Pennod 2 Ar y Lein

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-Spain!

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-I've been to Spain before.

-Apart from Lloret de Mar,

-I like the country very much.

-Spain isn't one country, though.

-It consists

-of a number of regions...

-..which differ in landscape,

-weather, food, culture and language.

-Many of us are happy enough

-with Benidorm and Torremolinos...

-..but there's a lot more

-to Spain than that.

-I'm so fortunate to be following

-the 5-degree longitude line...

-..south through Spain,

-because I'm visiting the real Spain.

-My journey starts in a fishing

-village in northern Spain...

-..called Ribadesella.

-You won't find a better area

-in Spain for outdoor activities.

-It's well-known for

-adventure and wildlife holidays.

-So what am I doing sitting here?

-Vamos!

-So much to see, so much to do!

-So far, I've travelled from Wales,

-through England and Brittany...

-..and now I've reached

-northern Spain.

-The northern part

-is known as Green Spain.

-It consists

-of four different regions...

-..including the one

-I'm in now - Asturias.

-This is Cangas de Onis, Asturias'

-capital city in the eight century.

-From here, the Christians regained

-control of Spain from the Muslims.

-It took them 800 years to do so.

-Because of its location, Cangas

-de Onis is perfect for visitors...

-..who want to hike, bike and canoe.

-People flock here every summer.

-Even in October, the town is packed.

-This town is famous

-for its 'queso' - its cheese.

-One of its cheeses

-is particularly 'fierce'.

-How can cheese be fierce?

-They say the cheese

-is matured in mountain caves.

-Tasting a 'fierce' cheese

-from a mountain cave was a must.

-THEY SPEAK SPANISH

-This one's mild,

-this one's quite strong...

-..and this is very strong -

-real Cabrales cheese.

-Cabrales is the strong,

-'fierce' cheese.

-Right, then.

-It smells like a man

-who works in the fields...

-..and hasn't had a shower for weeks!

-But I like that kind of smell!

-Let's taste it.

-This is nice.

-If you've tasted Roquefort cheese,

-it's similar but stronger.

-If you've never tasted Roquefort,

-it's just nice, OK?

-It's very strong, but I like it.

-Rico! That's delicious.

-Lovely.

-It was worth keeping it

-in a cave for years.

-Gracias!

-The Picos de Europa mountains

-were completely new to me...

-..as they are to many of you,

-I'm sure.

-The Picos

-are one of Spain's secrets.

-80% of visitors are Spanish.

-I wouldn't want to tell

-everyone about them, either.

-There's a festival today, and I'm

-sure 80% of Spain has turned up.

-I've come here to pony trek.

-This is Juan,

-who'll keep me company.

-I was concerned about the wind.

-THEY SPEAK SPANISH

-It's very windy today, but we're

-going to go out on the horses.

-We're almost ready.

-Vamos, si?

-Fernando owns the horses.

-He's a farmer who looks after

-his cattle on horseback.

-He's an expert with horses.

-I told you it was windy.

-After retrieving my hat...

-..I enjoyed every minute

-of the trek, despite the gales.

-Wonderful horses, stunning views

-and good company.

-I was starting to fall in love

-with Asturias.

-We've just descended

-from the mountains.

-Fernando and his friend are on the

-horses. Where are they going, Juan?

-HE SPEAKS SPANISH

-Adios!

-Yes, I did understand that.

-They were heading up the mountain to

-round the cattle up for the winter.

-Cider is Asturias'

-traditional tipple...

-..and I need a drink now.

-As you can see, this isn't cider

-out of a plastic bottle.

-This is real cider made

-in these things behind me...

-..and this is how you pour it.

-Gracias.

-I have to drink it in one.

-On the head.

-And then throw that away.

-They tell me this is the place

-to come on a Saturday night.

-It's nine o'clock.

-Where is everyone?

-No-one in Spain comes out

-to play before ten o'clock at night.

-After that, they carry on

-until the early hours.

