0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm embarking on a new railway adventure
0:00:07 > 0:00:10that will take me across 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 > 0:00:25It told travellers where to go,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27what to see and how to navigate
0:00:27 > 0:00:30the thousands of miles of tracks to cross the continent.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Now, a century later, I'm using my copy
0:00:35 > 0:00:39to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41but also of high tension.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I want to rediscover that lost Europe that in 1913
0:00:46 > 0:00:51couldn't have known that its way of life would shortly be swept aside
0:00:51 > 0:00:53by the advent of war.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14This journey takes me to the most eastern reaches of Europe.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Although one of its youngest nations,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20recognised as a kingdom only in 1881,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Romania's situation and natural resources
0:01:23 > 0:01:26attracted the attention of the great powers
0:01:26 > 0:01:28in the years before the First World War.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36"Romania is a modern kingdom,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40"formerly a Turkish principality," says my Bradshaw's Guide.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44That kingdom was only about 30 years old.
0:01:44 > 0:01:491913 brought important territorial gains for Romania
0:01:49 > 0:01:53as the old Turkish Ottoman Empire crumbled.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57But Romania was still the slow train of Europe.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00It had a backward agricultural economy
0:02:00 > 0:02:03with some astonishing touches of modernity.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Today, I feel as though I'm visiting a new country again
0:02:07 > 0:02:11because, less than 30 years ago, the old communist dictator Ceausescu
0:02:11 > 0:02:14was killed, setting Romania free.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And, like my equivalent traveller of a century ago,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'm prepared for some surprises.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34My route will begin in the Transylvanian town of Brasov.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I take in vampires and castles,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41before visiting a fairytale palace in Sinaia.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I strike oil in Ploiseti
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and uncover a moving story in the capital, Bucharest,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52before ending my trip on the Black Sea in the port of Constanta.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59'Along the way, I experience a rare and beautiful wilderness...'
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Wake up. Did you sleep well?
0:03:03 > 0:03:08I feel really very privileged to see this magnificent animal in the wild.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Thank you very much.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'..marvel at some 100-year-old technology...
0:03:13 > 0:03:18That enormous roof just swishes aside. It's wonderful.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23'..test my head for heights...
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Whoa, this is scary.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26I've got the shakes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32'..and find a kindred spirit in Dracula.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:35"I found the Count lying on the sofa
0:03:35 > 0:03:38"reading an English Bradshaw's Guide."
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Everybody needed a Bradshaw's Guide,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43even if you were a bloodsucking vampire.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01My first stop will be Brasov.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07Bradshaw's tells me, "It's a finely situated and important commercial town."
0:04:07 > 0:04:09It's in Transylvania
0:04:09 > 0:04:14which, a century ago, was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20In the Middle Ages, a bold warrior battled against the Ottoman Turks.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22With a name like Vlad the Impaler,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25he might find a place in any heart.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Brasov is the gateway to Transylvania.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46It's surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains
0:04:46 > 0:04:49at the meeting point of the three ancient principalities
0:04:49 > 0:04:52of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Bradshaw's draws my attention to the enormous parish church
0:05:05 > 0:05:07of the 14th to 16th century
0:05:07 > 0:05:13and the town hall with its tower 190ft tall.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I'm in eastern Europe and it doesn't feel like it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21The town was colonised by Saxons, so the architecture is Germanic.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26It was protected against the Ottoman Turks by fortifications
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and Transylvania was never Islamic.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34In Christian Church terms, it was Western rather than Orthodox.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Brasov is a sort of gateway
0:05:36 > 0:05:40between Occidental and Oriental Europe.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The immaculately well-preserved old town
0:05:52 > 0:05:55has made Brasov one of the most visited places in Romania.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Here's a tip. Bradshaw's says that "From the mountain,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10"which is now called the Timpa,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15"3,153ft high on the west side of the town,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17"is a very fine view."
