21 > 0:06:24would take the food that was known for Lyon
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and make it a little bit better.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30For example, take a roast chicken
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and tuck truffles all around under the skin
0:06:33 > 0:06:38and then cook that and then serve it with morels in cream sauce.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44To begin with, these former domestic servants set up humble
0:06:44 > 0:06:48establishments, but their reputation soon grew.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And who were the key figures amongst these meres lyonnaises?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54La Mere Brazier was the most legendary,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and she was the first woman in France to get three Michelin stars
0:06:57 > 0:06:58for her restaurant.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02This influence of the women in the restaurants, is this quite unusual?
0:07:02 > 0:07:08At the time, it was unusual because women were not allowed to be
0:07:08 > 0:07:10chefs in restaurants, they could mop the floor,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12wait the tables, do things like this,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15but they were really not allowed to be the people who were in charge
0:07:15 > 0:07:18of the menu and in charge of the whole business. This was not going
0:07:18 > 0:07:21on in France. But in Lyon, it was.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- Well, praise to les meres lyonnaises.- Yes!
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Today, La Mere Brazier's restaurant is still going strong,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35under the leadership of Mathieu Viannay.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- Eh, Michael, en cuisine.- Oui, Chef.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I've stopped by for a cookery lesson.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Alors, Chef, je suis a votre disposition,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I am your servant, qu'est-ce qu'on va faire?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- Une omelette.- An omelette? Sounds easy.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Le plus facile, mais le plus dur.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Oh, my goodness - it is the easiest,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02but it is the most difficult thing to do.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07First, beat the eggs with salt. It sounds simple enough.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Et la,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12on met les oeufs, d'accord.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16It's all in the way he moves it,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17I've never done that
0:08:17 > 0:08:19when I've made an omelette,
0:08:19 > 0:08:20never moved it like that.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's rolling itself!
0:08:24 > 0:08:25That is amazing.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- D'accord?- Parfait!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Je dois faire la meme chose - I now have to do the same thing.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Et tout, tout, tout.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Bien remuez comme ca, stop. Comme ca.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- Ah, comme ca.- D'accord. - Round motion.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Et maintenant, je commence...
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Regard. Apres tu enleves, est c'est la...
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- Now I have to start turning it. - D'accord.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Il faut taper, il faut taper la!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Non, comme ca! Non.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Ah, oui, oui...
0:09:04 > 0:09:07C'est pas bien, c'est pas bien, stop!
0:09:07 > 0:09:08It's not good, not good.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Poubelle!
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Vas-y donne moi la poubelle!
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Donne-moi la poubelle!
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Allez, tiens.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22C'est pas bien, d'accord?
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Je suis desole, Chef, je suis desole.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32'I fear that la Mere Brazier must be turning in her grave!'
0:09:35 > 0:09:39For British visitors to Lyon in 1913, the city's hedonistic
0:09:39 > 0:09:44pleasures must have been tinged with a sense of lingering danger.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The declaration of the Third Republic 43 years earlier
0:09:47 > 0:09:50had been the latest of a series of revolutions
0:09:50 > 0:09:52and counter-revolutions.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Political tensions had continued to smoulder.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00And according to my guidebook, in 1894, they erupted here,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04at Lyon's Bourse, or stock exchange, when President Carnot
0:10:04 > 0:10:06was assassinated.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10I'm hearing the story from historian Cecile Brun.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16So, here we are outside the Bourse, who was President Carnot?
0:10:16 > 0:10:21He was born in the centre of France in a rather high family,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25rather wealthy, and so he was an engineer at first,
0:10:25 > 0:10:30and then he becomes Minister of Public Works and Finance.
0:10:30 > 0:10:36And in 1887, he became the fifth President of the French Republic.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Ever since the first French Revolution of 1789,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44monarchists and republicans had battled for control of the country.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Since 1870, there had been a republic,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49but it was challenged by monarchists on one side
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and radical socialists and anarchists on the other.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57President Carnot set out to try to unify the splintered nation.
0:10:59 > 0:11:05He made a lot of travels in France. He visited, I think, 73 towns.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07And so, it was the occasion for him
0:11:07 > 0:11:12to show to the people the Republic. And the people, they don't know him,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16so it was a way to make him a more familiar figure for them.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24On the 24th of June, 1894, Carnot's travels brought him to Lyon,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26to attend a glittering world fair,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30designed to show off the vitality of France's second city.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Having explored the exhibition,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37he attended a lavish banquet at the Palais de la Bourse.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42But as he left in his carriage, an assassin leapt from the crowd,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44stabbing the president fatally.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So, who was it who killed Carnot and why?
0:11:49 > 0:11:55He was killed by an anarchist - Sante Geronimo Caserio, who was an Italian.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58It was, for him, a way to attack the...what represents for him
0:11:58 > 0:12:03the bourgeoisie, at the time, so these were his motivations.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Caserio showed no remorse,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11even as he later faced the guillotine.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But rather than bolstering support for anarchism,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18the murder shocked the French nation,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21which rallied against this attack on its symbolic figurehead.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Paradoxically, it reinforced the Third Republic.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It was quite fragile at the beginning,
0:12:29 > 0:12:30from a political point of view,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35and then it becomes more and more stronger, from the point of view
0:12:35 > 0:12:37of the institutions,
0:12:37 > 0:12:42and people were more united around the Third Republic.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46The nation became more firmly committed to the republican idea
0:12:46 > 0:12:50than before and some of the pillars of modern French national identity
0:12:50 > 0:12:51were put in place.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56And so, the Third Republic was a moment that was really important
0:12:56 > 0:12:59for all the symbols that are today ours,
0:12:59 > 0:13:05for instance, symbols that became official at that time -
0:13:05 > 0:13:07for instance, La Marseillaise, that became our...
