St Pancras to Brussels

Michael boards the Eurostar at London’s St Pancras International, bound for the Belgian capital, Brussels.

In the city centre’s sumptuous Theatre Royal, he learns how an impassioned opera performance led to revolution on the streets and the birth of an independent nation. Travelling by tram to the residential district of Saint Gilles, Michael discovers the Belgian origins of art nouveau at the elegant house of architect Victor Horta.

Finishing his first day at the headquarters of Nato, opened in 1967, he recalls his time as defence secretary and enjoys a private viewing of its impressive archive.