At the Skoda factory in Pilsen he investigates how the machine products of peacetime gave way to the manufacture of armaments for war and test drives a state of the art passenger train locomotive made there today. Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels to the Ukrainian capital, Now using a 1936 edition of Bradshaws Continental Handbook, Portillo visits the city of, Portillo begins this journey in the historic city of, In the final episode of the series, Portillo begins his journey in the, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 12:38. Striking north, Michael boards the long-distance train which runs from the Caspian Sea to the capital. Moving south to the city of Arles, he learns how its light and the famous mistral drew artists from all over Europe. Series 1 - Reversions: London to Monte Carlo (1), Series 1 - Reversions: London to Monte Carlo (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Hungary to Austria (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Hungary to Austria (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Amsterdam to Northern France (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Amsterdam to Northern France (2), Series 1 - Reversions: Berlin to the Rhein (1), Series 1 - Reversions: Berlin to the Rhein (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Madrid to Gibraltar (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Madrid to Gibraltar (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Turin to Venice (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Turin to Venice (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Dresden to Kiel (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Dresden to Kiel (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Copenhagen to Oslo (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Copenhagen to Oslo (2), Series 2 - Reversions: Prague to Munich (1), Series 2 - Reversions: Prague to Munich (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Tula to St Petersburg (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Tula to St Petersburg (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Rome to Taormina (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Rome to Taormina (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Warsaw to Krakow (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Warsaw to Krakow (2), Series 3 - Reversions: La Coruna to Lisbon (1), Series 3 - Reversions: La Coruna to Lisbon (2), Series 3 - Reversions: Lyon to Marseille (1), Series 3 - Reversions: Lyon to Marseille (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Sofia To Istanbul (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Sofia To Istanbul (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Vienna to Trieste (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Vienna to Trieste (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Pisa to Lake Garda (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Pisa to Lake Garda (2), Series 4 - Reversions: Athens to Thessaloniki (1), Series 4 - Reversions: Athens to Thessaloniki (2), Series 4 - Reversions: The Black Forest to Hannover (1), Series 4 - Reversions: The Black Forest to Hannover (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Transylvania to the Black Sea (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Transylvania to the Black Sea (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Zermatt to Geneva (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Zermatt to Geneva (2), Series 5 - Reversions: Genoa to Brenner Pass (1), Series 5 - Reversions: Genoa to Brenner Pass (2), Series 5 - Reversions: The Netherlands (1), Series 5 - Reversions: The Netherlands (2), Series 6 - Reversions - Kiev to Odessa (1), Series 6 - Reversions - Kiev to Odessa (2), Series 6 - Reversions - Batumi to Baku (1), Series 6 - Reversions - Batumi to Baku (2), Series 7 - Shortened Versions: Episode 10. In Verona, Michael discovers the 'House of the Capulets', bought to attract Edwardian tourists to the scene of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The dance is complicated and long, and wearing turquoise trousers with a hat that repeatedly slipped from my head, I cut a poor figure. Great Train Journeys: 'Palermo To Mount Etna' In Sicily, Italy (BBC Great Continental Railway Journeys (2016) Episodes: - Zermatt to Geneva - Transylvania to the Black Sea - The Flying Scotsman - Rotterdam to Utrecht - Riga to Tampere - Sofia to Istanbul - Athens to Thessaloniki tracks: - Vrai, More Hope, Efficient, Having Doubts (Album Modern string ensemble) - Neutrality (Album Cycle of Life) In the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous waters and wallows in peat and mud. Plucking up Dutch courage Michael takes to two wheels in Amsterdam's fast moving cycle lane and heads for the Indies district, where he samples a delicious "rijstafel" of dishes from the Dutch empire. On this leg, he finds peace paddling a canoe on the lakes of Finland, grills sausages in Helsinki, and samples cloudberry liqueur in a