0:13:07 > 0:13:10our own national hymn
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and, for instance, also the 14th of July,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17which is our day still now.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22By making the anniversary of the storming
0:13:22 > 0:13:25of the Bastille France's national day,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27the Third Republic anchored itself in the country's
0:13:27 > 0:13:32revolutionary past and closed the door on restoring the monarchy.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And by the early 20th century, the efficient French railway network
0:13:37 > 0:13:41was also helping to bind the nation together.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Thanks to lines radiating out from Paris,
0:13:43 > 0:13:49a Bradshaw traveller could get to Lyon from London in just 15 hours.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52But the tracks couldn't reach into every corner of this vast
0:13:52 > 0:13:57country, so it fell to another mode of transport to plug the gaps.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01British expat David Wilson has researched France's love affair
0:14:01 > 0:14:04with life on two wheels.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05- Hello, David.- Hello, Michael.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07- Nice to meet you. - Great to see you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Surrounded by bicycles!
0:14:09 > 0:14:12David, I think, you know, part of the British stereotype
0:14:12 > 0:14:13of the Frenchman,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16apart from, you know, the beret and the onions, involves a bicycle.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I mean, a bicycle is a big part of French life, isn't it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:20It has been for a long time.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Yes, it certainly has been. Over 100 years ago, the French were very keen
0:14:24 > 0:14:27on cycling. And bicycles had been invented in 1818
0:14:27 > 0:14:29by the Baron von Drais, a German,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33but in fact, it was the French, apparently, who invented the pedal.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36By the eve of the First World War,
0:14:36 > 0:14:41there were an estimated four million bicycles on French roads.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43France was a major manufacturer,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46with many bikes produced here, in Lyon.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50But the city had another claim to cycling fame -
0:14:50 > 0:14:53as the end-point of the first-ever stage
0:14:53 > 0:14:55of the first-ever Tour de France.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01wanted the Tour de France to go in a clockwise direction,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04so quite naturally, Lyon was the first stopping point.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06It had very important train links to Paris
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and it allowed the young Lefevre, who was the hack who originally
0:15:09 > 0:15:11thought of the idea of the Tour de France
0:15:11 > 0:15:13to get back to Paris, to file his report
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and get back down again, two days later,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19to see the cyclists depart on the second stage.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Geo Lefevre and Henri Desgrange had dreamed up the Tour de France
0:15:25 > 0:15:28as a way of promoting their new sports newspaper.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32And their thirst for publicity was also behind one of the race's
0:15:32 > 0:15:34most iconic emblems.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36The yellow jersey was first introduced to the Tour de France
0:15:36 > 0:15:39in 1919 as a response to the general public who wanted to have
0:15:39 > 0:15:41some means of identifying the overall leader.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Desgrange's magazine was actually printed on yellow pages,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48so quite naturally, Desgrange thought that the best way of promoting
0:15:48 > 0:15:53his newspaper was also that the overall leader wore a yellow jersey.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Of the 60 riders who set out to cover the 2,400 kilometres
0:15:58 > 0:16:02of the first Tour de France, only 21 made it back to Paris.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08Since then, the race has evolved, and so have the bicycles used in it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So, Michael, here we are, we have a modern bike.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17The maximum weight authorised by the cycling authority is 6.8 kilos.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- That's very light.- A carbon bike.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- May I just test that? - Yes, by all means.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Oh, that's beautifully light, isn't it? So that's all carbon.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28What are its other features?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Well, it has a derailleur,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- which allows you to change gear on the move.- A derailleur?- Yes.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Well, the French would call it a derailleur,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37The word comes from derailing.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39In other words, it was originally from the trains.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It was basically a set of... Nothing more
0:16:42 > 0:16:43than a set of points.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45So what sort of speed can you achieve on this?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48On average, around about 40kmph.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50And certainly, this year's Tour de France was won
0:16:50 > 0:16:52at just over 40kmph.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56And this, I take it, is not the newest model.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58No, this was the original.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01This would have been used in the first Tour de France in 1903.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Really?!
0:17:02 > 0:17:04As you can see, it's what's we call a fixie.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07In other words, it has one single gear. And if you can imagine
0:17:07 > 0:17:09at that time, on roads that weren't tarmacked,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12these guys were pushing this thing, weighing 20 kilos,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15up these mountains and other hills
0:17:15 > 0:17:18without any kind of means of changing gear.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19My goodness!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23That is heavy, isn't it? That is amazing.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25And so, what kinds of speeds could they achieve on these?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Well, surprisingly, they could actually go quite fast.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30And Maurice Garin, who was the first winner here in Lyon,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34he got in at 26kmph
0:17:34 > 0:17:35- on the first stage.- So...
0:17:35 > 0:17:38These guys must have been pretty tough, I think.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Oh, they were referred to as the demigods, so, yes.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Some people even referred to them as half bull.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And to be quite honest, personally I see that today's racers
0:17:47 > 0:17:49are lightweight compared to these boys.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54In 2012, a British rider won the Tour de France for the very
0:17:54 > 0:17:56first time in its history.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I'm no Bradley Wiggins, but I can't leave Lyon without taking to
0:18:00 > 0:18:02two wheels for myself.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Vive la bicyclette!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Vive la France!
