Episode 29 The Travel Show

This place was once described as the biggest

and loveliest of all cities, so why is it that, today,

so few people have ever heard of Plovdiv?

On this week's programme,

we uncover the past in one of the ancient world's best kept secrets.

30,000 people would have packed into these stands to come

and see chariot racing, and discus and javelin throwing competitions.

We head to Iceland to go deep inside a volcano.

-Can't see the bottom.

-No.

SHE LAUGHS

There's news of a ground-breaking arts festival in Manhattan.

And we'll take you on a 60-second stopover in Rome.

Hello and welcome to The Travel Show,

coming this week from Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Now, you might be forgiven for thinking it looks like Rome

or Athens, but those cities are infants compared to this place,

which has a pretty good claim on being the oldest city in Europe.

The question is,

can Plovdiv use this ancient history to bring new life to its streets?

On ground level, you might be forgiven for thinking that

Plovdiv is a fairly ordinary town.

Underneath the streets, it's a different story.

This place has been occupied by humans for over 8,000 years,

with the remains of different eras stacked

one on top of the other like pancakes.

I've come to a dig that's turning up traces of those who lived here

around 2,000 years ago.

I'm standing in the middle of modern-day Plovdiv,

but in fact, this place was also the heart

of the ancient city of Philippopolis, which,

at the height of the Roman Empire, had a population of over 100,000.

Overseeing the excavations is head archaeologist, Dr Elena Kesyakova.

-TRANSLATION:

-We have to discover

and uncover the shops that have been on the west side of the square

as well as the main wall that was protecting the western side.

2,000 years ago, ancient Philippopolis sat right in the heart

of a region called Thrace, and to the Thracians,

the city was a pretty big deal.

What Athens is for ancient Greece

and what Rome is for the Italians, Philippopolis is for the Thracians.

Oh, right, my turn. Let's go.

So I brush gently,

get rid of all these bits of loose dirt.

-Am I doing a good job?

-Da, da!

We've just been cleaning up what is a fireplace,

which would have been in the middle of a shop

in the middle of the forum.

But the interesting thing about this fireplace is that it wasn't just

where you would toast your bread or make your dinner,

it was where people would make offerings to their gods as well, and

it's kind of the crazy to discover this in the middle of a modern city.

Excavations have uncovered extensive evidence of Plovdiv's glorious past.

This is Plovdiv's ancient Roman stadium,

and up to 30,000 people would have packed into these stands to come

and see chariot races and discus and javelin throwing competitions.

Today, it still draws crowds,

but they're mainly here to see the ruins themselves.

Stefan Stoyanov is Plovdiv's deputy mayor,

and believes sites like this may be a key to the city's future.

These stones are around 2,000 years old.

And it's very important to make an attraction

here in this place

and to popularise it.

The plan seems to be working.

Figures showed a 20% increase in the number of visitors to Plovdiv

in the first six months of 2014.

Archaeology is really important for the city,

and especially for the tourism

because we have unique attractions here,

and to try to develop it every year.

It's clear that these Roman sites can be a huge draw for the city.

But not everyone is pleased with how they're being developed.

Krassimira Luka believes that in their haste to reveal

the popular Roman-era layers of the city, the digs are losing

vital discoveries relating to later periods.

It's this order given by the municipality to finish fast with the site.

This is not the archaeological way to uncover the past.

This must be done because, when you destroy it, it is lost for ever.

But, at the forum dig, Elena strongly defends their practices.

TRANSLATION: We've got a full recommendation

for all uncovered walls

with their profiles and cross sections.

Nothing's going to get lost.

And Plovdiv doesn't just want visitors to come

and look at its history.

They want the ancient sites to play an active part in city life.

Crowds have gathered for the annual Plovdiv International Folk Festival

at the restored Roman theatre.

I find it brilliant to see this place being used to entertain

the masses, just like it was intended to, nearly 2,000 years ago.

If town planners have their way,

even more ancient sites will soon be opened up for public use

across the city, and they have their fingers crossed that,

in the future, everyone will finally recognise the name of Plovdiv.

If you're thinking of coming to Bulgaria,

here's some information you might find useful.

If you're planning to venture off the beaten track in Bulgaria, you

might be surprised by the contrast between urban and rural areas.

While the cities are comparable with

many others you'll find across central Europe,

development in the rural areas has happened at a far slower pace.

Don't rule out a trip into the countryside,

but do allow more time, and expect to have to rough it

occasionally if you do decide to go rural.

