They say to travel is to live.
Well, maybe, if a day at the airport doesn't suck the life out of you first.
I mean, where else would you be told to arrive two hours early,
only to become dangerously close to being two hours late?
Still, I think my travels last year were good for me.
They seemed to broaden my outlook.
To a degree.
So now, I'm taking on what is apparently a must-do
for any respectable traveler.
I'm doing Europe.
All right. Where are we, exactly?
I'm going all continental...
from the very top to the very bottom.
I'm heading off the beaten track to discover some real hidden gems...
Are you getting this?
...and embrace this budding spirit for adventure.
Look at me. No hands.
They're right here. What is this, the bow?
I'll be educating my taste buds...
Wow, that was so good.
Grapes are ready.
...and trying to live like a local.
Welcome to my village.
This is insane.
I just saved your life. Remember me.
I'm packing any worries in my luggage...
Here they come.
You never know what the body's gonna do when it's in abject terror.
I don't think I've done anything quite like this since I was a kid.
...and I'm about to utter three words I've never said before.
Ready for takeoff.
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Or in my case, a single step and a bit of a push.
Nevertheless, it's brought me here to my final European destination.
Spain.
I don't know that much about Spain. I have to be honest.
The Spanish Inquisition, that wasn't a good thing.
A Spanish omelet, that's a good one.
Okay.
So my general knowledge of this country is no cause for celebration.
But what does make me feel pretty good is making it all the way to Seville.
Now, I'm not the first intrepid explorer to travel to this city.
I'm following in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus.
His tomb is in the cathedral here.
But I, on the other hand, am feeling more alive than ever.
Brought my fan club.
They always travel with me although you rarely see them.
Hey, guys.
I'll be right there.
Hello, Mr. Levy.
- Gracias. - Welcome on board.
Having started this journey in Northern Sweden,
I've ticked off six countries on my way down to Seville,
situated in Spain's Andalusia region.
I'll spend a couple of days here before heading to the southernmost tip
of mainland Europe.
I do love the vibe in Europe,
so I'm not really looking forward to this trip ending.
Because I do love it over here. I do.
Seville is known as the Pearl of Andalusia,
which I guess makes Andalusia the oyster.
I could go on, but I won't.
So, Jesús,
- I take it you're from Seville? - From Seville, yes.
Okay. I'm noticing you've got a little flag on your dashboard there.
- That. - Yes.
This is the Betis flag.
Because here in Seville we have two big teams.
Sevilla Football Club and Betis Football Club.
Tomorrow we have the Gran Derbi here in the city.
Tomorrow?
Yes, people get totally crazy.
- Totally? - Yes.
Okay.
I work in show business so I know about fans going totally crazy.
But this obsession with soccer,
or football as it's known in Europe, is something else.
Thank you, Jesús.
- And good luck with the game. - Thank you.
So, I'm keen to experience El Gran Derbi for myself.
And if that's grand, where I'm staying is even grander.
Hotel Alfonso XIII.
Oh, my.
Here to welcome me is head concierge, Antonio.
This is a pretty spectacular-looking lobby, huh?
Thank you. Let me be your guide.
- Lovely. Let's do it. - Okay.
The influence of Morocco, just 150 miles away,
is evident in the hotel's architecture
with vaulted arches straight out of a scene from Casablanca.
This is really quite beautiful.
It was commissioned by Spain's last monarch
before the country was declared a republic in 1931.
So the king had this place built, but did he ever stay here?
Yeah, many times.
And we have ready for you the king's suite.
I'm a commoner staying in a room fit for a king.
This is how you win a Levy seal of approval.
Mr. Levy, let me show you the king's suite.
Oh, my.
It'll do.
And here we have Alfonso XIII.
Couldn't be a bigger painting in here.
You kind of feel like you wanna take that thing down
because it's like he's looking down and judging.
And the haughty attitude is no surprise.
Alfonso became king at just 16.
Watchful eyes, yeah?
Too watchful.
But these days all eyes are on who takes the crown on the sports field.
Do you like football?
Tomorrow we have the best game.
I've already heard about this game.
Who do you support?
Sevilla, of course.
I'm glad I'm here, you know, when this is happening.
The grand derby between Seville and Betis
is really intense.
I'm not exactly fluent in soccer.
Buenos días!
But as it seems to be the common language of Europe,
I've arranged to meet someone
who can help translate why it's so important in Seville.
I follow my local team and I understand the passion
that fans have for their teams.
I mean, I don't go and paint my face, you know.
I'm not one of those fans.
But you know, in a championship game,
I'll stand up and give them a...
you know, thumbs up.
The 60,000-seat Benito Villamarín Stadium
is the home of Real Betis Balompié.
It's like being backstage in a theater.
