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00:01Trains. I've always loved them. Big, small, steam, diesel.
00:07Where did that love come from?
00:09When I was six years old, I stood on this very spot.
00:13And what I saw that day, I'd never forgotten.
00:16It made me the envy of every boy in school.
00:19Because coming across that bridge was a train.
00:22And that train was being driven by my dad.
00:26Ever since then, I've always wanted to get the view he had.
00:30The one that no-one else gets. The driver's view.
00:35So I'm off on a train lover's odyssey.
00:41Riding the footplates of Britain and Europe.
00:45Oh, that's great.
00:47When you were growing up, did you always want to be an engine driver?
00:50Yes, it's a dream when I was a child.
00:54Some will be huge.
00:56Oh, some of that went in.
00:58Others a little more modest.
01:00I'll meet some wonderful people
01:02dedicated to this majestic form of transport.
01:05Ah!
01:09Already I'm beginning to feel like a train driver.
01:11And have fun off the train too,
01:14along some of the world's most beautiful lines.
01:17Well, I wasn't expecting to be doing this.
01:19Join me for a ride with a viewpoint that only an engine driver gets.
01:31This time I'll be steaming through the Provence Alps down to the coast.
01:36Another one! Another one!
01:38And along the French Riviera.
01:40Oh, no, this is a bit more like it, isn't it?
01:42I discover a forgotten operation.
01:45This is where they landed.
01:47Which helped win the Second World War
01:48and experience the wild west of France.
01:52Not quite sure how you placate a bull.
01:54Hello!
01:58My journey starts in rugged mountains just 60 miles inland
02:02from the bustle of the Côte d'Azur.
02:05This area is famous for lavender fields, olive groves
02:09and remote medieval villages clinging to the cliffs.
02:15Bonjour! I'm in France.
02:17I'm beginning my journey in the Haute-Provence Mountains
02:19on this magnificent steam engine.
02:21I'm hoping the crew can speak English because I can't.
02:25I speak French.
02:26Mind you, I sometimes have trouble speaking English.
02:30This magnificent steam train was designed in 1923
02:33by Swiss engineer Anton Maleks.
02:36It was built in Germany and operated in Portugal
02:39before finally making its way to France.
02:42So who knows what language it understands?
02:45The one thing I notice, the difference between this engine
02:48and a British engine, is that we give our engines names
02:50like the flying Scotsman.
02:51Here, we just have numbers.
02:53This is number one, nine, eight, seven, four.
02:55We're such a romantic nation, that's not particularly romantic.
02:57If you had a beautiful girlfriend, would you call her one, nine, eight, seven, four?
03:02Or if you got to know her really well, one, nine, eight?
03:04I don't think so.
03:05So I think that's something where we are one ahead of the French.
03:09Ah, Julian, do you mind if I come on board?
03:13Hello. Hello.
03:14Paul.
03:15Nice to meet you.
03:16Ah, gloves. For safety.
03:17OK, yes, good.
03:19Because everything is hot.
03:20Yes, of course.
03:22Apart from keeping me safe, Julian is also the fireman.
03:26I think they're ready to go, yes.
03:27Yeah.
03:27Sure.
03:29OK, ready?
03:30This first bit's easy.
03:35The next bit's harder, because I'm driving.
03:38And you open here, the regulator.
03:40Yeah, which way?
03:41This way?
03:41Yeah.
03:42Just a bit.
03:44More, more, more.
03:45When it gets hard, you push a bit, a little more.
03:49Push.
03:49Yeah, push.
03:53Once I was given the gloves, I wasn't really expecting to be sort of driving the truck.
04:01We are leaving Arnott High in the Alps Maritime.
04:05I'm heading down to the medieval village of Entrevaux for an adventure on two wheels.
04:11From there, I'll follow the river Vare down into Nice to get a taste of the French Riviera.
04:18Cruising along the coast, I'll stop at St Raphael to discover the other D-Day.
04:24Before going off the rails at Marseille by sipping the local spirit.
04:29And finally, I'll head inland to experience the wild west of France.
04:40Built in 1908 to connect the remote mountain villages to Nice,
04:44this line drops more than 2,000 feet to the coast
04:48and has some of the steepest descents on the French network,
04:51which are not for learner drivers.
04:55So now, I asked you to switch with the driver because now it's the delicate part when you drive.
05:02As we have a very long slope.
05:07Are you going downhill?
05:08Yes.
05:09Here we have 30 per 1,000.
05:12Oh, okay.
05:13It's already there.
05:14So one in 30 gradients, yes?
05:16Exactly.
05:17Aha.
05:17That's quite steep.
05:18Yep.
05:19And we need to anticipate a lot with the break.
05:24It takes a long time to learn.
05:25Yes.
05:26That's why we cannot let you...
05:28No, no, absolutely.
05:29No problem.
05:33This railway changed the lives of mountain dwellers,
05:36connecting them to the coast in mere hours rather than days.