0:06:17 > 0:06:18That's where I'm headed.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm following my guidebook up to a point.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28In 1913, reaching the peak would have entailed
0:06:28 > 0:06:31a one-hour hike up the slope,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but that's because this splendid cable car hadn't yet been built.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03What's so striking from up here is an immense contrast.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07In the old town, the beautiful tawny roofs.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13On the outskirts, the hideous white tower blocks of the communist era.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15It is a tale of two cities.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I'm leaving Brasov and taking a regional train
0:07:27 > 0:07:29further into the Carpathians.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I'm on my way to Bran Castle.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47There's literary evidence that Bradshaw's Guide
0:07:47 > 0:07:50was read in Transylvania a century ago.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54After all, it is a book you can get your TEETH into
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and the information it contains, you can COUNT on.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19There was a storm overnight and because of that, the mountains today
0:08:19 > 0:08:23are spectacularly clear and they just seem to come out of nowhere.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Set in a natural amphitheatre on a dramatic hilltop,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54I find the magnificent Bran Castle.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It was built in the 14th century to defend Transylvania
0:08:57 > 0:09:00from repeated Ottoman invasion.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03By the time of my guidebook, it had become the inspiration
0:09:03 > 0:09:07for one of the most popular of all Gothic novels,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Bram Stoker's Dracula.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14THUNDERCLAP
0:09:18 > 0:09:21In the shadow of this menacing fortification,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23I'm meeting my guide, Mattei.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Hello, Mattei.- Hello, Michael.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Do you know, all my life I've wanted to see this castle
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and I am not disappointed. It is marvellous.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Had Bram Stoker ever seen it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Well, Bram Stoker, as far as we know,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41he never visited Transylvania or Romania,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45but he had lots of information at the Royal Library in London
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and the British Museum.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50What were Stoker's sources for his book?
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Well, at the very beginning,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54he had an idea to publish a book about a monster.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58He used the name Count Wampyr at the beginning. It was a novel.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01He didn't have the huge success, though.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Then he realised that the most important ingredient about the monster,
0:10:05 > 0:10:06it's obviously the name.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10And he discovered the legend of Vlad the Impaler,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13better known as Dracula.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16When he found out what Dracula means.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18In Romanian, it's "Dracul", the devil.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21"Dracula", the devil's son.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23With a name like Dracula, you don't have to be a good writer.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Was there a vampire myth in Transylvania
0:10:26 > 0:10:29from which Bram Stoker drew inspiration?
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Oh, yes, in the dark period of the 18th-century,
0:10:33 > 0:10:38it was a vampire frenzy in Transylvania.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40The priest will decide that the person died.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43The priest will come with the mirror, "Oh, he's not breathing. He's dead. OK."
0:10:43 > 0:10:46A ceremony and then they put them in a coffin.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Obviously, some of them were not really dead.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53A day later the person was coming out from the grave, digging -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56it was easy to dig and they had enough oxygen -
0:10:56 > 0:10:58coming back knocking at the door, "I'm home."
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Imagine the family after so many stories
0:11:01 > 0:11:05with creatures of the night. They thought, "He's a vampire."
0:11:05 > 0:11:09So Bram Stoker collect all these legends and stories
0:11:09 > 0:11:12about superstition in Transylvania
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and it come out a great book.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22First published in 1897, the book and subsequent films
0:11:22 > 0:11:26became hugely popular throughout the world,
0:11:26 > 0:11:27except in Romania.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Under communism, the book was banned,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34as was any reference to the supernatural.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Today, the fictional associations of Bran Castle
0:11:40 > 0:11:43are an important attraction to visitors like me.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Well, here we are in Count Dracula's library.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Yes, and I have a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula
0:11:59 > 0:12:04and there is a line over here that I guess you will be interested in.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08"The lamps were also lit in the study or library
0:12:08 > 0:12:11"and I found the Count lying on the sofa reading,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14"of all things in the world,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16"an English Bradshaw's Guide."
0:12:18 > 0:12:19I knew about this passage,
0:12:19 > 0:12:24but do you know why he was consulting an English Bradshaw's Guide?
0:12:24 > 0:12:30He had a plan to send from Whitby to London King's Cross Station
0:12:30 > 0:12:3650 Transylvanian coffins with Transylvanian earth inside
0:12:36 > 0:12:38for him to be able to survive
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and he's looked inside the English Bradshaw's Guide
0:12:42 > 0:12:45to find a schedule of the trains.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49You see, in the 19th century, everybody needed a Bradshaw's,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51even if you were a bloodsucking vampire.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Yes, I guess you are right.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I've escaped unscathed and journey on
0:13:01 > 0:13:04on a form of transport which would have been familiar
0:13:04 > 0:13:06to the 1913 traveller.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Still a common sight in Transylvania.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34My guidebook says of the Carpathian Mountains,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36"Snow-clad granite peaks,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38"mountain gorges,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40"ranges of forest,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44"delightful valleys with numerous beautiful small lakes
0:13:44 > 0:13:47"combine their charms in this romantic country."
