Great Continental Railway Journeys S08 E16-E20 (1080p, soft English subtitles)

Great Continental Railway Journeys S08 E16-E20 (1080p, soft English subtitles)

All aboard! Armed with his trusty Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo explores Europe’s most beautiful, enchanting regions, uncovering how the railways have shaped the continent.

E16 Nantes to Lorient
Michael Portillo’s rail travels take him to the north west corner of France, where he explores the beautiful and historic regions of Brittany and Normandy and learns of their connections with Great Britain. He begins in Nantes, where he contends with the fantastical creatures that stalk the city’s former shipbuilding yards, among them a giant sloth, a vast spider and a huge heron. The mechanical monsters are inspired by the science fiction writing of Jules Verne, born in Nantes in 1828. At the castle of the dukes of Brittany, Michael discovers the city was once capital of the independent medieval Duchy of Brittany. He follows the trail of the region’s defiant defender, the Duchess Anne. On the tiny island of Gavrinis, in the Gulf of Morbihan, Michael investigates a rounded stone cairn, which conceals an elaborately decorated burial chamber built 6,000 years ago. At the port of Lorient, Michael discovers the enormous German submarine base from which the Nazis directed the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War.

E17 Brest to St Brieuc
Michael Portillo’s railway journey reaches the naval port of Brest, home to France’s oceanographic fleet. Aboard the pride of the fleet, the 107-metre-long Pourquoi Pas, Michael hears how marine biologists deploy research submersibles 6,000 metres below the surface to study life in the deep sea. In the kitchen of a traditional boulangerie, Michael learns how to make a Breton favourite, a sweet, buttery cake called kouign-amann. The taste for Breton culture leads him to Guingamp, where he attempts to keep up with a Breton dance troupe rehearsing for the regional dance championships.
On the windswept north coast, with some of the highest tides in the world, Michael visits Brittany’s largest nature reserve, which attracts over 100 bird species.

E18 Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel
Michael Portillo’s railway adventure reaches Rennes, capital of Brittany. At the Lycee Emile Zola, he hears how, in 1899, the school was used as a military court for the second trial of Alfred Dreyfus, an army captain who was twice wrongfully convicted of spying for Germany. He finds the story of racism, injustice, establishment cover-up and freedom of the press all too familiar to modern ears. Rennes’s new generation driverless metro speeds Michael across the city to the giant Stellantis car factory, where Michael joins a quality control inspection in a car that’s hot off the production line. In the historic walled citadel of St Malo, he traces the voyages of the 16th century explorer Jacques Cartier, who claimed Canada for France. Climbing the steps of Mont-Saint-Michel, Michael reflects on the layers of history evident in the abbey’s architecture and many uses over the centuries.

E19 Bayeux to Argentan
At the medieval town of Bayeux, Michael Portillo heads for the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to admire the striking 70-metre-long work of art commissioned to record William the Conqueror’s claim to the English throne and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. On the Normandy coastline, from which William launched his invasion, Michael recalls the D-Day landings of 1944. Crossing Gold Beach in a 1943 Willys Jeep, Michael hears how the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare unfolded. He is moved to visit the beautifully kept Bayeux War Cemetery, where 4,600 of the dead are buried. Close to Argentan, Michael reaches the Versailles of horses, France’s 300-year-old national stud, the Haras du Pin. He tours the magnificent estate in a splendid carriage pulled by a pair of Normandy’s emblematic Percheron horses, before enjoying a taste of competitive carriage driving at the World Championships.

E20 Lisieux to Giverny
In the apple orchards of the Calvados region, Michael Portillo discovers how the classic digestif has been distilled since 1865 at the Pierre Huet estate. Over a selection of vintage brandies, Michael learns about the surprising discovery of a wartime cache in one of the orchards. An armour-clad knight greets Michael on the hillside overlooking Chateau Gaillard, built by the crusading King Richard I of England, who was also Duke of Normandy but is perhaps better known as Richard the Lionheart. The glorious gardens at Giverny are in full bloom as Michael uncovers the story of their design by Claude Monet, founder of the impressionist group of painters in the late 19th century. Crossing the iconic bridge over the water lily pond, Michael finds himself inside a Monet canvas.

First broadcast: 31 March 2025
Duration: 30 minutes per episode
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