0:00:03 > 0:00:06I'm embarking on a new railway adventure
0:00:06 > 0:00:09that will take me beyond the heart of 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 travel
0:00:20 > 0:00:22for the British tourist.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The guide told the traveller where to go, what to see,
0:00:25 > 0:00:30and most importantly, how to navigate the thousands of miles
0:00:30 > 0:00:32of track crisscrossing the continent.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Now, a century later,
0:00:34 > 0:00:39I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42but also of high tension.
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.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12I'm continuing my 700 km Baltic journey through three countries.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I began in Riga, capital of Latvia,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29before crossing into Estonia, and the southern city of Valga.
0:01:29 > 0:01:36From there, I travelled to Tartu, Estonia's cultural capital.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Now I'm exploring the medieval city of Tallinn.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Next, I'll cross the Gulf of Finland
0:01:41 > 0:01:44to visit the daughter of the Baltic, Helsinki.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Journey's end will be Tampere, known as the Manchester of Finland.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56'Along the way, the bell tolls for me...
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Is it dangerous for the hearing?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01No, no. It takes away headache.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07That's an enormous noise!
0:02:07 > 0:02:09'..I hone my barbecue skills...'
0:02:09 > 0:02:12My sausage has burst a bit there. Is that all right?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15'..and I find peace on the water.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Completely different and special moment.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Tallinn has a magnificent collection
0:02:36 > 0:02:39of medieval and other historic buildings,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44and on a late spring day, when it's warm, everybody's out,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46it feels like the whole city is at a party.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53All over Tallinn, I see Estonian national identity being celebrated.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56But the city today also displays evidence
0:02:56 > 0:03:00of its history of subjugation by foreign powers.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's evident in the architecture
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and in the sounds of the city.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07BELLS RING
0:03:07 > 0:03:10SINGING
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Over a quarter of Estonia's 1.4 million-strong population
0:03:16 > 0:03:18is of Russian descent,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and the stunning Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral
0:03:22 > 0:03:26plays an active role in the city's religious life.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30CHANTING IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Father Juvenalis. I'm Michael. What a pleasure.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Great pleasure for me also to meet you in our cathedral.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57This is a very beautiful cathedral, but actually not very old.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It's now about 120 years.
0:04:01 > 0:04:08It was consecrated just in the year, er...1900.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Like many Russian Orthodox cathedrals,
0:04:12 > 0:04:17it's named after Alexander Nevsky, the 13th-century Russian prince
0:04:17 > 0:04:22glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Now, adoringly restored,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28its interior is filled with beautiful icons,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30dazzlingly covered with gold leaf.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36To view one of its greatest treasures requires legwork.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52- Oh, wow! This is one enormous bell! - Yes.- How big is this bell?
0:04:52 > 0:04:57This weighs 1,000 pfund,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01and it will be about 16 tonnes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05- 16 tonnes of bell!- Yes. - Do you ever ring this bell?
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Yes, all the great feasts, we ring this bell.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's called, in Church Slavonic, "Blagaya Vest".
0:05:12 > 0:05:17- It means "Good News". - The Good News Bell.- Yes.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The bell was made in St Petersburg,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and it was brought here by the railway.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29- I shall ring.- That will be marvellous. Do you think it's...?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- Is it dangerous for the hearing, do you think?- No, no.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It takes away...headache.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37THEY LAUGH
0:05:37 > 0:05:44I have experienced this. It takes a little time but it's not difficult.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Even a little boy can do this, and sometimes he IS doing this.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51It's an extraordinary feeling
0:05:51 > 0:05:54to be waiting here under this enormous bell,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57just waiting for the moment when the clapper makes contact,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59which is going to be any moment now.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03BELL CLANGS
0:06:03 > 0:06:05BELL CONTINUES TO VIBRATE
0:06:05 > 0:06:08That's an enormous noise!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14BELL CLANGS
0:06:35 > 0:06:39That thought provides a fitting end to my trip to Estonia
0:06:39 > 0:06:43before I head across the Baltic to pick up my rail journey in Finland.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45SHIP'S HORN BLARES
0:06:47 > 0:06:49'At the time of my guidebook,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52'Finland was something of a mystery to British travellers.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57'It was a challenge even to procure a map of the country in London.'
