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00:00A few hundred years ago, there was the grand tour of Europe.
00:08Young aristocratic lords and ladies set off across the continent on a cultural rite of passage.
00:15They departed as callow youths, with the aim of returning to Britain refined, stylish, and schooled in the birds and the bees.
00:25I'm Tom Reed Wilson, and at the grand age of almost 40, I'm in need of a transformation.
00:36Oh yeah, if you die, you die.
00:39I'm on the brink of being terribly grown up.
00:41So before that happens, I want to flood my senses with adventures of a bygone time.
00:46Who needs yoga when you've got Vedica?
00:49So with a heart full of wanderlust, an old guidebook...
00:52My trusty Vedica.
00:53And a suitably vintage lens.
00:55It's the way Catherine Hepburn did it.
00:57I'm following in the posh footsteps of yesteryear.
01:00By horse power.
01:01Man power.
01:04Fire power.
01:05Up in a balloon, boys.
01:09And the occasional modern convenience.
01:11There's Florence!
01:12From gay Paris to Rome, the eternal city.
01:18Will the magic of the grand tour work on me as it did on the powdered and privileged youth of the past?
01:24My time traveler!
01:25Gosh, yes I am!
01:27So get ready to twirl through the continent.
01:30This is getting rather naughty.
01:32This is my grand tour.
01:42During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, young nobles like Lord Byron and artists like Joshua Reynolds were sent off on a sort of posh gap year.
01:51And it wasn't only men.
01:53A few families also sent their daughters, such as writer Lady Mary Montague, adventurer Lady Hester Stanhope, and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, whose novel Frankenstein was inspired by her travels.
02:05It was a little bit like a finishing school in a way.
02:09It stood them in awfully good stead.
02:12And now, today, real savoir vivre, knowing how to live and how to be, is something that belongs to everybody.
02:20It's not for high society.
02:23So now it's my turn.
02:25I'm nearing 40, so I should have left eons ago.
02:28But you're never too old for a huge dollop of cultural enlightenment and adventure.
02:35So I'll be gallivanting across France and Italy, over mountains, across lakes, and meandering through cities.
02:45But I'm starting my journey where most grand tourists began their adventures.
02:51I'm in Paris.
02:55Oh, it's never looked more beautiful.
02:57It is my favourite city in the world.
03:00This was the first major destination for the grand tourists after they left England.
03:07But I've been very, very lucky.
03:10About six hours ago, I was in my little flat in London.
03:13Whereas for the grand tourists, by the time they reached Paris, they had had what some of their diaries call a very uncomfortable passage with contrary winds.
03:22Which sounds like trapped flatulence, but actually was their crossing of the chapel.
03:27In the days when the grand tour was in full swing from 1660 to 1850, Paris was the absolute epicenter of art, culture and refinement.
03:37But it wasn't the Instagram dream it is today.
03:42It was a funny time for the Seine in the 18th century.
03:45They finally put a ban on drinking from it, knowing it was making people very ill.
03:49I mean, animal waste, human waste.
03:52It was sort of a fecal soup.
03:54Thankfully, the Paris sewers have been modernised somewhat since those days.
03:58So the Seine is a trifle more fragrant today.
04:01And it's not the only thing that's changed since the grand tourist time.
04:05Behind me is probably the most iconic part of the Paris skyline.
04:10But of course, for the grand tourists, it was a stonking great hole.
04:14None of them would have seen it because it wasn't finished until nearly the end of the 19th century.
04:21Even before the Eiffel Tower, this area close to the Seine was the cultural and intellectual heart of the city,
04:27and the preferred place for grand tourists to stay.
04:30I've taken lodgings at the Villa Pantheon, and I have my very own room with a view,
04:35just as Lucy, played by Helena Bonham Carter, had on her grand tour as she opened her window to Florence.
04:43Oh, what a view!
04:48This great panorama, I can see the whole of Paris!
04:52In the movie, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith's characters have very different opinions on a famous guidebook.
04:58No, Miss Bartlett, you will not look into your Baedeker.
05:03Well, there's no one to stop me looking in my Baedeker,
05:08which is a guidebook brimming with tips and tricks on how to navigate the continent.
05:13I found a passage which is sort of a pithy summation of what the grand tourists, I think, were looking for when they visited.
