0:00:04 > 0:00:06Now it's time for The Travel Show.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16On this week's Travel Show, we are exploring a secret corner
0:00:16 > 0:00:20of Spain full of places that time forgot.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Really beautiful round here.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28It's really quiet.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33We are tackling the Great Wall of China, one step at a time.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And we're tracking down a wild and secretive creature that's
0:00:36 > 0:00:39learned to steer well clear of humans.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We're looking out at the bottom of the valley here.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48And that's where the wolves are most likely to get a good breakfast.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Hello and welcome to the Travel Show with me, Christa Larwood,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24coming this week from Palencia in Spain.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Now, this country is one of the world's biggest tourism
0:01:29 > 0:01:30destinations.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Each year over 60 million people arrive on these shores.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36But they often head for the Mediterranean coast
0:01:36 > 0:01:40and cities like Barcelona or Madrid.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42But here in rural Spain, many struggling communities
0:01:42 > 0:01:48are pinning their hopes on becoming the next big holiday hotspot.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I've travelled fairly widely in Spain, but on this trip I'm
0:01:55 > 0:01:59heading to a region in the north of the country that I've never
0:01:59 > 0:02:00heard of before.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Its name is Palencia.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Only a handful of tourists come here, which is hard to believe,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10given the breathtaking scenery.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And in the middle of this wild countryside, there are amazing,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18virtually untouched, medieval churches scattered everywhere.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Nowhere else in Europe has so many of these churches,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25and they give you a real sense that you've stepped back in time.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29This area may be beautiful, but for centuries it's also been
0:02:29 > 0:02:32poor, and traditionally many people had no choice but to leave in search
0:02:32 > 0:02:39of work, in the hope of a better life.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Now some of the current generation are hoping that tourism will help
0:02:43 > 0:02:49bring new life to this region.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56My journey begins in the southern part of Palencia.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59One of the medieval pilgrimage routes that led to Santiago de
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Compostela goes through this area.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06In other parts of Spain Camino de Santiago trails are
0:03:06 > 0:03:07packed with pilgrims.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But here, I only see a few.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12This region of Palencia is not very well known.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Have you found that there are lots of tourists here,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18or has it been a break from the tourists?
0:03:18 > 0:03:19I didn't see any tourists.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23It's a little bit crazy, because I'm from Germany
0:03:23 > 0:03:31and there are not places like this where it's nothing.
0:03:31 > 0:03:39I continue my journey along the trail of the Camino do Santiago.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42It's really beautiful around here.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46It's really quiet.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Music.
0:03:50 > 0:04:02I think I've found all the people.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08Gracias.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14Just in case?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I think I've just ordered a medieval roast.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Who knows what might come out?
0:04:21 > 0:04:24This restaurant has been feeding hungry pilgrims for decades.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Now offering medieval feasts, they are hoping to put the Palencia
0:04:28 > 0:04:32section of the Camino de Santiago trail in the spotlight.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35There are no pilgrims here today but a local family
0:04:35 > 0:04:37is celebrating a birthday.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41And they are clearly getting into the medieval spirit.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Thank you.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Where's...
0:04:46 > 0:04:49What do I do for knife and fork?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52No?
0:04:52 > 0:05:02I just pick this up.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It does taste really good though.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Heading north, I reached the mountains of northern Palencia.
0:05:10 > 0:05:19These villages are even further off the beaten track.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Every village here seems to have a medieval church.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30There are over 250 in just a small area.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33The architectural style is called Romanesque and dates back
0:05:33 > 0:05:37to the 11th century, and it's rare to see so many of them
0:05:37 > 0:05:39so close together.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Elsewhere in Europe, these types of churches were often
0:05:42 > 0:05:45altered and modernised over the centuries.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Here, they remain untouched.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Wow, that is a key.
0:05:49 > 0:05:59That's a key and a half, that.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05This place really properly is just hewn out of rock.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08In the 12th century this area was very important
0:06:08 > 0:06:12because the centre of power of this area is very close here.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And this is one of the most important place of the kingdom of
0:06:16 > 0:06:21Castilla.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24After this 12th century, the centre of the power go away
0:06:24 > 0:06:30of this area.
