Gino's Italian Express - Season 1

Tonight he's starting his epic journey in France. - because from the Alpine town Breil-Sur-Roya, he can travel into Italy in style on a train journey that takes him right through the Alps.

In Italy, he'll meet a local Doctor who does his rounds on horseback, through vineyards and hazelnut groves, where Gino will prepare a scrumptious chocolate cheesecake.

He'll travel onto the beautiful city of Turin, where he'll get a personal tour- Italian Job style - in the seat of a classic Fiat 500 and fulfill a lifelong dream of racing on top of the world famous Lingotto rooftop track. Here he'll make his final dish of Fettuccine pasta with mascarpone and pork mince.

Gino's next rail journey takes him on a trip of a lifetime, through the wonderful Tuscan countryside on a historic steam train - Treno Natura. Run by ex-railroad men and volunteers, this special tourist train sets off from beautiful Siena and chugs through the most picturesque natural beauty spots Tuscany has to offer. It stops in the town of Asciano where the locals try and compete with Siena's famous Palio horse race, but here they ride donkeys. Gino joins the jockeys for a training session and after a quick practice ride, decides he's better off cooking - and rustles up a traditional local dessert called panforte.

After getting the train back to Siena, Gino's final stop is North of the city in the Chianti region - at a vineyard where they don't only make wine, but they also bathe in it too. Vinotherapy is an ancient tradition, dating back to Roman times which Francesco and his family have revived. After a luxurious wine bath and a glass of Chianti, Gino cooks up a dish fit for any Roman Emperor - farfalle pasta with funghi and spinach.

This week Gino is visiting the jewel of the Italian Riviera - the Cinque Terre. Only accessible by boat or by train, these five breathtaking towns cling to the cliff edges and offer a truly magical rail journey along the Mediteranean sea. His first stop brings him to the smallest town, Corniglia, to meet an opera singing florist on market day before hopping back on the train to Manarola.

After meeting the dry stone wallers, responsible for keeping Manarola and the rest of the towns from crumbling into the sea, Gino makes a hearty Minestrone soup with cheesy ciabatta bread. Finally heading to Vernazza Gino meets heroic wine producers Bartolo and Lisse who scale 1000 meters above sea level to tend to their vines!

After a hair-raising monorail ride to the top, Gino prepares a tiramisu with a twist - using lemons and limoncello. Perfect with a glass of local dessert wine, and for steadying the nerves!

This week Gino is starting his journey in Italy's food capital - Bologna. Before jumping on the train he picks up a snack for his journey, a Bolgnese classic and a childhood favourite for Gino - panino with mortadella. His train journey takes him north towards Mantova, Italy's rice growing region, where he helps out in the rice paddies before cooking at one of the oldest rice festivals in Italy. Here, the rice masters prepare over 30,000 portions of rice, and Gino's making his own dessert version, chocolate rice pudding.

Jumping back on the train, he then heads to Verona, the city of love, opera and all things artistic. Famed for being the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, Verona is also home to one of the oldest art schools in Italy. Gino meets with a group of students and stands in as the model for their life drawing class, before cooking up meatballs in a tangy tomato sauce for the class.

This week Gino leaves Verona on one of Italy's super fast trains and heads to the majestic Lake Garda, the biggest of the Italian lakes. Here he meets a team of rowers training for their annual regatta. The race stemmed from the lake's ancient fishing tradition, when the fishermen would race out on their longboats to reach the best fishing spots.

After trying his hand at rowing, Gino cooks up a hearty sausage and bean casserole before jumping on the train and heading North towards the Dolomites. Arriving in the city of Bolzano, Gino no longer

feels like he's in Italy, as the majority of people here actually speak German. Gino's bemused when he's met by local dancers wearing traditional lederhosen who insist on teaching him a step or two.

Taking the cable car further into the mountains, it's like a scene from the Sound of Music. Gino rides a very special train on the Renon line, which is over 100 years old and with spectacular views overlooking Bolzano, he cooks a deconstructed apple crumble.

Gino's train journey takes him on a star-studded line-up of Tuscan cities. He begins in Pisa, famous for its leaning tower, and also home of the Vespa scooter, which gives the chef the ideal way to explore the city, before he hops back on the train toward the medieval city of Lucca, the birthplace of composer Puccini. Here, he meets master violin-maker Fabio and rustles up a vegetarian asparagus dish. His final stop is Florence, where he meets Cecilia, one of a network of local cooks keeping traditional recipes alive by opening up her kitchen to guests from all over the world.

Gino D'Acampo's latest leg begins in the Italian fashion capital of Milan, where he visits an elegant cocktail bar who were the first to introduce the idea of the aperitivo in the city. Its train station is one of the busiest in Europe and it's from here he travels on to the town of Treviglio, the home of Bianchi bikes - the first mass-manufactured bicycle in the world. Gino gets a tour of the factory before test riding one of their latest electric bikes alongside a group of local cyclists. Moving on, he visits the medieval town of Bergamo, where he meets ice-cream maker Niccolo, and visits a co-operative restaurant.

The last episode of the series sees Gino taking a railway adventure to picturesque Lake Iseo. Often overshadowed by its big sisters, Garda and Como, Lake Iseo is a real hidden gem. After getting the train from Bergamo Gino starts his day out on the lake fishing for sardines, surrounded by the beautiful mountains.

He takes his catch and prepares a dish of grilled fish for passengers on a very special train - Treno dei Sapore. This is a tourist train, taking guests along the lake side and into the Franciacorta region and whilst they enjoy the views they also get a 7 course meal - with today's starter cooked by Gino.

Next Gino swaps the train for a handcrafted boat, made by Master Craftsman Andrea, who takes him across the lake to Monte Isola, the biggest lake island in Europe. Here Gino meets the island's Mayor and finds out what life is like on Monte Isola, before making poached pears in red wine and vanilla.