It's kind of exciting to see what goes on that the crowd doesn't necessarily see.
The stadium was first built almost a hundred years ago
for the traditionally working-class supporters of Betis.
This is something, isn't it?
If some here consider soccer a religion...
then this is their cathedral.
I can see myself out here, to be honest.
You know, a little pair of shorts,
fans kind of cheering wildly.
Levy! Levy! Levy!
Eugene!
- Héctor! - How are you doing, my man?
Twenty-eight-year-old Real Betis defender Héctor Bellerín has played for huge clubs
like Arsenal and Barcelona, as well as the Spanish national team.
- I heard you can play. - Wow.
And now he's got a one-on-one with yours truly.
- How's it going? Welcome to Seville. - It's going well.
Thank you so much.
And how about the fact that I--
I'm here at the exact time as the big match.
Why is it so intense?
Everyone is either Betis or Seville.
And in between families, they support different teams
and they hate each other during that day and then they love each other again.
- It's the game. - It's the game.
Have you played soccer before?
Oh, no.
Because I think, like, now that we're here,
maybe should we, like, kick a penalty or something?
Well, that would be something.
It's just kicking a ball. It can't be that hard. What do you think?
- I've got it in my bag. I'll grab it now. - All right. Okay.
Gonna be kicking a ball with Héctor.
Depending on how it goes, he may be calling me in for the big game.
So I heard you're a size 44.
- Wow. - Yeah.
Yeah, in football here the ball is round.
Not like in the States.
- Yes. - I don't know why you call it football,
because here it's foot and a ball.
Over there, it's not really like that. Cause I just--
Well, yes, I know. They should call it throw ball.
All right. You get in goal. Let me put these on.
I mean, what a great gift.
I'm getting into football in a big way now.
Yeah.
First of all, what's the celebration if you score?
Oh, yeah. Well--
Do you have a dance move?
Well, no.
Imagine, like, it's the opposition and you kind of wanna say,
like, "Look what I've done." You know?
I'd put the hand on the hip and I would just do one of these.
I don't know exactly what that means, but that's pretty cool. I might take it.
- Are you ready? - Yeah.
- You're taking it off, yeah? Okay. - Well, you know,
I don't want to make it too easy for you.
If you score, you win. If you miss, you lose.
You've been waiting for this moment your whole life.
You even have a celebration for it.
All right.
- See? - Yeah, that was good.
- Is that your first goal? - That's my first goal.
- How does that feel? - It felt pretty good.
I didn't even think I'd make it to the net.
There's something I need to give you.
Because...
you cannot go to watch a game...
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God. - ...without your Betis shirt.
Wow.
This is something. Come here, baby.
Thank you.
Now you're a proper Betis fan, my friend.
Thank you.
Well, that was pretty spectacular. What a superstar.
And if you do score, I'm expecting...
What if he scores and then mouth, "Thanks, Eugene."
That would be something.
Seville's soccer rivalry goes way back,
but it's not the only division this 2,000-year-old city has faced.
So while I'm here, it would be remiss of me not to explore more.
- José. - Eugene.
- Welcome to Sevilla. - Thank you.
And local tour guide, José, has offered to show me the sights.
So right now you're standing in the oldest quarters of Sevilla.
And this is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.
It's really quite beautiful.
But it turns out Seville has a turbulent history.
So that used to be a mosque
- and then it was turned into a cathedral. - Okay.
In 711 AD the North African Moors took the city from the Romans.
- Oh, my God. Look at this. - Watch the horses.
The Moors were then kicked out by the Christians.
See? Turbulent.
You know an awful lot about this place.
Yeah, it's because my parents were born and raised here in Sevilla.
And I was raised in Montreal.
Well, this is something. There's a little touch of Canada here.
- Yeah, it's-- - And what were you doing in Canada?
Hair and makeup artist and I was working in the film industry.
Can't get away from showbiz.
It's everywhere. It's right here. It's right here.
It's clear former makeup artist José
really does know this city right to its foundation.
This is the famous Triana bridge
that separates Sevilla and the Triana side.
It's a neighborhood, but people there think it's their own city.
It's like New York and Brooklyn.
I think at one point, Manhattanites kind of looked down on Brooklynites.
You know, I think that's the same vibe I'm getting here.
And as we cross the bridge, we spot a fleet of boats.
Like the Spanish Armada, but smaller and minus the cannons.
People are screaming. There they are.
We've got the regatta.
This time it's the Sevilla and Betis rowing teams.
Here we are. Look at this.
So this is an intense rivalry.
Yeah. Yes. It is.
It's amazing. They just can't wait to get at each other's throats.
- Talk to me about Triana. - It was a worker's town.
It's known for the bullfighters, the flamenco dancers, the Gypsies.