0:13:47 > 0:13:50In all my travels, I never saw a place less changed
0:13:50 > 0:13:53from the Bradshaw description.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It is so unspoiled and achingly beautiful.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21It's a land defined by tradition and regional customs.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Shepherds' villages perch on remote slopes.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36I've come to Magura to meet wildlife guide Dan Marin,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39whose family has lived in these mountains for generations.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47These villages in the Carpathian Mountains,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51they seem to be sheltered from the passage of time.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52Yes, they are. They are quite isolated
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and the villagers have been somehow forced
0:14:55 > 0:14:58to stick to a certain way of life.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00And what do they live off here?
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Most of the families in the village own a small number of sheep,
0:15:03 > 0:15:04one or two cows.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09It's a sort of an annual cycle with this way of life.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13There's no artificial fertilisers that people use here.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14No pesticides.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17So it's really good quality.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20So you do have, really, a very natural environment?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Romania has become one of the cleanest countries in the whole of Europe.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28One of the results of this traditional way of managing the land
0:15:28 > 0:15:33is a huge variety of wild flowers, especially orchids.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36We have 41 different species of orchids
0:15:36 > 0:15:40growing in hundreds or thousands on the meadows around here.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Many wild flower species long since lost to the rest of Europe
0:15:47 > 0:15:51still flourish here, thanks to small-scale farming.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Dan is taking me to meet a local shepherd, Ioan.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02At 70 years old, he continues to tend his flock of sheep.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Ah, that's where he sleeps.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10That is one of the typical shepherds' huts.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Oh, my goodness. That's tiny.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Do you fit in there?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18He does fit in there. He does fit in there.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'In summer, the shepherds wheel these portable huts
0:16:21 > 0:16:25'up to the high pasture and stay in them for up to five months.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Wake up! Morning!
0:16:30 > 0:16:31It's morning!
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Hello.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Did you sleep well?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45The shepherd must stand ready to protect his precious flock
0:16:45 > 0:16:48of 20 sheep from wolves and bears.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Aaah!
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Beautiful creature.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06And in the summer how high up will you go?
0:17:11 > 0:17:131,300, 1,400 metres.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Even up to the top, that's about 1,800 metres.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21When Ioan's not up in the high pasture,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24he must maintain his land and, of course,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27it is done in the traditional manner,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29by hand
0:17:29 > 0:17:31with a scythe.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35- No, no, no.- Like that?
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Is that good?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'I sense that Ioan's not impressed with my technique.'
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Ah, OK. Now, that is effective.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56OK, let me try that method.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- Try to keep it to the... - To the ground.- ..to the ground.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Better?
0:18:02 > 0:18:03No?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06He just keeps shaking his head.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12No?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20I'm not sure that I'd last long out here. It's a hard life.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22But the lack of mechanisation
0:18:22 > 0:18:26results in a wonderfully unspoiled environment,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29one of this continent's last wildernesses.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37This, the most extensive tract of unbroken forest in Central Europe,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40is the habitat of one of the world's largest carnivores.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Dan takes me to a forest hide, where, if I'm lucky,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I may see a wild brown bear.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56In between the town that we have just left
0:18:56 > 0:18:58and this side of the Fagaras Mountains
0:18:58 > 0:19:00there are no human settlements.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02There is no tourists.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04It's a perfect place for different wild animals,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07especially wolves and bears.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11It's dusk,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15when both wolves and bears approach in search of food.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Look.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26What luck.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29What a beautiful specimen.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Romania has the largest number of bears and wolves
0:19:52 > 0:19:54in the whole of Europe.
0:19:54 > 0:19:586,000 bears and about 3,000 wolves
0:19:58 > 0:20:02compared to, for instance, 20 bears in France.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15I feel really very privileged
0:20:15 > 0:20:19because, you know, at one time, Europe was covered in bears
0:20:19 > 0:20:23but now, really, you have to come to somewhere like Romania, that
0:20:23 > 0:20:25has maintained its wilderness,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28to see this magnificent animal in the wild.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Thank you very much.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00This morning, I'm taking one of Romania's regional trains
0:21:00 > 0:21:02along a well-travelled route.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14My next stop will be Sinaia,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18which the guidebook tells me is "an attractive spot
0:21:18 > 0:21:21"in the Carpathians with villas and hotels
0:21:21 > 0:21:24"where the King has a palace."
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I believe the royal residence is about 3,000ft above sea level,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30so I'm going up in the world.
0:21:50 > 0:21:56Built in 1883, Sinaia Station was on the route of the Orient Express.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Amongst the distinguished passengers who alighted here
0:21:59 > 0:22:01were guests of Romania's king.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09For it's here that he built a magnificent royal palace,
0:22:09 > 0:22:10Peles Castle.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18I'm meeting Daniela Voitescu, who will be my guide.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Daniela, it is a fantastic castle.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Who built it?