05:41The story goes that pine cones collected from the forest were burned along with the coal,
05:46giving the route its nickname, the pine cone line.
05:52What would be the top speed of this locomotive?
05:55How far do you go?
05:57In Portugal, the guide went to 60 km per hour with it.
06:03Aha.
06:03Here we are limited to 40 only.
06:0540 km.
06:06Now we are almost at 40 km per hour.
06:09Right.
06:12The viaduct De La Donne is the highest on the line,
06:16and holds a special place in the hearts of Julian and the crew.
06:21Why did you whistle so many times there?
06:24It's for a dead friend.
06:26Oh, I see.
06:27Yes.
06:28Somebody died here.
06:29Not here, but the place where we tell him hello.
06:35Okay, I see.
06:38The whistles are in memory of Olivier Frache, who drove on the line for over 20 years.
06:44He died in 2021.
06:49That's quite a romantic thing to do.
06:52Yeah.
06:52And always at the same place.
06:54Yeah.
06:54But you know, when you are on a steam locomotive, you are a team.
06:58Yes.
06:58It's very tight to you.
07:04As the last of the whistles echo through the valley, I wonder how Julian feels about his locomotive.
07:11You are such a romantic nation, a French are very romantic, and yet you don't have names on your steam
07:16engine.
07:17They are numbers.
07:18No, no, no, no, no.
07:19They are names.
07:20Your names?
07:20Yes.
07:21Yes.
07:21This one is La Portugais.
07:23It's La Portugais.
07:24And sometimes, but it's just between her and me.
07:27I call it La Sierra.
07:30The grandma.
07:32And it looks like grandma needs a drink.
07:36So first, open the water.
07:40A bit more.
07:42Perfect.
07:44Now, the water is flowing through the injector, cooling it.
07:50The water is the most important.
07:52Yes.
07:53And this is the water level here, yeah?
07:55Yes, exactly.
08:05So, Paul.
08:06Yeah?
08:07I have a surprise for you.
08:08What is that?
08:09It's not my birthday.
08:10Julian puts me to work.
08:16Perfect.
08:17All right.
08:18Another one.
08:19Another one?
08:19Yeah!
08:25Up.
08:27There.
08:28A bit in the front.
08:30Right there.
08:31More quick.
08:32Right.
08:32You stop.
08:33Right away.
08:34So the cold will go.
08:37Perfect.
08:38Go.
08:40That's enough.
08:42Did you enjoy it?
08:44Oh, I'd love to do it every day.
08:47Yeah, you're welcome.
08:50After 40 minutes of hard graft, we arrive at our destination.
08:55So, we are in Entrevaux.
08:56Oh, excellent.
08:57So, this is where we get off.
08:59Yeah.
08:59Thank you so much.
09:00You're welcome.
09:02Thank you, sir.
09:03It was a pleasure.
09:04Au revoir.
09:05Au revoir.
09:09Well, that was certainly an experience.
09:11I don't think I've been so busy on a footplate before.
09:12I was driving the engine.
09:14I was blowing the whistle.
09:15I was putting coal in the fire.
09:17I was adjusting the water levels.
09:20It was an intense experience and quite tiring.
09:23There's a lot going on.
09:24There's a lot to be considered.
09:26And it just shows you how hard the people work.
09:28We're there on the footplate every day.
09:29Because that's not an easy job.
09:31And, well, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
09:32But I'm glad I'm only doing it part-time.
09:39Perching above the River Vare, the town is a medieval gem,
09:43hardly changed in half a millennium.
09:49Suitably attired, I'm ready to carry on with my tour de France.
09:56This is Entrevaux.
09:58And I'm here to experience something that's quintessentially French.
10:09It's on the other side of this drawbridge,
10:11built to keep out the riffraff.
10:14Thankfully, they stopped pulling it up in the 1800s.
10:17And hidden within the medieval maze of streets
10:20is something rather unexpected.
10:23Bonjour. Cecile?
10:24Yes.
10:25Hello, I'm Paul.
10:26Yes.
10:26Do you speak English?
10:28Yes.
10:28Oh, that's good.
10:29I speak no French, sadly.
10:31There's a lot of motorbikes here.
10:33Yeah, well, actually, it's a motorbike museum.
10:35Ah.
10:36And how many bikes are here?
10:38More than 105, I think.
10:41Right.
10:41And what's the history of this museum?
10:43Well, it's been started by Frank and his father.
10:47So it's a long time ago.
10:49Actually, there's Frank.
10:50Oh, okay.
10:52Does Frank speak any English?
10:53No.
10:54Oh, he understood that.
10:57But he doesn't.
10:58So you're here to translate?
10:59Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:59Okay, good.
11:00Can you ask Frank what made his father first interested in motorbikes?
11:20It all started with this, the Ducati Cucciolo.
11:2666 motorbikes later, Frank and his father ran out of space at home and decided to open a museum.
11:33They have collected and restored vintage motorbikes from across the world ever since.
11:38What is the most famous French motorcycle you have here?
11:42Solex.
