:00:00. > :00:00.around the globe report on life where they live. From Turkish books
:00:00. > :00:16.to Cape Town's baboons. Here's My City, presented by Carrie Gracie.
:00:17. > :00:22.Cities are rarely out of the news, not always for the best reasons.
:00:23. > :00:26.Over the past year, the BBC has reported from across the world on
:00:27. > :00:32.the people and events that have shaped 2013. But when the headlines
:00:33. > :00:37.are over and the cameras have gone, life returns to normal. The BBC has
:00:38. > :00:40.journalists in more cities than any other international broadcaster, and
:00:41. > :00:44.over the next half-hour, they will be showing what life is like in some
:00:45. > :00:49.of the cities that have been in the news. Giving us an insight into the
:00:50. > :01:06.beautiful, frantic and often surprising cities that they called
:01:07. > :01:08.home. In a moment, we find out why Hitch is in the best way to get to
:01:09. > :01:29.work and have Anna, -- in have Anna. Beirut, a city of high society and
:01:30. > :01:39.finance. A city of fast cars and flashy people. A city of statues
:01:40. > :01:42.tomatoes and monuments to leaders. Beirut is my city, a city that after
:01:43. > :01:54.15 years of civil war is less a building site than a template for
:01:55. > :01:57.urban design. This is a ruined building that
:01:58. > :02:00.stands on what used to be the Green line dividing the city between East
:02:01. > :02:06.Beirut and West a route during the war. This bullet riddled former
:02:07. > :02:10.luxury villa became the home for snipers who terrorised the
:02:11. > :02:14.surrounding streets and killed hundreds of civilians. Now it is to
:02:15. > :02:22.become a museum called memory of Beirut, after a long campaign by the
:02:23. > :02:27.architect. For me, it encompasses the recent history of Beirut. It
:02:28. > :02:31.talks about what the city was like in the golden days. It talks about
:02:32. > :02:36.the war, the interruption that happen to the Lebanese life in
:02:37. > :02:39.1975, and then it talks about the fight to preserve identity and
:02:40. > :02:43.memory and history after the war. Definitely, Beirut is becoming a
:02:44. > :02:51.modern, luxurious, glamorous city again. All these new constructions,
:02:52. > :02:59.all these expensive apartments. But it is at the expense of the city
:03:00. > :03:01.changing its ways. Is it my city question mark is it the way my city
:03:02. > :03:10.wants to look like? Beirut is a city above all else of
:03:11. > :03:14.great style, one of the great fashion centres of the region. Its
:03:15. > :03:23.shops display the finest in contemporary design. We are in the
:03:24. > :03:28.centre. I think the location of Beirut makes
:03:29. > :03:36.Beirut more open to the outside, to Europe and other countries. Lebanese
:03:37. > :03:41.women are very elegant and educated. They love to travel and they love
:03:42. > :03:48.fashion and they love to be beautiful all the time. All this
:03:49. > :03:55.inspires me. We are now in a different area, not
:03:56. > :03:58.one of the flashiest areas of the city but an area that is becoming
:03:59. > :04:08.more and more a model for different committees living side-by-side. --
:04:09. > :04:17.communities. Causation macro it was an area
:04:18. > :04:26.tailored for a specific unity but has embraced different cultures.
:04:27. > :04:30.This was a district founded by a vibrant Armenian community.
:04:31. > :04:35.Thousands were given sanctuary here thousands of years ago -- hundreds
:04:36. > :04:39.of years ago. It is a mix of Artisans and markets and one leading
:04:40. > :04:56.musicians has a studio here. I introduced this to the whole
:04:57. > :05:06.world. They now have it in orchestras and symphonies. This is
:05:07. > :05:12.where it originated. Beirut is an extrovert city but a
:05:13. > :05:17.city that is almost daily and predictable, a city now undergoing
:05:18. > :05:21.rapid change, a city that is healing the wounds of war and a city that
:05:22. > :05:41.also contemplates the fruits of peace.
:05:42. > :05:46.Everyone is going somewhere here. It is a city of motor scooters, an
:05:47. > :05:52.industrial city of giant markets, and economic experiment of common is
:05:53. > :05:59.and capitalism. It lies in the shade of HSBC. This is my city, once the
:06:00. > :06:19.Saigon French to collapse, and American soldiers, now in its own
:06:20. > :06:22.role as the powerhouse of Vietnam. I am in the wholesale market. It is
:06:23. > :06:29.the biggest in Vietnam for agricultural produce. This alone
:06:30. > :06:40.produces 75% of fish for the whole of the surrounding area. It is a
:06:41. > :06:46.magical world of fish and seafood of infinite variety. Thousands of
:06:47. > :06:52.people working the market. The fish section alone has a daily turnover
:06:53. > :06:56.of 2 million US dollars. I wish that we could introduce new technology
:06:57. > :07:01.allowing us to do business transactions online. And then we can
:07:02. > :07:08.grow into a more modern and civilised market.