hot tub by the light of Finland's midnight sun. But whilst the facades are beautiful, behind the buildings were cheaply constructed warrens. He learns about the health craze of the time and attempts the equivalent of a 1913 Jane Fonda workout. Similarly, his main comment when standing before Picassos Guernica in Madrid was that without that event the bombing of civilians by Nazi and fascist troops that drew worldwide outrage Michael would never have existed. He begins in Israel, learning about the Baha'i faith and how it spread to Britain in the Edwardian era, hearing the story of the origins of Tel Aviv, and visiting the Christian, Jewish and Muslim quarters of the capital Jerusalem. The third series had six journeys, in one of which Portillo went further afield to travel on the railways in modern-day Israel. He begins in the capital Warsaw, where he takes to the floor to dance to one of Chopin's polonaises with high-school students rehearsing for their leavers' ball, before discovering how the former industrial city of Lodz supplied the vast Russian empire of the early 20th century. Research of a more sombre kind leads Michael to the roots of our modern welfare state in the work of an early 20th-century . He then ends his journey as he arrives at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. The fourth series aired in 2015. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's, Michael Portillo explores a very different Spain from the one he knows best and ventures across its border with Britain's oldest ally, Portugal. In a vast stadium in Berlin, Michael hears how new rail lines were constructed to transport crowds of spectators to the Nazi Olympic Games in 1936. Michael Portillo, I said, seemed slimy . Leaving Paris behind, Michael travels south to the Cote D'Azur to learn why the area attracted the rich and artistic alike and samples the Edwardian highlife before ending his journey at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo. His final stop is the industrial city of Stuttgart, where he visits the Porsche factory and learns of the origin of the Volkswagen Beetle. Striking north, Michael boards the long distance train which runs from the Caspian Sea to the capital. Bordeaux to Bilbao. Arriving in Tbilisi Michael is struck by the warm welcome of Georgians and is invited to a wedding, where he experiences the legendary feast, known as a supra. In high spirits, with the help of the local liquor, Michael says 'Nosdraviya' to Slovenia and heads south. Michael Portillo sets out to sample the delights of the Atlantic coasts of Spain and France, beginning in Bordeaux, where he uncovers a historic British connection to the region's wines. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo explores Germany, the powerhouse of today's European Union, and learns how tourists in the early 20th century would have been visiting quite a new country, which they admired and envied but also feared. He discovers the magnificent art and architecture of the Dutch Golden Age and marvels at the engineering ingenuity of this fiercely independent nation. In GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS, British broadcaster and journalist Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes . Although there have been no complete series of Great Railway Journeys released on DVD, Michael Palin's 1980 and 1994 programmes are available individually (BBCDVD1626) and as part of a box set of his collected travel documentaries, The Michael Palin Collection (BBCDVD2214). Fingers crossed there will be no more . Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. His journey ends in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its age old vineyards. The Young British Artists who took on the old guard and changed the art world forever, Artist Roxana Halls paints twin sisters who survived a crocodile attack in Mexico, The trailblazing designer who worked with Ye and Louis Vuitton before his 2021 death, Sonia Boyce: Finding Her Voice. . Sorry, comments are closed for this item. Zaragozas modern tram network takes Michael to a factory where he is invited to test-drive new rolling stock destined for Britain. Its rhythms were primitive and its themes unmistakably sexual. Is your network connection unstable or browser outdated? In Spains beautiful capital city, Madrid, Michael visits the 1930s art deco Telefonica Building and discovers what happened there during the civil war. His destination lies close to his heart: the ancient kingdom of Spain and land of his father. Michael Portillo travels to Spain, the country his father fled during the bloody civil war. 8.6 (19) Rate. At Kiev's beautiful St Sophia Cathedral, Michael seeks to understand the history behind Ukraine's current conflict with its vast neighbour and discovers how Ukraine adopted Orthodox Christianity. Michaels final stop is on the border with France, at Canfranc Station. With his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east to a land which a century ago was part of the Russian Empire and today is the independent state