Tren Atlantico | Part 1: In the Heart of Portugal | Free Documentary Nature

foreign this is a country on the edge of Europe [Music] Crossing it by train if Portugal were a wine it would taste of passions and love [Music] trail of Secrets [Music] I feel good and I can't stop journeying through the land of explorers [Music] thank you this is the place where the Earth ends and the Sea begins say the Portuguese at the foot of these sintra mountains in the very west of Portugal Las Cabo de Roca the outermost point of the European mainland [Music] for many years sintra served as a summer residence for the Portuguese Kings many palaces are located here making the place still a popular destination for excursions [Music] has lived here for over 20 years he is on his way to Casa pirikita Place King Carlos the first used to come to every day the pastry shop is famous for its traviseros and kejarash a surprise for his wife Maria the two are a bit like the royal family of sintra normally one lives in a normal house so I appreciate this privilege all my friends say Hey you live in a palace you live in Quinta de regalera for them it's a kind of status but for me it's normal this is to May's Palace the mamilos are not rich or aristocratic they work here as janitors service apartment included regalera is a four hectare area with Palace Park grottos fountains and bludges [Music] formerly the private property of very rich Portuguese today it is open to the public and part of the UNESCO world heritage site above an enchanted Park below a branching Labyrinth of tunnels sure I feel a bit like I'm in Paradise this is no ordinary place the only thing I should avoid so that things don't go wrong is choosing the wrong path down here foreign 's wife Maria is cleaning and not just anywhere either the mamelos once applied for a very ordinary looking job advertisement as janitors and got it before that they were simple people a thing has changed I have been cleaning this Chapel for 21 years every day every day whenever I come here I pray I'm religious I'm grateful for all the good things God gives me every day [Music] [Music] the two are the only ones who stay here when all the visitors are gone then the place belongs only to them look what a great night oh yes yes that's sintra [Music] for as long as they continue to do that job at kintadarigalera Maria and Tommy will be allowed to stay they might even grow old here yes of course we can imagine that I haven't thought much about death yet but it would be good to stay in shape for a long time to our health [Music] the next morning our journey North starts here in sintra it goes up to Porto then through the world famous Duro Valley up to the Spanish Border in the east [Music] before although I often sleep because I leave very early but the trip is always good it's a great route everyone less than an hour's drive and we reach our next stage destination at the time of the royalty there was much more going on here Ugo rebello is here on official business the scientist works with contemporaries who have lived here for centuries not just Anywhere But at the Palacio Nacional [Music] Hugo's offers an 18th century Library there are about 36 000 old books here for Ugo however rather uninteresting he uses the ultrasonic detector to pick up scent [Music] they are nocturnal they are tiny and fly very fast so the chance to spot them is very small is Batman [Music] in the old masonry he looks for bats and they are here [Music] this small fecal sample could provide the next evidence of what service the bats of this Library can offered namely eating the pests that Nest here um Vermin and termites that otherwise decomposed the books [Applause] there they are these are the sounds of bats that are probably still in their shelter but I recorded them [Applause] there goes a bat that's the sound it makes just before it grabs its prey this means the bat has just eaten here the fact that bats have lived here for almost 300 years shows that they are helpful rather than a problem the bad researcher has searched cautiously and found Hugo and the night Watchmen are having a little chat it's been a very busy night lots of animals says Hugo they wish each other a very good night Sergio coraira the night Watchman is not so squeamish in fact the animals are Sergio's soulmates no sign I don't know I can't fly but we both like the night so we have a certain similarity it's fun to be here at night with the bats it's cute to watch them entertainment conditions the bats whisper softly to him good night if only saljo could hear it [Music] really [Music] the train now crosses Central Portugal on its way North [Music] from here from obidush it is still a good two hours to the next stop [Music] in the interior lies the former capital of Portugal coimbra the oldest university city in the country and the home of the father this Melancholy music is a glimpse into the soul of the Portuguese Fernando Mirage makes the right instrument for the job the Portuguese guitar he is one of the few who still builds them without it there would be no photo it's very meticulous tedious work besides the wood I use only natural materials when I build instruments no varnishes no synthetic adhesives the whole thing is a very delicate process it takes me about two months to finish a guitar let us believe that such a fine piece costs four thousand dollars but this work doesn't make Fernando Rich it's a passion and musicians have a very unique relationship with their instrument some guitarists say that the Lisbon guitar reminds them of the body of a woman who has very wide hips guitar more like a Slimmer more elegant body shape Fernando doesn't put all his eggs in the father basket he also builds other instruments the main thing is to be special [Music] his fascination with old Portuguese music is something he's passed on to his son Fernando Jr there are three important things in Portugal Fardo Fatima and soccer today Fardo sounds more modern and also appeals to younger people um to the Portuguese what the blues is to the African Americans so father then is the Portuguese Blues Blues [Music] we leave coimbra for a detour into a completely different world to the far Northwest [Music] is the only National Park in Portugal a pristine area with wild horses and happy Barossa cattle you rarely meet people here and they are becoming fewer and fewer such a solitary life is too lonely [Music] there are two who still want to stay here [Music] together with their 250 goats on days like these Victor Alfonso and his son Ricardo have to take extra good care of the animals when the weather is particularly foggy the wolves are most likely to attack because then they can hide especially well and you do not see them so easily but it's quite rare because of the dogs the dogs scare them off quite well but when they attack they really attacked them Duke is Victor's Ally straw laboreru one of the oldest breeds of dogs in the Iberian Peninsula he can smell wolves it can be deceptive the vastness of pinedage it is very difficult in fog you can get lost in the middle of the mountain it's enough to go a little to the right or to the left or back and you no longer know where you are either and the rain doesn't help if you get lost here in the rain it's very dangerous Victor used to live in nice on the cotazur after that he had a cafe in Palace but there was always the desire to return to his homeland [Music] when I came back I chose this work with animals because I had always liked it even when I was little with my grandparents and my parents and I had also given up the cafe because I was tired of all the people well this is a different kind of paradise [Music] foreign [Music] Victor spends every day with his goats in the mountains [Music] leaving early in the morning returning in the afternoon seven days a week [Music] yes I like it I love it but tomorrow is one of those special days when I'm not with the goats [Music] every September 8th is a special day of celebration in Pineda Victor's home Village this is the culmination of a seven-day Catholic celebration in the village [Music] I pray for good health because that is important for the work for God to watch over us people for world peace and that everything returns to normal kids to do then you're normal [Music] the Portuguese are Pious Pilgrims from far and wide come here [Music] this service is one of the most important in all of Portugal and in the midst of nowhere [Music] the green Oasis [Music] tourists still come here rather rarely it's almost a miracle that this region has kept its magic to itself [Music] slowly we return to civilization [Music] here too in Braga the people claim to be particularly Catholic so it's no coincidence that this Workshop exists here which has hardly changed in 90 years Carlos Geronimo is the boss of Portugal's last and only Bell Foundry when we started four generations ago there were about six Bell manufacturers in Portugal we then adapted and expanded our company no we not only cast Bells but also make Bell mounts and Clockworks because if we only had The Foundry we probably wouldn't be on the market anymore first a mold for the Bell is built from clay if Jose the actual Bell will later ring off key or not at all two screws are inserted here the template is then attached to them we turn this around this is what we call the grill the mold is then fired on this about 12 000 Bells have already been made this way but sales are declining there are cheaper Goods on the market produced faster because the churches also have to save money [Music] the monastery of tibines in Braga the Geronimo belts also hang in the former Benedictine Abbey they are rung by Fernando Silva [Music] one of the last bell ringers of Portugal he has been ringing the prayer Bell here for ages even at the age of 85. [Music] I feel good and I can't stop [Music] I love this work if I stop there will be no one left people can be found who want to work here but not for this salary the church has no more money to pay people properly only funerals are still worthwhile but nothing else the most pressing problem however is to be solved by Carlos Geronimo [Music] Carlos and Fernando are talking about the sound of the Bell [Music] Fernando reckons it sounds different when it swings back [Music] wants to take a look at that okay Carlos reckons the problem is that The Clapper isn't centered [Music] watch out Fernando says you're not secured put on a Traditions the church bells in Portugal have a great tradition in our country but we have lost an important Heritage that of the Bell ringers because there's no support and no commitment from the Catholic Church to maintain the manual operation of the Bells and this is difficult because now there is a lack of young people it is Fernando to ring the bell once again as long as Fernando still has strength the belts in Braga will ring [Music] we are back on the Atlantic coast just before portal the paralla de Espino swimming is often prohibited here because of the strong current [Music] but most people here don't care about that because surfing is allowed foreign the magic of Surfing is in the connection with nature because we are constantly interpreting and adapting to the wave it's very relaxing it's hard to put into words surfing has long been part of Portuguese culture foreign no wonder with 832 kilometers of coastline [Music] Ricardo Marquez takes us to Porto nearly 2 million people live in the metropolitan area in the North [Music] is one of the most beautiful train stations in the world [Music] Pardo's Hometown like the entire country is still suffering from the harsh austerity measures which followed the 2008 economic crisis things are slowly picking up again [Music] old stores are closing new ones are opening aggressive Ricardo could also make a smaller model always to the customers taste at the gates of the city Ricardo Marquez has found his niche the most difficult part is the development combining the Aesthetics with the function and then we have to design a model that is suitable for most people in terms of size and weight [Music] as a surfer he has a heart for all those who live far from the water so to speak because what looks like a simple skateboard at first glance is actually a neat Portuguese innovation the idea was born on the beach when I was standing there looking at the Horizon and thinking I'm surfing here but how about adapting surfing to skateboarding so as to bring surfing to the street Ricardo and his team build surfboards on Wheels they want to conquer the market with them that depends on your ambition and on your way of doing things but hard sure you need some willpower okay I'd say a lot of willpower but I'm Gonna Be Rich of course that's why I'm here that's the goals they regularly invite the community to try it out