Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. Without access to a smartphone, though, I had to wait until the morning to find out precisely why. Michael Portillo embarks on a scenic thousand-mile rail journey from the Swedish capital, Stockholm, to Abisko in the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle, steered by his 1936 edition of Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide. He encounters mummified monks in a medieval monastery and works out alongside two of the strongest women in the world. From the Grand Hotel Europe, advertised in his Bradshaw's, Michael explores the beauty and history of St Petersburg, from the great Nevsky Prospekt to the magnificent Winter Palace with its Hermitage Museum, then rides the first railway ever built in Russia between the city and the Tsar's village - Tsarskoye Selo. This will follow Michael as he journeys from Berlin to Stuttgart, soaking up all of Germany's history. His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. 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. Journeys are mainly focused on Great Britain, and is presented by the ex-politician and broadcaster Michael Portillo. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits the scene of a grim assassination attempt at the royal wedding of a British princess and a Spanish king. He is at his best and most comfortable with the ex cathedra element of presenting. You might also like: Michael Portillo on going from politics to riding the rails. Further east in the beautiful region of Rumelia, Michael picks roses with the flower girls to produce precious rose oil in a 100-year-old distillery. His journey begins in the capital of cuisine, Lyon, where he finds out about the early 20th-century Meres Lyonnaises, to whom the city owes its gastronomic reputation. This episode offers beautiful views along the Rhine and also shows various cities in the area including Colonge and Koblenz. In the vast port, Michael joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. 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. Toronto is at its best during this beautiful spring season. Packing tip: The springtime climate can feel cold at times. Striking north on the fast train across the Po Valley, Michael heads towards the Alps. Michael Portillo embarks on a glorious action-packed adventure from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps with his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Guidebook in hand. A century ago, Michael's journey would have been interrupted by hostilities - the Balkan Wars - on account of which, train services were suspended. The Atlantic coast of France and Spain, Bordeaux, claret, trams. Was that a compliment, I wonder. Following in the footsteps of Bradshaw's travellers, Michael explores the cradle of the Renaissance through Edwardian eyes but learns in Florence that the tourists' 'Italietta' was far removed from the new Italy envisaged by the futurists of the time. A glass of 1953 port awaits him at the city's Factory House, before he embarks on the Linha da Douro along the spectacular Douro Valley. Striking south to historic Cordoba, Michael dances with an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of the feria. From Naples, pausing only to pick up a pizza, Michael boards a ferry to travel to the beautiful island of Capri, a magnet for the writers and artists of Europe at the time of his guidebook. Having spent between five weeks to a month on the train, Watson used field recordings of the journey for his 2011 album El Tren Fantasma.[1][2][3]. [1] In the early series, Portillo explores the railway networks of continental Europe, but in later series he also ventured further afield. Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy from Rome to Sicily. 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. In the years before the Great War, Barcelona seemed to offer Marxists the best hope of proletarian revolution, due to the huge politicised urban population mainly working in factories. Heading north to Gargnano, Michael discovers the romantic hideaway of one of Britain's most famous writers, DH Lawrence, whose affair with his professor's wife scandalised his home country. 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. Back in the city again, Michael meets former Russia correspondent Martin Sixsmith to discover how the strikes, mutinies and massacres, which took place shortly before Bradshaw's 1913 guidebook was published, were to unfold and the part the railways were to play in those tumultuous events. Michael Portillo braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and finds peace paddling a canoe on the Lakes of Finland. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on spaghetti and sardines in the citys Ballaro market. 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. It took Portillo to Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, and Spain. Travelling through the Corinth Canal, Michael finds out about the surprisingly ancient origins of the modern railway. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home. Outside the city he crosses swords with Cossack warriors and gains an insight into Ukrainians' national identity. He samples the best of Swedish fika and takes an icy dip one of the countrys 96,000 lakes. Starting in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, he travels via Bratislava in Slovakia to the beautiful and elegant city of Vienna, where he immerses himself in pre-war decadence. Genres: Chamber Music, Television Music. 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. At the Palais de la Bourse, Michael hears how, at the time of his guide, the city was still reeling from the assassination of the country's president and how a shocked French nation rallied in support of the Third Republic. Season 2. From Tbilisi Michael takes a trip along the 120-mile Georgian Military Road, built by the colonising Russian army in the early nineteenth century. Making history in contemporary art at the Venice Biennale, Sensationalists: The Bad Girls and Boys of British Art. In Avignon, he samples a glass of the region's famous wine Chateauneuf-du-Pape, before his journey ends at the Mediterranean port of Marseille, where he joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth. 6 / 6 Michael Portillo samples the delights of the French and Spanish Atlantic coast. 