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Well, with a little assistance from David.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Well, they say the engine's behind, Michael, so I think
0:18:16 > 0:18:17you're doing a great job.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I think my legs are just going round.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24With an extensive network of cycle paths,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Lyon is a perfect city to explore by bike.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Whoa! Through the chicane.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And my tour is following in the slipstream of cyclists
0:18:32 > 0:18:34who've made sporting history.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Well, Michael, here we are at the finish line of the first stage
0:18:39 > 0:18:42of the first Tour de France won by Maurice Garin
0:18:42 > 0:18:43on the 2nd of July, 1903.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Well, I think if the yellow jersey marks the leader,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49it must be the blue jacket that marks the tail-end Charlie.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55At the time of my guide,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Lyon was a stop on France's most important railway line,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00which linked the city with the capital
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and the nation's premier port at Marseille.
0:19:05 > 0:19:0770 years later,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10this route was the first to run France's pioneering
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Train a Grande Vitesse -
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Europe's first experiment with high-speed rail.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20This country has long been an enthusiastic pioneer
0:19:20 > 0:19:23in transport technology.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24And at the time of my guidebook,
0:19:24 > 0:19:30the passion for speed and adventure made its mark on literature.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35The author Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in this very square.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38His book, Le Petit Prince - The Little Prince -
0:19:38 > 0:19:41disguised adult philosophy within a childlike tale.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The popularity of his book took off
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and has continued to soar ever since.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50But I have a feeling that in the country where he spent
0:19:50 > 0:19:54part of his childhood, I'll find the very source of his inspiration.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59The whimsical story of The Little Prince
0:19:59 > 0:20:02is a celebration of childhood innocence.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Its narrator - a pilot who has crashed in the desert -
0:20:05 > 0:20:08meets a boy from another planet,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11who's come to Earth to learn about life and love.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Some of the happiest hours of its author's boyhood
0:20:17 > 0:20:20were spent at his family's country retreat,
0:20:20 > 0:20:2250km outside Lyon.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I'm taking a tour with Jean-Christophe Piffaut
0:20:26 > 0:20:30to learn how Saint-Exupery's lifelong love of flight
0:20:30 > 0:20:32helped to shape his writing.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39Saint-Exupery, as an adult, shows a childlike imagination.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42When he was a little boy in this delightful country house,
0:20:42 > 0:20:43was he very imaginative then?
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Yes, definitely.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50His mother called him Pique La Lune. I don't know if you know
0:20:50 > 0:20:53what it means. He was always looking at the moon,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57and he always wanted to play and to...
0:20:57 > 0:20:59to fly, in fact.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And he was eight years old,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05he tried to transform his bicycle into an aeroplane.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08His imagination was so strong
0:21:08 > 0:21:11that he thought that he could fly.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14And he tried and, of course, he failed.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16That is extraordinary.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Why would a French boy be so fascinated by aviation?
0:21:19 > 0:21:25You know, in France, aviation was very important.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It was, in fact, the image of France, of modernity.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The first guy who crossed the Channel was French,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35he was Bleriot.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The first to cross the Mediterranean Sea
0:21:38 > 0:21:40was Roland Garros, a French pilot.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44So France was at the top at this time, in terms of aviation.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The young Antoine was determined to join this pantheon of heroes,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and let nothing stand in his way.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Michael, it was his bedroom.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- A little run down today.- Yes.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Tell me, when did he achieve his dream of flying?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Oh, very early. He was 12 years old.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And at 4km from here,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13he did his first fly with a Wroblewski.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Wroblewski was a constructor of aeroplanes.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And he said, "Please, please, I would like to fly with you."
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Wroblewski said, "You have the authorisation of your mother?"
0:22:25 > 0:22:27"Of course I have."
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Of course he didn't.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31And he did his first flight.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33And he came just over here.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- Over his own house?- Yes.- Fantastic.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Aged 21, Saint-Exupery joined the French air force -
0:22:41 > 0:22:43the start of a long
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and distinguished career as a military and commercial pilot.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53But flight in the early 20th century was fraught with danger.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02The most important crash he had, for his writing career after,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04was in the desert.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07He spent five days in the desert.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He thought he would die because they had no water, no food.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Inspired by that incident,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and published in 1943,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19The Little Prince has since charmed readers across the globe,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21becoming probably the most translated work
0:23:21 > 0:23:24of 20th-century French literature.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29But Saint-Exupery himself didn't live to see this success.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And how did Saint-Exupery die?
0:23:31 > 0:23:36During the Second World War, he was a pilot, reconnaissance pilot,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and he did a mission in France.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41And he came back, the 31st of July,
0:23:41 > 0:23:47in 1944. He crossed a Messerschmitt Bf 109
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and he fall down in the Mediterranean Sea.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I mean, Saint-Exupery then is considered, I think, in France
0:23:54 > 0:23:58as both a literary hero and a war hero.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Yes, both of them, but most as the author of The Little Prince.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06People don't know exactly his history,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07which is very important,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and that's why we want to do a museum here,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12to explain this fabulous history.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19In today's jet age, it's hard to imagine the thrills
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and terrors of flying a century ago.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29To recapture some of the excitement, I'm going up in a light aircraft
0:24:29 > 0:24:32for a flying lesson with instructor Francois Pelletier.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39OK, you push maximum power.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40All in one go?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- Yes.- Push the throttle. - Yes.- Here we go!
0:24:42 > 0:24:43OK.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47It's OK.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50One more. You take the stick.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Do I pull it yet?
0:24:55 > 0:25:00The power is OK, all is OK.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05- Yes.- Speed is OK. - Yes, pull the stick?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- OK.- Wow, off we go!