Ever found yourself making up sign language to communicate

in a country where you don't know the language?

Well, beware in Bulgaria, because it's one of just a few

countries where a nod of the head means "no" and a shake means "yes".

To confuse things further, locals keen to accommodate foreigners

have been known to reverse this, so just remember that "da" means yes.

Getting around in Bulgaria can be a little more difficult

than in some other destinations.

Road signs are mainly written using the Cyrillic alphabet

and some roads are not very well maintained,

so public transport is often the best option.

Buses can also be a little difficult to navigate,

so try train and tram travel to take you where you need to go.

But do think about booking ahead for the trains.

And, finally, if you love roses, then Bulgaria is the place for you.

The country produces most of the world's rose oil,

and you'll find roses celebrated everywhere here.

If you're booking for June,

look out for the Rose Festival in Kazanluk, and you might just

find yourself picking roses at dawn with the locals.

Time now to take a look at what else is happening in travel this week.

We start this week in the UK, where there are new theories

about one of its oldest

and most mysterious attractions.

A dry British summer and a faulty hosepipe have revealed

markings that suggest Stonehenge was once a complete circle.

For years, scientists have argued over whether it was supposed to be

the horseshoe shape that stands there today.

Over to Cuba, where there's a brand-new list of restricted items

for people arriving onto the island.

The Communist government there says it's to stop professional mules

importing lots of high-end consumer goods from the States.

In recent years, Havana airport's luggage belts have been heaving

with huge amounts of bulky luxuries, thanks to looser customs rules.

Before you go, make sure you check the new list,

though if you're just carrying normal holiday luggage,

you should be OK.

And how lovely are enchiladas?

What they need is some sort of specialist festival.

Well, wouldn't you know it,

Mexico City has had the same thought.

People there have been busy celebrating

the Enchilada Gastronomy Festival this week.

As part of celebrations, they made one which broke records.

At 85 metres long, it was filled with seafood,

plantain and bucketloads of sauce.

Coming up on the travel show:

Michelle's here with her global guide

to the best things to see and do around the world,

and we head to Iceland to explore the depths of a volcano.

You can see how the colours are changing here.

You see more yellow and orange. And that's because of sulphur.

The Travel Show - your essential guide, wherever you're heading.

Hello, I'm Michelle Jana-Chan, your global guide with top tips

on the world's best events in the coming month.

From a star-studded Malawi to shining lights in Sweden.

But first, it is the 20th anniversary of Heritage Open Day in the UK.

From September 11th to 14th,

you'll be able to look behind closed doors at thousands of heritage sites

across the country, from castles and monuments to gardens and art venues.

It's free of charge and forms part of European Heritage Day, which is

held annually in September across the continent,

highlighting local skills and traditions.

In Italy on October 12, the Barcolana is Europe's biggest sailing event,

with more than 2,000 boats jostling in the Gulf of Trieste.

It's the only regatta in the world to set a single start line for

so many yachts.

All kinds of mono-hulled sailboats participate,

with beginners pitted against professional racing teams.

The event will cap a week of races, which includes competitions

for teenagers as well as sailors with disabilities.

If you prefer to stay on dry land,

Australia's capital is celebrating Floriade for 30 days

from September 14th, the country's greatest flower festival.

The best viewing is in Canberra's parks and gardens, where

visitors can follow the Floriade trail among galleries and monuments.

From September 24, there's five nights of light shows,

live music, comedy and DJs.

Staying in Australia,

the Torres Strait Cultural Festival begins on September 16.

Held every two years on Thursday Island,

there's a street parade and sporting events,

but the greatest draw will be the cultural activities,

as the indigenous Torres Strait Islanders are known for their

artistic talents and handicraft skills.

On September 20, the landmark Canadian Museum of Human Rights

launches in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The opening weekend will include RightsFest,

a two-day celebration with themed performances.

There will also be a preview tour through the museum,

offering an insight into its digital collection of oral histories,

interactive exhibits and artwork.

For a different kind of digital, in New York City in the US,

the Dumbo Arts Festival begins on September 26.

It's a weekend of indoor and outdoor art installations, digital art

and large-scale projections, as well as a chance to watch dancers,

poets and artists making murals on the streets.

Outdoor projections will be on view from midnight

and on all three nights, and it's free to the public.

It's centred in Brooklyn and overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

There's another reason to stay up late on the African continent.

Returning to the shores of Lake Malawi,

the Lake of Stars Festival begins on September 26.

Three days of music and art.

