With his colorful clothing and his particular style, Michael Portillo has traveled almost all over the world and has shown it on television screens. Born in 1953 near London, he has Spanish roots (his father was an exiled Spanish republican) and became a minister under Margaret Thatcher. Outside Britain, he has become popular for his numerous train journeys in which he has traveled from Europe to the United States, Asia and Australia. His latest work is Andalucía with Michael Portillo, broadcast on the channel ¡Buenviaje! and available on demand on the main pay television platforms.
He currently resides in Andalusia. Did she feel indebted to the community?
Indeed, this is the origin of the series. My Spanish family is Castilian and we have not had much to do with Andalusia but by chance my wife and I bought a house in Carmona, near Seville, where we now live. Although my first connection with Andalusia was when I was 12 years old and I visited my godmother who was a nun in Malaga and I was able to sign up for an excursion that took me to Córdoba, Seville and Granada.
If someone could visit just one place in Andalusia, which would you recommend?
Why do we have to choose? We are lucky to be able to travel and those who are not that lucky can do so with me watching the series (laughs). But I suppose that the most outstanding monument is the Alhambra in Granada. Not only because of its history, its architecture and its art but also because of its location. But who dares to say that it is worth more than the mosque of Córdoba or the cathedral of Seville. It's a bit absurd.
You are known for traveling by train. Why doesn't he do it in this series?
Due to the competition of the channels. The railway series is for the BBC and this series is originally for Channel 5. The same method cannot be used in two different series. And I can't wear the same clothes either.
How has someone who was a minister under Margaret Thatcher become a television icon of travel documentaries?
It's all been a coincidence. It's interesting how life turns out. I lost my seat in the British Parliament in 1997 and then looked for another job. The BBC offered me to present an installment of Great Railway Journeys, where each week a different person took a rather autobiographical railway journey. And I chose to travel through Spain.
Because of its roots.
Yes. My father Luis left Spain in 1939 at the end of the Civil War and I was looking for his story traveling around the country by train. At each stop I got off to talk to my father's brothers, who had already passed away. This program had a great impact because people did not know much about my Spanish background.
Did it all start there?
There it remained until after ten years, when the BBC was once again looking for a presenter for a new travel series in which they would travel by train with the historic Bradshaw Guides. Someone remembered my previous program and proposed my name. My father's life changed course due to the Civil War and who would have guessed that years later the life of his son would also do so in a connected way.
What is the television trip that you would describe as your best experience?
Alaska. And I say this because there you meet today the ancient American pioneer. The man or woman who likes to live far from humanity, who doesn't mind having their house two kilometers from their nearest neighbor or that there are 22 hours of night in the winter or having to fight a bear of any color. … A type of humanity that you think has passed into history but that in reality still exists there. A second trip that I loved is to Georgia, in southern Russia. A fascinating town that gives you an extraordinary welcome, with excellent food, that understands wine and that everyone makes it at home, that sings fabulously, with an exceptional landscape... A place that I would love to return to as soon as possible.
And what has been your worst experience?
I haven't had bad experiences, although I have had difficulties. Traveling through India has been the hardest because train trips there are often delayed. With a route of 2000 and 3000 km, it is perfectly understandable that the train loses 3 hours or half a day. And for us, who always follow a very Swiss schedule, it was very difficult to deal with these setbacks. Although we took the opportunity to walk around the station and talk to people. But I'm not going to describe it as a bad experience because I love India. It is a very cozy place.
