0:00:03 > 0:00:06I'm embarking on a railway adventure that will take me
0:00:06 > 0:00:09beyond the edge of Continental Europe.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'll be using this, my 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.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26It told travellers where to go, what to see, and how to
0:00:26 > 0:00:30navigate the thousands of miles of tracks crisscrossing the Continent.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Now, a century later,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:36 > 0:00:41where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48I want to rediscover that lost Europe, that in 1913 couldn't know
0:00:48 > 0:00:52that its way of life would shortly be swept aside by the advent of war.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11My journey will take me east through the Balkans,
0:01:11 > 0:01:12beyond Christian Europe.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18In 1913, only intrepid travellers ventured this way.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29On this adventure, I'll be making an unusually difficult journey,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31tracing the tracks of the Orient Express,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35speeding me towards that multiethnic city known variously
0:01:35 > 0:01:38as Constantinople or Istanbul,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41within which Europe and Asia meet.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43At the time of my guidebook,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47the Ottoman Empire that was ruled from there was decaying -
0:01:47 > 0:01:50known as the sick man of Europe.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Bulgaria, where my journey begins, had already broken free,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and was the cause of rivalry, mistrust
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and intrigue between the great powers of Europe.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08I'll be making my way east,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12along the most exotic section of the Orient Express route.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Starting in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I'll travel to the ancient city of Plovdiv,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23join a stretch of the line that's now been rebuilt at Svilengrad,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27and then cross into Turkey at Edirne.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I'll end my journey at the gateway to Asia, Istanbul.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37'Along the way...'
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Fire!
0:02:39 > 0:02:42'..I'll get to grips with a blossoming industry...'
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Ah!
0:02:44 > 0:02:46The last petal has been defeated.
0:02:48 > 0:02:55'..get a taste of what Bulgarians tuck into when travelling...'
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- It's a bit like a medicine. - Bulgarians like it. A lot.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Mmm. Good. Good... Good... Good for Bulgarians.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Good.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07'..and learn the importance to their national psyche
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'of an ancient dance.'
0:03:30 > 0:03:34My journey begins in Sofia, where, in 1913,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38the reigning monarch was Tsar Ferdinand I.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40According to Bradshaw's,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44"the suzerainty of Turkey was thrown off on October 5th, 1908,
0:03:44 > 0:03:49"when the independence of Bulgaria was proclaimed."
0:03:49 > 0:03:52The dying empire was then involved in a series of bloody wars,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55with Christian nationalities in the Balkans.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00And like vultures, Britain, France, Russia, Austria, Hungary
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and Germany hovered -
0:04:02 > 0:04:06each anxious that the others should not gain more than their fair
0:04:06 > 0:04:09share of influence in the region.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Such tensions earned the region its reputation as the powderkeg of
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Europe, and indeed,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19it was events here that sparked the First World War.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24In Bulgaria, the Ottomans had been slow to build railways.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28In 1880, there were just 140 miles of track,
0:04:28 > 0:04:33and by 1912, still only 1,300.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I'm arriving at Sofia's Centralna Gara,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40first opened in August 1888.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Well, first impressions,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47apparently Sofia station is under major redevelopment.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50It's just a building site, really, from one end to the other.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But it's apparent that something rather beautiful
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and rather grand is going to emerge.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The station's interior reveals the brutalist aesthetic of the most
0:05:04 > 0:05:06recent empire to control this region -
0:05:06 > 0:05:08the Soviets.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But Bulgaria is resilient.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16First founded in the seventh century,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20the Bulgarian state is one of the oldest on the European continent.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Maintaining its own form of Orthodox Christianity,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28despite being consumed by one empire after another over the millennia.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35Bulgaria's tumultuous history is reflected in its architecture
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and here in the Plaza Nezavisimost,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42those layers of history are exposed in a single place.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48"This city," says Bradshaw's, "is about 2,000 feet above sea,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51"almost encompassed by ranges of the Balkans."
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And indeed, it's lovely to see mountains at the end of many streets.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58"The old squalid Turkish town has been cleared away,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01"and its place taken by a modern city."