:07:09. > :07:13.On the road, but this is not about freedom or individuality, there are
:07:14. > :07:19.literally millions of motor scooters in this city. Public transport is
:07:20. > :07:26.poor. Few people can afford a car. Everyone has a scooter. For some
:07:27. > :07:40.people, it is also about style and cult status. Meet the members of the
:07:41. > :07:45.motor scooter club. This is not just about a shared love of one of the
:07:46. > :07:49.trendiest scooters on the market. It is a group of professionals who
:07:50. > :08:09.raise money for charity and travel to rallies all over the country.
:08:10. > :08:14.Nowadays, people use motor scooters to get from place to place quickly.
:08:15. > :08:21.If they use bigger vehicles, they would get stuck in traffic jams and
:08:22. > :08:26.be late for work. Sunday morning in the park. This is
:08:27. > :08:33.the 30th of April Parker, marking the date in 1975 when Saigon fell to
:08:34. > :08:38.the North Vietnamese forces. But today, it has been taken over by the
:08:39. > :08:42.city 's youth, young musicians, dancers and students from all over
:08:43. > :08:47.the country, generations with a vision of the future. Students from
:08:48. > :08:51.the nearby University of architecture, this group is here
:08:52. > :08:59.every Sunday to discuss the surrounding buildings. Today, it is
:09:00. > :09:04.the modern plaza department store. I can imagine that any future, my city
:09:05. > :09:08.will have lots of fast lane so vehicles can go up there, leaving
:09:09. > :09:16.pedestrians walking underneath. People can feel more peaceful and
:09:17. > :09:21.when travelling around. -- uncomfortable.
:09:22. > :09:31.The energy of the people spills onto the street. My city was once one of
:09:32. > :09:36.the bright economic lights of Southeast Asia. As I look at it
:09:37. > :09:49.today, I wonder when it might shine again.
:09:50. > :09:54.Still to come, baboons cause havoc in Cape Town and why Barcelona
:09:55. > :09:56.became the skateboard capital of Europe. But first theatre companies
:09:57. > :10:21.are springing up all over Istanbul. Istanbul, a city that has always
:10:22. > :10:24.been at a crossroads. Between Asia and Europe, between history and
:10:25. > :10:38.modern itty, between the Conservatives and the freedom rests.
:10:39. > :10:56.A city of memories, of old poets and dusty box. -- books. I am a the old
:10:57. > :11:03.book bazaar. Its most glorious days are over and the emphasis is now
:11:04. > :11:06.more on paperbacks and university texts but all the book shops still
:11:07. > :11:15.play a very important role in the cultural life of Istanbul. Visitors
:11:16. > :11:21.to Istanbul have been able to browse the book stores since the 15th
:11:22. > :11:29.century. Not everyone could be a book seller. An apprenticeship had
:11:30. > :11:34.to be served. But it produced a city devoted to literature.
:11:35. > :11:38.Istanbul is a very important city. Literature has not been slow to pay
:11:39. > :11:50.its respects, especially travel writers. You come across all the
:11:51. > :12:11.colours of the Middle East in our book shops.
:12:12. > :12:15.But it is now theatre that has seen the boom time in Istanbul. More and
:12:16. > :12:22.more drama schools are being established and fringe theatres are
:12:23. > :12:25.spreading across the city. People are trying to express
:12:26. > :12:29.themselves do to the changes around the country. People who are bored
:12:30. > :12:33.with the Conservative traditions and structures. They have established
:12:34. > :12:53.new theatres and new perspectives on drama. A design for living. This is
:12:54. > :13:03.an area of Istanbul on the Asian side. It is a traditional local
:13:04. > :13:07.community and its heritage is protected from development. This is
:13:08. > :13:12.the happy face of the city. Tree-lined streets and tea shops
:13:13. > :13:30.where everyone knows each other. A mosque stands side-by-side with a
:13:31. > :13:38.local church. People have chosen to live here. The culture is a
:13:39. > :13:41.commitment to good relationships. Solidarity and helping one another
:13:42. > :14:00.with their responsibilities. Istanbul, a city with a thousand
:14:01. > :14:06.years of history, once considered the centre of the world. A city
:14:07. > :14:30.littered with the wounds of an empire. It is My City.
:14:31. > :14:40.Cape Town. The people who live here proclaim it is the most beautiful
:14:41. > :14:46.city in the world but cynical outsiders dismiss it as an outpost.
:14:47. > :14:52.Cape Town is my city, the mother city, the Cape of Storms. For more
:14:53. > :15:00.than 400 years, it has attracted people from far and wide and it is
:15:01. > :15:12.now a which mix of diverse cultures and stark contrasts. -- a rich mix.
:15:13. > :15:18.This is an historic area. It is a microcosm of the changing face of
:15:19. > :15:25.this city since the end of apartheid in 1994. The first house in the area
:15:26. > :15:31.was built in the 1860s. The first of the ten mosques was built in 1794.
:15:32. > :15:37.It is distinctive and vibrantly painted and epitomises the rich
:15:38. > :15:44.colours of the East. You still find a community that stayed here for 200
:15:45. > :15:54.years. People from the East like things right. -- right.