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Oh, that's wonderful, Francois. - It's OK, Michael.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18OK, you turn left.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- Turning left.- OK.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Banking left.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Turn into the stick, is that all right?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Even in a modern plane with dual controls,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31taking off is a hairy business.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Back in 1913, most pilots had to learn solo,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38flying aircraft often made from wood and fabric.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39OK.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45- Stick forward.- Stick forward.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- Very soft. Yeah, good. - Thank you.- Good.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53- Michael, you are a good pilot. - You're too kind.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I'm very glad you're there. Oh, I meant to ask you...
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Ou est le parachute?
0:25:57 > 0:25:58No parachute.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Now for the real test - it's time to land.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- OK, the glide is OK.- Yes.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Wow. Just clipping the top of the trees.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- Adjusting our way onto the runway. - 100 feet.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- And what do we do now?- OK.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Stick up.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- Up.- Yes.- Stick up as we land. - Stick up, stick up.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27- OK.- Oh, we're down. - Oh, very nice!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30That was very, very nice. Thank you, Francois,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32that was a beautiful landing.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Having safely returned to solid ground,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I'm now waving goodbye to Lyon,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and speeding south into Provence along the route of the famous
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Paris to Marseille railway.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53For many readers of my 1913 guide, this line was the fast track
0:26:53 > 0:26:57to sunshine, carrying them to the glamorous French Riviera.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02But for those who wished to take the journey slowly,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04there was plenty to see en route.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09My next stop will be Avignon, which Bradshaw's tells me
0:27:09 > 0:27:10is on the River Rhone,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and a very important place in the history of the Catholic Church.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It was the residence, from 1305 to 1377,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22of popes in antagonism to the popes of Rome.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25That was at a time of schism in the Church,
0:27:25 > 0:27:30and I'm sure that for those who couldn't occupy St Peter's throne,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Avignon, with all its beauties, must have offered some consolation.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- TANNOY:- Please make sure that you haven't left anything on the train.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I'm struck straightaway by the fierceness of the light.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50We really are now in deep Southern France.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00100 years ago, visitors to Avignon
0:28:00 > 0:28:04toured the 14th-century Palais des Papes or Papal Palace.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10It's described in my guidebook as "a gloomy, fortress-like, Gothic
0:28:10 > 0:28:14"range of buildings, with endless corridors and staircases
0:28:14 > 0:28:18"and chambers of grim traditions."
0:28:18 > 0:28:21In a country that had once hosted popes,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24the power of the Catholic Church remained wide ranging
0:28:24 > 0:28:28until in 1905, the Third Republic passed a law
0:28:28 > 0:28:31to separate the spiritual authority of the Church
0:28:31 > 0:28:34from the political power of the State.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Still, railway tourists could follow the advice of their Bradshaw's
0:28:38 > 0:28:39and head to the river bank
0:28:39 > 0:28:43for a picturesque perspective on Avignon's medieval past.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- Bonjour, Cedric. - Bonjour, Michael. Hello.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- Ca va?- Bien, bien, merci.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Je monte au milieu...
0:28:53 > 0:28:58Cedric Castel is paddling me towards an Avignon landmark even more
0:28:58 > 0:29:00celebrated than the Papal Palace.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05La nous allons nous rapprocher un petit peu du Pont d'Avignon, voila.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07The famous Pont d'Avignon.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Exactement.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Cedric, I don't want to be rude,
0:29:11 > 0:29:12but there's only half a bridge.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Was it a big bridge before?
0:29:14 > 0:29:15C'etait grand avant?
0:29:15 > 0:29:19La, actuellement, nous n'avons plus que quatre arches encore sur pieds,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21mais avant notre pont faisait vingt-deux.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25It is now only four arches, but once upon a time, there were 22 arches,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27imagine that, stretching in that direction.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Built in 1185, over the centuries, the bridge was repeatedly
0:29:33 > 0:29:36damaged by flooding, until in the 17th century,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39it was abandoned, slowly to crumble into the Rhone.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Edwardian tourists would have known it from the famous song,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47popularised by an 1870s operetta.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50# Sur le Pont d'Avignon
0:29:50 > 0:29:52# L'on y danse, l'on y danse
0:29:52 > 0:29:54# Sur le Pont d'Avignon
0:29:54 > 0:29:58# L'on y danse tous en rond. #
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Historic Avignon opens the way to Provence,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11a region whose rugged landscapes and vivid, sun-drenched colours
0:30:11 > 0:30:14have beguiled tourists before and since the time
0:30:14 > 0:30:15of my Bradshaw's guide.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20I'm heading out into the nearby countryside
0:30:20 > 0:30:24to immerse myself in a quintessentially Provencal
0:30:24 > 0:30:26sensory experience.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31At the time of my guidebook, lavender was beginning to stain
0:30:31 > 0:30:34the landscape, planted by entrepreneurial farmers.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Lavender grower Philippe Soguel is their heir.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45So, Philippe, I see you're harvesting the lavender
0:30:45 > 0:30:47today on an industrial scale.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49100 years ago,
0:30:49 > 0:30:54what was this product going into, what sort of uses did it have?
