tv The Travel Show BBC News February 3, 2019 1:30am-2:01am GMT
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this is bbc news. the headlines: tens of thousands have taken to the streets of venezuela in rival mass rallies. the head of the opposition, juan guaido, is trying to force president maduro from power. the president also spoke at a rally in support of his leadership and the current government. russia has announced it is pulling out of a cold war arms control treaty, and says it will develop a new hypersonic missile. it follows a move to withdraw from the treaty by the united states on friday. the governor of the us state of virginia, ralph northam, has refused to resign after he was accused to being in a racist photo in his yearbook. he says the person in the photo is not him. pupils should be banned from taking smartphones into classrooms according england's schools minister. the government is due to publish new guidance for schools shortly on issues such as internet safety and social media. but some teachers say banning phones
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would be a mistake as they can be ‘fantastically useful‘ for learning. our political correspondent jessica parker reports. smartphones are everywhere, but should they be in schools? it is at the discretion of individual head teachers to decide, but the minister for school standards nick gibb says it is his own view that schools should burn their pupils from bringing smart phones into school. certainly shouldn't be allowed to have them on when they are in school. that's to and from school, yes. but not in school time. we basically put them in the box and we ta ke basically put them in the box and we take it down to the office and leave it there for the day. do you wish you could have your phone on you all day? yes. but would it be a bit distracting? yes. what did think about using your phone at school? think it is good because it is good for the future because obviously everything to do with our future is
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probably going to involve our phones. the government is due to publish new guidance for schools in england shortly, and it is expected to save children should be taught to limit the amount of time they spend on the internet. mr gibb there's why there is nothing intrinsically damaging about spending time online, excessive use damaging about spending time online, excessive use can damaging about spending time online, excessive use can lead children tired and unable to concentrate. managing our smart phone use is a challenge facing adult as well as children, but there are those who argue that restrict in accessing this way even the ansar young people need to be able to fully engage with this kind of technology. if you push phonies away from school and ban it, you are putting it underground and you are putting it underground and you are putting it underground and you are losing an opportunity to help young people learn how to use teqball good and to use their mobile as part of the working and living life. and the trade union, the naht, which represents school leaders, has also expressed scepticism, saying there isn't necessarily one policy that will work for all schools.
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jessica parker, bbc news. now on bbc news, it's time for the travel show. coming up on this week's travel show: i know they said i'm not going to feel the cold, but i'm really nervous about my body going into some kind of shock once i get in the water. it's an icy plunge for me in the french alps. we have some chairlift speed dating in the us. fancy learning how to cook tentacles and suckers? we have a special family recipe of couscous. and we meet one lady making waves in the canary islands. the ski season is now in full swing in the northern hemisphere. and so far, the snowfall has been somewhat unpredictable. i'm in tignes, a ski resort in the french alps.
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it's part of the espace killy ski area, and home to the grande motte glacier, which rises to a whopping 3,450 metres. despite the resort‘s high altitude, like many others, it had to delay the start of its season by a couple of weeks due to lack of snow. across the world, global warming is shortening the ski season, and starting to seriously affect the economy for lower resorts. it may be hard to believe given recent heavy snowfall in europe, but the bigger picture is looking bleak. the charity protect our winters has been collecting data from climate scientists around the world, all with similar predictions. by 2050, the alps could see a reduction in snow by more than a0%. warren smith is an ambassador to the charity. so, lucy, tell me about your skiing background —
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what have you done so far? i'm still very much in plough territory. he's also an international ski coach based in the alps. here we go. change direction! i've noticed a massive difference, especially in the last 25 years that we've been doing it, of the glaciers retreating, the glaciers getting smaller. in the winters, our winter season is getting shorter, it used to start in november very comfortably, and now sometimes we're lucky if they start in december. the other thing that's quite scary and is actually really apparent right now is, because of these extreme changes in the temperatures that we're seeing, so, you could have a snowfall injanuary, it could be —15 or —16, and four or five days later, it could be +10. and what this does to the snow pack, it really weakens the way that the snow bonds together, and we have seen a big rise in the amount of avalanches. it makes free riding for me
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as a free skier a lot more risky, and, obviously, for everybody else trying that. here in tignes, the resort has been making plans to ensure its future — and one ambitious project is to open an indoor ski dome by the grande motte glacier. these artist impressions show what it will look like in the winter, and also in the summer, to guarantee year—round skiing no matter the weather. in addition, tignes recently opened the world's first high—altitude cable car roof terrace. it's part of a multimillion—euro project called the altitude experience, designed to promote the beauty of the vanoise national park and encourage off—season visitors. hello! well, i'm giving my ski legs a rest to try something a little bit different. 0k! yes, that is a mask and regulator.
