A European Vacation #2
a virtual tour of the old country in 10 parts
Back in late July, I published my first installment of the Virtual European Vacation, and ever since I’ve been saving all the tapes that would fit that category for another article. Well, I recently picked up “Discovering Scotland”, and thought it might be a good time to look through what I’ve collected so far, and to my surprise there was…. um too many tapes!
Where my previous article would have been the little mini, week-and-a-half long stay overseas, this is much more like a full two-month-long backpacking trip across the old country. Nine releases, ten tapes in total, crossing over both Eastern and Western Europe, the Isles and everything in between.
For our eleven hour round trip across Europe, we will start with an extra long stay in both Austria and England, take the Cross-Channel Ferry to Spain for another extra long stay in both Spain and Portugal, hop on the train for a long journey over into Turkey, then take a flight back to Scotland and Ireland for a relaxing end to our trip across the better part of an entire continent.
Looking at this route on the map now does make it seem like we’re missing a lot of the good stuff. Hopefully in the coming months I can pull together an even better Virtual trip across Europe for y’all. Until then, please enjoy the tapes!
Touring Austria
1988 | Runtime 60 Minutes
With a history of intrigue, romance, opera, festivals, old world grandeur, Austrians blend tradition and culture to live life at its best. What other countries say with words, Austrians say with the music of Mozart, Strauss and Schubert. This video tours a land of spectacular beauty, sounds of music, tastes of strudel and Sachertorte, touches of history and the pleasant smell of a winter's fire after a day in the Alps. In Vienna, marvel at the Hofburg and Schoenbrunn Palaces, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna Boys' Choir, and an evening of waltzes. Cruise the Blue Danube. Visit Mozart's Salzburg with its delightful parks and gardens, and its fascinating palaces, the locale for the movie "Sound of Music." Walk the Olympic town of Innsbruck. Tour the Tyrol and Styria's dense forests and medieval castles. Visit Piber where the famous Lippizaner stallions are bred. Glide over the Alps at Kaprun. See Europe's oldest and largest glacier The Pasterze, and Krimml Falls, highest waterfall on the continent. Gaze at mountainous scenery from the Orient Express. Quietly pause in little Oberndorf, where "Silent Night, Holy Night" was written on December 24, 1818. View it all and you'll know why Austria is the land of Alpine splendor.
Discovering Austria
1986 | Runtime 56 Minutes
Austria, known to many Americans from one of Rogers and Hammerstein's best-loved musicals, The Sound of Music with its dramatic opening scene of Maria running through a lush, flowered, alpine meadow surrounded by glorious ice-capped peaks. Austria, a land of incomparable beauty, pageantry and music. At Innsbruck, you'll ski down incredible Tyrolian Alps. Medieval villages, abbeys and monasteries on the banks of picturesque rivers and lakes will welcome you. In the glass factory at Kufstein you will see the secrets of how exquisite crystal is produced. Travel down the legendary Danube and visit magnificent castles. In the capital city of Vienna, you'll be greeted by the lasting grandeur of the Habsburg imperial courts. Hundreds of bells in Mozart's Salzburg will ring just for you. In the Salzkammergut, you'll view magnificent mountains and lakes. You'll see the famous storks of Rust near the Neusiedler See, an unequaled aquatic bird sanctuary. You can explore Eisenerz, site of the fabulous iron mountain that has produced ore since the Iron Age. And throughout this beautiful country is woven the music of the masters Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss and Beethoven. Austria offers you a fantastic kaleidoscope of contrasts!
Discovering England
1989 | Runtime 86 Minutes
It would be difficult to find a more comprehensive tour through the byways and highways, lanes and paths, nooks and crannies, major sights and unexpected discoveries of enchanting England! After seeing the fascinations of London, it's out into the country for spectacular lakes and streams, green hills and dales, charming houses and inns, castles and cathedrals, thatched roofs and the cobblestone streets of scores of colorful towns in between, from Aldeburgh to York. The many pleasures en route include the highlights of Cornwall and Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire, Sussex and Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk, Staffordshire and Leicestershire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire; the mysterious rocks of Avebury and of prehistoric Stonehenge; the universities of Cambridge and Oxford; the cathedrals of Canterbury and Wells; Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace; the quiet beauty of Stratford-upon-Avon; the homes of Tennyson and Captain Cook and even Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest. A specially composed musical score and the sounds of streams and rivers, trams and steam engines make you feel that you are there!
"England: Land Of Splendor"
1993 | Runtime 86 minutes
Come on a voyage of discovery and experience the many wonderous splendors of England, the country described in Shakespeare's Richard II as "This precious stone set in a silver sea." Enter the hallowed chambers of the House of Lords, fanciful Brighton Pavilion, the great cathedrals of St. Paul's and Canterbury. Explore delightful stately homes, such as Blenheim Palace (where Churchill was born) and Wilton House (where D-Day was planned). Enjoy uniquely English events, such as Trooping the Colour and the Henley Regatta. Soar high above for breathtaking aerials of Cheddar Gorge, the magnificent Lake District, and stark castles along the Northumberland coast. From the White Cliffs of Dover to Hadrian's Wall, from quaint villages with thatched-roof cottages to the splendid cities of Bath and Cambridge, you'll soon echo the sentiments of the poet Robert Browning, "Oh, to be in England..."
For this one, I wasn’t able to pick up the tape with it’s slip cover, but I was able to find this low-resolution scan of the front and back online —plenty to get the informational text off the back, but it doesn’t look too pretty.