0:22:29 > 0:22:36Well, this fairytale castle was built by the first Romanian king,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Carol I, a German one,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43who came to Romania in 1866.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48The Romanian people decided Romania needed a king
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and he was the only one who had accepted it
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and the country became a monarchy.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Why did he build this fairytale castle?
0:22:57 > 0:23:04He has chosen this place because of the view through the mountains.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10The royal family used to live here only in summer time
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and it was built for many guests.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18And almost all the crowned heads from Europe at that time
0:23:18 > 0:23:21have been invited here on holiday.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32King Carol wanted a palace to impress his peers and courtiers.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The new monarch was keen to show that under his rule,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42newly independent Romania was a powerful, progressive
0:23:42 > 0:23:43and modern kingdom.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Peles Castle was to be a showcase for the latest technology.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57This castle was one of the first private residences in Europe
0:23:57 > 0:23:59to have central heating.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02This is the original boiler.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06And then the central heating was by means of radiators, was it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Yes, which are still working.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10This is extraordinary.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14I mean, clearly King Carol had very advanced ideas.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17He was absolutely at the forefront of modern technology.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19What else did he put into the palace?
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Well, modern bathrooms.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26I mean, running water, hot and cold.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32An electric elevator and a central vacuum cleaner
0:24:32 > 0:24:33which is still working.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35That I have to see!
0:24:38 > 0:24:42With 160 rooms, including 80 bedrooms, to service,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46the housemaids could attach a newfangled cleaning contraption
0:24:46 > 0:24:48to a central suction system.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00This 100-year-old vacuum cleaner is today used with modern fittings
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and remains surprisingly effective.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Look at that!
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'But I don't want to get sucked into housework.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'There's more to explore in this castle of surprises.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Daniela, this is really a spectacular room.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Tell me about this.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36This is the main hall of the castle.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The skylight was the King's idea,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44which can be opened and it slides electrically.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And when it was inaugurated more than 100 years ago,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50it was already an electric roof?
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Yes. The castle had electricity since 1884.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59He was very proud to gather with the guests here
0:25:59 > 0:26:03to push the button himself.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Does it still work?- Yes.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09HE LAUGHS
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Oh, that's beautiful.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16That enormous roof just swishes aside.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19And allows in the daylight.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21It's wonderful.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34King Carol's desire to modernise
0:26:34 > 0:26:39naturally led him to push the development of Romania's railways.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44He undertook not to go abroad until he could do so by train.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49So for the first three years of his reign, he was tied to home.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54By 1869, the first line was built
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and the network that emerged allowed the country's cheap
0:26:57 > 0:27:01agricultural products to be exported to Western markets,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04linking Romania to the European economy.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16I'm approaching the halfway point of my journey, which will continue
0:27:16 > 0:27:20with the industrial city of Ploiesti, the capital, Bucharest,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and finally the country's main Black Sea port.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Ploiesti is one of Romania's most important industrial cities.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42And it doesn't take long to spot why.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Oil.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I'm surprised to discover that Romania
0:27:50 > 0:27:53has been refining oil since 1857.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It was the first country in the world to have its crude oil output
0:27:59 > 0:28:01officially recorded.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05In that year, the world's first oil refinery
0:28:05 > 0:28:09was built at Ploiesti and I'm visiting one of its successors,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13the Vega plant, to meet the project manager.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19So oil production goes back a long way in Romania.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21How long has this refinery been here?
0:28:21 > 0:28:25- This refinery was born in 1905. - That is amazing.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29More than a century ago, and that is older than the guide book I'm using.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31What is the main product from this refinery?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34The main product from our refinery is bitumen.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41Made from petroleum, bitumen is most commonly used for surfacing roads.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- I spend a lot of my life waiting for a train.- Yeah?
0:28:48 > 0:28:53The raw material arrives by rail from Vega's sister refinery
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and is unloaded here before being processed.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04From here, we unload the raw material, we pump through the tanks.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- Put this nozzle on?- Yes, yes. Yes, please.- Match these up.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- And turn?- Yes.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- You must open the valve. - Open the valve.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20MACHINE STARTS
0:29:24 > 0:29:27OK, done.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The bitumen enters the plant to begin a process of oxidation,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34which will make it rubbery and more durable.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41Here we have the oldest equipment under operation from the refinery.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46It's a very old compressor, who was started in 1922.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50We use this compressor in order to supply the air for the
0:29:50 > 0:29:52oxidation on bitumen.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- Number two compressor. 1922 style!- Yeah!