11:43Solex?
11:44Yeah.
11:44Ah.
11:49Solex, the first model, after the war, it was the Revolution.
11:54The Solex was introduced in 1946 and was later made chic by the film star Steve McQueen.
12:02All the world wanted.
12:04All the world wanted.
12:05All the world wanted.
12:06The Solex at the time.
12:07After the war, the locomotion was the way to go to work, which was the least expensive.
12:12The car was too expensive, the Solex.
12:15It made a revolution.
12:17It looks quite basic.
12:20I have one to try, if you want.
12:22Um, wait, wait, wait, wait.
12:28You can think of the Solex as a 1940s version of a modern electric bike.
12:33The little petrol engine drives the front wheel by friction and gives just enough oomph to take over from pedalling.
12:40As a symbol of French culture, it's right up there with the baguette.
12:47I only agreed to do this because I didn't understand what was being said to me.
12:49I thought I was being offered a croissant.
12:52Um, I thought this was a museum piece, but, uh, clearly it's not.
12:55And, um, hopefully Frank will be able to tell me how to operate this, uh, iconic machine.
13:00Alors, pour le fonctionnement.
13:03L'accélérateur.
13:04Accelerator.
13:05Oui.
13:06Mm-hmm.
13:07Brake.
13:07Brake, uh-huh.
13:09Brake.
13:10Mm-hmm.
13:11Moteur.
13:12On enclenche.
13:14Hop.
13:15Le décompresseur.
13:18Et c'est parti.
13:19Ah.
13:19Pedal.
13:20Ah, OK.
13:22Yeah, what can go wrong?
13:33I'm touring Provence by train and have stopped off for a bit of French culture.
13:40I've been given a quick lesson on how to ride this museum piece.
13:45A 1966 French Solex motor-powered bicycle.
13:49I'm not sure who is more nervous.
13:51He's worried.
13:53This is a very...
13:54This is very valuable.
13:57Oh!
13:58Hop!
13:58Yeah.
13:59Uh-huh.
14:00OK.
14:03So...
14:04Pedal.
14:05Ah.
14:06And...
14:06Ah, c'est bon.
14:07OK.
14:08Here we go.
14:09Let's try.
14:10Les copres.
14:11Ah.
14:28At first it's just like riding an ordinary pedal bike, but then the engine kicks in and
14:35I find myself hanging on for dear life.
14:57I must say I do find sort of motorised bikes rather scary, as you could tell by the sheer look
15:04of panic and terror on my face.
15:06But I think very last bit I managed to sort of steer it roughly where I want it to go.
15:12Um...
15:12But, er...
15:13Yeah, I don't think this is going to become a new hobby.
15:19The citizens of Entrevaux are probably relieved that my test drive was brief.
15:24And I'm now heading to the station to catch the train to Nice.
15:33So far my adventure in Provence has propelled me through the steam age of the 1900s and the motorbikes of
15:40the 1940s.
15:41And now I'm waiting to take a front seat ride on a 1970s rail car.
15:47And it's so short it's at the other end of the platform.
15:51I'm leaving Entrevaux now and I'm heading towards Nice on this, er...
15:54Well, this smallish train.
15:57But I dare say it's very efficient nevertheless.
16:02Ah, bonjour.
16:03Bonjour.
16:13Built in 1972, this 330 horsepower diesel rail car takes the locals down the remote Vare Valley to the cosmopolitan
16:22bustle of Nice four times a day.
16:25I'm in the capable hands of its driver, Alexei.
16:28Hello, Alexei. How are you?
16:30Fine.
16:30Good, good, good.
16:33You are going very fast.
16:35Yes.
16:36Here we are, we are 75.
16:39Right.
16:40Aha.
16:41I've got to hold on tight here.
16:42So are you sometimes going faster than the cars next to you on the road?
16:48No, we are...
16:49It will be faster with the car, but...
16:51Because, you know, we have some points where it can be dangerous with rocks and everything because we are...
16:58Mountain, er...
16:59Mountain, er...
17:00Yes.
17:00We have mountains here, so we have to be more careful than a car.
17:04Yes.
17:05Aha.
17:05But for people who live in the mountains, it's very useful.
17:11Leaving the mountains behind, it's quite a shock to suddenly find yourself driving down a main street in Nice.
17:20We're just passing through the middle of Nice now, and I'm always fascinated when trains and roads combine.
17:27We're stopping some traffic coming through in traffic lights, and the driver here at Alexei is being careful to make
17:33sure that the, as we can see there, the lights are in our favour.
17:38It's something rather unexpected and magical about seeing a train crossing a road, which I always like.
17:44But here we are, we're coming in, so this is our final stop.
17:47This is Nice.
17:50And, er...
17:51The sun is shining, as one would expect, here in the south of France.
17:56Have we been good passengers?
17:58Yes.
17:58Yes.
18:01I hope I have been a good driver too.
18:03Oh, I...
18:04One of the best.
18:07Excellent.
