Portillo's Andalucia

The documentary Andalucía with Michael Portillo makes an unforgivable mistake by completely ignoring Jaén and Almería, two essential provinces for understanding Andalusian identity. This omission not only distorts the reality of the region but also reinforces the media marginalization that both have suffered for decades.

Jaén, with its vast sea of olive trees making it the world capital of olive oil, is left off the map without any explanation. Its stunning Renaissance heritage, with Úbeda and Baeza as UNESCO-listed architectural gems, is ignored, as is its crucial role in Spanish history, such as the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. Not even the Sierra de Cazorla, one of Spain's most breathtaking natural reserves, is mentioned.

Almería, on the other hand, is also a victim of this unjustified neglect. The province that houses Europe's only desert, a setting for countless classic films, is completely forgotten. Its Cabo de Gata Natural Park, home to some of Spain's most spectacular beaches, and its Alcazaba, one of the most impressive Muslim fortresses, don't even get a reference.

It is unacceptable that a documentary claiming to showcase Andalusia omits two of its eight provinces. This is not a mere oversight-it is a blatant disregard that perpetuates the Andalusian centralism favoring more touristy and well-known destinations. The history, culture, and richness of Jaén and Almería deserve a place in any serious depiction of the region. Failing to include them is, quite simply, falsifying reality.

My own personal politics are diametrically opposed to those of former Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo so it was going to take something special to encourage me to watch any programme fronted by him. But credit to him, although he still offers his opinions on politically-themed programmes on satellite channels, he's also managed to reinvent himself as a genial and engaging travel show host. This series he did in 2023 on the Spanish region of Andalusia caught my attention as my wife and I have been living in that region for the last six years.

Over six episodes, Portillo, whose name I now know to pronounce in the Spanish way, journeys around a number of the interesting places here, frequently meeting up with locals where his command of the language serves him well. He and his researchers do a good job of seeking out these people and places, with Mikey wholeheartedly joining in on local occupations and crafts. He also gets to stay in some fine hotels, the likes of which are probably beyond the budget of you and me.

Malaga apart, he avoids the well-known Costa Del Sol resorts and among the other places he takes in are Ronda, Cordoba, Grenada, Cadiz, Jerez and Seville, with each place having its own cultural or historical tale to tell, before ending up back at his own home in the small town of Carmona where he holds a party for his local friends and neighbours.

I had no idea that his father was a prominent Nationalist poet who was caught up in the Spanish Civil War before emigrating to England where his right-wing motivated son was born and came to prominence. Putting politics aside however, my wife and I really enjoyed this informative and entertaining trek of his around this lovely part of southern Spain. We've yet to really spread our own wings and explore some of the neighbouring towns and cities, but thanks to this series, our appetites have definitely been whetted and I'm sure we'll be hitting the road to explore them for ourselves, hopefully enjoying some Portillo moments of our own along the way.

Andalusia is some of Portillo's best work, and there are no trains in sight! Unlike some of his previous series, like the southeast Asian one, there is no attempt here to shoehorn trains into what are clearly programs about culture, food, drink, and dramatic scenery. This series covers all the big cities in Andalusia, and also spends one episode on a rural area little know to British people. His love of the region is evident, and I wasn't aware he had moved there until watching this. Portillo is no Bettany Hughes, but nevertheless the series explains at a reasonable level and is worth watching even if you have no idea who he is.