0:30:13 > 0:30:15After 12-18 hours of oxidation,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18the bitumen is ready to be loaded into road tankers.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- Is the loading arm in position? - 'OK.'
0:30:25 > 0:30:28We're going to start loading, thank you.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- Right, how do we start?- OK. OK.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Michael, to push here on the red button
0:30:33 > 0:30:36to start the loading.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41- OK, Michael. You can see also on the truck with that smoke.- A result!
0:30:41 > 0:30:44The result of the loading, yes, exactly.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Products from this refinery are destined for markets in
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Europe, North Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57And I'm destined for my bed.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Today, I'm leaving the industry of Ploiesti to continue south to
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Romania's largest city.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22DOG BARKS
0:31:23 > 0:31:26DOG CONTINUES BARKING
0:31:42 > 0:31:44My next stop will be Bucharest.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Bradshaw's tells me that it's... "The capital of Romania,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51"often swept by strong winds, a very unsettled climate.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54"The trade of the city continually increases.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59"Improvements have swept away most of the old, squalid, Oriental
0:31:59 > 0:32:02"districts, and occasionally the city
0:32:02 > 0:32:04"is mentioned as a smaller Paris."
0:32:04 > 0:32:08I shall be very interested to see it because during the communist
0:32:08 > 0:32:12period, President Ceaucescu also did a lot of sweeping away.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33For early 20th century tourists, alighting in the capital of
0:32:33 > 0:32:36this new kingdom would have been exciting,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38even daunting.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Although the seasoned European traveller might be reassured
0:32:41 > 0:32:43by some familiar touches.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The very first reminder of Paris is the name of this station,
0:32:48 > 0:32:53Gara de Nord, and it's not just the name - it was built in 1872 at
0:32:53 > 0:32:57a time when French cultural and architectural influences
0:32:57 > 0:32:58were very strong.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02And then, just imagine all the French people who were arriving
0:33:02 > 0:33:06by train at the station, bringing with them all their influences.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24The city of Bucharest flourished during the reign of
0:33:24 > 0:33:29King Carol I, between 1866 and 1914.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34New boulevards were created in the style of Haussmann's Paris.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Most of its major buildings were designed by French or
0:33:37 > 0:33:39French-trained architects.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42The city has its own Arc de Triomphe.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55At the time of my guide book, King Carol's Romania was gaining
0:33:55 > 0:33:59in confidence and seeking greater influence.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Two Balkan wars gave Romania bargaining power.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13In 1912, a group of Balkan countries took advantage of Turkey's
0:34:13 > 0:34:17weakness to seize most of its remaining territory in Europe.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22But Bulgaria's jealous neighbours thought that it had gained
0:34:22 > 0:34:26too much and a second Balkan war broke out in 1913.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Romania contrived to host the peace conference,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34here in Bucharest later that year.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38And gained a city on the Black Sea and another on the Danube and
0:34:38 > 0:34:42an increase in population of a quarter of a million.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46But if any of the delegates came to this late-19th century
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Gothic-themed restaurant to celebrate,
0:34:49 > 0:34:54their rejoicing would have been very short-lived because events in
0:34:54 > 0:34:57the Balkans precipitated World War I.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00And that brought untold suffering to all of Europe.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Romania had become a significant player in the region.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Her allegiance would be eagerly courted by both sides during
0:35:14 > 0:35:17the conflict to come.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22Early 20th century Bucharest was a cosmopolitan city, where art,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24architecture and music flourished.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30George Enescu, Romania's greatest musician and composer,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33was hugely popular in his home country and across Europe.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39The Cantacuzino Palace holds a museum dedicated to him.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43And I feel privileged to be shown around by Romania's most
0:35:43 > 0:35:46celebrated violinist, Alexandru Tomescu.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Maestro, here is George Enescu.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58What kind of an inspiration has he been to you?
0:35:58 > 0:36:02George Enescu is a complete artist for me.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05He was not just a great composer, a great violinist,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08maybe one of the greatest of the century,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10not just a great teacher,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13who could memorise a piece just sight-reading it for the
0:36:13 > 0:36:17first time and then he would put it beside him and then would be
0:36:17 > 0:36:19able to reproduce every single note.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23But besides all of these artistical qualities, he was very
0:36:23 > 0:36:27intensely preoccupied with the fate of the young composers of Romania.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30He established an award for the young composers.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32He did so much for this country.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36You don't happen to have a violin with you today, do you?
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I always travel accompanied by my violin, even when I'm on holidays.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42So it's with me, yes, indeed.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Born in 1881, George Enescu was a prodigy,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53admitted to the Vienna Conservatory at the tender age of seven.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59In later life, he gained international acclaim for his
0:36:59 > 0:37:03orchestral compositions, including his Romanian Rhapsodies.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Well, Alexandru, what violin have you brought today?