18:08Thank you so much.
18:09Lovely to meet you.
18:10Cheers.
18:15Nice has always been a top destination for posh Brits wanting a bit of Mediterranean sunshine.
18:22So much so, the main street is called the Promenade des Anglais.
18:29So it seems odd that I'm here to meet a Canadian, Rosa Jackson, who runs a French cookery school.
18:40Paul?
18:41Oh, hello.
18:41Hi, Rosa.
18:42Yes.
18:43Oh, hello there.
18:43Welcome to Nice.
18:44Oh, thank you very much.
18:46Rosa is going to help me create one of the area's classic dishes.
18:50We're going to make salad niçois.
18:52What do you think?
18:52Yeah, salad niçois.
18:53Is that a quick and easy dish to make?
18:55Yeah.
18:55It's quick and easy.
18:56This is the season for it.
18:57Right.
18:57We'll find beautiful ingredients at the market here.
18:59OK, fantastic.
19:01But I'm not sure I'm going to be one of her best students.
19:04So do you do much cooking?
19:06Um, much cooking, um, do I?
19:12Every word in that sentence is something that I can't agree with.
19:14No, I don't, unfortunately.
19:19Bonjour.
19:20Bonjour.
19:21So an essential part of salad niçois is, of course, the tuna.
19:24Yes, yes.
19:25And traditionally it would have been from a can or a jar, but we're going to be a little bit
19:29more modern and get some fresh tuna.
19:31OK.
19:31Just sear it nicely.
19:33This one?
19:33It's very good, yes.
19:34OK, we'll take a nice slice.
19:36Up.
19:37Wow.
19:38Yeah, it's beautiful.
19:39Yes.
19:41Just one?
19:42Mm-hmm.
19:43Yeah, that looks good.
19:44Oui, c'est bien.
19:45Merci beaucoup.
19:46Merci à vous.
19:47Et à la prochaine.
19:48What next?
19:49So let's go get some vegetables.
19:50Vegetables, right.
19:51Where are the vegetables?
19:51That is essential for a salad, right?
19:53Absolutely.
19:55So when you think of salad niçois, are there particular vegetables that come to mind?
19:59I suppose tomatoes.
20:00Potatoes?
20:00Yes, for sure, yeah.
20:02Potatoes?
20:03No.
20:04No?
20:04So we don't put any cooked vegetables in salad niçois.
20:06So what are you looking for exactly?
20:08So I'm looking for it to be red, but not soft.
20:11Mm-hmm.
20:12I clearly have a lot to learn.
20:14So as Rosa selects more and more fresh vegetables, she gives me a potted history of our dish.
20:20You have to think of salad niçois as something the farmers would make with what they had growing.
20:24So you don't have to have all these ingredients, but if you have some of them, it's enough.
20:29Yes.
20:29And the potatoes and green beans came in later, actually outside niçois.
20:34Right.
20:34It was reinvented.
20:35So, yeah, the real local version is just farm-fresh vegetables and then some protein to make it into a
20:42meal.
20:47After picking up the final ingredients, we head back to Rosa's apartment.
20:57Is it ready yet?
20:58Well, no, you haven't done any work yet.
21:00Ah, okay.
21:01Well, the more I work, the better the appetite.
21:03Exactly.
21:04Okay.
21:04So we're going to start with these.
21:06Okay.
21:07You're just going to cut a small circle around the stem.
21:12Careful of your fingers.
21:14Yeah, absolutely.
21:14It's very important that the tomato be cut into wedges and not slices.
21:19Okay, so wedges, not slices.
21:20Yes.
21:21So for salad niçois, it's very important to salt the tomatoes early on.
21:24Mm-hmm.
21:25So we'll arrange them nicely in this dish.
21:27So in France, we always think about presentation.
21:29Yes.
21:30So even though this is a rustic salad, we're still going to make it look nice.
21:33Mm-hmm.
21:33I just rearranged your tomatoes.
21:35You did, though.
21:36You're very kind to do that, because other chefs would have been...
21:39I would have, you know...
21:40Extremely angry.
21:41..flattered you.
21:41Or flattered me, yes.
21:44And you're not one for flattery?
21:45No.
21:46No.
21:47After more salting...
21:49Mm, very chef-y.
21:51Is that a word?
21:52Yeah.
21:55..searing and slicing, we are nearly ready to eat.
22:00You may need to look at my egg presentations.
22:02It may not be quite...
22:03They look beautiful.
22:04I'm looking forward to this.
22:05This is the first meal that I've sort of helped to prepare, so it's...
22:09Really?
22:09Yeah.
22:10First ever?
22:10It really is, yeah.
22:11That's amazing.
22:12Mm-hmm.
22:12And your wife never asks you for any help?
22:15No, no.
22:16She's seen me do stuff.
22:19No, I mean, I've boiled eggs and things.
22:21Yeah.
22:21But it's very simple things.
22:23But no, I've never...
22:24I would never have...
22:25I've never done this.
22:26Yeah.
