Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 - Eps 4: Athens to Thessaloniki
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. 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. Along the way, Michael discovers the parlous state of Greek finances at the time of his guidebook. He learns how an aristocratic English poet became a Greek national hero and relives Greek athletic victory at the first modern Olympic games.
About Great Continental Railway Journeys
Title: Great Continental Railway Journeys
First Air Date: 2012-11-08
Last Air Date: 2025-03-26
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 8.7/10 (from 7 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 8
Total Episodes: 57
Network: BBC Two
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: BBC
Synopsis
Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide.
Cast
Michael Portillo
Self - Presenter