0:37:12 > 0:37:14The very best violin, from Romania.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19It's a Stradivarius, built in 1702, during his golden age.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23It was purchased by Romanian state back in 1955 and may be the
0:37:23 > 0:37:27best ever investment that the Romanian state made.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29It's a true beauty.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32It is priceless. It is one of the few remaining ones.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37No amount of money, regardless how big, can replace it.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Would it be possible to hear something by Enescu on
0:37:41 > 0:37:46- a Stradivarius?- Not only possible, it will be a great joy for me.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49HE PLAYS
0:38:34 > 0:38:41Alexandru Tomescu, George Enescu, a Stradivarius - it's overwhelming.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- Thank you so much.- A great pleasure.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55And a further privilege - that's not all I'll hear of his music.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57The Enescu Philharmonic is rehearsing for
0:38:57 > 0:39:00a performance in the Athenaeum,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03offering me an insight into their work.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06ORCHESTRA PLAYS
0:39:53 > 0:39:55The visitor to Bucharest a century ago,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57could have come to the Athenaeum and seen
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Romanian history represented in the round.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05And perhaps through Enescu's second Romanian Rhapsody,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07I've glimpsed the Romanian soul as well.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13MUSIC CONTINUES
0:41:12 > 0:41:16I'm staying in the elegant Continental Hotel,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18mentioned in my Bradshaw's Guide.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21And, overall, I've been surprised how many
0:41:21 > 0:41:24old buildings have survived in Bucharest.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28I like to think of these historic structures all across Europe
0:41:28 > 0:41:31as being like silent, outraged spectators
0:41:31 > 0:41:33to the events of the 20th century.
0:41:33 > 0:41:39Two world wars and the depravities of Nazism and fascism and communism,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43waiting patiently for sanity to be restored.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57If you choose your route carefully, Bradshaw's 1913 Bucharest
0:41:57 > 0:41:58is much in evidence.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04But take a turn off that route and the brutalist tower blocks
0:42:04 > 0:42:07tell the story of Bucharest and Romania
0:42:07 > 0:42:09in the latter half of the 20th century.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Bradshaw's had prepared me for
0:42:21 > 0:42:24the cupular-shaped church towers of Bucharest.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27But this is the architecture of tyranny,
0:42:27 > 0:42:32the sort that flattens everything that gets in its way.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36It was build in the 1980s on the orders of a megalomaniac -
0:42:36 > 0:42:38President Ceausescu.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42It was intended to be a monument that would last 500 years.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46But he was shot before the decade had ended.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Backed by the Soviet Union, the communists had
0:42:51 > 0:42:54seized power shortly after the Second World War.
0:42:54 > 0:43:01Between 1965 and 1989, Romania endured the despotic regime of
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Nicolae Ceausescu, which scarred the nation.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Despite economic mismanagement resulting in widespread poverty,
0:43:10 > 0:43:15Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, pursued grandiose projects,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18such as the building of the Palace Of The Parliament in Bucharest.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25At 365,000 square metres, it is the second largest
0:43:25 > 0:43:29administrative building in the world after the Pentagon.
0:43:31 > 0:43:36I'm meeting Adrian Iordachescu, whose father emerged a hero
0:43:36 > 0:43:39as a result of this extravagant project.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- Hello, Adrian.- Glad to meet you.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Very good to see you. Well, here we are,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47virtually in the shadow of the Palace Of The Parliament.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49What was in this area before?
0:43:49 > 0:43:54A pretty nice quarter, with old houses.
0:43:54 > 0:44:00Very quiet. There were a lot of churches, small streets.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04What happened to those houses and those churches in this quarter?
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Totally demolished.
0:44:06 > 0:44:12The property was not, uh, the major concern of the regime.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17More than 40,000 residents were given
0:44:17 > 0:44:19just days to vacate their homes.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24And one-fifth of Bucharest was flattened to make way
0:44:24 > 0:44:26for Ceausescu's vanity project.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Did anything survive?
0:44:34 > 0:44:40Yes, a couple of churches were saved by my father.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45My father is a civil engineer, and he had that great idea
0:44:45 > 0:44:49to relocate buildings.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51What do you think was the most important thing that was saved?
