He begins by weaving among the capital city's landmarks on the back of a 1950s Vespa, before boarding the train south to Naples, where he finds out about the first railway to be built in the country, and ventures into the crater of Mount Vesuvius. Arriving in Munich, he finds a blue horse created at the time of his guidebook and discovers an early 20th century pioneer who laid the foundations for the city's pre-eminence in science and technology today. Michael visits the University to hear of opposition to the fascist takeover of Spain by General Francisco Franco and gains access to the generals archive of enemies of the state. 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. In Haarlem, Michael goes behind the scenes to see how 21 million stems and 2 million potted plants are auctioned every day from a vast complex roughly the size of Monaco. :https://www.buymeacoffee.com/journeysPlease Subscribe to Motivate:)This Will Enable me to Optimize my Creative Production to Showcase Journeys of Various . Great Continental Railway Journeys (2016), Zermatt to Geneva With his 1913 Bradshaw's in hand, Michael Portillo journeys deep into central Europe to explore a country where east meets west: Poland. Other similar series followed: Great Indian Railway Journeys in 2018 and Great Alaskan and Canadian Railroad Journeys and Great Australian Railway Journeys in 2019. Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. 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. About sixty singers and dancers gave a magnificent performance in astrakhan hats and colourful waistcoats and bodices. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous prewar Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. In the ancient city of Plovdiv, Michael discovers a Roman amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD and still in use today. We get it. Michael boards an early 20th-century yacht to experience the thrill for himself and learns how British yachtsmen spied on the German navy. After visiting Potsdam, he explores Weimar in central Germany, a city that has twelve buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage list. On this leg Michael explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. Great Continental Railway Journeys. Feature films include Flying Blind starring the late Helen McCrory and documentaries including BAFTA winning The Murder Trial (Channel 4) and The Age Of Nature (BBC). A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. In Brunswick, he learns how the arrival of the railway added its own flavour to the local beer before moving on to Hamburg, where he discovers model railway making on the grandest of scales. With Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo penetrates the eastern extreme of Europe to journey through the vast country of Russia. Along the way, he recreates the famous Italian Job on an historic Fiat test track and follows fashion in Milan before investigating the early 20th century British love affair with Lake Como in a seaplane. The fourth series aired in 2015. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games. In Baku, Michael explores the thousand-year-old walled quarter and is treated to a thrilling display of Chovgan, the national horseback game of Azerbaijan. In Avignon, Michael savours the scent of Provence in the region's lavender fields before relaxing with a glass of the city's famous tipple, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 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. Using his 1913 railway guide, in the second part of his journey through the low countries and France, Michael Portillo travels to the French sector of the Western Front, where from 1914, the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells, and the Edwardian tourists of 1913 were replaced by soldiers, facing the horrors of the trenches. Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish . Credits includes the hugely successful series Sanditon, Bloodlands and The Durrells and additional music for Emmy nominated Victoria, and Ivor Novello nominated The Collection. Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a Greek odyssey from Athens's port of Piraeus north to the city of Thessaloniki, captured the year before from the Ottoman Turks, who had ruled much of Greece for 400 years. 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. No one would. Special dispensation to fly to the Balearic island of Mallorca allows Michael to spoil himself rotten with spectacularly scenic rides aboard a sublime 1912 vintage railway and a 1913 tram. On a railway journey from the capital, Palermo, through the ancient town of Agrigento and the port of Siracusa, to Europes largest volcano, Mount Etna, Michael explores Sicilian life under the dictatorship. Looking at history and trying 21st century things that changed since before The Great War. Michael Portillo's 1936 Bradshaw's Guide brings him to the Italian 'treasure island' of Sicily, full of natural beauty and 'scenery of the greatest charm'. But whilst the facades are beautiful, behind the buildings were cheaply constructed warrens. In Delft, Michael learns how the city came to specialise in pottery and finds out the secrets of its success. Please download one of our supported browsers. The third series had six journeys, in one of which Portillo went