0:06:30 > 0:06:39And not so rich in the fields, this area became to be a poor area.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44So when they had more money, in later centuries they would come
0:06:44 > 0:06:47in and tear down the old churches to rebuild them.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Whereas because this is poor it's been kept perfectly for us.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Yeah, yeah.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Many people around here have remained poor right up to this day.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Over the centuries, most of the villages in northern Palencia
0:07:04 > 0:07:12emptied as people migrated into the cities looking for work.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17I wanted to see one of these abandoned villages.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It's in a precarious condition but I'm safe enough because I'm
0:07:20 > 0:07:22with an expert on historical buildings who knows this 17th
0:07:22 > 0:07:26century house very well.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41This is like a bedroom of a teenager or something.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43That's Michael Jackson.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Don Johnson.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Wow!
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I will tell you what, this is like a time capsule
0:07:51 > 0:07:54of what was cool when this house was abandoned.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Don Johnson!
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Because of the recent economic downturn in Spain,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12youth unemployment in some areas runs at close to 40%.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And as people struggle to find jobs in the big cities,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19here in the countryside the situation is even bleaker.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43I've seen all around the world how tourism can
0:08:43 > 0:08:45help to preserve cultures.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But there's also something special that's lost the moment the first
0:08:48 > 0:08:51tourist buses arrive.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Hopefully the people of Palencia get the tourist numbers
0:09:10 > 0:09:13they richly deserve.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16But also fight hard to protect the authenticity of their medieval
0:09:16 > 0:09:22culture, of which, as I've discovered, they are justly proud.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Still to come on the Travel Show, we are snapping up guilty pleasures
0:09:34 > 0:09:40in New Orleans.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And I'm falling a little bit in love with a big dog that thinks
0:09:44 > 0:09:46it's a wolf.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The Travel Show, your essential guide, wherever you are headed.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Hello, I'm Michelle Jana Chan, your global guide, with top tips
0:10:09 > 0:10:13on the world's best events in the coming months.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16We're starting in the US at the New Orleans Jazz
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and Heritage Festival, or Jazz Fest, begins April 28,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23which, in spite of its name will be a hub of blues,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28R, gospel, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country and bluegrass.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32This year there'll be a Cuban theme with a conga los hoyos dance parade.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Food on offer will include Creole, Cajun and this year also Cuban
0:10:35 > 0:10:38cooking, so you won't be going hungry for crawfish pie
0:10:38 > 0:10:42or fillet gumbo.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Meanwhile, in Samoa, the Five Island swim held May 10-13
0:10:45 > 0:10:49is a series of open water swims over four days covering a total
0:10:49 > 0:10:49of 27 kilometres.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59It's a challenge, no doubt, but even in the heat of competition,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02don't forget to spot tropical fish among the coral reefs in this
0:11:02 > 0:11:03Polynesian paradise.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Between April 28th and May 7th, South Korea will be celebrating
0:11:06 > 0:11:09the birth of the Bhudda with an extravagant festival of
0:11:09 > 0:11:12light, the Lotus Lantern Festival.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15They'll be colourful handmade lantern exhibitions,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17folk music performances, and parades of dancers,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21floats and dragons.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24In Italy, the northern city of Ravenna hosts a summer music
0:11:24 > 0:11:26festival in venues including gilded Byzantine basilicas, to cloisters,
0:11:26 > 0:11:33piazzas, to pine forests.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It's a celebration of art, classical music and opera but also
0:11:36 > 0:11:37dance, drama and jazz.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The festival runs from May 25 to July 11.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44In China, the hard as nails Great Wall Marathon
0:11:44 > 0:11:49takes place on May 20.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It's one of the most challenging long-distance runs,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55drawing thousands of competitors who choose between the full length
