Wed, Jul 19, 2017
Philippe begins his journey in Padang (Sumatra): he goes to the fruit market and the people offers him the durian fruit with a strong smell.In the train he meet Minankabau women and is invited at the buffalo party in a village with rice fields: the villagers organize a run of buffalo through a muddy rice field.Then Philippe goes to Jakarta where he takes a suburban train.He is invited to a marriage near the railway track.Then travel to Jogyakarta: visit of the Buddhist temple in Borobudur.There young people practice an Indonesian martial art called pencak.Finally Philippe goes to the volcano Silat (2.700 meters above sea level) where young men are recollecting sulfur: a very hard climbing.
Wed, Jul 26, 2017
Beginning of the journey in Helsinki.Philippe meets a fisherman on a frozen inlet: the man drills holes in the layer of ice and caught a small pike in the morning, but he gave it back to the sea.Helsinki. main station: departure for Rovaniemi (12 and half hours): Philippe asks the Finnish why they go to Lapland in winter, a so cold place: to practice winter sports and to enjoy the great spaces the nature and the silence: also some enjoy to take a bath in very cold water.In a great white space Philippe meets Yuka, a Laplander reindeer breeder who speaks with him about his choice of life, they feed the reindeer, later the grandson arrives and Yuka teaches him to use a lasso to catch the reindeer.Then Philippe takes the train to Kemi: on board of an icebreaker Philippe speaks with the captain and later Philippe wears a special suit and swims in the cold water among the ice blocks (a suit made for people working on platforms and can help to support cold water for 6 hours).Then Philippe goes to Joensuu, there he travels. on a snow plow locomotive.Later Philippe takes the train Helsinki, a very pleasant train controller explains him his job (taking care for for the door opening system and the heating system).Finally Philippe goes to the Temppeliauko Church (or Church of the Rock) where a Lutheran priest invites Philippe to the mass: an original mass heavy metal style.The priest, a former rocker decided to mix psalms and heavy metal and the Finnish people enjoys this way to sing to the Lord.
Wed, Aug 2, 2017
Beginning of the journey at the railway station of Los Romeros: the rail-car is the unique transport for the people of this region who need to sell their products to the town of Constitución; Philippe eats a tortilla with a woman who goes to the market.An old man speaks about this train and the virtue of the smile in the life.Then Philippe goes to the Mapuche territory: he meets there the machi, a female shaman who this day will receive a woman suffering strong pains in her back: some members of the community have come and together they have a meal and later there is the healing ceremony.Then Philippe travels to Valparaiso, he takes the funicular railway (also called ascensor) to reach a higher place and comes back downtown with another funicular railway.At the seaside Philippe meets a man who feeds pelicans. gulls and sea lions with wastes of fishes.Later Philippe takes the train from Chillán to Santiago (there only long distance passengers line in Chile): very good service on board and kindness of the passengers.At Santiago Philippe goes to the National Stadium, Where he meets Guillermo , a man who has been political prisoner in this place.Then a salt to Ushuaia: Philippe travels in the train of the end of the world (there was a penitentiary colony).Last stop the glacier El Grey where Philippe meets Raphael and Hector, two young Chilean men who put microphones in the water , record the sounds and prepare experimental music.
Wed, Aug 9, 2017
Philippe begins his travel in the countryside near St. Petersburg: he sees a kiosk and speak with the woman who is the gate-keeper: she talks about the importance of the security at the railway crossings.Then Philippe takes the train from Pavlovsk to St.Petersburg: The Russian railway net has 47.000 kilometers of lines (second railway net in the world) : the passengers explain him that travel by train is practical and cheap.Philippe arrives at Saint-Petersburg: the rail station is huge and art modern (the first railway line was installed between St.Petersburg and the summer residence of the emperor).St.Petersburg is the city of the palaces.In the old town Philippe pays a visit to Alexei , Tatiana (his wife) and Platon( his son) who live in a collective apartment; they have their private room, but share with their neighbor, the kitchen and the bathrooms.Then Philippe travels in a tramway, the woman in charge of selling the tickets has a great sense of humor.Then Philippe takes the fast train between St.Peterburg and Moscow, the Sapsam who runs at 250 kilometer/hour, the travel lasts about 4 hours for 800 kilometers.Philippe makes a stop to visits a second-hand shop which a special space where people with stress come and relieve themselves (destroying chairs,TV-set, computers).Philippe takes the fast train and visit the space of families with children (on his documentary on Norway Philippe showed also such a space in the Norwegian train).Finally Philippe arrives at Moscow and he meets a psychologist who receives his patient in a forest near Moscow.
Wed, Aug 16, 2017
Beginning of the journey at the Pilatus rack train: beautiful landscapes, pastures, ibex, the greatest slope in the world. Then Philippe goes to the Gruyère region: a very green area.There Philippe meets a cowboy (armailli) with his cow herd (100 cows), they are moving to the Alpine pastures (transhumance).Later some bearded men appear: there is a meeting of armaillis, they invite Philippe to eat fondue and sing "Le ranz des vaches", a traditional sing of the Armaillis.It's a brotherhood of men who love their earth and their traditions.Now Philippe is in Fribourg and takes the train to Berne: a lady explains that the Swiss people enjoy the nature, they are discreet, but also friendly; besides Switzerland is a land of dialogue and consensus.Later Philippe is in Emmental, the region which produces the famous cheese Emmental (with the holes inside).There Philippe meets a farmer who asked to a photographer to take picture of his cow and we see a photo shooting for the local newspaper.Then Philippe travels on the Montreux-Oberland train: with a pleasant passenger Philippe speak about money in Switzerland.Philippe returns to the lake of Geneva region (Lavaux and Lausanne) and then goes by train to the valley of Joux: there he will meet Marianne and Armand who are looking for tree barks and will prepare the famous "vacherin Mont d'or". Then Marianne , Armand and Philippe eat a piece of this famous cheese.Philippe makes a salt to Saint-Moritz and takes the Glacier Express from this town to Zermatt: in the mountain Philippe sees how men are building a new cable car station, the helicopter is bringing about 50 times a day concrete for for the building and Philippe travels back to the town by helicopter.
Wed, Aug 23, 2017
Philippe Gougler begins his travel in Genova: a visit to the old town with very narrow streets: the neighborhood is full of life: there a lot of small shop and Philippe visits a shop very people can buy fresh and organic chicken, only chicken,four generations have managed this shop. Then Philippe Philippe takes a a train towards La Spezia and stops at one of the typical village of the Cinque Terre; Monterosso, where a Franciscan monk has invited him to visit the monastery: a place of peace except the trains which are passing through the village.Then a train to cross the Tuscany: a pleasant talk with the controller about the history of this train and the workers of the railways company.Then Philippe goes by train to Verona, he meets Juliet who presents him the club of Juliet: hundred of women and men also write to this club for a personal advice for their life.And the last stop is Venice: first the encounter of a gondoliere, they pass through the canals of the town and later Philippe meets the brother of the gondoliere who is fisherman and they go fishing in the Venice lagoon.
Wed, Aug 30, 2017
An itinerant train journey to discover Russia. First stop Moscow, the capital, famous for Red Square and the Kremlin. But also for its lavishly decorated metro, built in 1935 by Stalin to glorify the people. Philippe Gougler then sets off to discover the world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway. At 10,000 kilometers long, it takes the globetrotter to Lake Baikal, the jewel of Siberia. Along the way, you'll discover a medical train that winds its way through forests and steppes, visiting the most remote villages.