Great Continental Railway Journeys

S04E04 Athens to Thessaloniki

With his 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo sets off on a Greek adventure starting from the port of Piraeus in Athens and heading north to Thessaloniki, a city recently taken from the Ottoman Turks, who had dominated Greece for four centuries. As he explores the Acropolis and savors dishes like moussaka and baklava, Michael uncovers the diverse influences that shaped modern Greece, including its ancient heritage, Ottoman legacy, and the impact of major European powers like Britain, France, and Russia. He also learns about Greece’s financial struggles during the era of his guidebook, the story of an English poet who became a national hero, and the triumph of Greek athletes at the first modern Olympic Games.