05:23First of these guidebooks was published in 1836, and they offered advice on culture, language, hotels, key sites to visit, and so much more.
05:32Paris has long enjoyed the reputation of being the most cosmopolitan city in Europe,
05:39where the artist, the scholar, the merchant, and the votary of pleasure alike find the most abundant scope for their pursuits.
05:50Well, for this latter-day grand tourist and an inveterate votary of pleasure,
05:57that gives me enormous hope for what lies out yonder.
06:07So in order to explore out yonder, I'm going to travel as many a grand tourist would have on their arrival in this great city.
06:15Ah, you must be Philippe.
06:18Hello, Tom.
06:20C'est beau.
06:21This is one of a handful of 18th century-style carriages left in the city,
06:25just like those used by the grand tourists of the past.
06:28It's manned by Philippe and his trusty steed, Otis.
06:32Oh, this wonderfully comfortable banquette.
06:34Yeah.
06:35The grand tourists would have jotted down experiences like this in their letters and diaries.
06:39As a bit of a cinephile, though, I've chosen to capture my memories on this old Super 8 camera.
06:45Just a few visual souvenirs.
06:48It's the way Catherine Hepburn did it.
06:51It was a tremendous rite of passage, Paris, for the grand tourists, in myriad ways, in terms of style, in terms of etiquette, in terms of skill set, in terms of sex.
07:09French has always been the language of love, but 250 years ago, French was the language of diplomacy and polite society.
07:19Even British passports were written in French for the first half of the 19th century,
07:23so any stay in Paris would have included learning local etiquette from a true blue-blooded French aristocrat.
07:30Thank you very much.
07:32You're welcome.
07:33Mm-hmm.
07:42Bonjour, Comtesse. It's Tom.
07:45Merci.
07:47I'm on my way to meet a real French Countess for a lesson in etiquette, about which I know absolutely nothing.
07:57Wish me luck.
08:00Hello.
08:01Enchanté, Comtesse.
08:02Oh, chic en noir.
08:15Countess Marie de Thilly comes from one of France's oldest families, dating back to the Middle Ages.
08:25She's even related to a member of Queen Mary Antoinette's court.
08:30You have a very noble heritage. How should I really formally greet you?
08:34Alors, you can do what we call a baseman. We have to stand up.
08:39Right.
08:40Because it's not possible to do that when you're sitting.
08:42Right.
08:43So, you shake my hand, you turn it, bound, never do like a kiss.
08:52A pretend kiss.
08:53No, never.
08:54More.
08:55More.
08:56More.
08:57More.
08:58More.
08:59More.
09:00And then you look at me.
09:01And then become fully erect.
09:02And I say, bonjour, monsieur.
09:05The baseman appeared in 19th century society, evolving from a medieval show of loyalty into a symbol of gallantry and refined manners, and something every grand tourist was expected to master.
09:17Nice.
09:18It's very good for your hamstrings, too. I mean, who needs yoga when you've got etiquette?
09:23But even more important for these young aristos was passing muster at the dining room table.
09:30Tom, will you have a cup of tea with me?
09:33Oh, contests.
09:34Oh, contests.
09:35Ah!
09:37So, the French whore is without sugar, without milk, because a Parisian woman is always on diet.
09:47But, I'm happy to say, we're not on a diet today, it seems.
09:52No.
09:53Today is the opposite.
09:54We have some, what we call in France, millefeuille.
09:58The millefeuille, or a thousand leaves, is a classic 17th century French pastry, and with oodles of layers, notoriously tricky to eat.
10:09Un, deux, trois.
10:11Oh, I had a palpitation.
10:14Oh, golly.
10:15You eat a dessert with a fork, and the spoon are for babies.
10:21I see, we've graduated to more complex instruments.
10:24Exactly.
10:25Yes.
10:26A 17th century Brit to thank for that.
10:28Thomas Corriette is credited with bringing forks to England, after encountering these sophisticated items on his tour of Europe.
10:36Oh, gosh, I've got a bit of leakage.
10:38That is awful.
10:41Please, don't put your elbow like that.
10:45Too high.
10:46Keep it as if you ride a horse.
10:51Mmm.
10:52Don't say too much.
