Join Ed Hill on a journey with his Great Great Grandfather, William, around Europe and the globe based on his journals of the1840s. A show with history, humour and humanity.
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Join Ed Hill on a journey with his Great Great Grandfather, William, around Europe and the globe based on his journals of the1840s. A show with history, humour and humanity.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/a-grand-tour-with-my-great-great-grandad.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Now making his way inland from the coast of Mexico, William travels by stagecoach with his fellow English speaking travellers. On his way he visits the impressive Puebla cathedral, inspects the works being carried out at Mexico City's new Grand National Theatre and ponders over the hieroglyphics carved on the ancient Aztec Sun Stone.
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Nearing the end of his Atlantic crossing, William witnesses a burial at sea, then takes his first steps on Mexican soil at Veracruz and begins his journey inland to Zacatecas, stopping by a busy cloth mill on the way and visiting the country estate of President Antonio López de Santa Anna - Manga de Clavo.
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Continuing his journey across the Atlantic to Mexico, William finds himself in Havana on the island of Cuba for five days. This gives him a chance to dine with officers on a United States ship of war, visit the world's largest theatre and see Cristopher Columbus's remains in the cathedral.
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Great Great Grandad William continues his journey by paddle steamer across the Atlantic to Mexico. Stopping off at Kingston, he eats a Jamaican Pear or Avocado for the first time, enjoys new fruits such as Cherimoyas and sees the destroyed town of Port Royal after its famous earthquake. Then he makes his way to Cuba and Havana, frustrated by guards who prevent him going ashore.
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William is continuing his journey across the Atlantic by Royal Mail paddle steamer to Mexico. On the way he encounters an unfortunate but fearsome seabird, the fire devastated town of Kingston, Jamaica and takes a tour of a sugarcane plantation, finished off by a nice bowl of Turtle soup.
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In this episode William continues his journey to Mexico travelling across the Atlantic by paddle steamer. He encounters flying fish, coconut trees for the first time as well as other Caribbean fruit and fauna in Barbados and Grenada. He also comments on his fellow passengers, one a very distinguished hero of Peruvian independence.
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In season two of A Grand Tour with My Great Great Grandad, William is employed by the Anglo-Mexican Mint Company in 1843 to travel to Mexico to oversee the installation of new steam machinery to make coins. He travels to Southampton to board the paddle steamer the 'Forth' which will cross the Atlantic, stopping at Madeira on the way, before it makes its way to the Caribbean.
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In the last episode covering Great Great Grandad William's travels in Europe, before he journeys to Mexico, he and his family travel from Ghent in Belgium, where he describes the richly decorated cathedral, via Bruges to Ostend, with its many 'dubious' English inhabitants, and lastly sets sail back to Britain to the Customs House on the banks of the Thames.
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Nearing the end of his travels in Europe, William travels from Liege to Mechelen in Belgium, experiencing crowded omnibuses and uncomfortable trains, the Flemish city of Leuven, with its long beer brewing history, and the cathedral in Mechelen with its distinctive shaped tower.
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Now nearing the end of his European journey, William travels with his family from Cologne to Liege by his favourite transport method, steam train. On the way he takes in the hot springs of Aix La Chapelle (Aachen). Witnesses the works of a new railway being built from Germany to Belgium and visits the birthplace of composer Andre Gretry who influenced both Mozart and Beethoven.
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Beginning the second volume of his journals, William arrives in the ancient city of Cologne where he views its huge unfinished cathedral with its 400 year-old medieval crane, shrine to the three kings, and we learn about the death of St Ursula and the massacre of her 11,000 virginal companions.
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In this episode (the last from William's first volume of his journals) he continues his journey down the Rhine with his family, following in the footsteps of Lord Byron and encountering the mysterious Lorelei Rock, site of myths and legends and seductive sirens.
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William continues his journey through Germany. Now travelling by paddle steamer along the Rhine, where he observes the magnificent scenery, ancient castles and encounters the famous Mouse Tower with its grisly past, floating ship mills, and the curios semi-submerged Alterstein, foreteller of bountiful wine harvests.
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Making his way home through Europe, William tours the streets of the fan shaped city of Karlsruhe. We learn about the famous Heidelberg Tun, a wine barrel the size of a house, and reach the city of Mannheim on the Rhine. The location of a huge baroque palace and an astronomical observatory once visited by Mozart and Benjamin Franklin.
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In this episode William continues his travels through Switzerland with his family, describing 1840s Zurich and then making his way north to Germany and the state of Baden, encountering the Gothic cathedral or minster at Freiburg and its impressively tall spire and onward to the Black Forest - land of mighty trees and wooden cuckoo clocks.
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Now on his way home from Milan, William and his family descend the treacherous Splugan pass. Navigate the Walensee lake, following in the steps of Franz Liszt and journey on to Lake Zurich where William enjoys some pampering at the luxurious Baur Hotel.
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In this episode William discusses a funeral he attends in 1840s Milan. Then begins the start of his journey home with his family via the Alps and the Splugen pass into Switzerland.
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In this episode, after finishing his time on the railway, William continues his tour of Milan taking in the Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte, wanders through the Cristoforis shopping mall, admires the art in the famous Brera gallery and reveals his feelings about the friends he has made and the character of the locals.
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In this episode Great Great Grandad William visits the Santa Maria della Grazia, home to one of the most famous pictures in the world (or is it). He observes grotesque religious characters reminiscent of Dickens caricatures and wonders at the sculptures on the facade of the Santa Maria della Passione.
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In this episode William witnesses Carnival in Milan, travels to Cassano di' Adda and Lodi with his daughter and sums up his time working on the railway, including having to deal with the corrupt management of his Belgium boss Mr Thomas.
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