0:30:54 > 0:30:58At that time, it was really for the perfume.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03And of course, people smell the same perfume than today.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06And I think that
0:31:06 > 0:31:10lavender is really a great perfume,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13loved by people all around the world.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Lavender scents were hugely popular in Edwardian Britain,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25with Yardley's Old English Lavender a household name.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27And the craze also swept the continent,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31encouraging Provencal farmers to begin to cultivate
0:31:31 > 0:31:33the plant on an industrial scale
0:31:33 > 0:31:37and to use steam power to extract the pungent essence
0:31:37 > 0:31:39from the flowers.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43This distillery was built in 1939.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46The first boiler
0:31:46 > 0:31:48was in fact a locomotive.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Which was used to produce steam.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56These days, a gas boiler is used.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59But otherwise, the process is unchanged.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02The harvested lavender is placed in a vat above the steamer,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05ready for the distillation to begin.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10So I have to catch this. Whoa! OK.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16And you have to arrange all these branches, OK?
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Yeah, OK.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- Perfect.- I used to play cricket.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Allez-y... Merci.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Do you think you will be free for the next season?
0:32:26 > 0:32:27I'd love to.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30The steam breaks down the flowers,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33carrying with it the scented oil that they contain,
0:32:33 > 0:32:37which rises to the top when the steam is condensed back to water.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42So it's a pure and natural lavandin essential oil,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44a hybrid of lavender.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and so we will remove,
0:32:47 > 0:32:48I hope...
0:32:50 > 0:32:54..a few couples of kilograms of this essential oil.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Lavender has long been prized for its fragrance
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and for its reputed medicinal properties,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06being used to treat ailments from insomnia to burns.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09At the time of my guide, it was trumpeted by advocates
0:33:09 > 0:33:12of the emerging practice of aromatherapy,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and was even used on wounded
0:33:14 > 0:33:17soldiers on the battlefields of the Great War.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Oh! The scent of Haute Provence!
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Yes, absolutely.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43The Avignon popes hugely improved the wine grown to the
0:33:43 > 0:33:48north of the city. The Chateauneuf du Pape,
0:33:48 > 0:33:50the New Castle of the Pope,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53was actually built by John XXII.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56The grapes may only be grown in soil that's arid enough
0:33:56 > 0:33:59to support lavender and thyme,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and the wine has a sense of spices,
0:34:02 > 0:34:07and it glows ruby red like a sunset.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31A new day, and my next train awaits,
0:34:31 > 0:34:36as I continue along my 1913 guidebook's recommended route
0:34:36 > 0:34:37through Southern France.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43I'm bound for one of the country's most ancient towns.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I'll depart from the Paris-to-Marseille mainline
0:34:46 > 0:34:49to take the scenic route towards my final stop
0:34:49 > 0:34:52on the Mediterranean coast.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54I shall be leaving this train at Arles -
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Bradshaw's says a very old place on the River Rhone,
0:34:57 > 0:35:02the Roman Arelate on the Via Aurelia, the old Roman highway.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Down the Rhone Valley towards the Mediterranean,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07blows the mistral -
0:35:07 > 0:35:12a very strong wind which can be maddening when it lasts for days,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16but it takes away the dust, leaving behind clear air
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and blue skies, the clarity and the colour
0:35:20 > 0:35:24which have made such an impression on painters and other artists.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40According to my guidebook, here in Arles,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43"the interest for the traveller is in the Roman remains,"
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and Bradshaw's ensured that Edwardian readers wasted no time
0:35:47 > 0:35:51in getting stuck in, directing them from the railway station
0:35:51 > 0:35:53straight to the town's famous amphitheatre.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00The amphitheatre, Bradshaw's tells me, is 500 yards in circumference
0:36:00 > 0:36:04and dates from the beginning of the Christian era.
0:36:04 > 0:36:10The 43 tiers of seats could accommodate 26,000 spectators.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Tourists still come here in their droves to admire the Roman
0:36:15 > 0:36:16architecture,
0:36:16 > 0:36:21but the town is also a place of pilgrimage for art lovers.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23In the 1880s, an unknown
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Dutch artist - Vincent Van Gogh -
0:36:26 > 0:36:29felt the magnetic pull of the Provencal landscape
0:36:29 > 0:36:30and settled in Arles.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Gallery owner Julia de Bierre
0:36:33 > 0:36:36knows about his turbulent visit.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42Julia, what was it that attracted Van Gogh to Arles?
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Well, of course, the answer is always the light.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50And the reason that the light here is so special is
0:36:50 > 0:36:53because of the wind, which is called the mistral, which is like
0:36:53 > 0:36:57a living thing, an animal outside your door,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00which can howl for one day,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04three days, six days or nine days.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06And on the ninth day, you go mad.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09So, so, the mistral produces the light, which is
0:37:09 > 0:37:12lovely, but also it provokes you in some way, does it?
0:37:12 > 0:37:16It does, it creates a sort of a violence,
0:37:16 > 0:37:23a drama. And I think that was very part of...of the life that,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25you know, when Van Gogh was living here.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29I think that was part and parcel of his creative life here.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36hoping to establish an artist's colony.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39His first recruit was another avant-garde visionary -
0:37:39 > 0:37:40Paul Gauguin.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44But their dream soon took a darker turn.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Gauguin arrived in October.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50They shared the little yellow house together.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52They worked together.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55They had many sort of artistic discussions.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58And then, on the 23rd of December,
0:37:58 > 0:37:59they had a row.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03At the end of that row, for reasons that are still not clear,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Van Gogh cut his ear off.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07And Gauguin?