0:06:01 > 0:06:04But Bradshaw's reminds me that this is the ancient Serdica.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07And here, close at hand, are Roman ruins.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Yet I'm surrounded here by buildings from the communist era
0:06:10 > 0:06:14of the late 20th century. And all of the ages
0:06:14 > 0:06:19of the city are presided over by the statue of St Sofia herself.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28With Bulgaria's capital named after this early martyr,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Christianity has played an important role in the country's history.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Today, 85% of the population regard themselves as Orthodox Christians,
0:06:39 > 0:06:44and this enormous cathedral is, to me, the loveliest building in Sofia.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a relatively modern building in the
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Byzantine style, and its golden domes are today
0:06:51 > 0:06:54gleaming in the sunlight.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57One of the things I love is that with so little traffic and with big
0:06:57 > 0:07:01spaces all around, you can appreciate the whole building at once.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The cathedral was largely completed by 1912 -
0:07:06 > 0:07:09just a year before my guidebook was published.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And I'd like to learn more about the period from local guide
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Stefan Ognyanov.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Stefan, hi.- Hello. Nice to meet you.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I find myself very moved by the cathedral,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23which has a simplicity, a calm,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25but certainly a great holiness, as well.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Has the Orthodox Church played a very important part in Bulgarian history?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Yes, the Orthodox Church was basically instrumental
0:07:33 > 0:07:36in the preservation of Bulgarian culture and traditions and basically
0:07:36 > 0:07:40the identity of the people through the five centuries of Ottoman rule.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42And that sense of national identity of consciousness,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46eventually grew into a wish to be independent from the Ottoman Empire.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Exactly. There was a small seed that basically started it all
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and then it grew into a massive movement.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59The giant cathedral can hold a congregation of up to 7,000.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Its vast dome rises to 45 metres.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Whoa. This is extraordinary.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13We are so high above the main altar here,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17I'm quite nervous about dropping my Bradshaw's.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20'Stefan leads me up onto the roof to get a view over Sofia -
0:08:20 > 0:08:23'a city that was in turmoil back in the 1870s.'
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Here on the cathedral roof, we get a fantastic view of the city
0:08:29 > 0:08:31and, actually, also the mountains all around.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, how was it that the revolution came about when it did?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42As soon as a critical mass of people realised that they
0:08:42 > 0:08:45constituted a nation, they were basically looking to
0:08:45 > 0:08:48establish their own independent Bulgarian state.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50So, in 1876, there was
0:08:50 > 0:08:54an organisation that was supposed to actually light the whole
0:08:54 > 0:08:58country on fire, so an all-out revolution everywhere.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The reality is, it only really happened in just one
0:09:01 > 0:09:05region of the country, but still what happened in southern Bulgaria
0:09:05 > 0:09:10attracted the world's attention, because of the way it was put down.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15This April uprising was brutally suppressed by the Ottomans,
0:09:15 > 0:09:20who massacred up to 30,000 men, women and children.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Those atrocities caused outrage in Western Europe.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- How does Britain react to it all? - The official position of Britain,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the British government of Disraeli,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32is support of the Ottoman Empire
0:09:32 > 0:09:36in order to block off the interests of Russia in the region.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40However, William Gladstone, who was leader of the Liberal party,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42which was in opposition at the time, was actually
0:09:42 > 0:09:46appalled by the atrocities and urged the British government to
0:09:46 > 0:09:48actually take some measures to help
0:09:48 > 0:09:51the situation of the Bulgarians.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55While Gladstone attacked Prime Minister Disraeli's imperialism,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Russia seized the chance to lash out at its old Ottoman enemy,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and in 1877, stepped in to liberate Bulgaria,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06cementing her own influence in the region.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08In gratitude to their Russian liberators,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13the Bulgarian people erected this huge Orthodox cathedral
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and dedicated it to the Russian Tsar's patron saint,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Alexander Nevsky.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21However, peace in the region didn't last long, as the new
0:10:21 > 0:10:24King Ferdinand led Bulgaria into
0:10:24 > 0:10:29two Balkan wars in 1912 and '13.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32The first Balkan War, it was the newly established Christian
0:10:32 > 0:10:37nations of Europe, like Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, uniting to push
0:10:37 > 0:10:40the Ottoman Empire - try and push the Ottoman Empire - out of Europe.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44And then the Second Balkan War erupted
0:10:44 > 0:10:47because these newly established Christian nations were
0:10:47 > 0:10:51fighting each other for what they had achieved during the first war.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59As I head back down to ground level, I think of the great
0:10:59 > 0:11:03sacrifices that this country has made across its turbulent history.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08There's a tradition here in the cathedral that you light
0:11:08 > 0:11:11a candle - either for happiness
0:11:11 > 0:11:14or, here in the sand, for remembrance.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17And since I've heard about the tens of thousands of people who
0:11:17 > 0:11:21were killed in the struggle for Bulgarian independence,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24this single candle is in their memory.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39While Russia has this splendid cathedral
0:11:39 > 0:11:42built in gratitude for her assistance,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46it's good to see that the Victorian statesman William Gladstone
0:11:46 > 0:11:50has a small corner of Sofia dedicated to his memory.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I'm back at Sofia Central Station to make my way east towards
0:12:00 > 0:12:02the heart of the old Ottoman Empire.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12This, the historic route of the Orient Express, will take me
0:12:12 > 0:12:15to Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv -
0:12:15 > 0:12:18referred to in my guidebook as Philippopolis.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Are you travelling to Plovdiv?