to surf in the middle of the city at the casa de musica Concert Hall [Music] [Music] yes it must be that loose technique and movement should be the same as on the water [Music] actually I don't serve I've only tried a few surfing lessons you definitely get this feeling that you're standing on a wave this gliding feeling of being on a wave for Ricardo his small startup has brought the perfect work-life balance [Music] Porto is considered by many to be the covert capital of Portugal especially by the tripperos the city's inhabitants [Music] the Doro River leads us further east here lies the valley that bears its name the oldest wine growing region in the world foreign [Music] is perhaps Portugal's most beautiful railroad line a small Winery has been located here since 1885. [Music] Laura regoero is the family harass of kinta Casa amarilla she is at home here in fact I like to say that these Vineyards are my garden here I pick these flowers and leaves that have such wonderful colors it is the sixth generation to make port wine and is rooted here [Music] if Portugal were a wine it would taste of passion foreign foreign Valley is characterized by different climatic zones this makes growing grapes in this region difficult for Laura regoero the most stressful days of the year are about to begin [Music] abomination of a whole year of hard hard work and we always ask that Saint Peter help us with the weather [Music] since time immemorial a small traffic Hub because from here the port wine was once transported to the cities [Music] they are The Vineyards of kintadokuma where childhood memories are grown [Music] Georgia teniro grew up on a Vineyard and in acquiring his own Vineyard has fulfilled a dream being a surgeon he normally stands in the operating room but not today [Music] the weather here can hurt or help us a lot these Reigns of the last few days have allowed the grapes to ripen now we have to harvest them very quickly because more rain would spoil the Harvest that is why we are now under time pressure and [Music] now we can see if the work of Georgia and his wife Claudia is bearing fruit they don't have a lot of experience but they are good acquaintances [Music] I thought I'd stop by we can't hug these days but nice all good her friends have supported Laura from the beginning whenever Georgia needs something I'm there for him I think that the new producers who set up shop here bring enormous added value they may not have as much expertise but they have a great passion for the region this is not just a few hectares of land above all it's an investment in the future this project has brought our family even closer together family is very important to us Claudia and I want to leave a legacy for our children Frederico George's son has summoned a few friends in the Doro Valley Wine is traditionally trampled underfoot Frederico checks the results of a Year's work and the alcohol content possible 13.7 and that's promising but the truth lies in the glass [Music] the grapes have really good alcohol and acidity and they're very productive I think it will be a good year the wines will be more elegant a bit fresher and not so heavy we have thus achieved our goals then [Music] Frederico also has a reason to celebrate [Music] the dolo River meanders over here from Spain the railroad line also connects Portugal with Spain at least theoretically Luis Patricio can still remember the days when he could take the train all the way to the neighboring country [Music] today there is still a train but only on the Portuguese side this train is very special to me because I worked here for 31 years all along the lines I worked at all the stations today there are no more I spent my youth here on this line for 31 years foreign is now a dead end [Music] nowadays in fact the train only runs as far as percinia not even right up to the Border anymore [Music] the conductor is interested to know whether Lewis worked on the line and of course he even was a station master things have changed but the landscape is still the same time the end of the line at least for now [Music] every trip to Porto is therefore a farce for Lewis since 1988 he has had to drive the last 30 kilometers home by car foreign [Music] right on the Spanish border he is 80 years old and knows everyone here basada used to be a lively Little Village damn it open me up again is emblazoned on the rail line the old station is also waiting eagerly this was once Louis's second home this is where he dispatched the trains to and from Spain hundreds of times here in front was the customs office there the passports of the passengers were collected and later returned and back there was the waiting room then the station Master's office and next to it the waiting room for the first class and back there was the restaurant [Applause] Lewis himself was forced to wind up the business after golden years everything was Immaculate everything accurately painted everything nice and clean there was an employee here who was a customs officer herself who cleaned every morning before the employees came she cleaned everything the Spaniards are to blame for the decline the 100th anniversary of the train line was still being cheerfully celebrated and then from one day to the next closing time [Music] well there was a little rumor going around but no one expected it to happen so quickly and then of course we were all upset but we had to endure it foreign border traffic the Portuguese railroad took basa dalva completely off the network [Music] will a train ever be running here again from one country to another from over here to over there I can't believe it but it would be nice that would be much better of course I would rather get off here at home than still have to take the car from pozinho it would be a joy for everyone but not until I see the train before that I won't believe it our journey from the Atlantic coast to the Spanish Border in the Northeast ends through a proud dreamy and unknown Portugal [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 135,167

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Nature, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife, Animals, Animals Documentary, BBC Documentary, National Geographic, Portugal, Tren Atlantico, Portugal Documentary, Atlantic Coast, European Wildlife

Id: by1JboFjv9E

Length: 43min 48sec (2628 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 01 2023