0:38:07 > 0:38:09And Gauguin left for Paris.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Within 18 months, aged just 37,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16the troubled Van Gogh had died from a gunshot wound,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18thought to have been self-inflicted.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22But despite his premature death, he left a remarkable legacy,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26with Arles having inspired him to new artistic heights.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32In the course of a year, he painted or drew over 300 works.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34So it was absolutely extraordinary.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37And obviously, many of the masterpieces
0:38:37 > 0:38:41that we are so familiar with - the sunflowers in the vases,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45the iris, the portraits -
0:38:45 > 0:38:48so many of them were done here in Arles.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56In his lifetime, Van Gogh's reputation was confined to
0:38:56 > 0:38:58artistic circles,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01but by the time of my guidebook, his fame was growing.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06The British general public got its first glimpse of his work
0:39:06 > 0:39:10in a 1910 exhibition which was widely derided.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13But this is one instance
0:39:13 > 0:39:17where I can't agree with my Edwardian forebears.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22By an extraordinary piece of luck,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Van Gogh's picture of the yellow house where he stayed in Arles,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26which normally hangs in Amsterdam,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28is here in town.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Here's the little restaurant where
0:39:31 > 0:39:34he used to take his meals and the routine of life is
0:39:34 > 0:39:38emphasised by the little train making its way towards the Rhone.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Here's the guest bedroom where Paul Gauguin stayed, with its shutters
0:39:42 > 0:39:46open to the world, and Van Gogh's bedroom, the shutters half closed.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50With the typical vibrancy of Van Gogh's colours,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53we have a feeling of happiness.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56And yet we know that behind these shutters,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58there occurred the most appalling tragedy.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Ever since Van Gogh's time, Arles has continued to attract artists.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Today, it's known as the birthplace and hometown of one
0:40:09 > 0:40:13of France's most celebrated photographers - Lucien Clergue.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Famous for works including striking images of Arles
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and intimate portraits of Pablo Picasso,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25these days, sadly, ill-health limits his work.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29I'm honoured to enjoy a brief audience with this living legend.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Lucien, thank you so much for having us in your lovely house,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38but I'm thinking, Arles has been such an inspiration, it seems,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42to Van Gogh, to Picasso, to you...
0:40:42 > 0:40:43Why?
0:40:43 > 0:40:47Arles is a very old town.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51It's an open book about beauty.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56Then, the light is unique.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01Fantastic light because of the...
0:41:01 > 0:41:04of the mistral, the wind.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Many artists had been visiting
0:41:07 > 0:41:11until Vincent Van Gogh
0:41:11 > 0:41:16was, uh...impressed by
0:41:16 > 0:41:19what those people were telling.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23So he wants to go.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26So Van Gogh was a step.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29And 50 years after...
0:41:31 > 0:41:33..Picasso was a second step.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37When a Van Gogh show was on,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Picasso called the curator and say,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44"When you take off the painting, call me -
0:41:44 > 0:41:47"I want to have them in my hand."
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Could you believe?
0:41:51 > 0:41:53He came especially from Cannes.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56To touch the painting?
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Yeah.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05As a young aspiring photographer, Lucien met the great Picasso,
0:42:05 > 0:42:10striking up a friendship which endured until the painter's death.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13As well as creating an extraordinary body of work,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Lucien Clergue was one of the founders
0:42:15 > 0:42:20of an annual photographic festival here in Arles which showcases
0:42:20 > 0:42:22new talent from across the world.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26And the town itself is full of attractions
0:42:26 > 0:42:28for amateur photographers.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35- Excuse me.- Yes.- You seem to have a pretty good eye.- Thank you.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37When you decided to come to Arles,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40was photography one of the things on your mind?
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Yes, yes.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Like something like that.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It's different. We don't get that in Australia.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49When you are in Arles, what do you like to photograph?
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Is it people or buildings or countryside?
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Oh... I like people and the buildings. And the atmosphere also.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58We have many, many sunny days in the year.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Thanks to mistral.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02So we have to like it.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And how are you finding photography in the south of France?
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- Wonderful, absolutely. - And how are you finding the light?
0:43:09 > 0:43:13Good. I've just learned about it also. I know, I'm doing it last.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29Having feasted my eyes on the architecture of Arles,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32it's time to think of my stomach.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43An advertisement in my Bradshaw's guide has brought me to spend
0:43:43 > 0:43:45the night at the Grand Hotel Du Nord-Pinus,
0:43:45 > 0:43:50as it says it is the only hotel contiguous to the Roman forum.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54I've looked around for local products, which has bought me
0:43:54 > 0:43:56to this pastis.
0:43:58 > 0:44:03A liquor which is a little too aniseed flavour for my taste.
