Pennod 1 Ar y Lein

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-Last year, I followed

-the 52-degree north latitude line...

-..around the world that way.

-This year, I'm following the

-5-degree west longitude line...

-..around the world this way.

-Here, behind someone's

-back garden in Goodwick...

-..both lines meet -

-this is the crossroads.

-South is that way -

-and that's where I'm heading!

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-When I followed the latitude line...

-..the weather, the plants

-and the length of day...

-..were mostly the same

-all the way around.

-Things will be different this time.

-The line will take me through

-some very different countries.

-Pembrokeshire, Cornwall, Brittany,

-Spain, Morocco and Mali...

-..Antarctica and the South Pole.

-The line then changes

-to 175 degrees east.

-It will take me through New Zealand,

-Fiji and the North Pole...

-..where I'll return

-to the 5-degree west line once more.

-On through the Faroe Islands

-and Scotland...

-..bringing me neatly back

-to Fishguard.

-The line begins on the A40.

-Like last time, it's difficult

-to follow the line precisely.

-It would take me through

-fields, rivers, ditches...

-..the Sahara and Antarctica!

-I'll be sweating and freezing

-along the journey...

-..but for now, the weather is fine

-and I'm getting wet!

-This is the way

-to explore the River Cleddau...

-..even if I'm ready

-to regurgitate my breakfast!

-During the reign of Elizabeth I...

-..this was one of the UK's

-busiest ports.

-Boats exported coal,

-slate, butter and wool.

-Today,

-oil is the main industry here.

-Every refinery has to sign an

-agreement with the National Park...

-..before beginning

-construction work...

-..promising the area will remain

-the same when the work is over.

-Not something you'd expect

-to find in Pembrokeshire...

-..but the Army has been here

-for years.

-Here I am,

-in Little England beyond Wales....

-..but this English part

-of Pembrokeshire...

-..had bilingual

-signs long before most other areas.

-Unfortunately,

-they were in German and English.

-After the '60s,

-and until very recently...

-..German soldiers

-came here to train.

-Members of the Territorial Army

-train here at Castlemartin now.

-The emphasis is on the use of tanks.

-This is the only camp in Wales

-where they train with real bullets.

-These guys don't shoot blanks!

-The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

-follows these rocks...

-..right on to the Army's land.

-You are only permitted on this part

-of the path at certain times.

-Obviously, when the Army

-isn't firing nearby!

-When the path is closed, you have

-to walk back to Castlemartin...

-..and re-join the path

-at Freshwater West.

-The coast here

-is full of wildlife...

-..with birds such as guillemots,

-razorbills and kittiwakes.

-There are more sea birds

-in Castlemartin...

-..than in any other part

-of Pembrokeshire.

-You'd expect all the gunfire

-to scare them away...

-..but the Army doesn't fire its

-weapons during the nesting season.

-I thought I knew Pembrokeshire

-quite well...

-..but every time I go there,

-I discover new places.

-Here's one of them -

-Bosherston Lakes.

-A wonderful place for a walk

-on a pleasant afternoon.

-These aren't natural lakes.

-They were created

-by the Cawdor family.

-The family owned

-the Stackpole estate...

-..between 1760 and 1840.

-They didn't create them themselves.

-They paid others to do that.

-The lakes were left forgotten

-for years...

-..until the National Trust

-took them over in 1976.

-And very nice they are, too,

-but not as nice as here.

-Broad Haven beach. One of the

-most spectacular beaches in Wales.

-I was meant to canoe out of the bay,

-but not through those waves!

-Even the surfers have gone home.

-The journey through Wales is over.

-The line goes through the sea now.

-I have to follow it that way,

-to Cornwall.

-So far, I've followed the line from

-Fishguard, through Pembrokeshire...

-..through Castlemartin,

-and now across the sea to Cornwall.

-The line reaches Cornwall

-in Harlyn Bay...

-..and takes me on to Newquay,

-Falmouth and St Mawes.

-Here I am in Cornwall.

-The line comes in around here.

-This is one of the prettiest

-coastlines in the UK.

-It's almost as pretty

-as Pembrokeshire.

-Like Pembrokeshire, you have

-a wonderful coastal path...

-..which you can follow

-around the coast.

-People see many similarities

-between Wales and Cornwall.

-That comes as no surprise.

-We are more or less the same people.

-When the Saxons invaded Britain,

-we all fled to the west.

-This lot forgot to turn right!

-The area around

-Newquay and Watergate Bay...

-..is world-renowned for surfing.

-It's a mecca for waveriders.

-Surfing competitions

-are often held here...

-..and the streets are

-full of trendy, long-haired men...

-..packed with testosterone,

-who look very nice in neoprene.

-In direct contrast to others!

