0:00:00 > 0:00:01Clive Coleman, BBC News.
0:00:01 > 0:00:06Now on BBC News it's time for The Travel Show.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15Coming up on this week's show, we travelled to Georgia to pay a visit
0:00:15 > 0:00:20to a town that is the birthplace of one of the 20th century's most
0:00:20 > 0:00:27controversial figures. We meet an artist in Dubai creating a unique
0:00:27 > 0:00:33fusion of traditional Arabic or graffiti and street style graffiti.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38I always try to bring a message of peace and tolerance and try to bring
0:00:38 > 0:00:42people together. We are all connected and calligraphy is to
0:00:42 > 0:00:52connect people.And I discovered that Santa makes it look easy when I
0:00:52 > 0:01:19hop on a sleigh for an early slice of Christmas. Let's go!
0:01:26 > 0:01:34But first, this week we are going to Georgia. With its Black Sea
0:01:34 > 0:01:38coastline, forested landscape and world-famous wine, it's not hard to
0:01:38 > 0:01:43see why tourism is booming in the once the Soviet state. But one city
0:01:43 > 0:01:57there is attracting tourists for a very different reason. In many ways
0:01:57 > 0:02:05Gori is an unremarkable post-Soviet town. Tourists do calm and in their
0:02:05 > 0:02:18tens of thousands every year and today that includes me. In 1939, my
0:02:18 > 0:02:20great-grandfather, a Polish official, was arrested as the
0:02:20 > 0:02:31Soviets invaded under the leadership of Josef Stalin. Like so many other
0:02:31 > 0:02:33people from Poland, my great-grandfather was sent to oppose
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Labour camp and died, leaving my family to flee, eventually reaching
0:02:37 > 0:02:52the UK. Today, in Gori, a flower bed lies in a place where a statue to
0:02:52 > 0:02:56the city's most famous someone's powered. But some locals wanted put
0:02:56 > 0:03:01back up. So I came here, to the former hometown of Stalin, where he
0:03:01 > 0:03:15remained such an important but quantum of -- controversial figure.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42For many in the former Soviet Union, Stalin was a great leader. Over his
0:03:42 > 0:03:5030 year rule he brought victory against the Nazis and respect on
0:03:50 > 0:03:59international stage. But he also oversaw the starvation,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03imprisonment, execution and ethnic persecution of millions of people
0:04:03 > 0:04:05across the USSR.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16At this guesthouse, Stalin is good for business.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41But for many here Stalin represents far more than potential profit. He
0:04:41 > 0:04:49is still an icon. 100,000 visitors came to the Stalin Museum last year.
0:04:49 > 0:04:59You can see here furniture from Stalin's first office.Given my
0:04:59 > 0:05:02family history, I have mixed feelings when I walk around the
0:05:02 > 0:05:10museum. For me it is an interpretation of style and --
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Stalin's life which feels too positive. Apparently the guides in
0:05:13 > 0:05:18the museum to tell the groups about Stalin's victims, this room is
0:05:18 > 0:05:22dedicated to his victory in World War Two and there's a similar room
0:05:22 > 0:05:29in the museum -- and there isn't a similar room talking about his
0:05:29 > 0:05:33oppression and mass famines. By the museum officials maintain that they
0:05:33 > 0:05:36are faring their representation of how many suffered under Stalin.
0:05:55 > 0:06:02This is supposed to be museum, but in this room it feels more like a
0:06:02 > 0:06:11shrine. It's actually quite reminiscent of the Lenin Museum in
0:06:11 > 0:06:14the Red Square. In 2008 a long-running dispute with
0:06:14 > 0:06:20neighbouring Russia over the south is building the war. Gori suffered
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Russian bombardment. Following the war, the pro Western Georgian
0:06:23 > 0:06:30government began removing Soviet symbols from public spaces. In 2010
0:06:30 > 0:06:33the statue of Stalin was removed from outside the government
0:06:33 > 0:06:38building, at many other locals are proud of Stalin and is nostalgic for
0:06:38 > 0:06:43the old days and they want the statue put a cup.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47-- back up.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23For some of the younger generation, however, Stalin should be consigned
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to history, not lauded.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00I'd heard that a local taxi driver knew where the Stalin statue had
0:08:00 > 0:08:05been dumped, facing the elements in a scrapyard next to a military base.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07He agreed to take me.
0:09:03 > 0:09:09In many ways, Georgia has yet to decide for itself how to remember
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Stalin. Although he statue remained hidden away, the museum which
0:09:14 > 0:09:20seemingly venerates him is actively promoted as a tourist destination.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24But while the nature of Stalin's future in the city remains unclear,
0:09:24 > 0:09:30what does seems certain is that for better or worse he will continue to
0:09:30 > 0:09:39bring travellers to Gori for some time to come.