-I'm off on my travels tomorrow,

-so it's early to bed.

-It's time to leave the Picos.

-The traffic is heavy and

-the roads are frighteningly narrow.

-It's not easy

-when you're not used to driving...

-..on the wrong side of the road.

-LORRY HORN BLARING

-LORRY HORN BLARING

-

-Ah!

-The mountains are far behind me...

-..and I've reached Castilla y Leon.

-It's a large, flat area - a type

-of platform that's called 'meseta'.

-It's very different here.

-Totally flat...

-..like a pancake or a tortilla!

-This part of Spain experiences

-the two extremes of temperature.

-In the summer, it's very hot...

-..and in winter, it's freezing cold.

-It's autumn now, and it's perfect.

-A little windy, but perfect.

-Castilla y Leon is surrounded

-by mountains to the north and south.

-There are many towns

-in the flat patch in the middle.

-We'll be visiting Avila soon...

-..but Valladolid

-is the region's capital city.

-It's usually busy,

-but it's very quiet today.

-No-one around - well, almost no-one.

-It's a bank holiday, which lasts

-for a weekend and more around here.

-Everyone's gone to the Picos.

-BELL CHIMES

-This is where they're all hiding.

-I'm not sure what's going on but

-these look like important people.

-It must be something to do

-with the bank holiday.

-Valladolid was once

-a very wealthy city.

-This was Spain's capital city

-until 1561...

-..when Felipe II decided

-to change it to Madrid.

-Which is odd,

-since he was born over there!

-Felipe II ruled Spain

-when Spain ruled the world.

-He ensured that the Empire grew...

-..and his coffers were filled

-with gold from the Americas.

-He spent recklessly on wars

-and he built majestic buildings...

-..like castles and churches.

-By the end, the coffers were empty.

-You can see art and culture

-everywhere in Spain.

-This is the country that gave us

-Goya, Picasso and Salvador Dali.

-The Museo Nacional de Escultura

-in Valladolid...

-..is one of Spain's

-most important sculpture museums.

-The craftsmanship of some

-of these sculptures is remarkable...

-..but after staring at room

-after room of pain and woe...

-..well, it was too much for me.

-Call me a Philistine, but I was

-desperate for something...

-..to cheer me up.

-THEY SING IN SPANISH

-That's better. These students

-travel around entertaining people.

-Not everyone appreciates them

-as much as me!

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-THEY SPEAK SPANISH

-My Spanish isn't great,

-but Valladolid University...

-..offers Spanish lessons

-for foreigners.

-I just need to find

-the blinkin' place!

-In Valladolid, they speak

-the most correct form of Spanish.

-These students come from all over

-the world - and they're very good!

-Hola! Buenos dias.

-Como estas?

-This is Isabella, the tutor.

-I'm starting to feel

-quite nervous now.

-ISABELLA SPEAKS SPANISH

-She wants me to introduce myself

-and tell the others what I do.

-How do I say I'm an author?

-Oh, hang on, in Espanol.

-SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

-So, 'escritora' is author,

-but I need to learn...

-..how to tell people

-what this programme is about.

-La linea?

-Longitud, norte sur.

-Norte sur, cinco grado.

-On with the lesson

-and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

-It's a wonderful language.

-This is a copy

-of Christopher Columbus' house.

-He lived in Valladolid for a while

-and died here when he was 55.

-We all know

-that he discovered America...

-..but he wasn't aiming for there.

-After discovering the New World,

-things went awry for him.

-He was arrested and sent home for

-not controlling the colony properly.

-On release, he convinced the King

-of Spain to fund another journey...

-..but he was shipwrecked in Jamaica.

-The story of Christopher Columbus...

-..or Cristobal Colon, to give him

-his proper name, is rather sad.

-He had the chance to travel

-around the world...

-..looking for a new way

-to reach the Far East.

-He didn't do

-what he should have done.

-But he did discover islands

-in the Caribbean, like Cuba.