0:44:03 > 0:44:10But look at this tapenade made from locally-grown olives.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12Delicious.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31Just south of Arles, the Rhone splits into two for its final
0:44:31 > 0:44:34journey towards the Mediterranean,
0:44:34 > 0:44:38creating Western Europe's largest river delta - the Camargue.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45In this extraordinary wetland habitat of 100,000 hectares,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49flamingos live side by side with semi-wild cattle,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53herded by local cowboys, who ride the indigenous horses.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Then, to the east of this magical wilderness,
0:44:59 > 0:45:03the marshes give way to one of the most dramatic stretches of
0:45:03 > 0:45:05the Mediterranean coast.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20And my last railway journey in France promises a magnificent view.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27This line was originally built for freight,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29but clipping the inlets and bays of the Mediterranean,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32passengers today know it as the Blue Line.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36I must say, I love this landscape - rustic-coloured roofs nestling
0:45:36 > 0:45:41amongst umbrella pines and then all the various colours of the sea under
0:45:41 > 0:45:47this intense light that magnetised Van Gogh and mesmerises the tourist.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55This railway was built in 1915 to provide an alternative
0:45:55 > 0:45:59route to the Paris-Lyon-Marseille mainline.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02And with 23 tunnels and 18 viaducts,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05designed to allow the tracks to snake along the treacherous coast,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08it was an engineering triumph.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16I'm approaching my last stop, Marseille, which Bradshaw's tells me
0:46:16 > 0:46:19is the principal seaport of France.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23Trade with Algiers and Tunis, and to the East through the Suez Canal,
0:46:23 > 0:46:28has given a wonderful impetus, but the Suez Canal has also brought
0:46:28 > 0:46:32Trieste and Genoa into prominent competition.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36The French had a lot of colonies - not only Tunisia and Algeria,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39but also Morocco and Vietnam -
0:46:39 > 0:46:44and so Britain's ally was also Britain's imperial rival.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51If the port of Marseille was the maritime gateway
0:46:51 > 0:46:54to the French colonies, the Paris-to-Marseille railway,
0:46:54 > 0:46:57dubbed the Ligne Imperiale, kept the capital
0:46:57 > 0:47:00plugged into its sprawling empire.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Today, the port's imposing railway terminus,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08which opened in 1848,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10is a key stop on the TGV network.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16Railway travellers can cover the 750km from Paris
0:47:16 > 0:47:19to Gare Saint-Charles in just about three hours.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Beneath the hustle and bustle of the modern station,
0:47:27 > 0:47:32it's possible to imagine Marseille at the height of the Age of Empire.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36I'm hunting for traces of that past with historian Berny Sebe.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Berny, this magnificent station at Marseille Saint-Charles,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45what does this tell us about the French Empire?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48It tells us a lot about the ways in which France,
0:47:48 > 0:47:53first of all, was...conceived itself as a major imperial power
0:47:53 > 0:47:57through the reference to "Marseille - gateway to the Orient," because
0:47:57 > 0:47:59many of the French colonies were in the Orient, in the Far East,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03and also through the two statues which refer to the colonies
0:48:03 > 0:48:05of Asia and Africa.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12By the time of my guidebook, the seven-million-square-mile
0:48:12 > 0:48:17French Empire was second only to the 13 million square miles
0:48:17 > 0:48:19controlled by Britain.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23In the 1890s, competition between the Great Powers for influence
0:48:23 > 0:48:26in Africa had led them to the brink of war.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31But the 20th century ushered in a period of mutual cooperation
0:48:31 > 0:48:34in the face of a new rival.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38To a large extent, it's the rise of Germany which brings Britain
0:48:38 > 0:48:42and France closer and which forces them to solve their issues.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45And the Germans realised that if they wanted also to have their
0:48:45 > 0:48:48own place in the sun, they would need to take some territories out
0:48:48 > 0:48:51of existing empires.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55And the threat which the growing also German navy
0:48:55 > 0:49:00posed at the time, the territorial threat which Germany posed to France
0:49:00 > 0:49:03meant that the two countries actually could see eye to eye.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And they think, to a large extent, time has come for them to find
0:49:06 > 0:49:10an entente cordiale, which is finally signed in 1904.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15The Entente Cordiale was a pet project of King Edward VII,
0:49:15 > 0:49:17a lifelong Francophile.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20But many of his subjects were more wary
0:49:20 > 0:49:22of their revolutionary neighbour.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26After all, the national anthem of the Third Republic,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29first sung by revolutionary troops from Marseille
0:49:29 > 0:49:31and now known as La Marseillaise,
0:49:31 > 0:49:33rails against tyrants,
0:49:33 > 0:49:36presumably aristocrats and monarchs.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39And it's still sung heartily today.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43# Aux armes, citoyens
0:49:43 > 0:49:46# Formez vos bataillons
0:49:46 > 0:49:50# Marchons, marchons
0:49:50 > 0:49:55# Qu'un sang impur
0:49:55 > 0:49:57# Abreuve nos sillons. #
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Bravo, monsieur, bravo.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Tres bien fait.
0:50:01 > 0:50:02Guten Morgen. Allemand?
0:50:02 > 0:50:03Non, je suis anglais.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06- On est des freres. - Ah, on est des freres. Tres bien.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Merci.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14At the time of my guidebook, with the Third Republic firmly
0:50:14 > 0:50:18established, the French Empire was reaching its peak.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Helped by railway lines built across Indochina and North Africa,
0:50:22 > 0:50:26exotic colonial products and raw materials found their way here,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28to the heaving port at Marseille,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31where they crossed paths with French
0:50:31 > 0:50:35goods bound for foreign markets, opened up by imperial expansion.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37For the Edwardian railway traveller,
0:50:37 > 0:50:42the first glimpse of the docks must have been awe-inspiring.
0:50:42 > 0:50:4414 miles of quays,
0:50:44 > 0:50:48more than seven million tonnes of merchandise annually imported
0:50:48 > 0:50:53and exported and more than 400,000 travellers landing and embarking.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57The imports are cereals, oil seeds, coal, sugar, coffee, hides,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00sheep from Algeria and wool.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04Although Marseille is the largest seaport in France,
0:51:04 > 0:51:05you get the impression that it is
0:51:05 > 0:51:08an international city of the Mediterranean,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11looking out towards North Africa
0:51:11 > 0:51:13more than it does back towards Paris.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Ever since its foundation by ancient Greek mariners
0:51:20 > 0:51:242,500 years ago, Marseille has been a cosmopolitan city.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29And today, it remains the melting pot of France.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33After the Second World War, as the European empires were
0:51:33 > 0:51:37dismantled, Marseille's prosperity suffered, and the waves
0:51:37 > 0:51:42of immigrants arriving here weren't always welcomed with open arms.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46But the 21st century has given the city a fresh lease of life.
