Sofia to Istanbul - Part 1 Great Continental Railway Journeys

I'm embarking on a railway adventure that will take me

beyond the edge of Continental Europe.

I'll be using this, my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide,

dated 1913, which opened up an exotic world of foreign

travel for the British tourist.

It told travellers where to go, what to see, and how to

navigate the thousands of miles of tracks crisscrossing the Continent.

Now, a century later,

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

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

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

that its way of life would shortly be swept aside by the advent of war.

My journey will take me east through the Balkans,

beyond Christian Europe.

In 1913, only intrepid travellers ventured this way.

On this adventure, I'll be making an unusually difficult journey,

tracing the tracks of the Orient Express,

speeding me towards that multiethnic city known variously

as Constantinople or Istanbul,

within which Europe and Asia meet.

At the time of my guidebook,

the Ottoman Empire that was ruled from there was decaying -

known as the sick man of Europe.

Bulgaria, where my journey begins, had already broken free,

and was the cause of rivalry, mistrust

and intrigue between the great powers of Europe.

I'll be making my way east,

along the most exotic section of the Orient Express route.

Starting in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital,

I'll travel to the ancient city of Plovdiv,

join a stretch of the line that's now been rebuilt at Svilengrad,

and then cross into Turkey at Edirne.

I'll end my journey at the gateway to Asia, Istanbul.

'Along the way...'

Fire!

'..I'll get to grips with a blossoming industry...'

Ah!

The last petal has been defeated.

'..get a taste of what Bulgarians tuck into when travelling...'

-It's a bit like a medicine.

-Bulgarians like it. A lot.

Mmm. Good. Good... Good... Good for Bulgarians.

Good.

'..and learn the importance to their national psyche

'of an ancient dance.'

My journey begins in Sofia, where, in 1913,

the reigning monarch was Tsar Ferdinand I.

According to Bradshaw's,

"the suzerainty of Turkey was thrown off on October 5th, 1908,

"when the independence of Bulgaria was proclaimed."

The dying empire was then involved in a series of bloody wars,

with Christian nationalities in the Balkans.

And like vultures, Britain, France, Russia, Austria, Hungary

and Germany hovered -

each anxious that the others should not gain more than their fair

share of influence in the region.

Such tensions earned the region its reputation as the powderkeg of

Europe, and indeed,

it was events here that sparked the First World War.

In Bulgaria, the Ottomans had been slow to build railways.

In 1880, there were just 140 miles of track,

and by 1912, still only 1,300.

I'm arriving at Sofia's Centralna Gara,

first opened in August 1888.

Well, first impressions,

apparently Sofia station is under major redevelopment.

It's just a building site, really, from one end to the other.

But it's apparent that something rather beautiful

and rather grand is going to emerge.

The station's interior reveals the brutalist aesthetic of the most

recent empire to control this region -

the Soviets.

But Bulgaria is resilient.

First founded in the seventh century,

the Bulgarian state is one of the oldest on the European continent.

Maintaining its own form of Orthodox Christianity,

despite being consumed by one empire after another over the millennia.

Bulgaria's tumultuous history is reflected in its architecture

and here in the Plaza Nezavisimost,

those layers of history are exposed in a single place.

"This city," says Bradshaw's, "is about 2,000 feet above sea,

"almost encompassed by ranges of the Balkans."

And indeed, it's lovely to see mountains at the end of many streets.

"The old squalid Turkish town has been cleared away,

"and its place taken by a modern city."

But Bradshaw's reminds me that this is the ancient Serdica.

And here, close at hand, are Roman ruins.

Yet I'm surrounded here by buildings from the communist era

of the late 20th century. And all of the ages

of the city are presided over by the statue of St Sofia herself.

With Bulgaria's capital named after this early martyr,

Christianity has played an important role in the country's history.

Today, 85% of the population regard themselves as Orthodox Christians,

and this enormous cathedral is, to me, the loveliest building in Sofia.

The St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a relatively modern building in the

Byzantine style, and its golden domes are today

gleaming in the sunlight.

One of the things I love is that with so little traffic and with big

spaces all around, you can appreciate the whole building at once.

The cathedral was largely completed by 1912 -

just a year before my guidebook was published.

And I'd like to learn more about the period from local guide

Stefan Ognyanov.

-Stefan, hi.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

I find myself very moved by the cathedral,

which has a simplicity, a calm,

but certainly a great holiness, as well.