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Probably Mihai Voda church -
0:44:54 > 0:45:00it's one of the most important buildings, which was relocated.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08To save the 16th-century Mihai Voda church from demolition,
0:45:08 > 0:45:13Adrian's father, Eugen, came up with an ingenious method of moving it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18The building was cut from its foundation at ground level,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22raised, supported by hydraulic jacks,
0:45:22 > 0:45:27before being transported on railway bogeys along train tracks.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34To the amazement of crowds,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37the church was moved in one piece,
0:45:37 > 0:45:42289 metres away from Ceausescu's bulldozers.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54It took two weeks for the church to reach its new location.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05So, Aidan, it is a beautiful church,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09and this is where it ended up after its 289-metre journey.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12But now it's hemmed in by blocks of flats.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16A couple of years ago, the chief architect and the mayor
0:46:16 > 0:46:19asked my father to think of a solution
0:46:19 > 0:46:23to relocate the building on the initial site.
0:46:24 > 0:46:25- Can we go inside?- Sure.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38When I see the church, I'm struck by its simple beauty.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44And now I fully appreciate the audacity of the operation.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56And to my delight, Eugen Iordachescu is here to meet me.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03My father. That's the man I told you about.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06What a great honour to meet you, sir. This is fantastic.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09- Thank you very much.- You are the man who saved this church,
0:47:09 > 0:47:10and so many other buildings.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12HE SPEAKS ROMANIAN
0:47:30 > 0:47:34Are you a religious man? Was that an important part of your motivation?
0:47:53 > 0:47:58Congratulations. What you've done here is really almost incredible.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15I'm leaving the capital, to continue my journey eastwards.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39I'll soon be arriving in Constanta which, the guidebook tells me,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43"..is on a steep tongue of land running into the Black Sea.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46"It's acquired importance as the sea harbour of Romania,
0:48:46 > 0:48:50"with the outer works of the harbour completed in 1903."
0:48:50 > 0:48:53I imagine there's been a lot of development still,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57because Constanta remains, for Romanian products,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59the gateway to the world.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I'm excited to glimpse the mighty Danube,
0:49:05 > 0:49:10which, like me, is wending its way towards the Black Sea.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14I shall explore Constanta tomorrow.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38The city of Constanta stands on the western coast of the Black Sea,
0:49:38 > 0:49:43in the Dobruja region, whose control returned to Romania in 1878,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46after war between Russia and Turkey.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48The country thus regained a sea port,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51and access to international trade routes.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56Looking around, I see faded grandeur.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Especially evident at Constanta Casino,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02where I'm meeting historian Cosbin Yoniza.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08- Hello, Cosbin.- Hi, Michael. Very nice to meet you.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12This is obviously a splendid building. A casino.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14When was it built and why was it built?
0:50:14 > 0:50:17It was built just before the First World War, in 1909-1910.
0:50:17 > 0:50:24And it was a building meant to bring the elite of the city together.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28Constanta used to be a city of fishermen,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32but then, after this region became part of the kingdom of Romania,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35you have a great splendour in the city.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38I'm very interested in the origins of the First World War.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Does Constanta play any part in the political developments?
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Constanta has a very important role in the build-up
0:50:44 > 0:50:45to the First World War.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49It's actually the place the visit of the Tsar, Nicholas II,
0:50:49 > 0:50:55with his imperial family, happened on 14th June, 1914,
0:50:55 > 0:50:59when he visited the royal family of Romania.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01- Are we able to go inside?- Sure.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10In 1914, Europe sensed that war was brewing.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Tensions were high between opposing alliances.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19The Russian imperial visit, which drew huge crowds,
0:51:19 > 0:51:21and concluded with a gala in this casino,
0:51:21 > 0:51:25was more than a courtesy call by a neighbouring monarch.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33Cosbin, it was clearly once a very grand building,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36and I daresay a suitable place to receive the Tsar of Russia.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39What was the political purpose of the visit?
0:51:39 > 0:51:43It was very important because in Europe at that moment,
0:51:43 > 0:51:44you have two main alliances.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47You have Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy on one side,
0:51:47 > 0:51:51and then on the other side you have France, Russia and Great Britain.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Romania was part of the first block,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57together with Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01And the others were trying to pull Romania out of this alliance
0:52:01 > 0:52:03and to bring it to their side.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06More things happened apart from the imperial visit.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09You have also the foreign minister of Russia visiting Romania,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12and this has a very important political message.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15He was here in Constanta as well during the visit, but he stayed more in Bucharest
0:52:15 > 0:52:20and they were able to talk further on, on the political, er...