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- Yes, I am travelling to Plovdiv. - I am, too. My name's Michael.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- My name is Emil. Nice to meet you. - Good to see you.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35I bought some food that they told me was typical Bulgarian.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I don't like to eat alone. Would you like to share some of this?
0:12:38 > 0:12:40OK, no problem.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43They... Boza. They told me this was typically Bulgarian.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- What is this?- Yes, it's a national Bulgarian drink.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It is made from fermented wheat.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Mmm. Thick and gloopy.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Wow, it's kind of like a...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Ooh.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- It does smell of fermented wheat, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Incredibly powerful.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- It's a bit like a medicine. - Bulgarians like it. A lot.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Mmm. Good. Good... Good for Bulgarians.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11Good.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'This salty yoghurt drink looks as though it might be more suited
0:13:14 > 0:13:16'to my British taste buds.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Oh, that's great. That's so refreshing.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Now, what's this thing in here?
0:13:23 > 0:13:26This is a banitsa.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30People often eat it for breakfast.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Excuse fingers.- Thank you.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'Banitsa is a traditional filo pastry that can be savoury...'
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Quite tough going.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39'..or sweet.'
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So, which of these things has been your favourite?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44My favourite thing right now
0:13:44 > 0:13:47is this type of sweet banitsa.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52I like that. But for me, my favourite is the salty yoghurt.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I've travelled 90 miles south-east from Sofia.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13But as I'm arriving in Plovdiv at dusk,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I'll wait till morning to explore Bulgaria's second city.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Plovdiv, Bradshaw's tells me, was the Roman Trimontium,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44referring to the three mountains on which the city is built.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46"It was the capital of Thrace.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49"It has Greek and Bulgarian cathedrals
0:14:49 > 0:14:51"and several mosques.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55"It's a bright and cheerful place, with lofty houses.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00"So many influences - Greek, Thracian, Roman, Ottoman."
0:15:00 > 0:15:04And yet, somehow, something emerged that's absolutely Bulgarian.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Plovdiv is thought to be one of the oldest settlements in Europe.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Its ancient pedigree would have greatly appealed
0:15:21 > 0:15:23to the early 20th-century tourist.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30As the Bulgarian middle classes grew wealthier during the 19th century,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33they developed their own cultural identity,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37clearly expressed in this elaborately decorated domestic architecture
0:15:37 > 0:15:40known as National Revival.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44As I walk through these roughly paved streets,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I feel as though I'm treading on the stones of history.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And these houses, though very charming,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53are also grand and proud.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Plovdiv is a place that grew used, during its history,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58to being important.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And one of the things I most appreciate about this place
0:16:01 > 0:16:05is that I'm enjoying and absorbing all this history virtually alone.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And yet I see there are one or two of my fellow countrymen
0:16:11 > 0:16:12who've found their way here.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- How are you enjoying Plovdiv? - Incredible. Incredible.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- Really? What do you think of it? - All the history...
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- Plovdiv goes back 8,000 years. - What brought you to Plovdiv?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- We work with someone from Plovdiv.- Ah.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28- This gentleman here.- Oh, really?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Yeah.- You've brought all your English mates over?