0:06:57 > 0:06:59So long, Estonia.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04I'll always associate you with the outpouring of patriotic song
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and the deep resonance of the Good News Bell.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I'm heading out into the Baltic Sea,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15for centuries strategically important
0:07:15 > 0:07:17to both Germany and Russia,
0:07:17 > 0:07:22something that historian Dr Ivo Juurvee knows all about.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28- Hello, Ivo. I'm Michael. - Nice to meet you.- Good to see you.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31So, here we have a map of the Baltic before the First World War.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36And Sweden, Germany, the Russian Empire,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40including Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And it's clear to me that the Baltic is of huge strategic importance
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- to Germany and, perhaps even more so, to Russia.- Indeed.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It was the main gate to the sea for Russia,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53or exit of the Russian Empire to the West.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The ports of St Petersburg, Tallinn and Riga had huge importance
0:07:57 > 0:07:59in exports and also in imports.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Russia has relatively few ports in the West.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It has these and it has the Black Sea,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and that represents a sort of vulnerability, doesn't it?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Well, more or less. The ports in the far north
0:08:10 > 0:08:13were not used much before the First World War.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17These sensitive waters were the scene
0:08:17 > 0:08:20of a patiently crafted diplomatic meeting in June 1908
0:08:20 > 0:08:23between the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27and his uncle by marriage, British King Edward VII.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The King was accompanied by Queen Alexandra.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35As a precaution against assassination,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37they met on board the King's royal yacht,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41the Victoria And Albert, in the Bay of Tallinn.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Edward's mission was to strengthen ties between Britain and Russia
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and thereby safeguard the delicate balance of power in Europe,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53which was increasingly under threat from Germany.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Ever since the fall of communism,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00being able to travel freely through the Baltic feels special,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04but Russia's annexation of the Crimea has stirred up bad memories
0:09:04 > 0:09:07for many, and made Finland and the Baltic countries wary
0:09:07 > 0:09:09of their neighbour's intentions.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17The entrance to Helsinki harbour,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21through a narrow channel, past the ancient fortifications,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24is extremely attractive, and as Bradshaw says,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28"Numerous small islands contribute to its picturesque appearance."
0:09:28 > 0:09:32The guidebook also tells me that it's a Russian grand duchy,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34so even before the First World War,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38it enjoyed a fair degree of autonomy from the Russian Tsar.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I shall be interested to see
0:09:40 > 0:09:45how the national character expressed itself in Finland.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48MUSIC: Karelia Suite, by Sibelius
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Helsinki, which dates back to the mid-16th century,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03became the Finnish capital in 1812,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07after Russia wrested Finland away from Swedish control.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11MUSIC: Karelia Suite, by Sibelius
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I'm in the heart of Helsinki,
0:10:17 > 0:10:22but here, at the lakeside, it has the feel of the country.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I'm surrounded by the lapping sea,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28with a mass of harbours and hidden bays.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- Hello. - Hi, you want to join?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- May I share your fire? - Please do so.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36You can show me how... how to do this.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43- Yeah, I will. Blanket is a good start.- Very good start.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47You notice that our summers are a bit chilly every once in a while.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- Those look really good.- Yeah. - Is this a local custom?
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Yeah, absolutely. People come...
0:10:53 > 0:10:56This is kind of like a cafe, here on the coastline, so people come
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and sit down, grill a bit of the sausages, see the sunset, you know.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I've just arrived, but it seems a special kind of city,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08with a lake in the centre, and this feeling of being, I don't know,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11out in the rural areas, when you're in the city.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Well, that's what they say. We are a sea-like city,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17so there's this big bay area in the middle.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- It looks like a lake but it's actually the sea.- Is it?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21So, it's a nature reserve.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I think, in Helsinki, nature's always very close.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27We have lots of cultural things, cultural venues,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but always the green areas and everything
0:11:29 > 0:11:31are in our hearts, I would say.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34My sausage has burst a bit there. Is that all right?
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Yeah, that's the thing. Just don't put it too close to the fire.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41That's looking good.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Yeah, I think you just put some mustard on the top,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and you're good to go.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50You know, some people are very sensitive with a bit of mustard,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52but I just put it all over.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Mmm, tastes so good, doesn't it, from the charcoal fire?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Yeah, I think, when you're outdoors as well.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03You get a different appetite when you are sitting outside.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- It's the place as well. - Mmm.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And with your help, I cooked that really well.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Well done.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21CHURCH BELLS TOLL
0:12:26 > 0:12:30This beautiful morning finds me in what Bradshaw's describes as,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32"A fine square, the Senate Square,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35"with imposing public buildings on each side."
0:12:35 > 0:12:41And they are the University, the Cathedral, and the Senate.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And this square is the very heart of Finnish nationalism.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47The Finns, with their own institutions,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50enjoyed a good deal of self-government,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53by comparison with the Latvians and the Estonians,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58and their independence was increased by this Russian Tsar, Alexander II.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03When, in 1899, his grandson tightened the Russian grip
0:13:03 > 0:13:08on Finland, protesting Finns came here and laid flowers
0:13:08 > 0:13:11at the feet of the man they called the "Good Tsar".