further afield to travel on the railways in modern-day Israel. [4] In Nuremberg, Portillo travels to the Zeppelin Field and learns more of the city's WW2 connection with Hitler and the Nazis. This early 20th-century handbook opened up an exotic world to the Edwardian tourist. En route, he is caught up in a war zone with the Red Cross, takes to the skies in a vintage bi-plane and tries his hand at watchmaking, James Bond style. In Delphi, he discovers how at the turn of the 20th century an entire village was removed in order to excavate the site of the oracle. Great British Railway Journeys - Season 9 Episode 12. Striking north on the fast train across the Po Valley, Michael heads towards the Alps. He takes a detour to the island of Capri, before finishing his journey in the ancient hilltop town of Taormina. Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo makes a grand tour of a favourite Edwardian destination - Italy - where he experiences first hand the nation's need for speed in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports car. He encounters mummified monks in a medieval monastery and works out alongside two of the strongest women in the world. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train from the former political capital of Italy, Turin, to Casanova's capital of romance, Venice. Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. Michael uncovers the Celtic roots of the Galician people and tries to master the bagpipes but finds himself upstaged by a six-year-old. Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels east through the Balkans along the most exotic section of the route taken by the Orient Express. Back up to: Great Continental Railway Journeys. In Versailles, Michael visits the opulent palace and neighbouring Trianon Palace hotel, where his Bradshaws describes the signing of the Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War. 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. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels one of the most stunning rail routes of the world, the historic Trans-Caucasus Railway, through the former Russian empire from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, taking in present-day Georgia and Azerbaijan. Inspired by the music and story of Poland's national icon Frederic Chopin, Michael takes to the floor to dance the polonaise with high school students rehearsing for their leavers' ball. He then travels to the French sector of the Western Front, where from 1914 the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells, with the Edwardian tourists of 1913 replaced by soldiers facing the horrors of the trenches. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a journey from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. / Great Continental Railway Journeys. At the city's Great Synagogue he hears how the once sizeable Jewish population is beginning to recover after the violent pogroms of the 19th and early 20th centuries and the Holocaust. In the vast port, Michael joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. He carries with him the Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide book from 1913 and compares photos of then versus the reality of today. Michael then crosses the separation barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank in the company of his Palestinian guide and meets the embroiderers of the Arab Women's Union in Bethlehem, before finishing his journey in the Negev desert. Great British And Continental Railway Journeys dvd | Films & TV, DVDs & Blu-rays | eBay! Fortified by railway wine and Swiss fondue, Michael makes his way to the capital, Bern, where in a 1930s bi-plane, he follows in the slipstream of the Swiss pilot Oskar Bider, first to fly across the Alps. Arriving in Lodz, he discovers how the former industrial heartland - the Manchester of Poland - supplied the vast Russian Empire of the early 20th century and marvels at how the region today has been transformed into a breathtaking version of 'Hollywoodzh'. Michael Portillo uses his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway guide to complete his journey through Switzerland. At La Spezia, an important Italian naval base, Michael discovers how Italy's imperial ambitions put her at the forefront of modern aerial warfare. He then travels south along the tourist trail of the castle-studded Rhein river and ends his journey in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its age old vineyards. From 2012, BBC Two has also broadcast series of Great Continental Railway Journeys, a documentary with the same idea as Great British Railway Journeys, also presented by Portillo. Season 2. Michael takes the helm to explore the port of Siracusa by boat and enjoys a sumptuous picnic of Sicilian specialities before visiting a controversial monument, which depicts a dark chapter in Italian history. In a caf popular with artists of the time he discovers the dance craze of the day - the tango - and gamely gives it a go. Following in the footsteps of Edwardian railway travellers, Michael discovers a nation already famous for its neutrality when the rest of the continent was on the brink of war. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) The devout Catalan architect Anton Gaud set to work on a church that might redeem the crime: La Sagrada Familia.