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Welcome on board Midnight Trains, a company where every moment counts

Here at Midnight Trains, we’re aiming to better connect the great European cities – with ‘hotels on rails’ that freshen up the good old-fashioned sleeper train. But while we wait to really welcome you on board, every Friday at midnight the Midnight Weekly newsletter will explain just how the night train could change your life. We’ll also be providing some travel inspiration, and this week we’ll be singing the praises of Istanbul, the historic terminus of the Orient-Express. First, we’ll be exploring the sleazier side of this legendary service.

Still today, the Orient-Express is the sleeper train that people all over the world are likely to be able to name. And while we have all probably heard our own stories and anecdotes about this mythical service, this week we want to tell you a bit about a side of its history that’s little known to most: the love affairs it has provided cover for.

No doubt it’s because trains have the ability to suspend time, and all the more so because this takes place at night, that several of the Orient Express’s illustrious travellers have viewed it as an ideal place to indulge a romantic liaison.

Even certain royals weren’t immune to the temptation. At the turn of the twentieth century, Abdul Hamid II would jump on board at Constantinople, the capital of his empire, accompanied by the eight wives who comprised his harem. Meanwhile, the Belgian king, Leopold II, spied an opportunity to live out his adulterous affair with the dancer Cléo de Mérode.

Later in the twentieth century, one of the era’s most iconic actresses made the Orient-Express her love nest. For Marlene Dietrich, the sleeper train was also a thoroughly romantic form of transport. She would often take trips with her long-term partner Joseph von Sternberg. But as in the case of Leopold II, the Orient-Express also became her ‘secret’ meeting-place with one of her lovers, the no-doubt-very-seductive Jean Gabin.

So yes, like the streetcar, the train could also claim to be named desire. And while many others – we assume more discreetly – may not have helped contribute to its promiscuous image, all those high-profile liaisons have sufficed to birth various, let’s say, unexpected propositionss. The most improbable example comes in the form of an establishment that closed its doors in 1946.

This place was located at 122 Rue de Provence, Paris, not far at all from one of the city’s most striking train stations, the Gare Saint-Lazare. It was a maison close, the One Two Two, frequented between the wars by figures big and small in the Gestapo. And Fabienne Jamet, the owner of One Two Two, took it upon herself to turn one of the bedrooms into an Orient-Express-style cabin.

In the book L’Orient-Express: du voyage extraordinaire aux illusions perdues, the writer Blanche El Gammal cites these words from the patron of One Two Two, explaining her slightly iffy concept: ‘The average female sleeper-train passenger was a little wild. She liked strangers. And as you might expect, she loved making love in the cabin. Above your narrow little bed, the wagon-lit’s scant lighting would illuminate your movements, set to the train’s regular, rolling rhythm. In the window, you could see the landscape sprawling past in all its beauty and grandeur. All you needed to do was press on a button when you arrived and you were set.’

The scandalous Orient-Express, eh? And it must be said that literature also played its part in helping fuel the train’s gossip-provoking reputation. And if we were only to mention one of the thousands of tales, we’d definitely choose Onze Mille Verges, the erotic novel by poet Guillaume Apollinaire, which made a big splash when it was released. We’ll spare you the extract where Prince Mony and his travelling companion, Cornaboeux, get down to it as soon as they board the mythical train. But it does seem pertinent for us to quote the words of another writer, Alphonse Allais, mentioned in a preamble to this episode, to give you at least an idea of it: ‘The inherent stimulation of trains causes desires to emerge in the depths of our loins.’

That’s surely the most sordid opening to Midnight Weekly we’ve written so far. Sleeper trains are full of surprises, full of stories, and far removed from what you might expect from a simple mode of transport. See you next time for even more unusual railway stories.

Even if you don’t think you know him, Yorgo Tloupas is one of those people you may well have bumped into, at one time or another. Look around you: it’s very possible that the fruit of his imagination is lying right in front of you.

Hermès, Diptyque, Black Crows, Vanity Fair, Ricard, Vuitton, Libé, Cartier and Les Inrocks are among the many recognisable brands who’ve entrusted the guy with an entire rethink of their visual identity; some so they could have a fresh start, others so could simply look a little more up-to-date. So when co-founders Adrien Aumont and Romain Payet decided to launch themselves into the Midnight Trains venture, there seemed to be no question about who they would turn to when it came to creating their logo (plus Midnight’s broader brand identity, too).

