Armed with a 1936 edition of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures onto the European rail network, beginning an emotional rail journey which takes him deep into his family's past. In the golden city of Salamanca in northwestern Spain, Michael visits the University to hear of opposition to the fascist takeover of Spain by General Francisco Franco, and gains access to the General's archive of enemies of the state. Travelling onto the capital city of Madrid, Michael hears how the bombing of a small town in the Basque region in 1937 inspired one of the 20th century's most shocking works of art, before making his way to the town of Huesca. Michael's final stop is on the border with France at Canfranc station, where he learns of the role the old terminus played in the evacuation of Jews during the Second World War