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- Yeah, pretty much. - Oh, that's fantastic.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- And you're obviously very proud of your town.- Yeah.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- And are they reacting well to it? - So far, so far.- Yeah?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- That's a pretty good advertisement for the town.- It's the best.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Thank you, guys. Enjoyed it. Bye-bye now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48There's a place I've been told that I must visit
0:16:48 > 0:16:49in this magnificent city,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52which isn't mentioned in Bradshaw's, with good reason.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55MUSIC PLAYS, SINGING
0:17:05 > 0:17:07It's wonderful to see a dance going on here.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11But first of all, this theatre is incredible.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14It is so well preserved.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18And I understand it was only uncovered in the 1970s
0:17:18 > 0:17:22because of a landslide. And it's just perfection.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Dating back to the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29this Roman theatre is the perfect spot
0:17:29 > 0:17:34to witness a traditional dance that's 1,300 years old.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38It's really a very beautiful dance. And the costumes are superb.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04HE CLAPS Bravo.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- That was fantastic. - Thank you very much.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09What is that dance called?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11This is the Thracian dance.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- As it were, from Thrace, as we would say it.- From Thrace, yes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17And how important is this kind of dancing to Bulgarians,
0:18:17 > 0:18:18to Bulgarian culture?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20The dances are very important.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22They are part of our national psychology.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Passed down from generation to generation,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29the dance has always been a part of the life of Bulgarians
0:18:29 > 0:18:32for all its historical development.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Well, I think I would find it impossible.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Let me show you some movements.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38MICHAEL LAUGHS OK.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Thank you. Let me just get this lovely costume on.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49How do I look? Not quite as beautiful as you. Look at that.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- OK.- So, the dance is called Rachenitsa.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- Yeah.- And it's one, two, three.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58One, two, three.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Let's start with the right leg. - OK.- So...
0:19:01 > 0:19:03One, two, three.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05One, two, three.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- BOTH:- One, two, three.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- Go.- BOTH:- Right, left, right.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12HE GASPS
0:19:12 > 0:19:14'If this is part of the national identity,
0:19:14 > 0:19:15'I hope that my clumsy footwork
0:19:15 > 0:19:17'doesn't cause a diplomatic incident.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- Now let's do it faster.- OK.- OK.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22One, two, three.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24One, two, three.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25One, two, three.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27One, two, three.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29OK, you are ready to get the part of the dance.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- Let me show you your position. - OK, thank you, thank you. Hello.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37- You are here.- I'm here, am I?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- OK. Hello.- We are ready to go.- Right.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42THEY SHOUT
0:19:42 > 0:19:44MUSIC PLAYS
0:19:44 > 0:19:46SINGING
0:20:13 > 0:20:15The Thracian dance I'm attempting
0:20:15 > 0:20:19is treasured for keeping the Bulgarian spirit alive
0:20:19 > 0:20:22over five centuries of Ottoman rule.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And when that ended in 1878,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34young and old danced hand-in-hand in celebration.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23On my train journeys,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I don't often get the chance to escape from the town or the city.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30And in Bulgaria, you have these enormous open spaces
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and the mountains are ever present.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37In this region, in Rumelia, Bradshaw's tells me,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41"The rose farms, where is produced the otto or attar of roses,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44"cover a great extent of the country.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48"The natural conditions in Bulgaria are perfect, heaven-sent."
0:21:51 > 0:21:54This industry dates back over 300 years.
0:21:54 > 0:22:00And today, Bulgaria produces around 70% of the world's rose oil.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Marina Lavrenova is showing me around a farm
0:22:03 > 0:22:05that's over a century old.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Marina, this is a beautiful place.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Why is it that you're able to grow such great roses here?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We are at the heart of the Rose Valley.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17This is a blessed area.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And we have the perfect weather conditions
0:22:20 > 0:22:23to grow the oil-bearing rose here.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Dobar den. WOMEN:- Dobar den.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30So, how do you pick the rose? Which part are you picking?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Exactly this part.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35So, she just kind of bends the rose back.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- Yes.- Thank you.- Yes.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44And the company that owns this plantation here,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46when did that begin?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The company was established in 1909.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54And in 1947, it was nationalised.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- During the communist... - During the communist period.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- And now?- In 1992,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02the company was returned to the local owners.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07And now it's run by the family of Enio Bonchev.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And so after all those years of communism,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12the family took it back again?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- Yes.- Fantastic story.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Once picked, the roses must be distilled immediately
0:23:21 > 0:23:24to extract the scented oil in the flower,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26so I'm following the process inside.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31I see here all the rose petals are ready for the distillery.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Extraordinarily heady smell
0:23:35 > 0:23:38of what I suppose must be hundreds of thousands of rose petals.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42We are in the oldest, but still working distillery in Europe.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This place is actually unique,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48because all the stills, all the containers
0:23:48 > 0:23:49are made of copper,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53because it makes the aroma of the water stronger.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55How old are these copper stills?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Since 1909.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Yeah.- Just before my guidebook.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04It looks like the guys are preparing for a distillation, is that right?