10:53Hmm.
10:54It's too good.
10:56Don't start your gusty-free groans.
10:58I just smile and say, very nice.
11:08Trying not to moan.
11:11That's the hardest part.
11:12I agree.
11:13Tea with the Countess has certainly taught me one thing.
11:19I still need a lot of refinement.
11:22My elbows, I had never realized in my life before, are all over the place.
11:27I'm like some sort of poultry.
11:30All of these details have reasons behind them that tie into the court and tie into history and tie into the world that the grand tourists saw.
11:41Alongside refined elbows, grand tourists needed to be quick on their feet.
11:46Might have had a satch full of turd.
11:48Handy with a blade.
11:49If you die, you die.
11:52And once they left Paris for the Alps, have a very well-educated head for heights.
11:57Oh, damn it now.
11:59I'm in Paris, the enchanting city that beckoned the grand tourists with its sophisticated charm and wondrous allure.
12:16But unlike me, those tourists of yesteryear were already steeped in the language and inspired by French literature and art.
12:23But my own love for the city and a bygone era began with one of my absolute favorite films.
12:30Oh my, that's it. That's it.
12:33I'm convinced that's the very spot where Audrey Hepburn landed in that opening song.
12:39The most wonderful musical funny face was shot right here.
12:43And Audrey Hepburn rooted herself to that very spot, opened her arms and said,
12:52Bonjour Paris! Bonjour Paris!
12:57I just adore funny face. It sold the dream of this amazing city to me when I was young.
13:04Audrey Hepburn said, Paris isn't for changing planes, it's for changing your outlook.
13:10And I feel like that. It's left a kiss, sous le cœur.
13:18And I'm busy creating my own homage to cinema of old with my trusty Super 8 camera.
13:27It allows me to take a moment to bask in the grandeur of Paris and let its magic seep into my soul.
13:33For me, that is visual heaven.
13:44But young travellers like me didn't wander Europe alone.
13:49They had a tutor known as a chicerone, or bear leader, whose job it was to oversee their education while attempting to keep them on the straight and narrow.
13:57And I'm meeting a modern day bear leader of my own.
14:02You must be Sophie.
14:04Hi! Bonjour!
14:06Enchanté!
14:07How are you?
14:09Oh, I'm so well. You're my bear guide.
14:12I guess so, yeah. We're going to discover the city together.
14:16Sophie Gashny is a Parisian history expert.
14:19Let's have a petite promenade.
14:23And there is Our Lady, Notre Dame.
14:26Exactly!
14:28According to my guidebook, the 800-year-old Cathedral of Notre Dame was a must-see architectural gem.
14:35Now, Sophie, I have to tell you, this building brings back a lot of memories for me.
14:40Really? Tell me.
14:41Well, when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I sang here as a treble.
14:46It's okay, so many memories.
14:48Oh, so many memories associated. And I see the little gargoyles out there.
14:53Yeah, yeah, yeah. Les gargouilles, we say in French. It's coming from le gargarisme, you know, when you make the noise.
15:00Yes, we have gargles, which is from the throat, isn't it?
15:03Exactly. And actually, it's called like this because those little monsters are here to drain the water from the building, but also to purge all the bad spirits.
15:14Oh, I see. So they're like really elaborate guttering in a way.
15:17Yeah, exactly.
15:19They are majestic.
15:20Coming home with sketchbooks full, the grand tourists fired the Gothic Revival building craze that created St. Pancras Station, Inverary Castle, the iconic Big Ben, and many more.
15:35I mean, in terms of architecture, it was also like very, very innovative, you know what I mean? Like, Notre Dame has always been a treasure since its creation.
15:43Not every bit of architecture in Paris was a treasure. 200 years ago, much of the city was cramped, dank, and smelly.
15:52The Seine was a pestilent swamp, and effluent ran through the streets.
15:57There was no sewers, and people were throwing the dirty waters from the window.
16:03So being where we are now, it's a little bit high risk.
16:07Exactly, yeah. We need to be careful, maybe.
16:09Might have had a thatch full of turd.
16:11Yeah.
16:12I see.
16:14But the posh young Brits escape the stinking streets to stay with their posh Parisian friends.
16:23Oh, look at this.
16:25Like here, in the Musée L'Ambinet.