0:51:46 > 0:51:52It's recently undergone a £6 billion makeover, with new museums
0:51:52 > 0:51:55and monuments adorning the quays, which once thronged
0:51:55 > 0:51:57with sailors and merchants.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06Marseille has a bit of a reputation for being a city of crime and drugs
0:52:06 > 0:52:07and racial tension,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10but that certainly isn't what the visitor feels or sees.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13I'm struck by the glittering Mediterranean,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15by the fine architecture, by the beautiful mountains
0:52:15 > 0:52:16that surround it.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19I'm stimulated by such a cosmopolitan city.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22And there's a new Marseille of bold architecture,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26determined, apparently, to extinguish the old cliches.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34The docks described in my guidebook declined in the second half
0:52:34 > 0:52:35of the 20th century,
0:52:35 > 0:52:39but Marseille is still a city that depends on the sea for survival.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47Nowadays, a vast, modern port, built just up the coast in the 1960s,
0:52:47 > 0:52:51helps to support over 40,000 jobs.
0:52:51 > 0:52:57I'm climbing the control tower to survey the scene with Jean-Yves Coz.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59- Monsieur le chef de quart. - Hello, how are you?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01How very good to see you.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05I'm getting a very good view from here, this is superb.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07How big is the port of Marseille?
0:53:08 > 0:53:13The port of Marseille is as big like Paris.
0:53:13 > 0:53:14- As big as Paris?- Yes.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19Around 80km from each side, between each side.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22That is extraordinary.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26By the 1960s, the French Empire was no more.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29The government sought to rebuild Marseille's economy
0:53:29 > 0:53:33by encouraging the oil and metal industries,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36luring mega-tankers to the new port,
0:53:36 > 0:53:39which is built on a dizzying scale.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44We receive around...between 5,000
0:53:44 > 0:53:48and 6,000 vessels per year.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50This must make it the biggest port in France.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Yes, it's the biggest port in France.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55- And I suppose one of the biggest in Europe.- One of the biggest, yes.
0:53:55 > 0:54:00- We have a special port for oil here. - Yes.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04Here we have a big iron factory.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07And here we have also a very big
0:54:07 > 0:54:09container terminal.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12We receive a lot of container ships.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Today, we have a big one,
0:54:15 > 0:54:21we have a ship 366 metres long.
0:54:23 > 0:54:24Managing the arrivals
0:54:24 > 0:54:27of these enormous ships is a complex task.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31I'm joining pilot Olivier Tillon to see how it's done.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32Olivier.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- Hello. Bonjour.- Bonjour. Montez.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37- Merci.- Apres vous.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48Pilots like Olivier ensure the safety of the port waters,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52guiding supertankers and vast container ships safely
0:54:52 > 0:54:53to the right berth.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59Which ship are we going to?
0:54:59 > 0:55:05The name is Minerva. It's a tanker, about 100,000 tonnes.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- Crude oil?- Crude oil, yes.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Is it complicated to navigate into the port?
0:55:15 > 0:55:19Ah, it's complicated because it big ship, very heavy,
0:55:19 > 0:55:24so we have to make...be careful and to go slowly.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Once the pilot reaches the ship that he's guiding in,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31he boards the vessel and takes control.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34The pilot is in charge because we know the area.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37We have many training for this job.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41- Exciting.- Yes, it's exciting. Very nice for a job, yes.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Where you nervous when you first did it?
0:55:44 > 0:55:47100,000 tonnes under your control.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50The first time, yes, it's incredible.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Do you want to steer the pilot boat?
0:55:54 > 0:55:55Oh, yes, please.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59It's not very difficult. You go straight...
0:56:05 > 0:56:07I'm heading more or less for the tug at the moment.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Yeah, we arrive at a good moment where they make fast with tug,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14so we'll see the operation.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18With the advent of heavy steamships in the 19th century,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20tugs became essential to help them
0:56:20 > 0:56:24to manoeuvre within the narrow confines of a harbour,
0:56:24 > 0:56:27and today's supertankers still depend on them.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33You refer often enough in conversation to a supertanker,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36how difficult it is to turn them around, but actually,
0:56:36 > 0:56:39you have no idea until you get really close to one
0:56:39 > 0:56:41just how enormous they are.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45And then I'm always astonished that these little tug boats
0:56:45 > 0:56:47can be powerful enough
0:56:47 > 0:56:51actually to influence the course of that massive vessel.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54And then this process is going on day after day.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56None of us ever thinks about it,
0:56:56 > 0:57:00but this is the oil coming to Europe that keeps our economy going.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14This port is a crucial link in the 21st-century global supply
0:57:14 > 0:57:18chain, just as railway lines were the arteries of Europe's
0:57:18 > 0:57:20empires at their height.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24My journey towards France's imperial gateway
0:57:24 > 0:57:29has revealed how the modern French nation was created
0:57:29 > 0:57:30during the age of steam.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36100 years ago, at the time of my Bradshaw's guide,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39the United Kingdom was allied with a country which had recently
0:57:39 > 0:57:42settled that it would never be a monarchy again.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45France's Third Republic institutionalised
0:57:45 > 0:57:50a revolutionary national day and a revolutionary national anthem.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55Politics aside, from my rail journey following the mistral wind down the
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Rhone Valley to the Mediterranean,
0:57:57 > 0:58:00I shall long remember the countryside with its
0:58:00 > 0:58:05beautiful horses and the products of the land - red wine,
0:58:05 > 0:58:07lavender and olive oil -
0:58:07 > 0:58:12as evocative of France as the 14th of July
0:58:12 > 0:58:13and La Marseillaise.