...
Covering thousands of miles, Sir Tony Robinson takes a whirlwind journey around the globe by train.
Tony begins another global adventure, setting off from London's St Pancras station on a quest to explore southern Europe in a whole new way. His first stop in France is the Camargue in the country's south, where he helps ranchers herd bulls across vast fields, then heads to Spain's Costa Brava and visits Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium.
Tony travels through the heart of South America, exploring Argentina and Peru. In Buenos Aires he meets up with charismatic local Viviana Parara. They go tango dancing, out for a lunch of prime Argentine steak and finally find themselves in the middle of a huge street dance. Tony then travels north into Peru, heading to the ancient city of Cusco where he takes a detour to visit the Amazon rainforest. A further train ride takes him from Cusco up to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Visiting this Incan citadel has been a lifelong dream for Tony, and it does not disappoint.
Tony rides the El Chepe train from the west coast of Mexico through to the Copper Canyon - a system larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon. From there, Tony jumps on Mexico's only passenger line to head towards the USA. Along the way, he stops in the city of Chihuahua where he discovers Sotol, the region's answer to Tequila. He then heads to Juarez, a city once strongly associated with drug cartels. After crossing the US border into El Paso, Tony meets a fellow train enthusiast trying to revive historic street cars. The final stop on this leg of his journey is Los Angeles' Union Station.
Tony sets off from Seattle on an Amtrak Cascades train into Canada, where he is struck by the beauty of Vancouver and the warmth of the locals. He then takes a two-day rail journey aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. While the other passengers relax and enjoy the luxury service, Tony is put to work in its kitchen. Lastly, he travels via Alaska to the small town of Talkeetna. Boarding a float plane, Tony flies over snow-covered mountains to reach the base of the Alaskan glaciers, where he witnesses the impact of climate change up close.
Tony enjoys a 10,000km journey along the Trans-Siberian Railway, a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East. In Khabarovsk, Tony is met by the extraordinary sight of the River Amur, frozen solid. He's invited to warm up over dinner with a group of locals who offer him a taste of their home-brewed vodka. Tony then re-joins the rails, learning about how Russia has changed since the days of communism. Further stops on his tour are Yekaterinburg, in the foothills of the Ural Mountains and Red Square in Moscow, before he heads west towards Finland's capital city, Helsinki.
Tony begins deep in the Arctic Circle. His first stop is at a Polar Park working with wolves on a fascinating but brave project. Tony then rides the Arctic Circle Train south to the town of Kiruna, on the edge of Swedish Lapland, which is undergoing a very unique transformation as it's being moved building by building to a whole new area. Tony also gets to see behind the scenes at the famous Ice Hotel, a structure which is rebuilt every year from ice taken from the nearby Torne river and ends his journey at Miniature Wonderland - the world's largest model railway.