:15:55. > :16:01.Cape Town is the richest city in the world with its floral Kingdom. Its
:16:02. > :16:04.natural beauty stems from its location in the peninsular,
:16:05. > :16:11.surrounded by ocean and rugged mountains, but in the West, you can
:16:12. > :16:16.find spots to settle and humans have encroached on those who have laid
:16:17. > :16:25.claim to have been there first. I am in Scarborough. Here, a battle has
:16:26. > :16:31.developed between local residents and baboons. This is the nub of the
:16:32. > :16:43.problem. Baboons run onto the streets and roads. They can be
:16:44. > :16:52.mischievous, they can be dangerous. Rangers have two monitor them and,
:16:53. > :16:57.when necessary, chased them off with paintball guns and firecrackers. I
:16:58. > :17:01.found this out myself when a cheeky adult male tried to get into the
:17:02. > :17:07.car. Campaigners say it has gone too far. The effort has been on managing
:17:08. > :17:15.baboons and not on managing people. They are butchered hedonistic. --
:17:16. > :17:26.opportunistic. Humans need to work out how to stop reaching them. Cape
:17:27. > :17:32.Town is a city of hidden talents. Gems within its own Mick go
:17:33. > :17:43.unnoticed, only to find fame outside the country. This is the innovative
:17:44. > :17:47.public company that produces puppets for the internationally acclaimed
:17:48. > :17:57.drama, Waw Horse. They still receive commissions for the show. -- War
:17:58. > :18:04.Horse. People come here to see the work happened. They see how
:18:05. > :18:15.beautiful the city is. The reputation spreads through the work
:18:16. > :18:18.that we do here. Cape Town has always had a reputation of being
:18:19. > :18:25.more Eurocentric than African. Lack people were kept out by apartheid
:18:26. > :18:31.but since 1994, I have seen my city slowly shed its tag as it becomes a
:18:32. > :19:01.more cosmopolitan city. From a Roman colony to eight trading
:19:02. > :19:06.powerhouse. From the Civil War to the euphoria of the 1992 Olympics,
:19:07. > :19:12.Barcelona has been able to transform itself and it is the proud capital
:19:13. > :19:20.of Catalonia. Barcelona is my city, Spain's most cosmopolitan and one of
:19:21. > :19:27.your's most dynamic metropolises. Here we are in the old town of
:19:28. > :19:33.Barcelona, a few metres away from Lasse Ramblas. This is one of the
:19:34. > :19:41.most diverse parts of the city. It was once a red light district but a
:19:42. > :19:43.programme of regeneration started in the 1980s was established. Today
:19:44. > :20:11.cause , skaters ruled the city. TRANSLATION: Barcelona is a
:20:12. > :20:15.worldwide landmark because of the locations for skating. The weather
:20:16. > :20:21.is also important because we have lots of sunshine and very little
:20:22. > :20:25.rain. We have the whole scene around skating, the art scene, the
:20:26. > :20:37.nightlife. Barcelona is a magic place for skaters.
:20:38. > :20:47.Much of the wealth that built contemporary Barcelona at the end of
:20:48. > :20:50.the 19th century came from the former industrial district. Now the
:20:51. > :20:58.empty factories have become a playground for artistic dwellers.
:20:59. > :21:02.One former factory offers 30 artists space at a knock-down price.
:21:03. > :21:08.TRANSLATION: Because of the rise in property prices, many spaces where
:21:09. > :21:12.artist worked have been closed down. This is an oasis, one of the few
:21:13. > :21:17.places that survives in Barcelona for artists. I hope it lasts for
:21:18. > :21:26.ever. It is important to preserve it.
:21:27. > :21:32.Barcelona has always had a reputation for its gastronomy. Now
:21:33. > :21:39.the city is famous for its avant-garde locations. They mix
:21:40. > :21:41.traditional ingredients with cutting edge techniques. Even if the
:21:42. > :21:47.revolution seems impossible, Barcelona and is returning to
:21:48. > :21:56.traditional places. -- Barcelona residents. It is in wine cellars
:21:57. > :22:03.that fortified wines are accompanied by tap us, made from local produce.
:22:04. > :22:08.Once considered old-fashioned, places like this now attract a young
:22:09. > :22:14.generation. TRANSLATION: A few years ago, fashionable places started
:22:15. > :22:18.popping up all over the city. They all look the same. People are coming
:22:19. > :22:28.back here because they want something different.
:22:29. > :22:37.Barcelona has a unique architectural heritage. The Mediterranean
:22:38. > :22:46.lifestyle has been a magnet for people from all over the world. What
:22:47. > :22:53.really lies behind the beautiful facade, my city, is the constant
:22:54. > :23:00.search for change. It is always looking for transformation. That is
:23:01. > :23:08.all for this special programme. With more reporters in more cities around
:23:09. > :23:09.the world, the BBC brings the stories, the local knowledge, and
:23:10. > :23:33.our cities, to you. Good morning. Low pressure remains
:23:34. > :23:37.firmly in charge of our weather. That means spells of wind and rain.
:23:38. > :23:46.You can see the radar from earlier. The rain across large swathes of the
:23:47. > :23:47.UK. As you can see, for the South, across Wales and southern