-When in Rome! Everyone surfs

-in Cornwall, and so must I.

-Don't film my bum!

-The weather was far from perfect...

-but what the hell!

-Here's Tim,

-my long-haired instructor...

-..who looks good in neoprene.

-The first step was a quick lesson

-on the sand...

-..before venturing into the water.

-Let's see how we get on.

-Let's get you a board first.

-Mind your chest, arch our back

-and bring our feet up.

-Coil in that spring.

-Coil in that spring.

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-Any spring in my legs

-has long since disappeared!

-Oh, sorry!

-No. 4...

-Doesn't he realise

-I'm a grown woman with a dodgy leg?!

-I wasn't very confident.

-Right, sit back and laugh

-as I make a mess of it!

-Ah, you didn't expect that!

-Where are the World Championships?!

-Yeah, you weren't that good,

-my girl!

-After a shower

-and a mug of hot chocolate...

-..I set off along narrow roads,

-through tiny villages...

-..like St Merryn.

-I could have driven all the way

-down to Falmouth...

-..but a ferry is much more fun.

-It was an opportunity to speak

-to someone other than myself.

-Falmouth is a busy seaside town...

-..and very popular with visitors.

-In 1600, there were only two houses,

-a blacksmith's and a pub here.

-Sir Walter Raleigh suggested that

-it should be developed as a port.

-These know where they are -

-the 5 Degrees West Bar.

-In a seaside town,

-there are a number of sailors.

-People who know everything

-about latitude and longitude.

-Nowhere in Cornwall is further

-than 16 miles from the sea.

-The sea is an integral part

-of people's lives here.

-The maritime museum is wonderful.

-Interesting and quite educational.

-If I had done this journey

-100 years ago...

-..there would be no TV

-and I wouldn't be here!

-Besides that, I couldn't use

-a GPS device to find my way around.

-I'd have a theodolite.

-They were very dependable

-if you knew what you were doing...

-..but in my hands,

-I'd have ended up in Machynlleth!

-I returned to the seas

-and left Falmouth on another ferry.

-It would take an age

-to drive around the coast...

-..but it only takes half an hour

-to cross the River Fal.

-Yes, Fal. Fal-mouth!

-It's a very pleasant journey...

-..passing hundreds of boats

-used mainly for pleasure these days.

-We pass the castles

-of Pendennis and St Mawes...

-..which were built in the 16thC

-in case the French invaded.

-They never did.

-I reach my final destination

-in England - St Mawes...

-..a village which has changed

-very little over the centuries.

-It truly is a pretty town...

-..and house prices

-have risen considerably recently.

-Some of the houses

-on the seafront cost over 1m.

-They seem very familiar.

-I was sure I'd lived here before,

-in another life.

-Then, I realised

-they had filmed Poldark in St Mawes.

-Do you remember the TV series?

-Demelza and Ross -

-Angharad Rees played Demelza.

-I loved it.

-I'm starting to show my age now!

-This is where the line leaves

-the land and re-enters the sea.

-So, I'm leaving Cornwall and

-heading for Brittany, which is...

-..that way!

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-Right now, it feels as if

-the journey has really begun.

-There's something about ships -

-something romantic.

-A feeling that there's something

-new and exciting on the horizon.

-Off we go!

-This is Brittany Ferries'

-brand new ferry - the Pont-Aven.

-I was allowed on the bridge

-when we left the harbour...

-..but I wasn't allowed

-to talk to the captain.

-The journey to Brittany

-takes four hours.

-This is where it takes us.

-After leaving England, we follow

-the line to island of Ouessant.

-To reach there,

-we must first sail to Brest.

-This is one of best places

-to sample the nightlife of Brest.

-And you're supposed to say

-the 't' at the end of Brest!

-Le Tour Du Monde -

-the journey around the world(!)...

-..is very popular with locals -

-and very appropriate for me.

-Mm!

-This is the place to be at night

-for mussels with wine and cider.

-At home, we make do

-with a lager and a kebab!

-I was here to meet Fran May,

-originally from Haverfordwest...

-..and Ronan Hirrien, who speaks

-seven languages, including Welsh.

-Be honest - what is the future

-of the Breton language?

-We can compare the situation here...

-..with the Welsh situation

-50 years ago.

-Very few schools

-teach through the medium of Breton.

-It's very difficult to secure

-any support from the government.

-What do you think, Ronan?

-Only about one per cent of

-the children are taught in school...

-One per cent?

-One per cent?

-

-..through the medium of Breton.

-The older generation are proud

-that they know Breton...

-..but they don't

-speak Breton regularly...

-..with the people

-who are trying to learn Breton.

-There's a difference between

-understanding the language...

-..and speaking the language.

