The BEST episodes directed by Martin Herring
#1 - Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily
Globe Trekker - Season 2 - Episode 13
Mediterranean islands Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily are the stepping stones between Europe and Africa. Ian Wright begins his journey on the French island of Corsica, throwing himself into every water sport imaginable before heading for the cooler climes of the mountains. Mountains cover a third of Corsica and hikers flock to the peaks and gorges in the Valley of Restonica. From the mountains Ian heads south to Ajaccio. It is the birthplace of the famous French ruler, Napoleon, a fact which you can't escape in this small town where every shop, cafe, restaurant plays on the 'Napoleon theme'. The Italian island of Sardinia is Ian's next port of call, but he has his work cut out to get there: he finds a yacht at the Corsican port of Bonifacio and Ian pays his way to Sardinia as a deck hand/assistant chef. The mountain village of Sedilo is where the S'Ardia takes place, a two day festival in honour of Saint Constantine. Sardinians have a long tradition of fine horsemanship and a high-speed race through the narrow streets is the main feature of the festival. The best way to see Sardinia is by car, so Ian rents an old Fiat Topolino and drives east to Orgosolo. Orgosolo is a former bandit town and is now famous for its powerful political murals. Nearby Ian witnesses the Mammutones perform a folk dance, where black-masked men wearing goat bells representing Moorish prisoners are rounded up by dancers dressed as Sardinian soldiers. Ian leaves the frenetic mountain lifestyle behind him and heads south to the beaches of Costa Verde, also known as 'The Silent Coast'. Continuing his island hopping, Ian catches a ferry to Sicily and journeys to the capital, Palermo. Here he cooks up a storm with a local pasta chef and then tears around town on his rented scooter. The highlight of his trip to Palermo is the Festival of Santa Rosalia, complete with operatic music, flying angels and fireworks. The volcanic island of Stromboli is Ian's final destination. After a
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Globe Trekker - Season 2 - Episode 5
Ian Wright's journey to the Arctic takes him through the volcanic landscapes of Iceland and the frozen wilderness of Greenland. Beginning in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, Ian joins the crew of a replica Viking ship to learn about Iceland's history and Viking ancestors. He then sets out for a plane journey to Vatnajokul, but the unpredictable Icelandic weather proves a major obstacle and the plane is grounded. Travelling east, Ian hitches a lift to the natural wonders of Gulfoss, a 32 metre waterfall and Geysir, where boiling water is shot 20 metres in the air every 3 minutes. Ian's next adventure is tasting the local delicacy - fermented shark. The shark is left in rock covered boxes for two months and then hanging for several more. As if this isn't enough, the shark is accompanied by Icelandic potato wine, known as Black Death. A short place trip north-east takes Ian to Greenland, the largest island in the world and the most northerly country. The landscape is rugged, dramatic and at times, forbidding but the Inuit, or Eskimo people have survived thousands of harsh winters. Ian joins an Inuit family in Ammassalik for a dinner of raw seal liver. Ammassalik is also the starting point for the highlight of Ian's trip to Greenland: an action-packed dog-sledding trip across the snowfields. From Ammassalik Ian travels to Isotoq, a small piece of land in the fjords of the south west coast which is the site of Greenland's only reindeer farm. The harsh conditions here mean there is little else to eat, so reindeer is the main source of food. Nuuk, the capital of Greenland is rather more hospitable. Here Ian visits a school in an abortive attempt to learn the native Greenlandic language, then heads for the bay to join local fishermen sea kayaking. For the final leg of his trip, Ian joins Ono Rasmussen, grandson of the great Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen, on an Arctic safari. They head off from Illulissat cross country skiing and spend the night in an
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#3 - A Journey Back to Newcastle: Michael Smith's Deep North
BBC Documentaries - Season 2010 - Episode 86
Michael Smith goes in search of the Newcastle of his youth. Approaching the Toon from the Tyne, he believes the place has more in common with Baltic City States than London, where he now lives. He argues that there are in fact several Norths; unlike the South, where everything is centered on London's inescapable black hole gravity, the North has plural accents and plural identities. The North East is the far north, the Deep North of the title, remote and disconnected from this axis. As far as the North East is concerned, Leeds and Manchester may as well be in the midlands. Smith's North is a land apart entirely, and a land that defines itself by this basic fact. A small conurbation clustered by the coast, separated from the main rump by miles and miles of rural emptiness. Deep North is a lyrical meditation on Newcastle and the North East, and ultimately, a subjective and personal response of a prodigal son returning.