16:29We're plunging into the 18th century.
16:32Oh my goodness.
16:34We have gone back in time.
16:35And so imagine for like the grand tourists, one of their goals during their trip was to visit this kind of place, because by discovering like all the culture in France, they also wanted to discover the social life.
16:48Yes.
16:49That included, of course, letting their very well coiffured hair down.
16:54And now, are you ready for a little party?
16:58Oh, Sophie.
16:59The average age of a grand tourist was 21. And most of them came from a strict background of formal parenting and boarding school. So this may have been the first chance they had for some joie de vivre.
17:12And so this harp has been made by the luthier of Marie Antoinette.
17:28Marie Antoinette was the wife of Louis XVI, the last King of France. She was notoriously good at spending money, including having her own luthier or harp maker.
17:39This is extraordinary because I know Marie Antoinette had a burning passion for the harp. She even had a nickname, the Queen of Hearts.
17:48Yeah, exactly.
17:50So it's perfectly possible that she's strummed that very one.
17:54It's 100% possible.
17:55Well, I myself am a quiver like a harp string.
18:01Marie Antoinette's passion for the harp fueled a golden age for this instrument, thanks to the grand tourists who took this cultural craze back to Britain.
18:10They wanted to live the life as the French people were doing it.
18:14The grand tourists also wanted to learn from the French about the pleasures of the flesh. A petit dalliance or two was a rite of passage.
18:21And here, as you can see, you have the bed. During the 18th century, the pink color was not related to women. Actually, men really, really love to wear pink. It was like, not a gender color.
18:35No matter the gender, it seemed pink made the boys and girls wink.
18:40What I find very heartening is how dense those pink silk curtains are. Whatever happens behind them can very safely stay behind them.
18:50I imagine there was quite a lot of excitement. However, many came home with a great deal more than a harp and a sex education. They returned with the delightfully named French disease, more clinically known as syphilis.
19:04Hopefully, my grand tour will remain disease free. Rather naughty. I can't help but feel inspired. While plenty of wild parties went on within the city, they were tame in comparison to those held west of here in one of the most famous palaces in the world.
19:22This is the Palace of Versailles, home of the last French kings and queens. And an audience with the royal family was the holy grail for any self-respecting grand tourist.
19:39Gosh, it is dazzlingly beautiful. All the great dramas of French royalty played out here, and modern classics too, like my favorite, Funny Face, Midnight in Paris, and of course, myriad movies about the Queen of Harps herself, Marie Antoinette.
19:56So this was Louis XIV's baby. Exactly. It was his grand design. Exactly.
20:08Louis XIV arrived here in 1682, and basically, the king stayed here until 1789.
20:15Versailles was designed to reflect the king's power, and the nearly 2,000 acres of formal gardens frequently played host to extravagant parties.
20:31What happened is that with Versailles, there was no limit. And the tourists who were coming to visit Versailles wanted to experience this, the luxury of the French lifestyle.
20:42And no one did luxury like Louis.
20:46I've just spied Apollo. I've just spied Apollo in all his glittering glory.
20:5813 sculptures, weighing nearly 30 tons, and 35,000 sheets of gold leaf.
21:07The priceless fountain of Apollo, the sun god, is the ultimate example of the power and wealth of the French monarchs.
21:16It was the centerpiece of Louis's legendary garden parties, which included magnificent firework displays and sumptuous royal banquets.
21:24It sounds like the garden was like a vast open-air theatre in a way.
21:28Exactly. And also what's interesting is that you were going to Versailles to party, but also to be seen.
21:35So you had a real plume in your chapeau if you were invited here.
21:39Exactly.
21:40The Baroque garden so impressed the English grand tourists that many of them took the style back across the channel, where it can still be seen in the grandest stately homes today, including Hampton Court and Blenheim Palace.
21:52Oh, and there may have been another reason for their fondness of pruned bushes.
21:56These hedges that kind of divide the garden into little pockets, I mean, was that significant, important?
22:04People wanted to escape from, like, all the eyes around them and wanted to do whatever they wanted. They could over there.
22:11I see.
22:12It was really a way to, like, sneak out and to leave your love affair or whatever.
22:16Yes, it could be a little bit more entre nous.
