James' journey begins on the sunny shores of Sicily, a fascinating island that's been fought over for millennia. Here, where cultures collide under the shadow of Mount Etna, James explores the simple pleasures that have sustained people for generations, such as chopping bits off statues, Canoe Polo, and bagpipes.

In the beautiful, rural south of the mainland, James is forced to confront a vision of hell courtesy of Dante's Inferno - and a goat that urgently needs milking. The Amalfi Coast offers some much-needed respite before he dives headfirst into the breathless, chaotic, sea of humanity that is the city of Naples.

James tests his Renaissance man credentials with a spot of art, science, and alchemy in Florence. Emilia-Romagna see the worlds of fast-moving cars and slow-aging cheese, before James ends up in a town that feels strangely familiar.

Size matters, as James visits the vast marble quarries of Carrara and the massive Genoa port. Then it's to the elusive, as James searches for a semblance of peace in the face of killer robots, and a decent cup of tea in Turin.

In Milan, James submits to a wardrobe update, tries his hand at some exquisite craftsmanship - and bids goodbye to an old friend. Next stop: Venice, by land, air, and lagoon, while in the Dolomites James finds the darker side of Christmas.