Michael Portillo’s Long Weekends, 3 May 2024, Channel 5, “Milan”

Michael Portillo’s Long Weekends returns with an interesting finale, embarking on a journey to Milan, the dynamic northern powerhouse of Italy. In this episode, Portillo explores the city’s fashion, design, and industry, offering viewers a taste of la dolce vita.

Airing on Channel 5 on Friday, 3 May, the episode begins with Portillo riding a classic 1960’s Lambretta, the iconic Italian scooter invented in Milan. He meets a group of biker aficionados and soaks up the La Dolce Vita as they whisk him through the city’s must-see landmarks. Portillo also receives a crash course in Italian coffee drinking etiquette and a dressing down from a personal shopper keen to improve his fashion sense.

Portillo climbs to the roof of the spectacular Duomo Cathedral, ventures into the “city of the dead” with its impressive graves and tombs, and races a vintage Alfa Romeo. He learns to make the perfect risotto and mixes a Negroni Sbagliato at Bar Basso, the home of this popular aperitif. He visits the Torre Branca, the highest point in the breathtaking Sempione Park, and spins himself good luck at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping arcade.

The episode concludes with Portillo spending the night in Nivigli, the vibrant, Venice-like canal quarter of the city.

Michael Portillo’s Long Weekends airs on Channel 5 at 9:00 PM on Friday, 3 May 2024.