0:13:11 > 0:13:15MUSIC: Symphony No 2 In D Major, by Sibelius
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'And just as in Estonia,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26'music would help to propel the Finns towards independence.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31'I'm meeting Vesa Ruotonen
0:13:31 > 0:13:34'at the city's historic Kamp Hotel,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39'a favourite haunt in the late 19th century of Jean Sibelius,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41'surely Finland's greatest composer.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Skol. - Skol.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48So, is it suitable to be drinking champagne while discussing Sibelius?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Oh, yes! He was here, actually, always drinking the champagne.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55You know, he could stay here for a couple of weeks.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Why is it that Sibelius is so important to Finns?
0:13:59 > 0:14:03He did put the Finnish soul into the music,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and he was also a person that his music followed the
0:14:07 > 0:14:12national development of the country. And here, the political
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and the national and the arts were going the same way,
0:14:16 > 0:14:21and Sibelius was the leading person with his Finlandia,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23which is actually kind of the ideal
0:14:23 > 0:14:27of what it is to be free and what it is to be Finn.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31MUSIC: Finlandia Op 26, by Sibelius
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Sibelius was born in 1865
0:14:36 > 0:14:41and, although his mother wanted him to study law, his passion was music.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43He became an accomplished violinist
0:14:43 > 0:14:47before devoting himself to composition.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50He wrote seven symphonies and a violin concerto,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53as well as Finlandia.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59His music reflects the nature and also the nature of the Finns
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and human nature displayed all over the world nowadays.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10Sibelius also composed lyrical pieces, like this beautiful romance.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14MUSIC PLAYS
0:15:21 > 0:15:25But in 1899, he turned his hand to music
0:15:25 > 0:15:30about the struggle of the Finns to rid themselves of Russian rule.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Very lovely. Hello, I'm Michael.
0:15:55 > 0:16:01- Hello, I'm Emilia.- Emilia. - Hello.- Very good to see you.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Vesa, Finlandia comes at a really key moment.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Yeah, when it came out, people immediately understood the message.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13It's beautiful music, but it's also a sign for the Finns
0:16:13 > 0:16:16that we have to be united now, to get free.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19HE PLAYS EXTRACT FROM FINLANDIA BY SIBELIUS
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- That's the Russians. - Right.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39We've got a few bars, and then comes the choral.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45This is what the Finns are singing - "God, do something. Help us."
0:16:45 > 0:16:48HE PLAYS EXTRACT FROM FINLANDIA BY SIBELIUS
0:16:48 > 0:16:52"Why you did not help? Now we Finns have to fight for the freedom."
0:16:52 > 0:16:56HE PLAYS EXTRACT FROM FINLANDIA BY SIBELIUS
0:17:13 > 0:17:16After the victorious battle,
0:17:16 > 0:17:21now we are finally free to sing the anthem, Finlandia.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25THEY PLAY EXTRACT FROM FINLANDIA BY SIBELIUS
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Resistance against the Russians gathered strength,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05until, as Russia was taken over by the Bolsheviks in 1917,
0:18:05 > 0:18:10the Finnish parliament declared the nation's independence.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12It was as if, with Finlandia,
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Sibelius had supplied his country with a national hymn.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Even at the railway station,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28I find a celebration of what it is to be Finnish.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Helsinki's magnificent railway station was designed
0:18:32 > 0:18:36by a friend of Jean Sibelius, called Eliel Saarinen.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39His original idea was a kind of romantic
0:18:39 > 0:18:4219th-century-style building,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45but in the political turmoil of the early 20th century,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49when Finland was wrestling with its Russian oppressor,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53he came up with a different design - something very 20th century,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56something very modern, uniquely Finnish,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and so, in a way, this building is also highly political.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06I'm back on track, heading north to the city of Tampere,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09just over one-and-a-half hours away by train.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'These new high-speed Italian tilting trains
0:19:14 > 0:19:19'are fast and comfortable, and I particularly love that the interior
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'has been designed to blend with my jacket.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- PA:- 'Ladies and gentlemen,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29'this is a Pendolino train via Tampere and Jyvaskyla to Kuopio.'
0:19:39 > 0:19:41In the middle of the 19th century,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Finns had to decide where to build their first railway line.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Russophiles favoured one from Helsinki to St Petersburg,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50while nationalists thought one should be built
0:19:50 > 0:19:53to promote domestic economic activity.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58In the end, the first one opened on this line in 1862,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02between Helsinki and the Finnish town of Hameenlinna,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and the one to Russia had to wait another eight years.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- PA:- 'The next stop - Tampere.'