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. In Vienna, Michael Portillo encounters a pre-Cold War spy and learns about the concert that caused a riot in 1913. He finds that the first constitution of the Netherlands was signed here and hears what the locals think about Dutch tolerance today. Relax. English musician and sound artist Chris Watson worked as an audio recorder for the fourth episode "Los Mochis to Veracruz" of the fourth season. The beauty of the Carpathian mountains with their snow-clad granite peaks, gorges and lakes appears to him unchanged from their description in his 100-year-old guidebook and he is privileged to catch sight of some of the wild brown bears and wolves who continue to live in the region's last stretches of unbroken forest. 2022-12-27 06:12:03. In Lviv, Michael learns to make Vareniki, the sour cheese-filled pasta, which is so popular in Ukraine, and encounters a much loved 19th-century poet before boarding the overnight express to Odessa. At a private museum dedicated to the life of the most infamous Georgian, Joseph Stalin, Michael asks how Georgians today feel about the former dictator of the Soviet Union. At the Museum of Modern Art in Berlins Kreuzberg, Michael sees how a leading artist of the era, Georg Grosz, warned of the rise of fascism in a haunting self-portrait. Jon studied at the National Film & Television School graduating with a Masters degree in composing for Film and Television and lives between London and Madrid. He visits the beautiful country estate of Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy wrote his masterpieces, and learns how the author's life and works were inextricably entwined with the railways. The night soil man told me as I emptied my chamberpot, I seem to recall. He learns about the health craze of the time and attempts the equivalent of a 1913 Jane Fonda workout. He visits the Reichstag and the city's Olympic stadium, site of the 1936 Summer Olympics. Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. In Carrara, he finds out how the marble used by Michelangelo is still quarried today and is invited to chip away at a contemporary sculpture. Similar series were broadcast in 1983, Great Little Railways, and 2010, Great British Railway Journeys . At the birthplace of Germanys first democracy, Weimar, Michael investigates the beginning of Bauhaus design and visits the movements first building, a family house encapsulating a vision of how people might live in the 20th century. Emperor Franz Josef ordered the building of the impressive Ringstrasse along the lines of the old city walls. But the interwar guide book also tells Michael that the head of government in Italy is the fascist leader Signor Benito Mussolini. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy as he travels from Rome to Sicily. The highlight of the trip for me was to be given a private recital by the great Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu, playing music by George Enescu, a composer who was coming of age as Romania gained its freedom from the Habsburg empire, and who celebrated his country's folk tradition. A visit to a sardine cannery has Michael scrubbing octopus tentacles, and a taste for the cephalopod sees Michael set sail with local fishermen to see if he can trap one. Arriving in Istanbul, Michael orients himself with a boat trip on the Bosphorus, samples some Turkish delight and crosses from Europe to Asia on the Marmaray metro line which now joins the two continents. At Prague Central Station, Michael meets a woman who, as a young girl, travelled by train to safety in London. Great British And Continental Railway Journeys dvd | Films & TV, DVDs & Blu-rays | eBay! About sixty singers and dancers gave a magnificent performance in astrakhan hats and colourful waistcoats and bodices. 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. No one would. His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. At Asilah, Michael lends a hand with the construction of Morocco's new 3 billion high-speed railway line to Casablanca. With his 1913 guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo explores the stunning art nouveau architecture of the Czech capital. Aboard the West Galician Railway, Michael hears how a 19th-century British railwayman sought his fortune in Galicia and ended up running the company. Backstage at the legendary Folies Bergere, Michael asks the 'enfant terrible' of fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier, about his homage to the black American dancer, Josephine Baker, and goes backstage to meet the stars of the show. Crossing the border from Bohemia to Bavaria, Michael encounters a fire-breathing dragon in Furth-im-Wald and in Nuremberg he rides German railway history - made in Britain. A hundred years ago, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were part of the Russian Tsar's vast empire but, as Michael discovers, each country had a vibrant identity and culture of its own. Armed with his trusty copy of Bradshaw's 1913 edition of the Continental Railway Guide, the elegantly attired MICHAEL PORTILLO continues to criss-cross the Continent leaving, it seems, no fascinating city unvisited. Featured peformers: Jon Wygens (composer). Michael meets her modern-day incarnation. Arriving in Italy at the empire's southern port of Trieste, Michael savours the imported coffee which fuelled the cafe culture of its elegant capital, Vienna. He finds out about the first railway to be built in the country, from Naples to Portici, around the base of Vesuvius and then plucks up his courage to venture into the mighty volcano's crater. After a picnic of chewy dried fish and beer on board a Soviet-era train, Michael arrives in Estonia where, in the magical setting of a ruined 13th-century cathedral, he hears a choir sing the nation's most important song and learns how, more recently, the Baltic countries demonstrated their desire for independence from the Soviet Union with a Singing Revolution. Aboard the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg, Michael discovers the history behind the line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. Michael bags a ride in a high performance Porsche to the manufacturers Stuttgart headquarters and discovers that, in the 1930s, the founder designed an affordable car for mass production the Beetle. Indeed, in the "tragic week" in July/August 1909 perhaps 150 were shot by the army during protests organised by socialists and anarchists. A fourth series aired in January 2013, also with 25 episodes, with the last five episodes focused again on railways in Ireland. Michael makes his movie debut. 