0:09:43 > 0:09:50Stay with us because coming up... We meet the man making his artistic
0:09:50 > 0:09:58mark on Dubai. And I take a magical reindeer safari through Finnish
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Lapland.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If you are watching our special show from Dubai a few weeks ago, you
0:10:09 > 0:10:15might remember we featured an artist who is based there. He has displayed
0:10:15 > 0:10:22his unique form of art all over the world. So Rajan has been back to ask
0:10:22 > 0:10:30him about his travels and where he gets his inspiration from.
0:10:30 > 0:10:37Calligraffiti is the art of beautifying script and it is an art
0:10:37 > 0:10:43that has been mastered by a master calligrapher. I am not a
0:10:43 > 0:10:53calligrapher because I did not learn from a master.I was born and raised
0:10:53 > 0:11:03in France and I had this kind of idea. This is how I started to learn
0:11:03 > 0:11:08to write Arabic. I was looking for a teacher who could teach me Arabic
0:11:08 > 0:11:13calligraphy but I could not find anyone. So I started twisting the
0:11:13 > 0:11:22letters or extending them and creating my own style.And that
0:11:22 > 0:11:32style is eL Seed's mix of Arabic graffiti, bright colours and street
0:11:32 > 0:11:36style lettering dubbed Calligraffiti. And he believes his
0:11:36 > 0:11:41work is the most powerful on the street, bringing his message of
0:11:41 > 0:11:47tolerance to streets around the world from New York to South Africa.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51I always try to bring a message of peace and tolerance and bring people
0:11:51 > 0:11:56together. We all connect and this is what I am trying to do with Arabic
0:11:56 > 0:12:09calligraphy, to connect people. I was lucky enough to experience this.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14All the projects my team and I have done around the world we have seen
0:12:14 > 0:12:20people and created relationship and links with people.Today, this is
0:12:20 > 0:12:30his biggest project. And immense peace of work painted on 50 walls in
0:12:30 > 0:12:35an area of Cairo where a marginalised and poor community of
0:12:35 > 0:12:40Coptic Christians collect and sort the city's rubbish. It took over one
0:12:40 > 0:12:45month to complete and gives a different perspective to an area
0:12:45 > 0:12:52many locals feared or ignored.When you go to a place to create art. But
0:12:52 > 0:12:56then you realise that art is a pretext to create a human
0:12:56 > 0:13:03experience. We went to Cairo and the people welcomed us like we were
0:13:03 > 0:13:11family. I saw those people living in the garbage. That they live from the
0:13:11 > 0:13:21garbage. They taught us how to be tolerant and the human because it is
0:13:21 > 0:13:32not the easiest way to live.Could we go through how you approach your
0:13:32 > 0:13:38Calligraffiti?The only rule I have is from right to left. And then I
0:13:38 > 0:13:47play with the words and the letters. So let's write your name. This is
0:13:47 > 0:13:59the letter R, this is the alif. In Arabic there is no capital. But what
0:13:59 > 0:14:06I do is I consider every letter as a capital so I separate this level. So
0:14:06 > 0:14:10in this one in calligraphy you can do it like this. This is the letter
0:14:10 > 0:14:21are. And now the alif like that. And then this letter takes this shape
0:14:21 > 0:14:30here and then this is the letter N. This is typography, this is
0:14:30 > 0:14:35calligraphy.And someone who is Arabic can read that?Yes. They can
0:14:35 > 0:14:45decipher that. Arabic calligraphy is what made me realise that identity
0:14:45 > 0:14:52is not unique. I am French, Tunisian and Arabic calligraphy made me
0:14:52 > 0:14:58except my French call it a Mecca identity. I could not do what I do
0:14:58 > 0:15:04today if I were not French. If I had learnt Arabic from a young age I
0:15:04 > 0:15:19would not have this freedom to do what I do with it. -- Arabic
0:15:19 > 0:15:24calligraphy made me accept my French identity.Finnish Lapland is as
0:15:24 > 0:15:28close as it gets to wear winter wonderland. Over half a million
0:15:28 > 0:15:32people come here each year in search of Father Christmas and his
0:15:32 > 0:15:37reindeer.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42You can not see you have truly experienced the delights of Lapland
0:15:42 > 0:15:46until you have been on a reindeer safari. And that is what I'm about
0:15:46 > 0:15:52to do. I have been told that if I am good, I may be able to ride my own
0:15:52 > 0:15:58sleigh with my own reindeer. Before I do that, I need to learn how to