So flamenco comes out of the working class.
- Is that what it is? - Yes. Exactly.
With all the mixes of all the cultures.
From what I'm hearing, there's more fire in the belly over here.
The hooty snooties, they're on this side.
But I'd be hanging over here.
Listen, I'm not known for wearing my heart on my sleeve,
but having already fallen for football,
I'm ready to be seduced by Seville's other great passion.
Let's flamenco.
Flamenco is rooted in the folk traditions of the Roma people.
It's fiery, emotional and explosive.
I might have to warn José that we don't have this in Canada.
The most impassioned we get is Bieber.
So you ready to watch your first flamenco show?
- Yeah. I'm excited. - Yeah?
And if you feel that you wanna do it, you can say, "Olé! Vamos!"
I hope I'm not the only one saying olé.
- That would-- - These guys will be doing it.
You know, that wouldn't be good. Would it?
Just one person saying olé.
The first time she stomped down on the stage, I jumped out of my seat.
It scared me.
Vamos!
I didn't know it was that intense.
They're putting you in kind of a space that draws
the passion and the excitement out of you as an audience member.
And that's talent.
Olé!
I'm assuming, you know. They could be terrible for all I know.
They could really suck at what they do and I wouldn't know.
I've never seen it before.
Bravo.
And speaking of things I've never seen before...
It's the morning of the big match.
Betis versus Sevilla.
I'm there for Héctor. I'm there for Betis.
Green through and through.
Over 200 million Europeans went to a football game last season,
making it truly one of the great passions of the continent.
And as the fans gather,
you can smell the nervous excitement in the air.
At least, I hope that's nervous excitement.
Well, this town is going crazy.
There's police on horseback. They're getting ready for something.
I've been invited to the Betis stadium...
Vamos!
...by football commentator Semra...
- Hello. Hola! - Semra!
...who wants to immerse me in the intensity of El Gran Derbi.
- So I went for the Spanish hello. - This is good.
I'm really excited for you to experience this.
It's literally the biggest day of the year in Seville.
- You picked the right day to be here. - And I am here.
So what's happening here?
The Betis fans, they actually come here to pick up their tickets
and then they're escorted by the police
to walk to the stadium across town two kilometers away.
Brace yourself. Here they come.
Here they come. Here they come. Back up.
What do you think? It's great, right?
This is mad.
It's a lot of people just overly pumped for one common goal.
To win. To beat Seville.
And suddenly there is another rush of excitement.
All these fans are running to catch a glimpse of the players
on the bus to go to the stadium.
That was intense.
Derby tickets are hard to come by here,
even for a longtime Betis fan like me.
So we're going to watch the match in a local supporters' bar known as a peña.
Yeah!
Founded in 1927,
it's the perfect place to debut my new shirt.
Let's go!
All right. Here we go.
This historic rivalry goes back 117 years.
So it's a match that Betis and my new friend Héctor...
are determined to win.
- There's Héctor! - There's your man.
Héctor! Yeah!
That's your boy. That's your boy!
Yeah!
Bellerín!
And just when I thought it couldn't get any better...
There he goes!
Did you see what he did?
He gave the point.
I gave him that move.
The fact that he actually did my move when he scored.
You know?
Sweetheart.
They disallowed it.
They disallowed it?
Well, cheers to that anyway, though, hey?
Héctor's goal is disallowed for being offside.
But that's just the start of the excitement.
And before I know it, my Canadian reserve has completely deserted me.
Olé!
Yeah!
Go!
I did jump up and scream when that goal was scored.
And I was high-fiving people I didn't even know in there,
the way I would at a Blue Jays game.
So maybe in that moment, I lost myself in the emotion of the game.
But I know from bitter experience that sport can be cruel.
No!
And so it proves again.
Well, it's a tie.
Betis! Betis!
It's a much better game than I was anticipating.
Good game, good game.
Should have won.
I have to start following Betis as my team in soccer.
I'll look back on this evening fondly when I get home.
And that won't be long now, as it's my last night in Seville
before I travel further south.
It's a fire-in-the-belly kind of town.
There's as much passion around flamenco as there is around football here.
So it's just pouring your heart and soul into something.
I think that is a common thread.
Before I head down to the coast, right to the tip of Europe,
there's one final stop I wanna make on my journey.
And for somebody who was once, you may recall,
a very reluctant traveler,
it's a new experience to be feeling this enthusiastic.
I'm looking for platform 12.
Even though I still get lost relatively easily.
I actually love trains.
I don't travel enough on them.
Of course, they don't make them quite the way they used to.
This is quite the turnaround for me,
but I'm beginning to enjoy the traveling bit
as much as the getting there.
Just a few hours away in the Málaga Mountains
is one of Andalusia's must-see beauty spots.