of Ukraine. Radio Times Travel offers. From the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva caught up in a war zone with the Red Cross and rescued from an avalanche by a St Bernard puppy. playing music by George . He had a go at slicing an ibrico ham, while the seller hovered anxiously in the background watching his livelihood literally being shredded. Then he takes the super fast train to . The wedding of the former king, Edward VIII, and the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, at Chateau de Cande in the summer of 1937 was shunned by the British establishment. Honestly yellow jacket, purple shirt and tomato trousers comprised his opening outfit. The seat of power beckons in Kutaisi, home to the wonderful glass dome built for the Parliament of Georgia when it moved here from the capital, Tbilisi, in 2012. Great Continental Railway Journeysis now a firmly established series on BBC2, following in the illustrious tracks of its predecessor - Great British Railway Journeys. Its a heady journey, although a tweed jacket wouldnt go amiss. In January 2010 BBC Two broadcast Great British Railway Journeys, a documentary with similar basic idea to Great Railway Journeys but with a different format. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. Arriving in Naples, Michael savours spectacular views across the bay. Arriving in Geneva, Michael is thrust into tense conflict training at a military checkpoint as he explores the city's famously international character, beginning with the International Committee for the Red Cross. Italy's most famous ingredients, parmesan cheese and parma ham go down well in Parma, as does a trip to the exquisite Teatro Regio opera, where the company is rehearsing work by the hero of Italian unification, Giuseppe Verdi. Presenter: Michael Portillo, Executive Producer: John Comerford, Series Producer: Alison Kreps, Production Company: Boundless Productions. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. Michael's journey takes him through a patchwork of nations which a century ago formed part of the Austro Hungarian empire. He then travels the Habsburg imperial line across the Semmering Pass, a line blasted through the Alps. The latest series of his travelogue sees the politician-turned-presenter delve into his fathers life in Spain. Boarding the fast train to Lviv, Michael reads in his Bradshaw that the city was formerly known as Lemberg and at the time of his guidebook it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Credits includes the hugely successful series Sanditon, Bloodlands and The Durrells and additional music for Emmy nominated Victoria, and Ivor Novello nominated The Collection. The overnight service from Tbilisi to Baku delivers Michael to Azerbaijan, the so-called 'land of fire' because of the natural gas which seeps from the ground and ignites the hills. Michael Portillo leaves Europe behind to take in the sights, smells and tastes of north Africa as he travels from the Mediterranean port of Tangier to the Berber city of Marrakech. He then heads for the glorious Alps and learns how astonishing engineering feats conquered the most challenging peaks, before taking in the striking beauty of Lake Lucerne. He hitches a ride in a 1913 carriage to discover one of the secrets of its restoration. At Goettingen University, Michael discovers two sides of student life at the turn of the 20th century - the duelling fraternities and the groundbreaking scientists who laid the foundation for Germany's world class transport technology today. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home and where, in the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen. Sofia to Istanbul In Bologna, he embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti bolognese - until a cookery teacher takes pity on him and shows him how to make a much more authentic tagliatelle al ragu. In the medieval Bavarian city of Nuremberg, Michael visits the monumental buildings and parade grounds, which were the stage for vast Nazi rallies to publicise the regime around the world and arouse popular support at home. He takes a detour to the island of Capri, before finishing his journey in the ancient hilltop town of Taormina. A trip in a works train to oversee the electrification and straightening of the new 300 million section of line between Parvomay and Svilengrad culminates in a chance to live the dream - driving the train on the tracks of the historic Orient Express. In 1983, the BBC made a further series on rail travel entitled Great Little Railways, this time exclusively featuring narrow gauge railways. 2012-11-08. One of the most spectacular events I have witnessed was a Thracian classical dance in the Roman Theatre in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv. On the winding roads at Rovereto, he discovers how one of the world's best known carmakers sealed its international reputation by winning the 1913 Alpine Trial in a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
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