0:11:55 > 0:11:58course, a half marathon, or an 8.5 kilometre fun run.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Starting a few hours from Beijing in the heart of the mountains,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05the route involves steep climbs and descents, smooth
0:12:05 > 0:12:10flagstones to rough surfaces, and over 5000 steps.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Last year, the fastest speed was three hours,
0:12:12 > 0:12:1530 minutes, the time to beat.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Back in the US, it will be man against machine from May 26-28,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23when the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic takes place in the Colorado
0:12:23 > 0:12:28town of Durango.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31The event dates back to the late 1880s when two brothers
0:12:31 > 0:12:32raced against each other.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The elder was a brakeman on a steam powered locomotive
0:12:35 > 0:12:38who challenged his younger brother to race the train from
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Durango to Silverton.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42These days, the train takes a shorter route.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Thousands take part, trying to beat the train before it
0:12:45 > 0:12:46pulls into its final destination.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48There are other events around the classic,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50including mountain biking, BMX races, dual slaloms
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and team trail rides.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57At the end of April, yachts from all over the world
0:12:57 > 0:12:59will be arriving in the Caribbean for Antigua sailing week.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02From April 29th there will be five days of competitive racing off
0:13:03 > 0:13:04the south coast of the island.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08If you're not on a boat, the next best place to be
0:13:08 > 0:13:10is Shirley Heights Lookout, with its sweeping ocean views.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11And try to get here early.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Some events have already started, including the Antigua
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Classic Yacht Regatta, when the Caribbean Sea is dotted
0:13:18 > 0:13:21with elegant vintage yachts and tall ships.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Finally, in Morocco, the Mawazine Festival,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Rhythms of the World, runs from May 12-20
0:13:25 > 0:13:29in the capital, Rabat.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32The beats include ragada, musique gnawa and hassani songs,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and there'll be more than 100 shows from local Moroccan,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37African and international artists.
0:13:37 > 0:13:43That's my global guide this month.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Let me know what's happening in the place where you live,
0:13:46 > 0:13:47or where you love.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49We are on e-mail and across social media.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Until next time, happy travelling.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06I've come to the mountains in Palencia here in northern Spain
0:14:07 > 0:14:11to search for an elusive animal, the Iberian wolf.
0:14:11 > 0:14:18For centuries, these animals have bred both fear
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and fascination in humans, and here in Palencia
0:14:20 > 0:14:23they are now flourishing like nowhere else in Europe.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27So I've tracked down the man who is leading wolf safaris,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31much to the amazement of many of the locals,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36who have always been taught to fear these legendary predators.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39But in an ironic twist, the wolves could now help lead
0:14:39 > 0:14:42the way to the economic salvation that's much needed in this very
0:14:42 > 0:14:45poor region of Spain.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Tino Garcia is the pioneer of wolf tours in Palencia.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Along with his wife, Rosa, he's restored a once derelict home
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and now welcomes visitors who want to catch a glimpse
0:14:53 > 0:14:55of the local wolves.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Even though many of his neighbours were sceptical his
0:14:57 > 0:15:02business would succeed.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05If you're not a fan of very early starts, then wolf watching
0:15:05 > 0:15:09is definitely not for you.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19If you're not a fan of very early starts, then wolf watching
0:15:19 > 0:15:21is definitely not for you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Good morning, Christa. Que tal?
0:15:23 > 0:15:29Good morning.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I'm tired, that's what I am.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Living in such close proximity to humans,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40these wolves have learned to survive by keeping a low profile.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44So don't expect to hear any Hollywood-style howling coming
0:15:44 > 0:15:45from up in the hills.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51Is this safe?