Has the Orthodox Church played a very important part in Bulgarian history?

Yes, the Orthodox Church was basically instrumental

in the preservation of Bulgarian culture and traditions and basically

the identity of the people through the five centuries of Ottoman rule.

And that sense of national identity of consciousness,

eventually grew into a wish to be independent from the Ottoman Empire.

Exactly. There was a small seed that basically started it all

and then it grew into a massive movement.

The giant cathedral can hold a congregation of up to 7,000.

Its vast dome rises to 45 metres.

Whoa. This is extraordinary.

We are so high above the main altar here,

I'm quite nervous about dropping my Bradshaw's.

'Stefan leads me up onto the roof to get a view over Sofia -

'a city that was in turmoil back in the 1870s.'

Here on the cathedral roof, we get a fantastic view of the city

and, actually, also the mountains all around.

So, how was it that the revolution came about when it did?

As soon as a critical mass of people realised that they

constituted a nation, they were basically looking to

establish their own independent Bulgarian state.

So, in 1876, there was

an organisation that was supposed to actually light the whole

country on fire, so an all-out revolution everywhere.

The reality is, it only really happened in just one

region of the country, but still what happened in southern Bulgaria

attracted the world's attention, because of the way it was put down.

This April uprising was brutally suppressed by the Ottomans,

who massacred up to 30,000 men, women and children.

Those atrocities caused outrage in Western Europe.

-How does Britain react to it all?

-The official position of Britain,

the British government of Disraeli,

is support of the Ottoman Empire

in order to block off the interests of Russia in the region.

However, William Gladstone, who was leader of the Liberal party,

which was in opposition at the time, was actually

appalled by the atrocities and urged the British government to

actually take some measures to help

the situation of the Bulgarians.

While Gladstone attacked Prime Minister Disraeli's imperialism,

Russia seized the chance to lash out at its old Ottoman enemy,

and in 1877, stepped in to liberate Bulgaria,

cementing her own influence in the region.

In gratitude to their Russian liberators,

the Bulgarian people erected this huge Orthodox cathedral

and dedicated it to the Russian Tsar's patron saint,

Alexander Nevsky.

However, peace in the region didn't last long, as the new

King Ferdinand led Bulgaria into

two Balkan wars in 1912 and '13.

The first Balkan War, it was the newly established Christian

nations of Europe, like Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, uniting to push

the Ottoman Empire - try and push the Ottoman Empire - out of Europe.

And then the Second Balkan War erupted

because these newly established Christian nations were

fighting each other for what they had achieved during the first war.

As I head back down to ground level, I think of the great

sacrifices that this country has made across its turbulent history.

There's a tradition here in the cathedral that you light

a candle - either for happiness

or, here in the sand, for remembrance.

And since I've heard about the tens of thousands of people who

were killed in the struggle for Bulgarian independence,

this single candle is in their memory.

While Russia has this splendid cathedral

built in gratitude for her assistance,

it's good to see that the Victorian statesman William Gladstone

has a small corner of Sofia dedicated to his memory.

I'm back at Sofia Central Station to make my way east towards

the heart of the old Ottoman Empire.

This, the historic route of the Orient Express, will take me

to Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv -

referred to in my guidebook as Philippopolis.

Are you travelling to Plovdiv?

-Yes, I am travelling to Plovdiv.

-I am, too. My name's Michael.

-My name is Emil. Nice to meet you.

-Good to see you.

I bought some food that they told me was typical Bulgarian.

I don't like to eat alone. Would you like to share some of this?

OK, no problem.

They... Boza. They told me this was typically Bulgarian.

-What is this?

-Yes, it's a national Bulgarian drink.

It is made from fermented wheat.

Mmm. Thick and gloopy.

Wow, it's kind of like a...

Ooh.

-It does smell of fermented wheat, doesn't it?

-Yes.

Incredibly powerful.

-It's a bit like a medicine.

-Bulgarians like it. A lot.

Mmm. Good. Good... Good for Bulgarians.

Good.

'This salty yoghurt drink looks as though it might be more suited

'to my British taste buds.'

Oh, that's great. That's so refreshing.

Now, what's this thing in here?

This is a banitsa.

People often eat it for breakfast.

-Excuse fingers.

-Thank you.

'Banitsa is a traditional filo pastry that can be savoury...'

Quite tough going.

'..or sweet.'

