| |  | |  |  | |  | Welcome to 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. Before introducing you to the delights of the Italian city of Turin, we’re voyaging back in time to nineteenth-century Paris, where train stations were just about to spring up all over the shop. | |  |  | Seven. It’s a magic number that’s no doubt cropped up in innumerable stories since we were kids, and so it’s perhaps not by chance that it’s also the number of stations from which it is possible to leave Paris for further afield. These seven stations are those which Midnight Trains will use as its first railway hub: the Gare du Nord, the Gare de l’Est, the Gare de Lyon, the Gare d’Austerlitz, the Gare de Bercy, the Gare Montparnasse and the Gare Saint-Lazare. Each of them has its own batch of destinations, each its own unique language, a product of its history and architecture. There are seven of them, and yet there could have been more: this week, we’re telling you the story of these Parisian stations that never saw the light of day or have simply been forgotten. The nineteenth century marked the start of the golden age of rail. While the tracks stretched further and further into the distance, operators wanted them to start as close as possible to the centre of cities, both to make life easier for travellers, and to ensure freight goods to be transported swiftly and efficiently. In Paris, this was easier said than done: there wasn’t enough space to create station buildings big enough and Haussmann had yet to start his major infrastructure projects that would give the City of Light a whole new look. And while it had been decided that railway lines departing from Paris would be built in 1832, locals weren’t necessarily as open to the idea as you might think. At the time, the locomotive was still the object of fear: many saw in her a monster of untameable progress and the explosion of stations in the urban landscape would be seen as a blight on Paris. Some even spoke of an ‘Americanisation of the French capital’. Back in those days, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) was far from being a reality, too. The state in fact delegated management of the train network to private firms and, when it came to trains departing Paris, there were six in charge of six respective destination regions: Paris to Orléans (1838), the North (1845), the East (1845), the Midi (1852), the West (1855) and Paris to Lyon and the Mediterranean (1857). Evidently, as competitors, each company wanted its own station, too. And by God, their plans were ambitious. Take the example of the Pereire brothers: key entrepreneurs during France’s industrial revolution. They dreamed of a huge, unique train station – all routes leading to one big railway hub in the capital – and wanted to build it in the Madeleine neighbourhood of central Paris. This seemed like an obvious choice, on account of its location. And given all the existing surrounding architecture, the plan was to build huge, six-metre-high viaducts to bring the trains into the city. These days it sounds a little far-fetched, but King Louis-Philippe gave the project the go-ahead in 1837. This monumental station really could have changed the face of central Paris… if locals hadn’t kicked up a fuss. Concerned the trains would pollute those who lived nearby, such was the outrage that the Pereire brothers were forced to chuck in the towel. But while there was no Gare de la Madeleine, that wouldn’t stop the development of another station, not far from there, a few years later: the Gare Saint-Lazare. Another far-fetched and grandiose idea came about for a Gare du Trocadéro. It all started in 1878, when after decades of private railways firms, the State’s Administration des Chemins de fer was born. As time wore on the national authorities were determined to show that they could do better than the private firms. What they needed was a symbol: on the very spot where the gardens of the Palais du Trocadéro are currently located, they envisioned building a station from which trains would leave for the Vendée and Charentes regions. As it turned out, they had to revise their ambitions and it was from the Gare Montparnasse, managed by the Compagnie de l’Ouest, that these trains departed. The Gare de la Bastille, on the other hand, did come to fruition. Some of you may well remember trains leaving this iconic square right up until 1969. A century earlier, the station was inaugurated in the presence of Napoleon III no less, and was the work of the Compagnie de l’Est. Where the Pereire brothers hadn’t had any success, this firm was able to built a viaduct to allow its trains to travel into the capital (the one that’s become today’s Coulée Verte, so rized by Parisians). It would take several years for the station to fade from memory: it wasn’t until 1984 that it was destroyed to make way for the Opéra-Bastille. As ambitious and far-fetched as these plans were, these stillborn (or long-dead) stations are the phantoms of a Paris whose horizons have been greatly expanded by the train. Their history bears witness to what the city decided to become (or not to become) in the light of progress and the opportunities provided by the railways. Next week, we’ll be telling you more about the Musée d’Orsay, because before it was home to masterpieces like L’Origine du Monde, it was of course a magnificent Seine-side train station. | |  |  | In previous editions of Midnight Weekly, you’ve had the chance to get to know several members of the Midnight Trains team. With 2022 set to be a big year for our ‘hotels on rails’ company, it would be impossible to start it without presenting the two whizzes who look after the interior design and layout of our trains. This duo comprises Julien d’Hoker et Patricia Bastard, who run design agency Yellow Window, now well established in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. They both joined us in July 2020. As you’ll remember, the world was just emerging from its initial lockdowns, and like many of you, this ordeal… ➡ Read the rest of this article on our blog. | |  |  | When considering a trip to Italy, we often fall back on the classics: Rome, Florence, Venice or Naples. But this week we’ll be singing the praises of a much less touristy city, with just as much impressive history, architecture – and food. Turin, which was the first capital of a united Italy, is the jewel of the Piedmont region. Here’s where you go when you get there. Start your trip by soaking up the city’s history around the Quadrilatero Romano, one of Turin’s oldest neighbourhoods. You’ll wander through a succession of historic streets and squares that date back to the Middle Ages. Not far from there, you’ll be able to discover one of the city’s oldest religious buildings, the Santuario della Consolata: a baroque basilica whose intricate interior details will blow you away. Come to Turin, and