0:15:58 > 0:16:03use one of these. Eric is my instructor today. Is there anything
0:16:03 > 0:16:11specific I should know?Do you have a tip? Just be careful. Move slowly,
0:16:11 > 0:16:18not quickly.How do we start?Take a seat.Who is your number one
0:16:18 > 0:16:26reindeer?This guy is 11 years old. He knows his place.He knows where
0:16:26 > 0:16:41he is going? That's what I need. How are you?For my lesson, Eric takes
0:16:41 > 0:16:49me on a ride., my days! Like many herdsmen here in Lapland, Eric
0:16:49 > 0:16:55supplements is income with tourism. He takes small groups of tourists
0:16:55 > 0:17:03into the forest on a reindeer safari. This is a proper winter
0:17:03 > 0:17:09wonderland. It is so beautiful out here. Everywhere you look at is just
0:17:09 > 0:17:27a postcard. It is getting close... Oh, he shook me off. He does not
0:17:27 > 0:17:32like me. He is staying away. There are more reindeer in Lapland than
0:17:32 > 0:17:38people. Around 200,000 of these animals and most of them roam free.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Some of them, like these ones, I tamed and specially trained for the
0:17:42 > 0:17:54reindeer safaris. -- are tamed. Reindeer of a powerful and that is
0:17:54 > 0:17:58why I am not allowed to use them on my own yet. They would run off and I
0:17:58 > 0:18:03would be unable to control them. Eric is guiding us at the front and
0:18:03 > 0:18:08controlling the sleigh. It shows you how hardy these people are. Eric
0:18:08 > 0:18:12tells me that if I am lucky, I may see some wolves or brown bears
0:18:12 > 0:18:22roaming around. So far, it is just me and the reindeer. Were travelled
0:18:22 > 0:18:27around 20 minutes into the woods and come to a clearing. Eric will start
0:18:27 > 0:18:34a fire. We will drink something nice, chill out and he would teach
0:18:34 > 0:18:38me to use one of the slave. I have had a taste of the power of the
0:18:38 > 0:18:45reindeer and I'm a little worried. Do you get more people coming around
0:18:45 > 0:18:51Christmas time?Yes. It is one of the seasons. It is a high week,
0:18:51 > 0:18:57Christmas week. They want to spend their Christmas holiday in a winter
0:18:57 > 0:19:03world.Today, reindeer sleigh safaris in tourist like me a taste
0:19:03 > 0:19:10of what life used to be like here before cars and snowmobile. Finally
0:19:10 > 0:19:17it is my turn to have a go.If you want to go you just say go.As
0:19:17 > 0:19:26simple as that? Go! Reindeer, go! He is not listening to me. Go,
0:19:26 > 0:19:37reindeer! Daewoo! He is not obedient, this reindeer. Eric said
0:19:37 > 0:19:41he has given me the safe one because he does not want me to have any
0:19:41 > 0:19:49problems. I think he has given me the slow rain -- reindeer. What is
0:19:49 > 0:19:58going on?! You will be left behind! You will be Billy no mates! Eric! He
0:19:58 > 0:20:05is not going anywhere! At the next roundabout, take a right. In 200
0:20:05 > 0:20:12yards, make a left. I can't say I didn't try but this reindeer is just
0:20:12 > 0:20:17not interested.Maybe we will try the next one.OK. We would trade the
0:20:17 > 0:20:25next one. For a set of, Eric gives me a last few tips.Bullet and he
0:20:25 > 0:20:43will stop in an emergency.So this is my emergency brake? We're going!
0:20:43 > 0:20:50Look at this. Controlling this powerful beast. Oh my god, he is
0:20:50 > 0:21:00picking up speed. Go, go! This is so spectacular. My first-ever sleigh
0:21:00 > 0:21:07ride. I don't know how much this sleigh weighs. It is probably around
0:21:07 > 0:21:12half a ton, maybe a little less, but that reindeer is pulling it as well
0:21:12 > 0:21:22as myself so easily. Such a powerful beast. Let's go, son, let's go! It
0:21:22 > 0:21:26still may not be the fastest of rides but it seems to be the
0:21:26 > 0:21:33smoothest and most magical way to enjoy this landscape. It feels quite
0:21:33 > 0:21:39Christmasy. Very Christmasy.
0:21:45 > 0:21:54That is it for this week. Join us next week when... I take a look back
0:21:54 > 0:21:58at some of my personal highlights from this year's travel show
0:21:58 > 0:22:01including my trip to Ghana where I met some other country's cheekiest
0:22:01 > 0:22:08residence. They are not shy. Look at him here. So that its next week. If
0:22:08 > 0:22:12you want to see what we're doing on the road between now and then,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16signup to our social media feed. The details should be on your screen
0:22:16 > 0:22:25right now. But for now from me and the travel show team here in Finnish
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Lapland, farewell.