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Great Continental Railway Journeys Series 3 Part 6: Lyon to Marseille
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.
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. 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.
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.
Cycling in tandem with his guide, Michael discovers Lyon’s role in the country’s most famous sporting event, the Tour de France. Forsaking the saddle, Michael takes to the skies and pilots a light aircraft as he learns of one of France’s pioneering aviators.
In Avignon, Michael savours the scent of Provence in the region’s lavender fields before relaxing with a glass of the city’s famous tipple, Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Moving south to the city of Arles, he learns how its light and the famous mistral drew artists from all over Europe.
His journey ends at the gateway to the former French empire, Marseilles. In the vast port, Michael joins a pilot boat as it leads a supertanker to its berth.