0:16:07 > 0:16:09All right, my life's in your hands, Tino.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17It's kind of amazing, driving in the dark.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20You look out and it's all just shades of grey.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22It's amazing how quickly your eyes become accustomed
0:16:22 > 0:16:24to not having headlights.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28We have to be really, really quiet from now on,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30because these wolves are very used to living with humans
0:16:30 > 0:16:33who shoot them.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37So the minute they hear the sound of a human,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40a car door or a voice, they run for the hills.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49The Iberian wolf was almost hunted to extinction in the 1970s.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52But as the failing economy forced people to move
0:16:52 > 0:16:54away from the villages, the wolf population
0:16:54 > 0:16:58started to climb.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02But wolves are still hunted today.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05The culling season only finished two weeks ago,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07so the wolves are more cautious than ever.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10But that only increases the sense of adventure when you set out
0:17:10 > 0:17:14on a trip like this.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Knowing your guide will have to use all of his skills and training
0:17:20 > 0:17:21to spot what you've come to see.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Tino was just telling me that we're looking out
0:17:31 > 0:17:35in the bottom of the valley here, because that's where the deer tend
0:17:35 > 0:17:38to come, and that's where the wolves are most likely to get
0:17:38 > 0:17:41a good breakfast.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44For Tino, it's important to stay at a distance,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47so the wolves aren't disturbed.
0:17:47 > 0:17:54That's it. Sorry.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55That's quite all right.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Now that we don't have to be quiet, time to take
0:18:09 > 0:18:13a break and have some fun.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16OK.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It's quite magical to have the whole mountainside to ourselves.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25Wolf watchers are helping to bring money and jobs to the area.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28But for the few remaining shepherds, living alongside a rising
0:18:28 > 0:18:33wolf population is more challenging than ever.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36To help them, they have something that's a real match
0:18:36 > 0:18:38for the Iberian wolf, the Spanish mastiff.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Oh, my goodness!
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Can I take him home, please?
0:18:44 > 0:18:52So what are these dogs used for and why are they so special?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55So 30 sheep in one night?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Did that make you really hate wolves?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13So 30 sheep in one night?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Did that make you really hate wolves?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Shepherds can be compensated when any of their livestock
0:19:27 > 0:19:30is killed by wolves.
0:19:30 > 0:19:37But it's a slow and bureaucratic process that doesn't always pay out.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Tino has got to know wolves individually,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42after watching the same packs for many years.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47But there is one wolf who is very special to him.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Sadly, this isn't the best time of year to see wolves.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Spring heralds the start of the mating season,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and they like to keep their courtship rituals
0:20:18 > 0:20:19pretty private.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Tino likes to bring people later in the year
0:20:23 > 0:20:25when the cubs have grown up.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36They cry, they faint.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52As the day wears on, I'm beginning to lose hope.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56If I'm going to see a wolf, I'm going to have to get creative.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02This is a local breed called the wolf dog.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Genetically, it's partly domesticated dog, but it's
0:21:04 > 0:21:06mostly Iberian wolf.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08You are quite wolfie, aren't you?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Hello.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Tino says he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this
0:21:15 > 0:21:17dog and a wild wolf.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19That's why the dog is wearing a bright yellow collar,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23so that locals don't mistake him for a wolf and shoot him.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27These dogs were bred to protect cattle from wild wolves.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31They look like and think like the enemy.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And the puppies beg for food from adults,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36just like wild wolf cubs do.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Meeting a wolf dog has given me a little glimpse
0:21:43 > 0:21:46of a wolf's character, and who knows, maybe I will be back
0:21:46 > 0:21:49someday and be lucky enough to see the real thing,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51in the hills here in Palencia.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I think this is definitely the closest I'm ever
0:21:54 > 0:21:56going to come to a wolf.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Well, that's all we've got time for in this week's travel show
0:22:09 > 0:22:11but coming up next week:
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Ade heads to Ghana as the country prepares
0:22:13 > 0:22:16to mark the 60th anniversary of becoming an independent nation.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Well, as the country's in party mode, I'm going to have a poke
0:22:20 > 0:22:26around and see what you can expect from Ghana if you travel here.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28So do join us then if you can.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31In the meantime, don't forget you can catch up with us
0:22:31 > 0:22:34while we are out having adventures on the road in real time
0:22:34 > 0:22:36by following us online and on social media.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Details are on the screen.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40But for now, from me, Christa Larwood, and the rest
0:22:40 > 0:22:54of the travel team here in Palencia, it's goodbye.