"I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world with my work, but Sicily has really got under my skin and I wanted to find out why – it’s something to do with the people you meet and finding a places that hasn’t been spoiled. I hope this helps people see Sicily" #BLAZEOnTour - Ray Winstone’s

Palermo, fit for a Duchess.

Ray visits a cave near the capital Palermo to give us his take on how, according to Greek legend, Odysseus got one over on the Cyclops that captured and ate half his crew. When Ray, Matt and Bruno hit town they find themselves at the very centre of an ancient, noisy and unique city. They discover Palermo’s markets and its traders, they try the opera (not a great success) and charm a Duchess. And they meet Manfredi Barbera, Sicily’s biggest olive oil exporter, who shows them a tree that’s a thousand years old and still producing olives.

Cefalu and the Islands in the Sun.                                              

Ray and Matt take a train along Sicily’s west coast to the medieval city of Cefalu to meet Joe, first generation Sicilian and one of Ray’s oldest friends. The trio visit a snail farm, eat some snail eggs and smother themselves in snail cream (which proves very popular with the local wasps). A short road trip leads them to an idyllic vineyard and a wine tasting with another old friend Vito, a master winemaker. Then it’s on to the ancient castle of Milazzo to hear stories of pirates and kings and gruesome deaths. They take to the ocean to visit the Aeolian island of Lipari.

Catania and the Godfather’s Cannoli.      

Ray takes some advice from a ‘consigliere’ at the palace where the Godfather movies were shot. An offer he can’t refuse is a visit to Bourbon city of Catania. He and the gang eat their way through the world-famous fish market before taking in the city’s sights. Ray meets up with his daughter, Jamie Winstone, and his grandson before heading to the summit of Mount Etna – still a live volcano - to experience otherworldly landscapes and views. Taormina has been a holiday destination for thousands of years, and it’s where the chaps learn how to make cannoli - Don Corleone’s favourites.

Eureka! Ray and the weapons of war.     

Syracuse is one of the most beautiful cities on the island, and the place where Archimedes first shouted “Eureka!” as he took one of the most important baths in history. Ray and friends try out some of the Greek hero’s war machines, meet a woman who declares her love for Ray in a poem and make their escape via a puppet theatre, a cheese shop and arguably the best restaurant of the entire tour. Quite a bit later the next day - they travel to a World War II battleground and hear how Montgomery, Patton and a Chicago gangster teamed up to help win the war.

More wine, salty stories and annoying the neighbours.                                    

Temples dominate the city of Agrigento. Ray and his pals brave the heat to hear about Zeus, his wife, and a marital row that led to the creation of the Milky Way. On their way to the ancient port of Masala they discover the fishing village of Sciacca and its mouth-watering secret. Marsala is known for wine - the gang take a tour of one of the island’s biggest winemakers. Then it’s down the coast to Lo Stagnone, where salt has been manufactured for more than three thousand years and where Dionysus annoyed the neighbours with some parties so wild that the locals are still talking about them today.

Ray picks up a shotgun, throws a party and ends his grand tour in Cianciana. 

Far away from the tourist trail, our heroes experience the warmth of true Sicilian hospitality – from shepherds, bar owners and barbers right up to the Mayor. Bruno tries to milk a goat, and everyone tastes some cheese. Ray stars as a clay pigeon shooter and Matt does not. The boys meet an artist in an amphitheatre built above one of the most spectacular views in the world, let alone the island. Then it’s all back to Ray’s place - Bruno cooks a barbecue, the band begins to play, and friends and family gather to answer the question, ‘what makes Sicily special?’.

Talk to anyone about Ray Winstone and they’ll immediately conjure up images of a tough guy, a sizeable barrel of a man. A cockney geezer with a glint in his eye and - potentially - a knuckle duster in his overcoat pocket. It’s understandable. After all, the man’s made a living playing rough ‘n’ ready movie characters for some four decades now. 

There’s more to Ray Winstone than just his big-screen persona, though. Anyone who’s tuned into his first delve into factual programming will know that. Viewers of his superb (if we do say so ourselves) travelogue series, Ray Winstone’s Sicily - exclusive to us here at Blaze - have seen a softer side to Mr. Winstone.

While the real-life Ray is a kind soul who loves to traverse and enjoy the Italian countryside, we’ll still always love the harder cinematic Winstone. In celebration of the man and his countless great movie roles, we’ve put together a list of our favourite Ray Winstone quotes plucked from some of the films on his glittering CV…

1979 was a breakout year for Ray Winstone. A role in the mod classic Quadrophenia and a BAFTA nomination for his work on the film That Summer helped launch his career. But it was the brutal borstal film Scum that really made people first notice the Hackney-born actor.

40+ years of roles later and Scum still arguably provides the most famous line of Ray’s career. Delivered after two vicious attacks on fellow inmates involving socks, pool balls and a bathroom sink, it’s a line that’s firmly wormed its way into the public’s shared consciousness.

Jonathan Glazer’s peerless crime/black comedy film is packed full of incredible lines. Most of the more memorable ones are spat out by a career-best Sir Ben Kingsley, playing Don - a psycho gangster tasked with convincing Winstone’s Gal out of retirement and onto ‘one last job’.

Yet for all the swearing and threats and sometimes surreally violent quotes, the most poignant and affecting words are these ones spoken by Gal when he’s one the phone to his wife, thinking that he may never see her again. It’s all really rather sweet indeed.

Ray Winstone and Jack Nicholson playing murderous gangsters in a Martin Scorsese flick… who doesn’t love the sound of that? Serving up an arguably slightly questionable Boston accent, Winstone’s Mr. French provides levity - almost comic relief - throughout this multi-layered and complicated crime film. 

This miniature lecture on which connected guys are touchable and untouchable is delivered immediately before a four-punch combo that cements French - and Winstone’s - hard nut credentials.

A 3D computer-animated fantasy action film based on an Old English epic poem is an unusual cinematic project. And not one you'd necessarily associate with an actor like Ray Winstone. But the man showed his range by lending his voice to the famous Scandinavian warrior here in this 2007 Robert Zemeckis adaptation and committing fully. 

This one, of all his rather dramatic lines, stands out a mile. It's delivered, as you'd expect, with serious Winstonian gusto.

When news of a Sweeney remake began circulating, fans of the original series could see no one else by Ray Winstone stepping into John Thaw’s size 9s and playing the rule-breaking cockney copper Regan. And so it came to pass. There really was no other option for director Nick Love.

The script is packed full of choice dialogue, most of it - as ever - of a decidedly adult nature. Winstone’s Regan is an uncompromising DI in The Flying Squad (hence ‘Sweeney’ - ‘Sweeney Todd’). One who doesn’t apologise for grabbing up and tenderising criminal sorts. 

This rousing line pays homage to a famous line in the original Thames TV series ('Put yer trousers on - ya’ nicked!') and is delivered early in the film, just after Regan ‘subdues’ a suspect with a baseball bat. Setting up the tone nicely.

That’s it. That’s yer lot, ya’ mugs. Now sling yer ‘ook!

Ray Winstone must catch his next train to Sicily, but first he must get through the queue. If you didn't notice, he hates waiting. Who doesn't? #RayWinstonesSicily