22:19Sadly, there's no tumble in the bushes for me at Versailles.
22:23But as my journey continues, I begin to feel the grand tourist peril.
22:27Ooh, don't be heroes.
22:30Their pleasure.
22:31Oh, I say, that's like a laugh.
22:33And their pain.
22:34Everything's retreated.
22:44The Palace of Versailles, just outside Paris.
22:47And a few hundred years ago, it would have been the place to come for anyone who was anyone on their grand tour.
22:54It must have been incredible to actually come here.
22:56Yeah.
22:57And when the king and queen and the Dauphin were in residence, you could just go to the chapel and go to a service and see them.
23:03And without a doubt, one of the best times to visit would have been when the king was hosting one of his magnificent carousels.
23:11Vast shows that were like a combination of a military parade and a ballet held at the palace's stables.
23:18Bonjour, Rembrandt.
23:20Oh, it's Rembrandt's bottom.
23:22Over 300 years later, the tradition continues, and my bear leader Sophie has scored me a royal box for tonight's performance.
23:31Bonjour.
23:32Bonjour.
23:33And in the rest of the century there's fencing archery, of course horse riding.
23:40In short, all the skills, the grand tourists learned, and the show's about to start.
23:43out. The show is staged by the National Equestrian Academy of Versailles, with one striking difference
23:54from its predecessor. The entire ensemble is made up of women. When the grand tourists came here in
24:01the 18th century, there were over 2,000 horses here, which is one of the reasons the gardens
24:07were so good they had endless manure. But it wasn't the dung the grand tourists were here
24:14for. It was the dainty footwork. The Versailles horses and their poised guarnier stride became
24:21the cornerstone of modern dressage, and any young noble able to master it proved they were
24:26a true thoroughbred.
24:37That was the most hypnotic, mesmeric thing I've ever seen. It was like an equine kaleidoscope.
24:55It was just dazzling.
24:5818th century Versailles wasn't just leading the charge on horseback. It was also at the
25:17cutting edge of fencing. Young grand tourists were eager to hone their sword skills here,
25:23not just for sporting prize, but in case they were ever challenged to a duel.
25:28I'm behind the scenes at where I saw the magnificent spectacular to learn some fencing.
25:35Now, the playwright, Molière, whose plays many grand tourists came to Paris to see, said,
25:42the secret of fencing consists but in two things to give more than you receive. I'm going to
25:49try and follow your advice, Molière, but I have a feeling I might have rather a wobbly
25:53foil.
25:54Disputes in the era of the grand tourists were often settled by the sword, so a good teacher
26:03could be the difference between life and death. Today's class is being led by mass defensor
26:08Marie-Clemence Perron.
26:09Bravo!
26:10Thank you, thank you very much.
26:14Would you mind if I gatecrash a bit and learn a skill or two?
26:19Yes!
26:20Great pleasure.
26:21It will be dangerous, but we have to fight with elegance and with panache.
26:28I'm not very good at that, but I will try.
26:31I need a weapon.
26:32This is a rapier.
26:33A rapier.
26:34A rapier.
26:35La rapier.
26:36The rapier is a lethal dueling weapon popular with European elites since the 16th century.
26:43It was a favorite of Edward VI, son of Henry VIII, the perfect blade for anyone who wishes
26:48to be both cultured and deadly. I'm just not sure that's me. I'm one of the world's meeker,
26:55milder souls, so I'm bewitched by the elegance of it. I'm not sure I've got the combat in me.
27:05But if I'm going to emerge from this grand tour a sharper version of myself, ready to duel
27:10at any given moment, then into the fray I must go.
27:15So I need to be more ahead.
27:20I have, ooh!
27:24ooh!
27:25Quatre.
27:26Quatre.
27:27Oui, super, bravo, bravo.
27:28Ooh, gosh, my heart's going like the clappers, Marie.
27:31It's so strong. There's a psic
27:38I si- I feel that.
27:43Oh, and Rad.