So, which of these things has been your favourite?

My favourite thing right now

is this type of sweet banitsa.

I like that. But for me, my favourite is the salty yoghurt.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

I've travelled 90 miles south-east from Sofia.

But as I'm arriving in Plovdiv at dusk,

I'll wait till morning to explore Bulgaria's second city.

Plovdiv, Bradshaw's tells me, was the Roman Trimontium,

referring to the three mountains on which the city is built.

"It was the capital of Thrace.

"It has Greek and Bulgarian cathedrals

"and several mosques.

"It's a bright and cheerful place, with lofty houses.

"So many influences - Greek, Thracian, Roman, Ottoman."

And yet, somehow, something emerged that's absolutely Bulgarian.

Plovdiv is thought to be one of the oldest settlements in Europe.

Its ancient pedigree would have greatly appealed

to the early 20th-century tourist.

As the Bulgarian middle classes grew wealthier during the 19th century,

they developed their own cultural identity,

clearly expressed in this elaborately decorated domestic architecture

known as National Revival.

As I walk through these roughly paved streets,

I feel as though I'm treading on the stones of history.

And these houses, though very charming,

are also grand and proud.

Plovdiv is a place that grew used, during its history,

to being important.

And one of the things I most appreciate about this place

is that I'm enjoying and absorbing all this history virtually alone.

And yet I see there are one or two of my fellow countrymen

who've found their way here.

-How are you enjoying Plovdiv?

-Incredible. Incredible.

-Really? What do you think of it?

-All the history...

-Plovdiv goes back 8,000 years.

-What brought you to Plovdiv?

-We work with someone from Plovdiv.

-Ah.

-This gentleman here.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-You've brought all your English mates over?

-Yeah, pretty much.

-Oh, that's fantastic.

-And you're obviously very proud of your town.

-Yeah.

-And are they reacting well to it?

-So far, so far.

-Yeah?

-That's a pretty good advertisement for the town.

-It's the best.

Thank you, guys. Enjoyed it. Bye-bye now.

There's a place I've been told that I must visit

in this magnificent city,

which isn't mentioned in Bradshaw's, with good reason.

MUSIC PLAYS, SINGING

It's wonderful to see a dance going on here.

But first of all, this theatre is incredible.

It is so well preserved.

And I understand it was only uncovered in the 1970s

because of a landslide. And it's just perfection.

Dating back to the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD,

this Roman theatre is the perfect spot

to witness a traditional dance that's 1,300 years old.

It's really a very beautiful dance. And the costumes are superb.

HE CLAPS Bravo.

-That was fantastic.

-Thank you very much.

What is that dance called?

This is the Thracian dance.

-As it were, from Thrace, as we would say it.

-From Thrace, yes.

And how important is this kind of dancing to Bulgarians,

to Bulgarian culture?

The dances are very important.

They are part of our national psychology.

Passed down from generation to generation,

the dance has always been a part of the life of Bulgarians

for all its historical development.

Well, I think I would find it impossible.

Let me show you some movements.

MICHAEL LAUGHS OK.

Thank you. Let me just get this lovely costume on.

How do I look? Not quite as beautiful as you. Look at that.

-OK.

-So, the dance is called Rachenitsa.

-Yeah.

-And it's one, two, three.

One, two, three.

-Let's start with the right leg.

-OK.

-So...

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

-BOTH:

-One, two, three.

-Go.

-BOTH:

-Right, left, right.

HE GASPS

'If this is part of the national identity,

'I hope that my clumsy footwork

'doesn't cause a diplomatic incident.

-Now let's do it faster.

-OK.

-OK.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

OK, you are ready to get the part of the dance.

-Let me show you your position.

-OK, thank you, thank you. Hello.

-You are here.

-I'm here, am I?

-OK. Hello.

-We are ready to go.

-Right.

THEY SHOUT

MUSIC PLAYS

SINGING

The Thracian dance I'm attempting

is treasured for keeping the Bulgarian spirit alive

over five centuries of Ottoman rule.

And when that ended in 1878,

young and old danced hand-in-hand in celebration.

On my train journeys,

I don't often get the chance to escape from the town or the city.

And in Bulgaria, you have these enormous open spaces

and the mountains are ever present.

In this region, in Rumelia, Bradshaw's tells me,

"The rose farms, where is produced the otto or attar of roses,

"cover a great extent of the country.