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Exactly.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Around 180 roses are poured into each copper
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and mixed with five times their weight in water.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18This mixture is then boiled over an open flame
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and the steam fed into a cooling chamber
0:24:21 > 0:24:24where the first rose-water distillate is collected.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27So, we're standing now above the stills
0:24:27 > 0:24:32- and we can feel the tremendous heat that's coming out of them.- Yes.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Let me see if I can catch one of these bags.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Whoa!
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Empty the petals into the still.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Ready for the next bag. Whoa!
0:24:46 > 0:24:49He's a very good thrower, this guy. He's a very good thrower.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53'And with each bag weighing 15 kilos, that's no mean feat.'
0:24:53 > 0:24:54Fire.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- Michael, you're doing really well. - Thank you.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01I must say, it's very physical.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Ah!
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The last petal has been defeated.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- That was hard work.- Great job. - Thank you very much, Marina.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15'A second distillation of the rose-water
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'increases the concentration.'
0:25:18 > 0:25:20How long does it take from the petals
0:25:20 > 0:25:24all the way through to the end of the second distillation process?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Um...
0:25:26 > 0:25:29The whole process? It's about two hours and 30 minutes.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30- Is that all?- Yes.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And what product does that give you?
0:25:33 > 0:25:37It gives us the rose-water.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Rose-water is a cosmetic product
0:25:39 > 0:25:42that's said to be excellent for the complexion.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44It's sometimes also used in cooking.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49But it's rose oil that is most highly prized.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55Three-and-a-half tonnes of flowers will produce just one litre of oil.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58The company's finest rose alba oil
0:25:58 > 0:26:02sells for over £7,000 per kilo.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Welcome to our small museum.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- A delightful room.- Thank you.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And these are very, very beautiful things. What are these?
0:26:11 > 0:26:17This is a traditional wooden box. In Bulgarian, it's called muskal.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- Muskal.- Muskal.- Muskal.- Yes.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23It's handmade and this one is 60 years old.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Beautiful little miniature painting.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27And you can find the rose oil inside.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Here, we have 0.5 millilitres of rose oil.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37So, unscrew the top.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43- What, you just put a little drop on, like that?- Yes, put just a drop.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Wow.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47That is intense, isn't it?
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- It's amazing. I love it. - Mm. Smell of roses all day.- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- Now, what's that one there? - This is our rose-water.- A-ha.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I can spray some of it on your face,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00on your hair, so...
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- Take aim, take aim.- OK.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05On the other side.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- I will put some on your hair.- OK.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I feel completely refreshed.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27'Next time, I'll get to grips with a slippery Turkish tradition...'
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I've noticed that one of the techniques is to thrust a hand
0:27:32 > 0:27:35down the breeches of the other wrestler so, clearly,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38it's no holds barred.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42'..I'll discover what Istanbul would have been like in 1913...'
0:27:42 > 0:27:43There were refugees everywhere.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Muslim refugees from the Balkans crowded every available space.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50'..delight in a Turkish treat...'
0:27:50 > 0:27:52You should feel the resistance,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54but your teeth should be able to
0:27:54 > 0:27:56bite cleanly through the product.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59I think I had that experience, but...
0:27:59 > 0:28:00I think I might need another to be sure.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02SHE LAUGHS
0:28:02 > 0:28:05'..and fulfil a boyish fantasy.'
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Nobody's told me, but I think this is the accelerator.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Anyone know where the brake is?
0:28:11 > 0:28:14This is the route of the Orient Express,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and I am driving the train.