-And eventually,

-he discovered America.

-But not this part of America.

-He discovered South America.

-Columbus died a poor man...

-..without knowing he'd made

-a truly important discovery.

-Until the very end,

-he believed he'd been to Asia.

-It's time to move on and I want

-to reach Avila before dark.

-# SOUSA: MARCH (KNOWN AS

-'HERE WE GO' TO SOCCER FANS) #

-It's the eve

-of another big festival.

-People are here to place flowers

-on the statue of Santa Teresa.

-That's her!

-The celebration begins

-in earnest tomorrow...

-..and Spaniards

-enjoy their celebrations.

-I'm not sure they should be

-playing 'Here We Go' though!

-These people are making a picture

-of Santa Teresa with carnations.

-It'll be ready

-before the end of the night.

-This is one

-of the region's traditional dances.

-Perfect for

-the Llangollen Eisteddfod!

-Unfortunately, I didn't manage

-to speak to anyone about it.

-It's very early

-the following morning.

-Everyone is going to the service

-to praise Santa Teresa.

-It's an opportunity for me

-to see the town before it gets busy.

-Legend has it that one

-of Hercules' sons established Avila.

-The common view is that an Iberian

-tribe were the first settlers.

-Then the Celts arrived,

-followed by the Romans.

-Then it see-sawed between Christians

-and Muslims for 300 years.

-Today, it's hard to imagine Spain

-as a Muslim country.

-We tend to think of it as

-the country to the south of France.

-But Spain is also

-to the north of Africa.

-Spain was the country closest

-to the New World of the Americas.

-There's no wonder so many wars

-were fought here.

-Everyone was trying to get

-their hands on Spain.

-It was a country worth ruling.

-No wonder these walls are so high.

-Some are 20 metres high.

-If you want walls from

-the Middle Ages, these are the boys!

-They have changed very little

-since then...

-..and they are some

-of the best examples in the world.

-But Avila needs thick walls.

-In spite of the sunshine, it's very

-cold here with a very keen wind.

-Local businesses haven't missed the

-chance to cash in on Santa Teresa.

-Her name is on everything.

-Hola! Gracias.

-Avila is famous because

-this is where Santa Teresa was born.

-There are pictures and statues

-of her everywhere.

-The most special link

-is this cake - 'yemas'.

-It is said that Santa Teresa

-invented the recipe.

-Let's have a taste.

-This is nice.

-SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

-It appears that she didn't

-make these at all.

-Oh, well, they're very nice.

-# ALLEGRI: MISERERE #

-Who exactly was Santa Teresa?

-It's a long story.

-She was a nun who suffered

-from illness and depression.

-She had powerful visions

-caused by all her medication.

-When she recovered, she established

-numerous Carmelite convents.

-She died in 1582.

-In 1617,

-she was nominated as a saint.

-There's a museum dedicated

-to her life and her work...

-..and a souvenir shop.

-You can see the sole of her shoe...

-..and her finger is exhibited

-in this glass case.

-The procession is about to begin

-and there's no room to move.

-TRUMPET FANFARE

-There are thousands here,

-some from very far afield.

-Since I'm not a religious person,

-it was all beyond me, I must admit.

-This is a very emotional crowd.

-They're crying and laughing.

-I feel out of place.

-Santa Teresa

-was a sweet little lady.

-She liked singing and music.

-She also liked to worship

-in quiet, simple places.

-I don't know what she'd make

-of the fuss that's made of her now.

-To end a remarkable day and

-a wonderful journey, a huge party.

-Spaniards know how to hold a fiesta.

-BANG

-What a finale to a fantastic fiesta!

-I'm half way through Spain

-and I love it here.

-I'll have to come back here one day!

-Next week, I'll be moving on

-to southern Spain...

-..where I hear the other side

-of the bull-fighting story...

-..and I'll receive

-a flamenco lesson.

-Yes, me, flamenco dancing. Arriba!

-S4C subtitles by Rh Sion Morgan