22:26I've never done this.
22:27Help to prepare a salad.
22:27Ah.
22:28But the proof of the pudding, or rather the salad, is in the eating.
22:33Bon appetit.
22:34Mm.
22:34Bon appetit.
22:37Mm.
22:39The tuna is fantastic.
22:40Mm.
22:41Mm-hmm.
22:43Mm.
22:46It's absolutely delicious.
22:49I can honestly say this is the best salad I've ever made.
22:52Really?
22:53It's also the only one.
22:54It is the only one.
22:55But now you've set the standard.
22:57Mm-hmm.
22:58I mean, my wife can be very pleased when she sees this.
23:01Oh, yeah, you can do it then, can't you?
23:03Are you sure you want her to see this?
23:05I might sort of tell her it's not on.
23:08Cheers.
23:09Cheers.
23:10Cheers.
23:11Absolutely delicious.
23:12It's been a pleasure.
23:13To untinned tuna nice spa.
23:16Oh.
23:17I'm actually looking at the time.
23:18I'd better go, because I've got a train to catch.
23:20So, thank you so much.
23:22Yeah, you're a man on the move.
23:23I am a man on the move.
23:24But I'm well fed.
23:25I've well got me fuel for the afternoon.
23:33As I head towards my next train, I'm pondering an important question.
23:37This is the first time I've ever been on a double-decker train.
23:40I hope they've adjusted the height of the tunnels.
23:43I presume they have.
23:43Oh, it's in by now, won't we?
23:56I'm about to leave Nice.
23:58Halfway through my railway odyssey along the French Riviera, seen from the footplates and
24:04the driver's cabs of France's most spectacular trains.
24:10That was a lovely time in Nice.
24:12If only I could think of an English word spelt the same as Nice would describe my experience
24:18here.
24:18But as I said before, English isn't really my strong language.
24:20I really enjoyed making my first salad.
24:23It gives you a much better appetite when you've cooked it yourself.
24:25If you cook salads, but of course you don't really, do you?
24:27I think this is my train.
24:28And it's a double-decker, so I'm looking forward to this.
24:40My train hugs the coastline as it travels south-west along the stunning French Riviera.
24:47My next stop is the resort town of San Rafael.
24:51This line is famous because it travels along the coast of the French Riviera.
24:56And as you look out there now, you have these sun-kissed beaches, holidaymakers bathing
25:02in the glorious sunshine.
25:03It may look like the back of some rather tedious buildings with people's washing hanging out,
25:08but that's just because we're not looking at it through the eyes of the French.
25:11Because through the eyes of the French, these buildings disappear and you get a beautiful
25:16view of the natural world, which is just over there by those cranes.
25:22Oh no, this is a bit more like it, isn't it?
25:26Enjoy that view because it's gone again.
25:30This must be one of the most beautiful views available for any railway line in the world.
25:35There it is.
25:36It's got to be quick though.
25:37And there's another bit coming up there, there we are.
25:40This was the route Queen Victoria used when she travelled along the French Riviera
25:45in a special seven-car train under the pseudonym the Duchess of Balmoral.
25:51She was an early travel influencer and after her trips tourist numbers shot up
25:56and they are still rising today to over ten million a year.
26:00So the modern trains have had to go supersize.
26:05I'm getting off before the end of the line at an old fishing port.
26:09This is San Rafael, now a holiday destination, but it hasn't always been that way.
26:19Over 80 years ago, at the height of World War II, tens of thousands of men travelled here for a
26:26very different reason.
26:27On the morning of the 15th of August 1944, Allied forces landed here and smashed through German lines, triggering the
26:37rapid liberation of southern France.
26:42I'm meeting Patrick, a local historian, to find out more.
26:48No-one was expecting what was going on from the angle of the German soldier awakening in the morning here,
26:55having a quick watch on the sea, seeing all of the black points and those black points,
27:01they are American vessels, French vessels coming, then the barges coming, planes flying over,
27:08bombing, and it is the beginning of the big operation.
27:14August the 15th, 1944, the makings of an Allied invasion in the Mediterranean.
27:25Soon, these men will step ashore along enemy-held beaches, and an operation called Dragoon will be underway.
27:41Ten weeks earlier, on the more famous D-Day, when more than 150,000 men stormed the beaches of northern
27:49France,
27:51only 177 were French.
27:55Here in the south, it was very different.
27:58Down here, on the total of 450,000, there were 250,000 French soldiers.
28:07Oh, a significant difference.
28:09Hey, it is, definitely.
28:14The vast majority of those French soldiers were from the colonies in Africa and the Far East.
28:23I consider my country has a tribute to pay and respect to all of the French troops that came,
28:32for most of them from the former French colonies,
28:35and that, for some of them, were definitely extremely efficient and they gave us the victory.
28:42The swift victory body's international troops helped change the tide of the war.
28:48What is this we're seeing here, this boat, this craft?
28:51So, this is our memorial.
28:53The landing craft that you see here is an original one that was, of course, severally restored.
