Andrea Geuggis about her job

Andrea Geuggis, 29, is from Switzerland. Before moving into tourism, she used to work in finance, but she now works as a roadshow coordinator.

‘Roadshows are very important events in the business world. They’re basically a marketing tool for the corporate client to meet their key investors so as to maintain a good relationship and perhaps raise more capital.

I’m part of a team that organizes the whole event. We arrange flights, hotels, venues, and entertainment. We’re responsible for everything – from the distribution of handouts to the temperature of the champagne! Because there are usually millions of dollars at stake, the whole operation has to be super-efficient and of the very highest standard.

I’m working on a fairly typical event right now. Our client is a major technology company based in India. We’re flying the CEO – that’s the Chief Executive Officer – the Chief Finance Officer, the Head of Investor Relations, and five other senior staff to Stockholm, Copenhagen, and the Netherlands. They’ll be staying in the best hotels; we’ll be using limousines and private jets to get them to their meetings. The catering will have to be five-star plus, and for the entertainment we’ve arranged a private viewing at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam given by the museum director himself. As you can see, only the best will do!’

Answer the questions

1. What type of event do you think a ‘roadshow’ is?

2. Who takes part in it?

3. What do the organizers have to do?

2. Read the article and find the following.

1 four capital cities 5 the most luxurious railway in the world

2 two authors 6 the longest railway (and its length)

3 a Russian ruler 7 the highest railway (and its height)

4 the largest freshwater lake in the world 8 the highest tunnel (and its height)

Great railway journeys

The golden era of the great express trains conjures up feelings of nostalgia, romance and beautiful views. My dreams come true last year when my publishers asked me to do some research for a Great Railways travel guide. Luckily, I was able to find ten amazing journeys and managed to persuade the publishers to pay for all of them. Here are my top three.

Until recently if you wanted to go from Golmud, in western China to Lhasa, in Tibet, you had to take a grueling 48-hour bus journey. Now you can travel from Beijing (the capital of China) to Lhasa on the Quinghai-Tibet line, as we did. It still isn’t easy, however. We couldn’t get tickets at first because of the bureaucracy – we had to get a special permit to travel through Tibet. The line includes the Tangula Pass – at 5,072 metres above sea level the world’s highest rail track. It also includes the 1,338-metre-long Fenghuosha tunnel, which, at 4,905 metres above sea level is the highest rail tunnel in the world. On our journey extra oxygen was pumped into our carriages to counter high altitude. Even the water in the toilets had to be heated to prevent freezing. The views of the Himalayas were absolutely breathtaking and this is a journey that will live long in my memory.

All train enthusiasts want to travel on the longest and most famous railway of all – the longest and most famous railway of all – the Trans-Siberian Express. It runs from Russia’s capital, Moscow, to Vladivostok, on the western shore of the Sea of Japan. It is 9,198km long, spans eight time zones, and it takes about seven days to complete its journey. We took a more leisurely 14-day journey that included several stops. We succeeded in getting first class tickets: our sleeping carriages were stylish and luxurious and we had impeccable service and cuisine. For me, the highlight was skirting the scenic Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. We then travelled via Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and were able to eat in a yurt, the round felt-covered tent traditionally used by Mongolian nomads. It is amazing to think that in 1891 Tsar Alexander III had said, ‘Let the railway be built’. And here I was on it. My memories of frosted plains and snowy steppes will always stay with me.

The Orient Express with its unmatched luxuriousness and comfort has become synonymous with stylish travel. In the past, only the richest could afford this level of luxury. The routes have changed over the years. The initial route was from the French capital Paris to Istanbul, travelling through Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania (about 2,740km). it is an icon of passenger rail. Extravagantly elegant, it had everything – opulence, romance and fine cuisine. The train had sleeping, restaurant and salon cars with smoking compartments and ladies’ drawing rooms. The Express has attracted the rich and the famous, including royalty, and has been made a household name by writers such as Agatha Christie and Graham Greene.

Find the words in the box in the text. Then complete the sentences.

era nostalgia grueling altitude impeccable nomads icon opulence

1. She was tired after the long and ………… journey.

2. We were impressed by the ………… manners of the smartly dressed porters.

3. The age of the railway brought an ………… of prosperity.

4. He was stuck by the ………… of the Blue Train, with its elaborate furnishings and en-suite bathrooms.

5. Breathing becomes more difficult at high ………….

6. The ………… travelled far looking for grass for their animals.

7. The historic …………, Mallard, is the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives.

8. He had always felt a certain amount of ………… for his life on the railways.