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Tampere is a city built on the power of water.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38The rushing rapids of the Tammerkoski River
0:20:38 > 0:20:42drive the city's imposing 19th-century mills.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's retained many of its factories,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and its paper mills still supply much of Finland's paper.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53But surrounding what's become known as the Manchester of Finland
0:20:53 > 0:20:55are 200 beautiful lakes...
0:21:03 > 0:21:08..perfect to allow me to feel what it's like to be free and Finnish.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23When the days get longer, the Finns take to their country houses,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27and to the lakeside, in order to commune with nature,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and although I'm a city boy, I thought I'd give it a go.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39First, heat your hot tub with freshly chopped wood.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Then remove tarpaulin from hot tub.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Aha!
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Stir the water,
0:21:59 > 0:22:05in order to mix the hot at the top with the cold at the bottom.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Now, all is ready.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16'It's 11:00 at night and sunset,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19'and I begin to experience an iconic Finnish natural phenomenon -
0:22:19 > 0:22:24'the white nights, when there is light throughout the 24 hours.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'With long, cold, dark winters,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'summer in Finland is about being outside.'
0:22:31 > 0:22:34What better thing to do... Argh!
0:22:34 > 0:22:36..than to get into a hot tub
0:22:36 > 0:22:41and enjoy a cloudberry liqueur known as a lakka?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Why...
0:22:48 > 0:22:52..would the people of this country, in the middle of the night,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55get into hot water and drink alcohol?
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Because this is the way that a day must finish.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20I don't find it easy to sleep when it's daylight all night,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25but breakfast with this beautiful view and the fresh air
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and the stiff breeze coming off the lake, that really wakes me up.
0:23:45 > 0:23:51- Hello, canoeists!- Hello, Michael. - Good morning.- Good morning.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56- Nice to see you, Michael.- Oh, it's lovely to see YOU. Come alongside.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02'I'm being met by canoe guides Liisa and Pekka Tyllila.'
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Isn't it beautiful?
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- It's nice weather today for canoeing.- It looks perfect.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28'Seeing the world from the bow of a silent canoe is truly special.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:46This is an extraordinary moment for me,
0:24:46 > 0:24:52because I'm hearing something that I never hear,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54which is silence...
0:24:54 > 0:24:59if you discount the sound of the birds,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and the wind moving across the lake.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Completely different and special moment.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Absolutely exceptional in my existence.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Liisa, what's the name of this lake?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Vuokalanjarvi.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Vuokalanjarvi.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Fine! Perfect! You are almost a Finn.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31THEY LAUGH
0:25:31 > 0:25:34How long have Finns been canoeing, Liisa?
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Well, it started, actually, in 1891,
0:25:39 > 0:25:45when a minister of finances, August Ramsay, published his book.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50'With over 180,000 lakes in Finland to paddle, August Ramsay's guide
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'encouraged Finns to take to canoes for leisure.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:57So, I find the stories very interesting
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and it tells how it was.
0:26:00 > 0:26:06And did you see the first picture, where the canoeing men,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10they're helped by women to carry the canoes?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12THEY LAUGH
0:26:12 > 0:26:17So, that was one way to get to know young women in the countryside.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21But also, actually, you Finns gave equality to women
0:26:21 > 0:26:23very early on, didn't you?
0:26:23 > 0:26:29Yes, Finland is the third country to give women the right to vote,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34so the girls from countryside moved to towns
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and started to get salary.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41They became independent, and that was the big step.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And they earned the right to carry the canoe as well.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47LIISA LAUGHS
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Well, not so many Finnish ladies do that.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- I like your book, it's beautifully illustrated.- Yeah?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's a sort of Finnish canoeing Bradshaw's.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15A century ago, the Bradshaw's visitor to the Baltic region
0:27:15 > 0:27:19of the Russian Empire heard the cry for freedom.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23In Riga, demonstrators had recently been massacred,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27in Estonia, choirs sang about liberty,
0:27:27 > 0:27:28whilst, in Finland,
0:27:28 > 0:27:33the music of Jean Sibelius longed for independence.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36The 20th century brought the region moments of joy
0:27:36 > 0:27:41and periods of catastrophe, until, in the 1980s,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45a singing revolution helped to restore self-government.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48These peoples eventually triumphed,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51not through force of arms or numbers,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54but because of the strength of their national cultures.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59'Next time...'
0:27:59 > 0:28:01This is absolutely terrifying.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04'..I'll need some Dutch courage.'
0:28:04 > 0:28:05THUD
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Ha-ha!
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I didn't expect that! We got a hole in one.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'And I'll root around the world's largest flower auction...'
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Tell me there are some rules here, right?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18There are some rules of the road, are there?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Well, they SAY they have traffic rules.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24'..before tilting at windmills.'
0:28:24 > 0:28:2830,000 kilos, and I haven't even broken a sweat.