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. The new series starts in Romania. Great Continental Railway Journeys Staffel 6 (alle Folgen) 3600. Read about our approach to external linking. In the Romanian capital Bucharest, the nation's leading violinist Alexandre Tomescu introduces Michael to the music of his country's greatest musician and composer, George Enescu, in a private recital with his Stradivarius. Great British Railway Journeys, an Album by Jon Wygens. I was at university and in bed, but heard the cheers going up from streets around. 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. 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. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe of emperors, kings, pomp and elegance. Beginning in Dresden, Michael explores the city of one of his favourite opera composers, Richard Wagner. His journey begins in Lyon, where he learns how the city got its gastronomic reputation, and takes instruction from a leading chef on making an omelette. On the first stretch of his journey from the Latvian capital, Riga, to Tampere in Finland, he braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and encounters medieval knights. Beginning in the capital, Kiev, Michael explores the city described in his century-old Bradshaw as the 'Jerusalem of Russia'. Overview: Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide. A performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty at Odessa's exquisite opera house rounds off his journey. Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. 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. One newspaper commented that only Eric Morecambe was funnier. Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaws Continental Handbook, dated 1936. He savours the soul of Georgia in its wine and discovers a surprise 19th-century tea plantation in the West Georgian countryside. He discovers in Montreux how a ballet caused a riot and how a prisoner became immortalised in verse. Copyright 2023 Ravel-Chapuis Music Library, Great Continental Railway Journeys (BBC2). 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. From Tallinn, Michael crosses the Baltic Sea by ferry to Helsinki, where he discovers the music of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and learns how his masterpiece Finlandia spurred Finns towards independence. Heading south again on the long journey to Reggio Calabria, Michael shares lunch on board with fellow British travellers before their train is loaded onto a ferry for the short sail to Sicily. In Rotterdam, Michael finds the great commercial activity mentioned in his guidebook has reached epic proportions through the port's automated terminal. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Great Continental Railway Journeys, Portillo, Michael, Used; Good Book at the best online prices at eBay! Released in 2013. As of 2021, series 1-6 of Great Continental Railway Journeys have been released on DVD by FremantleMedia under licence from Boundless and the BBC. Michael continues his rail journey through Spain with his 1930s Bradshaws guide. Great Canadian Railway Journeys is a BBC travel documentary series presented by Michael Portillo and aired on BBC Two. 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. There he seeks the protection of a local historian as he traces the story behind this notorious mafia hideout of the 1930s. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo explores Scandinavia and discovers the royal roots of early 20th century British travellers' close dynastic ties with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway. Arriving in Wroclaw, Michael heads for a giant train factory, where they continue to manufacture car bodies for locomotives today. For the younglings among you, this was the question that burst exuberantly from leftist lips in the days and weeks after Labours landslide electoral victory. The first series proved a success and a second series followed a year later in January 2011. 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 title Great Continental Railway Journeys has led some to believe that the series is designed solely for train spotters. Michael explores Sicilian life under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. In Lund, he samples a smorgasbord before having a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives a vintage Volvo. On this leg he 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 pays homage to the genius of Barcelona's most famous architect and meets the man responsible for finishing off Antoni Gaudi's life's work. Great Continental Railway Journeys: Dresden to Kiel: Part Two Great Continental Railway Journeys (2012) . That gave way to a red jacket, orange shirt and yellow trousers. He then heads to Poznan and rides one of the few remaining steam-powered commuter trains, visits a factory in Wroclaw that manufactures car bodies for locomotives, and ends his journey in Krakow, where he takes a tour in an iconic vehicle of the communist era. Like the railway traveller of a hundred years ago, Michael discovers a land full of surprises. In the northern town of Huesca, Michael meets the son of author George Orwell, who fought against Franco on what was the front line between Nationalist and Republican forces. Both series are fronted by ex-politician Michael Portillo and in this European odyssey he travels around continental Europe, using George Bradshaw's1913 Continental Railway Guide. Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims. Sorry, comments are closed for this item. List of all seasons: Season 1. The latest series of his travelogue sees the politician-turned-presenter delve into his fathers life in Spain. Michael begins this journey in Berlin, the capital of Germany, which at the beginning of the 20th century was a powerhouse of science and technology. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour. Michael Portillo, the treasury secretary with the curiously collapsed yet labile face and shoo-in for next Tory leader, lost the seat he had held comfortably five years before, to a Labour unknown, Stephen Twigg. Michael embarks on a rail journey through Germany, steered by a Bradshaws Continental Railway Guide published in 1936. Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. His first stop is Paris, where he absorbs the atmosphere of La Belle poque, before he travels south to the Cote D'Azur, where he samples the Edwardian highlife and learns why the area attracted the rich and artistic alike. Led by his 1913 railway guide, he then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. Michael goes to the movies in Potsdam and discovers the success of the Babelsberg Studios, where directors such as Fritz Lang and stars such as Marlene Dietrich worked. Credits includes the hugely successful series Sanditon, Bloodlands and The Durrells and additional music for Emmy nominated Victoria, and Ivor Novello nominated The Collection. Season 1. Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. Ever keen to try his hand, Michael takes instruction from a top chef on how to make an omelette, but his efforts fail to impress. In Poznan, at the heart of former German Poland, Michael takes in the view from the kaiser's balcony before climbing aboard what is possibly the last steam-powered commuter train. Michael Portillo follows in the footsteps of Edwardian travellers to trace a route recommended in his Bradshaw's guide, journeying from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast. A humbling master class in carving cuckoo clocks shows him how the nation's reputation for quality and reliability in manufacturing was established from the early 18th century. He takes a detour to the island of Capri, before finishing his journey in the ancient hilltop town of Taormina. In Carrara, he finds out how the marble used by Michelangelo is still quarried today and is invited to chip away at a contemporary sculpture. Boarding one of the narrowest gauge railways in the world, the Little Train of Pelion, Michael travels to the village of Milies, where he learns about the place of the Orthodox Church in Greek national life. In the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen. Will four-year-old puppy Easy rise to the challenge? Great Continental Railway Journeys is a British television documentary series presented by Michael Portillo. In this borderland where Europe meets Asia, Michael crosses swords with Cossacks, learns the secrets of Ukrainian cuisine and gets down and dirty in a mud spa. 5 Episodes. 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). The third series had six journeys, in one of which Portillo went further afield to travel on the railways in modern-day Israel. Number of seasons: 7 Number of episodes: 37. The climate provides a pleasant environment for sightseeing. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. 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. At the handsome Palace Square, Michael hears how turbulent events at the time of his guide saw the Portuguese royal family almost wiped out. 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. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the Futurists and feasts on a Sicilian speciality, spaghetti and sardines. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France's pioneering aviators. 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. Heading east to Avila, Michael overnights in a historic parador and learns how 1930s Spain positioned herself as a tourist destination. Transylvania to the Black Sea There have been 10 series of Great British Railway Journeys, in which he used George Bradshaws 1863 tourist handbook to investigate the sociopolitical impact of the age of steam on Britain, and several spin-offs (including journeys through Asia, Australia and Alaska) since. Great Asian Railway Journeys. Go directly to shout page. ere you still up for Portillo, a hundred years ago in 1997? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MOTIVATE :)Support me here : https://www.paypal.me/CSinha7This Will Enable me to Optimize my Creative Production to Showcase Journeys of. First is the pull of home "When you're 10,000 miles from Rome you stir extra care into your sauce," as Gianni Pisoni of Greenvale in Melbourne puts it. Great British Railway Journeys - Season 9 Episode 12. In the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous waters and wallows in peat and mud. Research of a more sombre kind leads Michael to the roots of our modern welfare state in the work of an early 20th-century . Exploring the Acropolis and delighting in the tastes of moussaka and baklava, Michael discovers the many influences at play in the creation of modern Greece - from its classical past to the oriental Ottomans and the great European powers of Britain, France and Russia. He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. After arriving in the German capital, Berlin, Portillo is reminded of its turbulent past. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on the second part of this journey Michael Portillo continues to explore the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. But 1936 was a turbulent time in Spain, with political upheaval descending into a brutal civil war. Season 2. Michael Portillo embarks on a railway adventure which takes him across the heart of Europe. The new boulevard was a metaphor for the empire which, beneath a veneer of pomp, was dissolving into dozens of ethnicities. Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras on Spain's Costa del Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on the Rock of Gibraltar. His first stop is Paris where he absorbs the atmosphere of La Belle poque, before travelling south to the Cote d'Azur. In 2020, the BBC made series 2 available on the BBC iPlayer. Thats very nice, she replied. The first series, which used the longer title, was broadcast on BBC2 in 1980. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide Michael Portillo resumes his rail journey through the former Russian empire from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, taking in present-day Georgia and Azerbaijan. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo returns to Spain to trace the early 20th-century roots of the Spanish Civil War, which divided his Spanish family and sent his father into exile. Is your network connection unstable or browser outdated? In Verona, Michael discovers the 'House of the Capulets', bought to attract Edwardian tourists to the scene of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We dont have any upcoming events for this artist right now. Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide was published in 1913 and was a guide to Europe's rail network on the brink of the First World War. Aboard the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg, Michael discovers the history behind the line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world.