And if we do say so ourselves, we think our logo really succeeds in channelling our principal aim: to revitalise the night-train business (certainly not an empty promise). Look at it a little closer and that should be obvious. If the Midnight logo contains loads of logical symbols for a sleeper-train company, like rails and light, its sleekness and sophistication – evident in the symmetry and colours of the lines – do just as much work in conveying what our company is all about (while drawing a whole load of inspiration from the industrial revolution and the art deco movement at the same time).

It almost goes without saying: Yorgo Tloupas is a master in art made for business. Son of a sculptor (the artist Philolaos) and an art-teacher mother, his visual awareness properly developed in tandem with one of his long-term passions, skateboarding. This is a sport, after all, that happens to have a very pronounced visual culture of its own. It set him on his professional path from a very young age and it was at Penninghen, a school of interior design and artistic direction where he really refined his sense of style.

Today, while Tloupas has transformed the prospects of many a business, he still has another hobby horse: correcting the disconnect between the omnipresence of logos in our society and the total lack of comprehension of their impact. Each of us will come into contact with around 10,000 to 15,000 of them every day, but no one considers the effect this has on our society. So Tloupas is tackling the subject head-on – whether as a teacher at Penninghen or the Institute Français de la Mode, or by curating an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The idea is to spotlight this form of visual culture, this language that predates even the written word – without shying away from criticism.

That task may seem huge enough, but it’s not the only other thing our creative director has going on. Because for the tireless Tloupas, life wouldn’t be healthy without striking the necessary balance between his professional life and various extreme sports, including surfing, skiing… and bike-polo.

Bike-polo is one of those newfangled sports that have emerged in recent times and even if several of you will have already deduced what it is, it essentially consists of riding a bike instead of a horse, then playing polo. And like every other time Yorgo Tloupas tries something new, he doesn’t do things by half, and was none other than the bike-polo champion of France in 2010, before representing the country at the world and European championships. He had discovered the sport in 2006 and got properly into it in London. Having taken his balls and mallets with him on board the Eurostar, he ended up acting as an unofficial ambassador for the sport in Paris, before launching it officially across France in 2008.

There’s so much more we could say about Yorgo Tloupas, but without a doubt the best way to get to know him is to go to Yorgaki in Paris. Because having seen many brands through various big transformations, he wanted to create his own. So he launched the first (and only) Greek café in Paris, on the Rue des Martyrs. The result is very much in his own image: it’s welcoming and generous. And while he considers this a pet project, a magical blend of Greek food and culture, he’s surely not going to stop there. Midnight Weekly will strive to keep you up to speed with the next steps in Yorgo Tloupas’s inspiring odyssey.

Just like the banks of the Bosphorus strait, which appear to face off against each other (or embrace, depending which way you look at it), Istanbul is one of the most symbolic meeting-points between Europe and Asia. Formerly known as Byzantium and Constantinople, this city has been at the heart of all sorts of ambitious empires over the centuries, and that rich history is very evident as you walk around the Turkish capital today. It may be the historic terminus of the Orient-Express, but today we’ll be whisking you off on a far more modern trip.

And because that strait is pivotal to the city’s history, why not kick off your wander by familiarising yourself with its contours? To cross it, simply hop on a vapur, which will take you from one continent to another in no time at all. Continue the ride with a trip towards the Eyüp Mountains: a scenic refuge for many artistic types including writer Pierre Loti, who was a regular in these parts. Even better, save all your urban exploration for later and visit the Princes’ Islands (Adalar), around 30 kilometres from the city. Walk around on foot or cycle, while soaking up the lush smells of lilacs, magnolias and pistachio trees.

Once you’ve finished your mini-odyssey, return to the heart of Istanbul life and discover its most fascinating monument: the Hagia Sophia. Just like the city that surrounds it, this place of worship has shifted functions just as the religion and politics of Istanbul have changed too. From 537 AD to 1453, it was no less than the greatest monument to christianity, until Sultan Mehmed II turned it into a mosque – and Kamal Atatürk turned it into a museum in 1934. But that won’t be its final destiny: last year President Erdoğan said it would soon be transformed into a mosque, again. And for how long? This true wonder will never keep still. Make sure to walk around the whole thing – it’s one of the most resplendent buildings we’ve ever seen.

This city properly brims with amazing architecture. Make sure to drop by subterranean palace the Basilica Cistern, a relic of Byzantine times, or Topkapı Palace, which was the main residence of several Ottoman sultans. And you’d be foolish not to simply walk around and soak up the atmosphere of Istanbul’s backstreets. First stop should be the Grand Bazaar, which has more than 4,000 stalls grouped according to the stuff they sell and spread over a 200,000-square-metre space. Want to take something home? Be warned – you may need to hone your haggling skills beforehand.