28:59And the particularity is that the number that you read here is in memory of another one that was totally
29:08destroyed,
29:08at the end of the day, by a counter-attack operated by the Luftwaffe.
29:15US 282 was one of the massive LSTs, or landing ship tanks, that could beat on the shore, carrying more
29:23than 150 soldiers.
29:26It was bringing Americans here on the 15th of August when it was destroyed by a Nazi bomber, killing 51
29:33troops.
29:36Today, this monument serves as a memorial to all who lost their lives during the Provence landings.
29:42It stands next to one of the beaches captured by the Allies.
29:50This is where they landed.
29:52Right, aha.
29:55And if you want to see my photo here, you can recognise the exact site.
30:01Oh, yes.
30:04Yes, that was taken on the day.
30:05Yeah.
30:06Uh-huh.
30:08The soldiers now look quite relaxed, though, so...
30:10Of course, you see, probably by the end of the day, because you see the troops, they are really, really
30:15relaxing.
30:16Yes.
30:17No more fighting at this time.
30:18Yes, uh-huh.
30:19It's quite poignant now, isn't it, just looking at this same scene here, with all the holiday makers there, and
30:24children running around on the beach, and little boats to hire, and people sunbathing, and to think how different it
30:30is from how it was.
30:32And, uh, it's important that we do remember the past, because, as the saying goes, for those who don't remember
30:38the past are condemned to repeat it.
30:41So...
30:41Of course.
30:42You know, it is important.
30:44You're perfectly right.
30:44You're perfectly right.
30:45Yes.
30:45Well, Patrick, thank you so much.
30:46It was a pleasure.
30:47Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you, and, uh, what a pleasure to look out on this scene and
30:51see it as a happy holiday space.
30:53And this is exactly what we have to preserve.
30:56Waving goodbye to the beaches of San Rafael, I'm heading around the coast on the next leg of my journey
31:02to Marseille.
31:05This was the first city to be liberated by the troops who landed in Operation Dragoon.
31:15Today, in the old town, there's few scars from those dark days, and it's the perfect place to sit down
31:21and enjoy quintessentially French drink, pastis.
31:26The waiter here, Sasha, is going to introduce me to an aperitif that's as French as a Solex.
31:32Pastis, an anise-seed flavoured liqueur created by a trailblazing drinks pioneer, Paul Ricard.
31:40Best enjoyed mixed with water and ice.
31:44It's very famous here, isn't it?
31:46It's invented here, and you can buy and drink everywhere in France now.
31:50And why is it called 51?
31:52Because before 1951, it was illegal, anise, alcohol.
31:57After that, you can drink and buy everywhere, all the bars in France.
32:02Before that.
32:03Oh, OK, thank you.
32:08It doesn't taste very strong to me.
32:10Hmm, be careful.
32:15Pastis was created after the French banned another tipple, Absinthe, in World War I,
32:20for allegedly giving their soldiers hallucinations.
32:25Pastis didn't fare much better getting banned in World War II,
32:29and wasn't legalised again till 1951.
32:33Hence the name.
32:36And at 45% alcohol, it packs a pretty good punch.
32:42Oh.
32:44I've got a train to catch.
32:55So far on my journey, I've ridden a 1920s steam locomotive.
33:00I wasn't really expecting to be sort of driving the train.
33:03A 1940s powered bike.
33:05A 1970s diesel train.
33:08You are going very fast.
33:10And a super-sized electric modern machine.
33:13It's now time to slow things down and take in the view.
33:18Leaving Marseille, I head further west aboard the Blue Coast train to the Camargue,
33:24one of the most wild and untamed parts of France.
33:28My ride is a 514 kilowatt French-made diesel electric.
33:34There's something very relaxing about travelling by train,
33:38particularly when the view completely disappears as it has just now.
33:41You don't have to worry about driving or concentrating on where you're going.
33:45You can just sit back, you can relax, you can have a nap.
33:48You can wait till the view re-emerges just like it has now.
33:51And there we are.
33:52It's the most beautiful way to travel.
33:54I love it.
33:56This two-carriage commuter train has a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
34:01At that speed, the express service could whiz me to my destination in 30 minutes,
34:06but I've opted for the slow train so I can take in the view.
34:11Oh, look down there.
34:15That's rather spectacular, isn't it?
34:19This line was built 110 years ago.
34:22There's a lovely marina down there.
34:23And a real feat of engineering because it's built through mountains alongside the sea
34:28and it's as beautiful now as I'm sure it was the first day it was open.
34:33The construction of this line in the early 1900s was a significant feat.
34:39With 23 tunnels, 18 viaducts and two bridges which allow the train to cut through the landscape
34:45and hug the coastline.
34:49I'm desperate for a view from the cab, but this is as close as I can get to our driver
34:54Julian.
34:55Bonjour. Hi.
34:57The driver is very kindly allowed, we're not allowed to speak to him while he's driving,
35:00but he's kindly allowed me just to stand here just to observe some of the line
35:03as we go through some of the most beautiful countryside in France.