"The natural conditions in Bulgaria are perfect, heaven-sent."

This industry dates back over 300 years.

And today, Bulgaria produces around 70% of the world's rose oil.

Marina Lavrenova is showing me around a farm

that's over a century old.

Marina, this is a beautiful place.

Why is it that you're able to grow such great roses here?

We are at the heart of the Rose Valley.

This is a blessed area.

And we have the perfect weather conditions

to grow the oil-bearing rose here.

-Dobar den. WOMEN:

-Dobar den.

So, how do you pick the rose? Which part are you picking?

Exactly this part.

So, she just kind of bends the rose back.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-Yes.

And the company that owns this plantation here,

when did that begin?

The company was established in 1909.

And in 1947, it was nationalised.

-During the communist...

-During the communist period.

-And now?

-In 1992,

the company was returned to the local owners.

And now it's run by the family of Enio Bonchev.

And so after all those years of communism,

the family took it back again?

-Yes.

-Fantastic story.

Once picked, the roses must be distilled immediately

to extract the scented oil in the flower,

so I'm following the process inside.

I see here all the rose petals are ready for the distillery.

Extraordinarily heady smell

of what I suppose must be hundreds of thousands of rose petals.

We are in the oldest, but still working distillery in Europe.

This place is actually unique,

because all the stills, all the containers

are made of copper,

because it makes the aroma of the water stronger.

How old are these copper stills?

Since 1909.

-Yeah.

-Just before my guidebook.

It looks like the guys are preparing for a distillation, is that right?

Exactly.

Around 180 roses are poured into each copper

and mixed with five times their weight in water.

This mixture is then boiled over an open flame

and the steam fed into a cooling chamber

where the first rose-water distillate is collected.

So, we're standing now above the stills

-and we can feel the tremendous heat that's coming out of them.

-Yes.

Let me see if I can catch one of these bags.

Whoa!

Empty the petals into the still.

Ready for the next bag. Whoa!

He's a very good thrower, this guy. He's a very good thrower.

'And with each bag weighing 15 kilos, that's no mean feat.'

Fire.

-Michael, you're doing really well.

-Thank you.

I must say, it's very physical.

Ah!

The last petal has been defeated.

-That was hard work.

-Great job.

-Thank you very much, Marina.

'A second distillation of the rose-water

'increases the concentration.'

How long does it take from the petals

all the way through to the end of the second distillation process?

Um...

The whole process? It's about two hours and 30 minutes.

-Is that all?

-Yes.

And what product does that give you?

It gives us the rose-water.

Rose-water is a cosmetic product

that's said to be excellent for the complexion.

It's sometimes also used in cooking.

But it's rose oil that is most highly prized.

Three-and-a-half tonnes of flowers will produce just one litre of oil.

The company's finest rose alba oil

sells for over £7,000 per kilo.

Welcome to our small museum.

-A delightful room.

-Thank you.

And these are very, very beautiful things. What are these?

This is a traditional wooden box. In Bulgarian, it's called muskal.

-Muskal.

-Muskal.

-Muskal.

-Yes.

It's handmade and this one is 60 years old.

Beautiful little miniature painting.

And you can find the rose oil inside.

Here, we have 0.5 millilitres of rose oil.

So, unscrew the top.

-What, you just put a little drop on, like that?

-Yes, put just a drop.

Wow.

That is intense, isn't it?

-It's amazing. I love it.

-Mm. Smell of roses all day.

-Yeah.

-Now, what's that one there?

-This is our rose-water.

-A-ha.

I can spray some of it on your face,

on your hair, so...

-Take aim, take aim.

-OK.

On the other side.

-I will put some on your hair.

-OK.

I feel completely refreshed.

'Next time, I'll get to grips with a slippery Turkish tradition...'

I've noticed that one of the techniques is to thrust a hand

down the breeches of the other wrestler so, clearly,

it's no holds barred.

'..I'll discover what Istanbul would have been like in 1913...'

There were refugees everywhere.

Muslim refugees from the Balkans crowded every available space.

'..delight in a Turkish treat...'

You should feel the resistance,

but your teeth should be able to

bite cleanly through the product.

I think I had that experience, but...

I think I might need another to be sure.

SHE LAUGHS

'..and fulfil a boyish fantasy.'

Nobody's told me, but I think this is the accelerator.

Anyone know where the brake is?

This is the route of the Orient Express,

and I am driving the train.