The Orient Express

An early (1888) example of integrated transport planning! This is the timetable for the Orient Express for Winter 1888-1889 from the South Eastern and London-Chatam-Dover(sic) Railways, and the Chemins de Fer du Nord and de L'Est of France.
This is almost a tour of Imperial Europe, starting in Britain, passing through France and the Austro-Hungarian (Habsburg) Empire to the heart of the Ottoman.
The service ran from London to Constantinople (now Istanbul) via Paris.
The London-Vienna service ran daily from Victoria (LC&DR terminus) via Calais and Charing Cross (SER) via Boulogne, thence via Paris and Munich. Journey time was some 36 hours or so.
Paris-Constantinople ran weekly on Wednesday via Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, taking three days.
A further Paris-Bucharest service ran on Thursday and Sunday via Vienna and Budapest.
Orient Express — an experience I’ve only had in films and novels.

Read More

Panoramic photograph of Istanbul, Turkey by James Blakeway

This panoramic photograph of Istanbul, Turkey was taken by James Blakeway. It features the area of Istanbul referred to as Old Town. From the left is Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The body of water to the left is the Bosporus Strait with the Sea of Marmara in the distance. The Bosporus Strait connects the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. The bridge in the foreground is the Galata Bridge which crosses the body of water referred as the Golden Horn. Istanbul is a city on two continents, Asia in the distant left of the photograph and Europe in the center and right of the photograph.

Read More