Channel 1000 Presents: Spain
Links: Part 1 & Part 2
1996 | Runtime 2 Tapes, 30 Minutes Each
From conquistadors to matadors, Spain is an intoxicating blend of exciting sights and sounds. Join in the hustle and bustle of Madrid, and watch the colorful spectacle of a traditional Spanish bullfight. Delight in Spain's mouthwatering national dishes and experience the fiery rhythms of a flamenco dance performance. Visit La Mancha, the homeland of Cervante's legendary dreamer, Don Quixote, and marvel at the exquisite Islamic mosaics at the cathedral of Cordoba. ☛ Visit the Gypsy quarter of Granada, the city where the Moors made their last stand in Spain. Discover the masterwork of light, water and stone called the Alhambra, the mystical Red Castle once home to the Spanish Sultans. Dance in the festival of Seville and soak up the sun on one of Spain's Canary Islands before taking a stroll down one of Spain's most famous streets - Las Ramblas in downtown Barcelona.
Video Visits Spain And Portugal
1988 | Runtime 111 Minutes
Interestingly, this comes with nearly an extra hour of footage after the feature from the Portugal Video Visit (something I’ve already covered in my first European Vacation article). Of all the docs and travelogues I come across, from the cover design to the camera work within, I have a strong preference to the Video Visits brand. Every shot looks stunning and the presentation really cannot be matched.
Come with us to sunny Spain, land of bullfights, flamenco, and 2,000 years of history. Begin in Madrid's Royal Palace and see the paintings of Velázquez and El Greco, then go on to the Prado for Goya. Stroll through the oldest part of the city, to the Plaza Mayor and the restaurant Botin, where Hemingway dined. Take an excursion to Ávila, the walled 11th century home of Saint Teresa. Continue on to the Alcazar at Segovia; Toledo and the famed cathedral; Córdoba and its gypsy caves. Savor the exotic flavor of Granada, center of Moorish Spain, and pause in the Alhambra, where nightingales sing in the gardens. Soak up sun along the Costa del Sol and then complete your tour in Barcelona, Spain's second city. Video Visits brings the world into your home, in glorious color, with narration and music. Experience the beauty and grandeur of the world's greatest cities and countries and learn about their people, culture, and history. Entertaining and educational, each program in the Video Travel Library® is perfect for travelers and would-be travelers of all ages.
From the beautiful sandy shores of the Algarve and Cascais to the romantic, lush forests of Bucaco and Sintra, Portugal is full of treasures waiting to be discovered. Journey through one of the oldest countries in Europe and uncover the dramatic history of kings, religion and exploration. Cheer for the "cavaleiro" as he skillfully battles the mighty bull; savor the rich wines of The Douro; relish in the medieval architecture of Evora. Enjoy the charm, warmth and spirit of Portugal's people. From the enchanting moorish castles and churches of Lisbon to the vast winding canals of Aveiro, experience this unforgettable land of proud tradition. Video Visits brings the world into your home, in glorious color, with narration and music. Experience this beauty and grandeur of the world's greatest cities and countries and learn about their people, culture, and history. Entertaining and educational, each program in the Video Travel Library is perfect for travelers and would-be travelers of all ages.
Travels In Europe: Western Turkey with Rick Steves
1995 | Runtime 80 Minutes
DISCOVER THE EUROPE MANY TRAVELERS MISS
WESTERN TURKEY
Relish Turkey's intriguing history, spectacular ruins, and famous mineral spas
Find echoes of the past in the ancient sites of Ephesus and Aphrodisias
Travel up the Meander River, eat Turkish pizza, get tips on healthy travel
CAPPADOCIA & ANKARA
Folk dance through tea-rich ancient villages; find historic cliff hideaways
Visit the unspoiled town of Guzelhyurt
Get to know the historic Ataturk -- the "Father of the Turks"
ISTANBUL
Explore this 2,000 year old great and crowded city; get lost in the Grand Bazaar
Feast like kings with locals at a fisherman's wharf
Find remnants of the Byzantine Empire at St. Sophia & Topkapi Palace
Discovering Scotland
1991 | Runtime 105 Minutes
Rolling moors and highlands. Bluebells and heather. Cool lochs and refreshing streams. Tidy villages nestled into rolling fertile farmland. Rocky outcroppings and sleeping seaside towns. Around every corner, over every hill lies still another marvel. And each is yours for the discovering in this comprehensive tour through the colorful land of the kilt and the tartan. Among the delights: The awesome vistas of the Border Country. Brooding Hermitage Castle. Sir Walter Scott's magnificent home, Abbotsford. The pomp and circum- stance of the massed pipes and drums of the Highland Regiments. Edinburgh's Mary King's Close, still haunted by the ghost of a young girl dressed in white. Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie fought. The orange flames of the Viking Fire Festival on Shetland Islands. The Isle of Lewis and Harris, famous for tweed. Spectacular colors in Inverewe Gardens. Fingal's sea-washed cave. Peaceful Loch Lomond. The ancient ramparts of Stirling Castle. And the gentle green hillsides of Ayrshire, home of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Come along. discover ALL of Scotland!
Travel The World: Western Ireland (Dublin And Belfast)
1993 | Runtime 51 Minutes
WESTERN IRELAND:
Explore the unspoiled land of the Emerald Isle, including Dingle Peninsula and the Aran Islands.
Bicycle through the Gaeltachts, national parks for traditional Celtic culture.
Celebrate Gaelic and Celtic traditions at local Irish pubs.
DUBLIN & BELFAST
Discover the bustling urban and cultural centers of Ireland.
Travel through high-spirited Belfast and learn of its turbulent history.
Visit an open-air Folk Museum and experience Ireland's folk traditions.
Marvel at the ancient illuminations of the Book of Kells at Trinity University.
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the tapes! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out my first European Vacation article or any of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
I Love Seeing Scotland On Film!