27:46the alacrity is extraordinary and it is like a dance i can feel it happening all about you
27:53we can make pass a fuss oh for your first fight and if you die
28:02you died marie demands i defend my honor with expert swordswoman fanny
28:16i'm not quite dead but i am quite out of puff i i no wonder you're all so trim and dynamic
28:33thank you so much thank you that was extraordinary and not at all what i thought it would be
28:43it all happens with tremendous speed and agility and one thing i've learned is how fit the grand
28:49tourists must have been as marie said you you do it well when you have oodles upon oodles of panache
28:57and i think if you had to leave paris with one thing in your arsenal you would want it to be panache
29:02wouldn't you so with a little panache my parisian transformation is nearly complete oh thank you
29:11philippe hello uh on y va only right i think crucially and maybe the grand tourists felt this
29:23i've shed a layer or two of englishness here in paris and i think that augurs quite well for the next leg
29:30of my journey yes i feel as though i'm braced for adventure now i might be braced for adventure but
29:39i'm certainly not dressed for it yet
29:46paris was and is the style capital of the world and as i'm going to have to traverse the alps as i
29:52head to italy i'm hoping to procure some robust outerwear don't get distracted by chic things with
30:00lovely paisley linings that's not what you're here for i'm after a sort of a vest for a very dense hardy
30:09jacket for scaling it out although i'm hoping to be kitted out in sensible but stylish woolens the grand
30:18tourists spent lavishly on everything from silk stockings to sleeve ruffles i would say this in
30:25hushed tones that the poet james cawthon said by some malignancy of hate we take our fashion from
30:34the land we hate we were catholics here they were protestants back home and it was a bit of kind of
30:41loggerhead situation and yet they still recognized it was the fashion capsule of the world even then
30:49luckily i'm a total francophile so i don't have the grand tourists proper may i eventually the perfect
30:56piece catches my eye oh i say that's like a glove so i need to give you some argent don't i i'm afraid
31:11i'm suited and booted and ready to embark on the next leg of my grand tour taxi
31:21this is a bit of a bittersweet moment for me because i have to say goodbye to my favorite city
31:28but being able to look at it through the retinas of a grand tourist has been very very special these
31:34skills that they acquired here stood them in awfully good stead for the next part of their journey which
31:41was awash with peril the next stop on my grand tour is ansi known as the gateway to the alps
31:51traveling over 500 kilometers by carriage would take me at least a week
31:55and i don't have time for that so i'm on the train
32:05it must have been a very very taxing journey south for the grand tourist
32:11there were still highway robberies in those days according to my baedeker guide ansi was recommended as a
32:18pleasant resting place reaching ansi i suspect they were able to decompress
32:26unwind and i think after paris it'll be a bomb for the soul
32:36situated about halfway between london and rome and see is known as the venice of the alps
32:42of treacherous journeys and city life this just evens your tempo scattered along the shore of lake
32:51ansi are numerous hotels including the abeille de talois which is well spoken of to quote my guidebook
32:58so that's where i'm staying it's got quite a guest book napoleon the third paul cezanne bruce willis
33:05and now well me oh how lovely hello you
33:25this historic benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century was transformed into the first hotel on
33:31the banks of lake ansi back in the 1800s ready for all those grand tour visitors
33:38and one very famous grand tourist john ruskin said that mountains are the beginning and
33:47end of all natural scenery and in this case it's very very true since the mountains gave birth
33:56to lake ansi writer and visionary critic john ruskin wasn't the only famous victorian to be uplifted by
34:06the alps queen victoria herself loved to dip a royal toe in alpine waters which gives me an idea
34:13oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy it is unbelievably serene
34:29lake ansi was formed of alpine glaciers 18 000 years ago and think what that meant for the grand tourists
34:39they'd left the very mucky thames in london they'd left the rather generous of sewage seine in paris and
34:46they come here and this water is incredibly pure and incredibly rejuvenating taking the waters was
34:55thought to improve the circulation and treat all manner of ailments in for a penny in for a pound
35:01and at the grand age of nearly 40 the last thing i need is an ailment
35:14well it's not warm oh everything's retreated
35:20oh every cell is singing but it's lovely in its own curious way
35:39artily at one with mother nature
35:41and the revitalizing effects of the alps certainly sparked the imaginations of the grand tourists