you’ll come face to face with one of the most fascinating religious enigmas: that of the Shroud of Turin, displayed at the Museo della Sindone. This time-worn sheet contains the image of a dead man who appears to have suffered a similar ordeal to Jesus Christ. No surprise, then, it’s become an object worthy of pilgrimage for a number of believers, and that the Catholic church considers it an icon (even if carbon-14 dating has proved the object in fact dates back to the… eighteenth century). Enough of religion and now for some culture. Right now, if there’s one exhibition you shouldn’t miss when in town, it must be one that pays tribute to several Italian artists who were inspired by the 1930s Paris. Parigi era viva, De Chirico, Savinio e les Italiens de Paris is on at the Fondation Accorsi-Ommeto, Turin’s museum of decorative arts. It’ll hammer home just how inspirational the City of Light was for this diverse generation of Italian artists. Next up, head to two more of the city’s great museums. The first, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, has an obvious home in Turin, considering it was the cradle of Italian cinema for so many years. The stunning Mole Antonelliana building that houses it was once the tallest in Europe, and today it holds an impressive collection of 80,000 photos, 12,000 films and 300,000 posters. A little more unusual is the Museo Egizio, which has the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts outside of Cairo. You’ll be taken back both by its array of mummies (some of whom still have their hair) and the sheer diversity of papyrus documents on display here. Another thing you shouldn’t miss: the area dedicated to the tomb of architect Khâ and his wife Merit, whose 550 objects will dazzle any visitor. Leave the pharaohs behind to follow in the footsteps of the Dukes of Savoy, who reigned over this Piedmontese city for several centuries. Start at the Palazzo Reale, which elegantly blends neoclassical, rococo and baroque styles. The dukes spared no expense in residences like this: this one’s frankly over-the-top staircase makes for quite the entrance, while the garden offers a peaceful place for a walk. Want to continue your historic meander? If time permits, leave the city and discover the castles of Agliè, Racconigi, or the Reggia di Venaria, which feels a bit like their equivalent of the Palace of Versailles. Time to eat. And you’re in luck, because the Italian part of Piedmont is the historic center of Slow Food. This movement emerged in the neighbouring city of Bra, with the aim of slowing the industrialisation of food production. A reference point for sustainable food movements around the world, it has helped protect varieties of fruit and veg, breeds of livestock that were once on their way out, and ancestral cheese recipes. Two of the restaurants who’ve deceived official Slow Food recognition are in Turin itself. The first is quite simply one of Italy’s best restaurants: the Consorzio. It serves up delicious modern twists on Piedmontese cuisine, packed full with Slow Food-approved ingredients, and has an excellent natural-wine menu, too. Special mention must be made to its agnolotti, its brasato di Fassona and selection of Alpine cheeses. Another restaurant you won’t want to miss: the traditional Antiche Sere osteria, where you’ll be equally blown away by the quality. Buon appetito! | |  |  | This week, we’ve managed to get our hands on a recipe from a chef who once worked at Consorzio in Turin. Francesca Riccò in fact recently decided to leave the city and set up a base over the border in Nice. You’re now able to sample her masterful cuisine at Babel Babel. Since it opened in 2019, Babel Babel founders Olivier Daniel and Kevin Lalanne have made their restaurant an unmissable pitstop for anyone passing through Nice. Throughout the day, the Babel Babel menu serves up a delicious menu of Mediterranean dishes, along with a fine natural wine menu and cocktail selection that always impresses. To round off the experience, the restaurant balcony and terrace are among the best places to take in the Niçois sunset. With the arrival of Francesca Riccò at the helm of the kitchen, Babel Babel has hit new highs. And if you want to get a feel for what her food’s like? Among her very best dishes are the barbajuans, small fried parcels that are typical of the Roya Valley, just on the edge of Italian Piedmont. Here’s how to make them. Ingredients For the pastry
210g wheat flour
70g warm water
10g white wine vinegar
2g sea salt
50g olive oil For the filling
A bunch of chard
One garlic clove
Olive oil
50g mascarpone
50g parmesan
Salt
Pepper For the mayonnaise
250g mayonnaise
25g roughly chopped capers
20g cold espresso coffee Prep Start by blending all the dough ingredients together to form a smooth, consistent mixture. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes. Next, make the stuffing. Finely chop the chard and cook with the oil and chopped garlic. Leave to cool, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Prepare the sauce, mixing the mayonnaise with the capers and coffee. Now it’s time to assemble your barbajuans. Roll out your dough until very fine and cut with a round pastry-cutter. Place the stuffing in the centre and fold the dough over half of it before creasing the edges with your fingers. Fry them at 180 degree celsius until golden. Serve with the coffee and caper mayonnaise. | |  |  | Once again the song we’re recommending from the Midnight Trains playlist offers an escape to the sun-soaked Med to counter the January blues. This week, it’s a slice of Italo disco from brothers Carmelo and Michelangelo La Bionda. As it progresses, I Wanna Be Your Lover ingrained itself in your head, getting catchier and catchier, like the most benevolent of viruses. There will be better days ahead, don’t stop dancing. That’s the message. | |  |  | This week, the film we’re suggesting you watch is an adaptation of a hugely successful debut novel by Turin’s Paolo Giordano, which won the Strega, one of Italy’s most coveted literary prizes. The Solitude of Prime Numbers tells the story of Alice and Mattia through their big transitional years of 1984, 1991, 1998 and 2007. Alice is passionate about photography, Mattia is a maths nerd. While Alice lives like an outcast, Mattia for her part has decided to live somewhere on the fringes of her friend’s world. They share a tendency to flirt, more or less gracefully, with solitude. As both the film and book show us, Alice and Mattia hang out and get to know each other, only to keep their distance for a while, before destiny brings them together yet again. Their friends have been convinced that there’s some invisible link between them from a very young age: the same thread that ties this literary and cinematic marvel together. Buon fine settimana! | |  | | |
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