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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.

Michael discovers Victorian entrepreneurship in Wigan, traces the beginnings of the industrial revolution in Bolton and drives a hundred year old commercial vehicle in Leyland.

On the last leg of his journey from a notorious slum in Manchester to the grandeur of a ducal seat in Derbyshire, Michael tunes into the music of the mills and collieries of Victorian England.

Michael celebrates Victorian trade with the Preston Guild then heads to Rochdale, where he discovers a pioneering movement to improve the lot of working families.

Michael begins this leg of his journey in the Worth Valley in Yorkshire at the home of the three Bronte sisters, who were early investors in the railway.

In Rugby, Michael discovers the legacy of Dr Thomas Arnold and trains with the school's 1st XV before heading to Coventry, where he finds out how the city's craftsmen learned to adapt to survive.

In this first leg, Michael finds out what happened to the once proud Euston Arch and braves the watery depths under Camden Town to see how goods were transported by rail, road and canal.

Michael continues his journey north on Robert Stephenson's first inter-city railway line from the capital. Along the line at Bletchley he meets one of World War II's most secret agent.

Michael finds out about the hunt for the king's remains and how scientists managed to prove it was him. From Rothley, Michael works his passage on the Great Central Railway to Loughborough.

On the final leg of his journey along the first intercity line to be built from the capital, Michael rediscovers a once famous poet in Nottingham. In Mansfield he travels on a railway line.

Michael finds out how the world's first industrialised city also gave birth to a revolutionary political movement and how railway workers began one of the most successful football clubs in the world.

Michael learns to set table aboard the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth before she sets sail and discovers how Cunard steamers began by transporting post across the Atlantic.

At Winchfield, Michael discovers the vast carriage which carried the Duke of Wellington's coffin to his funeral at St Paul's Cathedral in 1852 and hears how the Duke's stallion also received full military honours when he was buried.

At Lacock Abbey Michael discovers how the world's first photographic negative was made and learns how to make a print. He then travels on to Bristol to visit the Victorian Clifton Zoo.

Michael finds out how demand from a growing number of rail commuters fuelled the development of the modern printing press and learns how to print on an iron press.

Michael's first destination is the elegant spa town of Cheltenham, where he discovers a very early locomotive carriage which ran not on rails but on the road and is lucky enough to get behind the wheel.

In Norwich's Norman castle Michael uncovers the Victorian public's gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry, who was born in Norwich, worked to improve conditions for prisoners.

Michael continues his journey from the east coast to the south coast beginning in the port of Ipswich, capital of the farming county of Suffolk.

Michael begins this leg at Barkingside, where a Victorian philanthropist called Dr Thomas Barnardo made it his life's work to transform the lives of destitute children.

In Faversham in Kent, at one of the country's oldest surviving breweries, Shepherd Neame. Michael discovers how the brewery invested heavily in the railways and even ran rolling stock with its own smart livery taking beer to London.