-The difference

-between Brittany and Wales...

-..is that it's not natural to

-walk into a shop and speak Breton.

-It's not natural to speak Breton

-in the shops or on the phone.

-It's very difficult for people

-to change their mindset.

-When you're dealing with

-official matters, you speak French.

-I think it's a psychological

-problem in Brittany.

-Breton is seen as inferior.

-French is an important language

-and Breton is inferior.

-That was the situation in Wales

-for a long time.

-Welsh was seen as inferior

-to English, and look at us now.

-Let's hope attitudes change

-before it's too late.

-I wish the Breton language

-a prosperous future.

-The following morning, I was up

-at dawn to catch the boat...

-..that would take me

-to the island of Ouessant...

-..or l'Ile d'Ouessant in French.

-The sea was calm and there

-were very few of us on the boat.

-I was looking forward

-to a quiet journey.

-It was a lovely journey, passing

-islands, cliffs and lighthouses.

-Then, we stopped

-in Le Conquet on the way.

-When we set off from Brest,

-there were 10 of us on the boat.

-We've stopped in Le Conquet and

-there's around 1,500 on the boat!

-Some bloke's standing on my foot!

-The island is very popular

-with day-trippers.

-There are very few places

-to stay there overnight.

-I would encourage you to stay there.

-It's a friendly, beautiful

-and very romantic island.

-This beautiful harbour

-is called Le Stiff.

-The rocks and the current around

-the island are extremely dangerous.

-Hundreds of ships have gone aground

-here over the centuries.

-There are seven lighthouses

-around the island today.

-One of them, Jument,

-was immortalised...

-..in a photograph

-taken by Philip Plisson...

-..of a man standing on its steps

-with waves crashing around him.

-It's the Big Daddy.

-This is one of the island's

-most famous buildings.

-It's the Creach lighthouse.

-My taxi driver said that it's the

-brightest lighthouse in Europe...

-..and before that, in the world.

-They say you can see its light

-from Cornwall.

-In the lighthouse's

-old boiler room...

-..there's a museum which traces

-the history of lighthouses.

-I may as well admit, I expected

-a museum about lighthouses...

-..to be quite boring.

-But this was very interesting.

-It reminded me

-of Dr Who and the Tardis.

-The effect of all the lights

-was quite hypnotic.

-It made me feel inebriated.

-Some of these contraptions

-date back to 1824.

-I'd say this was a great place

-for a photographer to visit.

-Look - here's my cameraman

-trying to be artistic!

-The best way to discover

-the island is by bike.

-You can hire one from the harbour.

-You can then explore the island

-in your own time, at your own speed.

-The island of Ouessant

-is only 5kms by 8kms...

-..but there are some wonderful

-sights to be seen.

-All the doors and windows

-are painted blue and white...

-..the colours of the Virgin Mary.

-Wives would pray to her

-when their husbands were at sea.

-I was starving

-after my bike ride...

-..so I decided to sample one

-of the local seafood platters.

-You certainly get

-your euros' worth here!

-This is langoustine.

-Look, it's doing the breaststroke!

-No - butterfly stroke!

-I know what to do with these.

-When I was 14 years old,

-I stayed in Guerande...

-..which is twinned with Dolgellau.

-I stayed with a family which

-taught me how to eat food properly.

-I think I remember how to do it.

-This is very prickly.

-Oh, a leg. I'll take that leg out.

-You do this, right...

-..that, and it's supposed

-to come out.

-This is the meat.

-This is nice.

-It's attacking me!

-I'm making such a mess!

-Here's its stomach.

-This is so tasty.

-This is... Oh!

-There's no need

-for any lemon or salt.

-Why aren't there

-more of these in Wales?

-Can I have another? I'll try again.

-Yes, I stuffed myself!

-Back on my bike, I burnt off some

-calories and saw more of the island.

-There's another museum here -

-Niou house.

-It shows how people lived here

-in the 19thC.

-The houses are split into two...

-..the everyday part - 'penn ludu'...

-..which included the fireplace

-and the cooking area...

-..and the 'penn brao', where

-the ornaments and plates were kept.

-Trees don't grow here...

-..so all the furniture

-has been made of driftwood.

-Blue is again an important colour...

-..to ensure that the Virgin Mary

-brings the sailors home safe.

-As I leave the island of Ouessant...

-..the Celtic link

-comes to an end - for now!

-It'll reappear in Scotland.

-But there's a long way to go

-until then.

-For now, as they say in French,

-'On y va'...

-..or in Breton, 'Deomp 'ta'.

-Off we go!

-Next week,

-I'll be in northern Spain...

-..doing my best to stay on a horse

-in the strong winds...

-..of Picos de Europa.

-S4C subtitles by Rh Sion Morgan