0:52:20 > 0:52:23..ideas connecting the two countries.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29With the ostentatious welcome for the Russian Tsar,
0:52:29 > 0:52:34Romania was claiming her place at the top diplomatic table,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37and was being courted because of her strategic location.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43In 1916, Romania eventually entered the First World War,
0:52:43 > 0:52:48on the side of France, Britain and Russia.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01To the south of the Casino lies the port of Constanta
0:53:01 > 0:53:05which, during the 1860s, was open to international trade
0:53:05 > 0:53:08with a railway built by a British company.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11King Carol further modernised and improved the port
0:53:11 > 0:53:14to accommodate large cargo ships.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Bradshaw's remarks that grain is Romania's chief export.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I want to find out whether that's still the case,
0:53:22 > 0:53:26from Antonio Stoye, who works for a freight company here.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Antonio, I'm very struck by these very beautiful buildings.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33When were they put up?
0:53:33 > 0:53:37So they were build more than 100 years ago.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41They started in 1904 with the first silo,
0:53:41 > 0:53:46then the second one followed in 1911 and the third one in 1914.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48All together, they are 100,000 tonnes capacity.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52This is all about grain. Where is it going from and to?
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Mainly from inland Romania,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56the cargo is going further on the Black Sea.
0:53:56 > 0:54:02In Turkey, North Africa and, today, it's going also to Far East.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14The port of Constanta has undergone further expansion recently.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18Handling nearly 20 million tonnes of cereal a year,
0:54:18 > 0:54:22it's emerging as Europe's biggest grain transport hub,
0:54:22 > 0:54:25and is on course to become the largest grain terminal
0:54:25 > 0:54:26in the Black Sea region.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Enormous floating cranes transfer cargo
0:54:33 > 0:54:36from river barges to seagoing ships.
0:54:48 > 0:54:54The crane is controlled from a small operator cabin 100ft up.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03(Don't look down, don't look down.)
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Ah.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Made it to the top, and what a view.
0:55:19 > 0:55:20The control centre.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Yes, here we are, on top of the world.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I'm looking down into the grain storage area of the ship.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30It is, er, it is a vast cavity, isn't it?
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Yeah, indeed.
0:55:32 > 0:55:33Wow.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38Now the, er, the fairground ride really does begin.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Ah, the whole crane is spinning around, wow.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45This is... Whoa! This is scary.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49This is moving in every conceivable direction.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53I'm glad he wasn't driving it when we came up the ladder.
0:55:53 > 0:55:54I've got the shakes.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58If you look down, you will see that
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- now he is grabbing from the barge.- Oh, yeah.
0:56:04 > 0:56:10Much more shaking as we grab. The wires come up, the grab is rising...
0:56:11 > 0:56:13We're swinging round towards the ship.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19Ahhh... We're now over the ship.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23This vessel could hold up to 86,000 tonnes of grain,
0:56:23 > 0:56:25and is bound for Belgium.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29That's your first 26 tonnes, operated in Constanta.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30Ah.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35Oh-ho-ho!
0:56:37 > 0:56:40If I was terrified before, I think this takes the biscuit.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45I'm peering through an open space here, down to the enormous grab,
0:56:45 > 0:56:48which must be 70 or 80ft beneath me.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52When I think of the responsibility of these operators,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I mean, it's really terrifying!
0:56:58 > 0:57:01This thriving venture in Constanta
0:57:01 > 0:57:05signals Romania's ambitions for the future.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10100 years ago, the railway traveller in Romania
0:57:10 > 0:57:13would have noticed its poverty.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17I've been taken aback to discover that it was a major oil producer,
0:57:17 > 0:57:22whose king had a castle full of the latest electrical gadgets.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Similarly today, I am surprised that in
0:57:24 > 0:57:27one of Europe's least developed economies,
0:57:27 > 0:57:32there's an enormous and growing port here at Constanta.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36Transylvania was joined to Romania only after the First World War,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39and so it's still a young-ish country
0:57:39 > 0:57:42that had a very unlucky 20th century.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46Romania has now driven a stake into its communist past,
0:57:46 > 0:57:52and I hope that this friendly nation will seize the new opportunities.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54'Next time...
0:57:54 > 0:57:55LOUD BANG
0:57:56 > 0:57:59'..I enter a war zone with the Red Cross...'
0:57:59 > 0:58:00Hurry, go!
0:58:00 > 0:58:02A most extraordinary turn of events!
0:58:02 > 0:58:04'..put my faith in St Bernard...'
0:58:04 > 0:58:07Michael Portillo's the name.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Last seen somewhere in the Alps.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13'..and salute the bravery of a Swiss pioneering pilot.'
0:58:14 > 0:58:16Only when you go up in a small plane like this
0:58:16 > 0:58:22do you realise what a formidable obstacle the Alps would have been
0:58:22 > 0:58:24a century ago.