35:06So this is a real treat and a privilege.
35:09You know what might make this view even better?
35:13Julian, could you clean the windscreen?
35:16Er...
35:17Yeah.
35:23Thank you, merci.
35:24Yeah.
35:25Now, that's more like it.
35:27God, I love this view. This is the best view of all.
35:39This is a completely different view to what my dad would have had.
35:42He was driving on the district line, so some of that was above ground, but most of it was in
35:46tunnels.
35:46So here, at least you have the benefit of seeing the seasons change throughout the year and the greenery, the
35:54sea.
35:56Our arrival in Mimba Mass is my cue to disembark for the next leg of my journey.
36:00Thank you very much.
36:01Yeah, you're welcome.
36:02Lovely Julian, thank you.
36:05The line is also used by heavy freight trains, which prove a little more troublesome than expected.
36:18Who'd have thought something so massive could take me by surprise?
36:26You might think that would be the end of my hack, but luckily, it's found its way back to me.
36:32Good as new, almost.
36:34A little bit of dirt. That was extremely unlucky and then lucky.
36:38After that hair-raising moment, I'm heading out into the wilds of the Camargue in search of my final drive
36:45of this journey.
36:56My destination is an odd little line built by the man behind that rather strong spirit of the south, Pastis.
37:05His success brought him two islands, over a thousand hectares of land and a train set.
37:12This rickety train was built by Paul Ricard and today is used to show tourists around his ranch.
37:17Ah, Philippe, do you mind if I join you in the driver's cabin?
37:20Nice to meet you.
37:21OK, so I sit here?
37:22Yes.
37:23OK, thank you.
37:25I'll stop the engine.
37:25Yes.
37:26The old train.
37:39Now this goes round to his estate?
37:41Yes.
37:42Uh-huh.
37:42Philippe, can you tell me, when was this line built? What year?
37:47In 1968.
37:491968.
37:49Yes.
37:50And what was the purpose of the line being built?
37:54Paul Ricard.
37:55Uh-huh.
37:55Yes.
37:56Say, I want all people can see what I see every day.
38:03The Camargue is one of the last remaining wild wetlands in Europe.
38:09Home to an amazing array of wildlife and traditions.
38:19This area is famous for three things.
38:21Black bulls, white horses and pink flamingos.
38:28I want to get a closer look at these creatures, but first I really need to get off this train.
38:35I don't know whether the passengers are having a smoother ride than I am up here, but it's a little
38:41bit like being assaulted by tiny little hammers and every single muscle group in your body.
38:48But it is a train.
38:53We are back at the station and not a moment too soon.
38:57OK.
38:58We are alive.
38:59It's good.
39:00Yes.
39:00Yes.
39:01Thank you, sir.
39:02Thank you, Paul.
39:02Thank you very much indeed.
39:06Well, that was a thoroughly unpleasant experience.
39:10And so slow as well.
39:12At one point we were being overtaken by flying insects.
39:15The bumping, the jumping, the squealing as we were running a corner.
39:20I think if the first trains had been invented were like that, they never would have taken off.
39:31Up.
39:35After that uncomfortable ride, I'm off to meet a local rancher, Frederic, who has a reputation for breeding some of
39:42the finest bulls in the Camargue.
39:44This is a rather startling sight.
39:46One man on horseback, on a white horse, bringing a herd of bulls slowly towards us.
39:54Slightly nervous. Bulls are big creatures with horns.
39:59If they decide to charge you, then that's what they'll do.
40:02This one's getting a little bit nearer.
40:04This one's just on the left here.
40:08Hello.
40:09Not quite sure how you placate a bull.
40:12Good afternoon.
40:15Being romantic, these horsemen refer to themselves as guardians, not cowboys.
40:23And they could teach John Wayne a thing or two about fashion.
40:27That was very impressive.
40:29Tell me, how much are they responding to your vocal command and how much are they responding to the movement
40:34of your horse?
40:35So they are used to see us working with them since their young age.
40:41So it's a kind of education like we can give to our children every day to make them confident and
40:48also to make them responsible and also to respect ourselves.
40:53How many bulls do you have here on your ranch altogether?
40:56So here on the farm, we have around 200 bulls and cows.
41:03The best of these pedigree bulls can expect to live for more than 20 years in the wilds of the
41:08Camargue.
41:09When they die, they are often buried on the farm, their heads facing the sea, with elaborate headstones commemorating their
41:16prowess.
41:19This has a slight atmosphere of the old American Wild West with the cowboys and the cattle.
41:26Yeah, it's quite the same. The work we are doing and all the tradition we have around is quite similar
41:32than the old America.
41:35Just as a Camargue bull is always black, the guardian's horses are always white.
41:41A stocky, large, hoofed breed that's been living semi-wild since Roman times.
41:47Perfectly adapted to the marshlands.
41:51I know that the bulls are getting quite close and looking at us, are they dangerous?