Before leaving, it’d be remiss not to take part in certain traditions. One obvious one is the Turkish bath: an excellent way to relax and cleanse yourself of all your worries. Istanbul is big on all things indulgent, in fact. Try a Turkish Delight – rose, mint, hazelnut and many more – from Hacı Bekir, one of the city’s oldest sweet makers. The street food here is just as moreish, whether it’s kumpirs (baked potatoes stuffed with veg and mayonnaise), or grilled fish served up in a sandwich – ideally a stone’s throw from the city’s famous fish market.

But are we forgetting something? We sure are. How could we invite you to discover the marvels of Istanbul without encouraging you to go see the Pera Palas, given you’re clearly so eagerly awaiting the widespread return of night trains? This luxury hotel was built by the Compagnie de Wagons-Lits, the same company behind the Orient-Express, and was intended as a place for its wealthiest passengers to stay. We’ll no doubt have another chance to tell you much more about everything that went on in this illustrious hotel. But in the meantime, if you happen to be passing through Istanbul, this place will make an ideal stop for tea (and maybe some food too).

So it might seem a bit obvious to offer up a recipe for kebabs in our Istanbul-themed edition of the newsletter. Except, this isn’t any old recipe we’re sharing. In fact, this little number is from none other than Ai Loan Dupuis, the brilliant mind behind Sezono (season in esperanto), the restaurant-cum-market-cum-deli in Paris’s 10th arrondissement. This restaurant has become quite simply one of the most successful proponents of sustainable cooking in France: every dish is vegetarian, and uses only local, organic, seasonal produce. Try this low-carbon recipe and you’ll wonder why you’ve always gone for the meat options down your local kebab shop.

Ingredients for one kebab:

One pitta

50g yoghurt

One slice of preserved lemon

Three wild garlic flowers (or one blanched garlic clove)

200g oyster mushrooms

One garlic clove

Two tablespoons of olive oil

Half a teaspoon of cumin

Half a teaspoon of ground coriander

Quarter of a red onion

Green salad, lamb’s lettuce or purslane

Salt and pepper

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 200C

Roughly chop the oyster mushrooms and mix in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, one garlic clove (finely chopped), the spices and seasoning.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 200C until lightly caramelised.

Make the white sauce, mixing together the yoghurt, chopped-up lemon, torn wildflowers, one tablespoon of olive oil and more seasoning.

Toast the bread and fill with the mushrooms, the white sauce, the finely sliced red onion and the salad.

The success of Sezono was made possible both by the chef and her partner, Hakim El Bour, in charge of front of house – and who very much knows his stuff when it comes to wine. To go alongside this original dish, he recommends an Abouriou Barrique (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine). And if you really want to get things right, make sure to open this sulphite-free red around 15 minutes before taking your first sip.

This week, we’re recommending another song from the Midnight Trains playlist to help ease you back into the work groove this September. And why this tune in particular? No doubt because Follow The Leader manages to hit the sweet spot between subtly catchy melody and chords that simply want to make us get up and dance, bolstered by the assured voice of Sam France, Foxygen’s singer. And he has a lot to tell us as summer 2021 comes to an end: ‘Fun in the summertime, there’s no better way to spend our time, baby, but that’s never really what it’s about.’ So what is it about? That’s for you to decide.

Let’s head back to the banks of the Bosphorus to round off this edition of Midnight Weekly with an incredibly poignant film. It all kicks off in a little-known corner of Turkey: on the last day of class, five sisters walk home from school by the sea. Summer’s here at last, and they’re playing with friends – boys no less. Balanced on their shoulders, they try to make each other fall into the water, fully clothed. But they’ve been spotted by villagers, whose gossip spreads fast – to the detriment of the girls’ very freedom. It’s the beginning of a nightmare for the five orphaned sisters, who are taken to hospital to get virginity checks, then locked up by their uncle and forced into marriages. We’ll leave the rest for you to see yourselves. French-Turkish filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven is always masterful behind the camera, and so it’s no wonder the movie has won numerous international awards.

We made a mistake: Our sincerest apologies

As soon as we sent out the most recent edition of the newsletter, several of you wrote in to point out that we’d used an image of Edinburgh… which wasn’t, in fact, Edinburgh. We’d like to take the opportunity to apologise for this error, and since it is very much our intention to connect the Scottish capital with Paris, we’ve made sure this time to pick out an actual picture of that city to accompany this correction (and double-checked it was Edinburgh, too). Once again: our sincerest apologies.

Iyi hafta sonları !