35:53very near here a very famous grand tourist lord byron dared two of his friends percy b shelley and
36:02mary shelley to write the ultimate horror story and i think mary shelley was the winner with her
36:10her magnificent gothic horror novel frankenstein it's the story of victor frankenstein an ambitious
36:20scientist who creates a monster racked with guilt he flees high into the alps where he meets his murderous
36:28creation ah here is the passage a flash of lightning illuminated its gigantic stature and the deformity of
36:38its aspect more hideous than belongs to humanity instantly informed me that it was the wretch
36:46the filthy demon to whom i had given life
36:52mary shelley crossed the alps her monster lurked in several times in her life
36:57it's now time for me to do the same
37:00my climb will bring me even closer to mother nature but i think i'm all right whoa
37:08as i take on the highest mountain range in central europe
37:13do you want some shade
37:14oh oh oh look down
37:28i'm in the french alps reliving the experiences of the grand tourists of a bygone era
37:35oh precipitous mountain guide alain du jardin is showing me one of the routes over these daunting peaks
37:42peaks the grand tourists would have taken routes that were thick with danger
37:48alain every time i hear a crunch i think it might be a wolf one of our very famous politicians horace
37:54walpole his dog was eaten on his grand tour so there were great legends about the threat of the wolves
38:02back in the days of the grand tourists over 15 000 wolves roamed the french wilderness
38:09i find myself suddenly trying to remember my fencing lesson
38:12ala how many wolves would you say there are now now i would say that there is around a thousand
38:18wolves in place does that mean that it's at all possible we might see one here
38:24there is a possibility last year two of them has been spotted two three kilometers from here
38:31sure enough it isn't long before we stumble on a perfect wolf hideout
38:35oh now look at this cave look at that it's terrifying and that would be a fantastic lair
38:43wouldn't it for a pack of wolves if you want you can walk to the back that's like a red rag to a
38:49bull let go oh very very steep careful it might be slippery it is a bit slippery
39:01but i think i'm all right whoa you see second attempt here we go under no sign of wolves just two
39:12grazed knees and some blushes i have to say just looking into this cave is deeply spooky and it does
39:19sort of chill my marrow a bit despite the dangers of the alps the grand tourists were desperate to reach
39:27the romantic ruins renaissance art and masked balls of italy today it's easy to cross the alps in style
39:43and comfort but 300 years ago before roads and tunnels grand tourists like john constable and
39:49writer lady federica mansfield had no choice but to go up and over on foot and it wasn't for the
39:55faint-hearted with hundreds of miles of rugged mountain paths it was a remarkable physical feat
40:02oh this is very good for the pins i can feel it it's wonderful but for some wealthier individuals
40:08there was an easier way to make the crossing undoubtedly the best option is four strapping
40:16hunker trons and a sedan chair boys i promise you a coupe of champagne at the top
40:23one two three allez hop oh bravo les gars
40:32burly locals would sometimes carry grand tourists like this for 10 hours a day for some of them claiming
40:38to have climbed the alps was a total corn i can see the triceps throbbing do you want some shade
40:49hiring local porters to carry a sedan chair might seem like an easy option
40:55i am dazzled by your strength but it's not necessarily a safe one grand tourists were often given a chunk of
41:04bread meant to sustain them should they be buried in an avalanche and if we're to reach our goal we too
41:11must navigate some very dangerous terrain oh don't be heroes oh oh are you okay yes yes oh oh turn it down
41:28now i'm not just making these lovely men drag me up this mountain for nothing
41:32somewhere ahead of us is one of the most beautiful natural treasures of these lofty peaks cascade du pas du roc
41:39i can hear it oh there it is
41:45oh oh what a pale
41:48france has made me gasp in wonder time and time again it's also given me new respect for the grand
42:04tourists they help turn the once feared alps into a vast playground for modern day tourists like me
42:12oh blimey that was some alpine ascent now next stop italy
42:23next time on my grand tour i'll be skimming the waters to one of the most famous villas in the world
42:30even i can't take a bad photograph here descending deep into secret passages oh this is the beginning of
42:37the secret way and twirling through the carnival in venice
42:49wildly romantic and really quite arousing and tom's magnificent journey continues next friday at eight
42:57how did an ordinary school girl from la end up taking on the british monarchy megan part one is
43:02brand new tomorrow at nine and she's been on some adventures in the past but this has to be the ultimate
43:07one jane mcdonald's going pole to pole brand new next
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