Great Continental Railway Journeys: Season 2

Michael Portillo travels to Spain, the country his father fled during the bloody civil war. He starts in the centrally located capital Madrid, Europe's highest and until a century ago uneasily accessed, focusing on the monument for a Spanish king's tragically bombed wedding to an English princess. Then he takes the super fast train to Andalusia, first stop Moorish marvel Cordoba. Next Seville, where he bought a house, and Jerez, which gave its name to the region's white wine sherry, and mountain citadel city Ronda. Finally to Alegeciras, port gateway to Morocco, and British enclave Gibraltar.

Michael Portillo starts his train trip trough northern Italy in Turin, capital of Piedmont and the first years of its king's newly united realm, Italy minus Rome, and home of Fiat. Next Milan, capital of Lombardy and fashion. Then lake Como, the most touristic and idyllic stop on the early British traveler's grand tour. Finally splendid Venice, home to unique monuments and the modern Biennale.

Michael starts a journey across Germany in Dresden, before the bombing a major European cultural center with star composer including Wagner, but also and the home of the back to nature, open air gym and general health movement. Still in Saxony, Leipzig, Germany's great industrial powerhouse, but also musical, with Bach and Mendelshon's foundations, conservatory and Gewandthaus orchestra. Next Brunswick, where Michael visits a beer brewery while a Hanoverian king George accepted bride Caroline from the ducal dynasty to ensure a fat allowance from parliament. Finally to Germany's major ports, first commercial giant Hamburg at the North Sea, ultimately Kiel, home at the Baltic of the imperial war fleet, both meant to rival Britannia to rule the seas and colonies.

Michael travels to Scandinavia, the former Vikings home countries, once controlled by mighty Danish kings, now divided in three modest, pacific nation realms, yet tied by dynastic alliances with each-other, Britain and other European great powers. He starts in the Danish capital Copenhagen, also home of fairy tale champion Hans Christian Anderson i the grand old Tivoli amusement park, a well-preserved continental pioneer. By monumental bridge to Malmö, in Sweden, and the grand cathedral of Lund, once the Northern European archiepiscopal see, and the great port of Göteborg, also a major industrial center, home of companies like Volvo and great immigrant communities, firstly Scots like Michael's mother, whose traditional dances he partakes in. Past falls turned into a pioneer hydro-electricity plant and picnic-ideal countryside to the Norwegian capital Oslo, enjoying a ski jump-akin slide ride.