But to appreciate it,
I'll have to find out just how adventurous I've really become.
The King's Little Path.
Well, it's supposed to be an incredible view.
Worth taking a long train ride to.
It's a nice way to get there.
El Caminito del Rey, as it's known here,
is one of Spain's most popular tourist attractions.
Over 300,000 visitors come each year to test their nerve,
walking along the 2,400-foot-high gorge
to get one of the best views in the country.
The helmet feels good. I'm not feeling too well right now.
This better be a good view.
Is it too late to turn back?
I only ask because the walkway is almost 5 miles long,
but just 3 feet wide.
Oh, man. Okay.
Just don't go looking down between the slats.
Okay.
Originally, the path was built to provide access for workers
between two hydroelectric sites.
Oh, my God.
Before it was updated,
it was known as the most dangerous walkway on Earth.
So, whatever the update was, I'm praying it was a good one.
The first creak I hear, I'm heading back.
I'm sure the view is really spectacular,
and one day I hope I might get to see it.
The key is just don't look over the edge.
But it turns out,
looking ahead isn't a piece of cake either.
Oh, my God.
I'm almost there at this lookout,
and the only way to get there is going across this see-through bridge.
And, I'm actually dreading what's down there.
You know?
Two years ago, wouldn't catch me dead up here.
After facing my fears to cross the hanging bridge
in Costa Rica last year, I am no longer terrified of heights.
And if you believe that, good luck to you.
Oh, my God.
Wow. Oh, God.
Honestly, when I first looked at this bridge,
"No" was on the tip of my tongue.
It's put me to the test.
If I had a free hand, I'd pat myself on the back.
But I'm bracing myself with both right now.
I've been told the viewing platform offers some of the best vistas of Andalusia.
Oh, my God.
There it is.
What I wasn't told is that it's completely transparent.
It's all good.
Yeah.
How do you like it?
Well, won't be going on the glass floor,
but it's the best view in town and there it is.
Tick that off the bucket list.
I've been there and done that.
Let's see what lies ahead.
All right. Here we go.
Look at me. No hands.
I think it's fair to say that the old me wouldn't have considered
traversing a sheer cliff face, let alone a continent.
And while I've still got what you'd call a cautious streak,
I haven't always been this way.
As a kid, I traveled on trains and I just loved it.
I was about eight, traveled to New York, I remember,
from my hometown of Hamilton, and that was exciting.
It's always stuck with me.
Somewhere along life's journey,
I must have lost that sense of adventure.
But there's something about Europe
that seems to be restoring the confidence of my youth.
I just hope I'm going in the right direction.
After starting in the far north of the continent,
I've zigzagged my way down to the final stop of my journey.
The coastal town of Tarifa, mainland Europe's southernmost point.
I feel like a changed man.
And I'm not the only one who's noticed.
You know, my life has had a rebirth at 76.
My wife, Deb, thinks quite honestly, this could be one of the best things
that's ever happened to me.
Outside of meeting her.
It was those Romans again
that founded Tarifa back in the first century.
And no wonder.
The town sits on an extraordinary boundary.
This is really quite amazing.
It says it right here.
There's the Mediterranean Sea.
Here's the Atlantic Ocean.
Having made it this far,
all that separates me from the continent of Africa
is 8 miles of water.
- Come and take a seat. - Wonderful.
This is gonna be terrific.
So I can't resist taking a closer look.
It's a good day.
A good day to be on the water.
In Greek mythology, the Pillars of Hercules,
which we now know as the Rock of Gibraltar and Mount Hacho in Morocco,
were considered the edge of the known world.
Well, there's Africa right there.
It's pretty damn close.
To be honest, I can't quite believe where I am.
And to cap off my journey, Europe has one final surprise for me.
And there they are.
Straight ahead.
A pod of curious pilot whales.
There. Right there. Right there.
Oh, my.
Wow. It came right up.
Hear that?
There's a lot of chatter going by the boat.
I think they recognize me from something.
I don't know.
American Pie was very big in Europe, you know.
Well, it was a pretty popular movie. I mean, they might have seen it.
That's amazing.
It's not like Ontario.
I'll tell you that.
Before starting this trip,
the Europe I knew was the big cities like Paris, London and Rome.
Yeah.
It's like they popped up to say goodbye.
But having challenged myself to leave the beaten path
and embrace my once dormant sense of adventure...
Look.
...my time in Europe has given me more than just memories.
It has enriched me beyond all expectations.
I don't think I would have been out here normally.
You know, it's good to get out.
It's good to get out instead of just seeing one little spot.
You're never too old to get acquainted with the world
that you're living in, you know?
I'm getting there.
So, who knows?
I might just have another journey in me yet.