Last year it happened in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe,

but the out-of-town, laid-back beat returns with local musicians

mingling with international DJs and live acts.

There will be a different kind of rhythm in Sweden outside Gothenberg

where Lights In Alingsas begins on September 27th.

It's a colourful, cutting-edge outdoor exhibition of lights

with tens of thousands of spectators,

which lasts over a month until November 3.

This year, lighting designers will interpret

the music of Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg.

That's my global guide this month.

Let me know what's happening in the place where you live,

or where you love. We are on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

Until next time, happy travelling.

Now, Iceland is a country that's very much been in the news recently

because of renewed activity at the Bardarbunga volcano.

If you were watching last week,

you'll remember Jo Whalley meeting Icelanders whose lives were

turned upside down when another volcano

erupted on the Westman Islands 40 years ago.

This week, she travels to a spot close to the capital, Reykjavik,

to look deep inside a truly amazing geological wonder.

Iceland is a volcanic hot spot.

The whole country has been formed by millions of years of eruptions.

And you only have to drive a short distance from the capital

Reykjavik to see the impact.

Thousands of years ago, a river of lava blasted through here,

leaving these massive holes in the ground.

And in every direction as far as the eye can see,

are lumps of this stuff, where it solidified.

You can find lava fields like this in other eruption sites

around the world.

But one of the peaks here is different to any other.

It's the only place where you can actually

see inside the heart of a volcano.

-And that's the one that's erupted most recently?

-Oh, yeah.

The little one over there.

Bjorn climbs up the side of this volcano every day

and encourages sometimes-apprehensive tourists to walk the plank.

So, I need to attach you here, and I'll go first.

And you walk out with me and I'll attach you to another rope.

The volcano is dormant and hasn't erupted for 4,000 years,

and the experts here say it will be many thousands of years more

before it erupts again.

I certainly hope they're right.

-I can't see the bottom.

-No.

SHE LAUGHS

I'm not normally scared of heights

but it is a little daunting to see a deep, dark pit stretching beneath us.

We go a little bit slower here through the narrowing.

The gantry squeezes past a narrow opening in the rock.

Once we're through, I can see how huge the cavern is.

At 120 metres deep, you could fit the Statue Of Liberty in here.

The raindrops seem to fall in slow motion.

-And this is the lava?

-Yes, this is the lava.

This here was magma, going up and down.

The walls are splashed with colour where molten rock clung

to the surface during the last hours of the eruption.

You can see how the colours are changing here.

You can see more yellow and orange. That's because of the sulphur.

So, why can we be in here? Where did all the magma go?

Kind of a mystery, but, for some reason,

all the lava and all the magma drained out.

And, under normal circumstances this would collapse, but it didn't.

Probably because of the shape of it, or the structure.

We have strong layers of rocks here, on the way down.

So we're getting to the bottom here.

The logistics of getting down here mean a ticket isn't cheap.

A tour costs just under £200, and you can only get here

from May until September. The rest of the year, it's too snowy.

It's not just adventure travellers who've been coming here.

People have been asking to hire the volcano out for private events.

What's the weirdest request you've had?

We've had all kinds of weird requests.

We've had several requests about bungee jumping.

-Bungee jumping in here?

-Yes.

Do they have any idea of the rocks at the bottom of here?

No, and also, the top part of the crater is not straight,

it's like an S curve, so it could be quite risky to find a spot

that you could drop in a straight line, so we haven't allowed that.

It could be messy for us to clean everything up!

This place is absolutely incredible,

and if you've got enough cash,

you could have it all to yourself.

They've had requests from people who want to get married down here.

They said no to that,

but there are plans for it to become a concert venue.

THEY SING HAUNTING HARMONY

This local choir agreed to a Travel Show exclusive,

to be the first group to perform in a volcano, ever.

It's an eerily beautiful sound.

Well, that's it for this week.

And here's what's coming up on next week's programme.

I'll be heading to Denmark,

which is apparently the happiest country in the world.

It's really good!

They are very good at just appreciating what they have.

Not worrying about the big stuff, but you open a bottle of red wine,

you light some candles, you'll have a happy Dane.

So, do join us then if you can, and in the meantime, don't forget,

you can keep up with us while we're out on the road

by signing up to our social media feeds,

details of which are on the screen now.

Or, you can raid our travel show archive by logging on to

bbc.co.uk/travelshow

But, for now, from me, Christa Larwood,

and the rest of The Travel Show team here in Plovdiv, it's goodbye.