41:56No, they are not dangerous.
41:57They are not dangerous because, as I say, they are very clever animals.
42:01So clever animals, it's like clever people.
42:03Yes. They understand very quickly.
42:05So they just come as curious animals to see what is going on and which TV is coming.
42:10Yes.
42:12So you can tell them this is Channel 4 for Britain and they will be very impressed, I'm sure.
42:18As I said that, they walked away.
42:21Clearly not impressed.
42:24I think that's my cue to leave.
42:26Bye, four!
42:27Ah!
42:34I've seen the black bulls and the white horses.
42:37Next up, I'm in the pink, heading to the Pont des Gaux ornithological park.
42:46Fred? Hello, I'm Paul.
42:48Hello, Paul. Nice to meet you.
42:49I'm very pleased to meet you as well.
42:51Well, this is a magnificent view we have here, isn't it?
42:54Yeah, it's a good office.
42:55Yeah, yes.
42:57How many flamingos do you have here?
43:00Yesterday we came more than 900, 950.
43:08Frederic runs this nature reserve dedicated to the European flamingo,
43:12some of which remain here all year, others flying in to breed.
43:19Three of them.
43:20Oh, you're coming in now, yes.
43:21Ooh.
43:24Oh, look at that.
43:26Oh!
43:28They say hello to you.
43:31As they fly in, they're very elegant, aren't they?
43:34Yeah, absolutely.
43:34They land beautifully and just start walking as soon as they land.
43:37Yeah, like dancers.
43:38Yes, they are, aren't they? They're very elegant.
43:51Excellent.
43:52Excellent, yes.
43:53Yeah.
43:56Why has it been established here as a home for flamingos?
43:59Flamingos.
44:00Flamingos needs to be on the, on the wetland, and especially on the, on the Mediterranean wetland.
44:06And they breed in Camargue.
44:10Why are the flamingos pink?
44:13Flamingos is eating, as you can see, plankton.
44:17They filter the plankton and they can find 60, 70 different pieces of plankton.
44:23But some of the plankton are colored by a colorant called carotena.
44:26Ah.
44:27And when the flamingo is eating some plankton with the carotena, they fix the carotena.
44:33It becomes pink, orange and red on the plumage.
44:37And when...
44:37Like your jacket.
44:38I am part flamingo.
44:39Yeah, absolutely.
44:40And is this a, a sort of important color for when they're trying to find a mate?
44:44That the, the, the pink is something which can attract a mate?
44:46Exactly.
44:47The first things that they attract, flamingo, is their color.
44:51Mm-hmm.
44:51If you're, um, really well colored, you're in perfect health.
44:57They need to find a, a new partner every year.
44:59Right.
45:00And, uh, we discovered that when they dance, uh, it was very interesting because we didn't know that before,
45:06but they don't dance on the same, on the same way in function of their age.
45:11Uh-huh.
45:11So you...
45:12So as they get older, they change the dance?
45:14Exactly.
45:14They, they do less.
45:17Like human beings?
45:19Exactly.
45:19And we don't know if they, because they are tired or because they know exactly what to do.
45:24It's a big question.
45:26European flamingos now breed in the Camargue in huge numbers.
45:29But in the 1960s, their breeding ground was disappearing.
45:33So to save them, the Pont de Gaulle Ornithological Park was created.
45:39So this is a, a, a huge success story.
45:42Absolutely.
45:43It's a fantastic success story.
45:51Fred, thank you so much that you, you've educated me as well.
45:54So thank you.
45:54It was a pleasure, Paul.
45:55I leave you with your family.
45:57Okay, thank you.
45:57Yeah, I, I'm wearing this.
45:58Yeah, exactly.
45:59That's why.
45:59I'm going to breed later on.
46:00Yeah, perfect.
46:01Yes.
46:01Bye bye.
46:02Bye bye.
46:02Bye bye.
46:04I'm feeling at home with my pink family.
46:07And they're helping me to reflect on my voyage through the south of France.
46:11This has been a journey of contrasts.
46:14I've been to the mountains, I've been to the sea.
46:16I unluckily saw my hat disappear under a train.
46:19But luckily, my head wasn't in it.
46:21So I'm still here.
46:23Until the next time, au revoir.
46:26Whatever that means.
46:27Can we look it up?
46:30What do you mean goodbye?
46:31Where are you going?
46:36The gilded seats.
46:38The priceless jewellery.
46:39Plenty of travellers perks on board the Orient Express.
46:42More falls living in luxury next.
46:44Chris Evans teeing up all weekend with Olivia Munn and Hard 5.
46:485 past 11 tomorrow.
46:49A new TFI Friday.
46:51Unplugged.
46:51Living it large.
46:53New to a next.
46:54A colour kaleidoscope of a Taskmaster.
46:57Withhim karmy Göranis Southeast Asia.
47:00A new TFI Friday.
47:012 оšie t increasee.
47:01will last again.
47:01Oh, yeah.
47:03Good. We've walked theピan
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