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i've been persuaded into ice diving. so, once you're inside, we seal everything, and you're completely protected. for this, i'll be wearing a dry suit. we will put some talc inside so the head can go easily into the protection. 0k...oops! look up! it's a girl! laughs. it's definitely a complicated process getting ready, which is just adding to my nerves. and you're sealed! the good news is i can't feel how cold it is out here, so... the lake i'll be diving into is right in the ski village of tignes le lac,
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just a stone's throw from the lifts. bye— bye! the more i stare at that icy abyss, the more ijust want to stick my foot in just to get a taste of or a feel for how cold it is. i know they said i will not feel the cold, but i am very nervous about my body going into some kind of shock once i get in the water. i'm sure it will be fine, but my mind is currently in overdrive. ijust want to get in now. you're in? perfect! dan will be staying above the ice, helping me and another instructor go under. it's not an activity you can do as a group, rather one person at a time with an instructor for safety reasons. and we rotate into the water...now! my initial worries of freezing to death quickly went away. perfect. bye— bye! but it didn't quite go to plan,
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and i had to surface. so, my mask started to fill with water... and i started to panic, so i was like, out! after a little reminder about what to do, namely don't panic — i was mentally prepped for another go. i'm ready to go back in. i was only down there for, like, maybe a minute or so, but it's so pretty down there, and just being able to touch all the bubbles under the ice is really cool. 0k. this time, my mask stayed put, but we decided not to stray too far from the ice hole, and my confidence returned. it's an otherworldly experience under the ice, cut off from the noise and distractions above. and it's surprisingly relaxing.
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0nly towards the end did my toes and fingers start to tingle, but otherwise, the drysuit really did keep the cold out. for the really daring, it's possible also to free dive. probably not for me, though — i much prefer having the oxygen tank. well, if you're eager to experience something a bit different on the mountains this winter, we've rounded up some events we think you should consider. the grand finale of the freeride world tour is taking place in verbier in march. it's considered the hardest freeride competition on the planet, and it's quite a spectacle for visitors. this is certainly not for the faint—hearted. for something on the other end of the spectrum, it seems chairlift speed dating is the latest trend to hit the slopes in north america.
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on february 10, afton alps in minneapolis and wilmot mountain in wisconsin are giving skiers and snowboarders the chance to meet their soul mate. matchmaking agencies pair the love seekers based on compatibility, and if you're not interested, you simply ski your separate ways after reaching the top of the mountain. complimentary hair and make—up touch—ups are even on offer to help you deal with your helmet hair post slopes. and if you can't make it to the us in february, never fear — snowbombing in austria offers a similar opportunity. the self—proclaimed "greatest show on snow," it takes place in mayrhofen towards the end of the european ski season. complete with igloo raves, enchanted forests and mountain yoga, big—name artists will also be part of the line—up to perform. and did i mention — you can also sign up for chairlift speed dating. and finally, if getting to canada
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is possible for you, the whistler world ski and snowboard festival takes place over five days in april. over 10,000 people are expected to watch top athletes at the big air ski and snowboard competitions. but it's the slash—cut pool that's the standout feature of the festival. participants have to skim across the ice—cold water. madness! and if all that has made you hungry, we are back in france where its capital city has become a melting pot of culinary delights. we're heading to tounsia restaurant in paris for a recipe that's all a bit fishy. or is it? when i decided to open a restaurant in paris, it was obvious that i wanted to make everyone know the couscous of my mum, the tunisian couscous, because in tunisia, it's very normal
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to eat couscous with fish, and in my father's city, it's the octopus couscous. everyone knows the american and algerian couscous. tunisian couscous is quite different, because it's more spicy and you have more tomato. and it's a very light couscous. still to come on the travel show: simon has his latest tips on travelling in europe. and we're in the canary islands to find out why it's the perfect training ground for kite surfing. so stay with us for that. hello from a breezy mediterranean winter. this week, i have advice on rail travel in central europe
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and where to find greek life as it used to be. first thuogh, the year in the sun has begun for europe's two capitals of culture. matera in italy is a joyful baroque town on the surface, but wander more deeply and you discover the ground falls away to reveal a picture book village, that's burrowed its way into a hillside. and the other capital of culture, plovdiv in bulgaria, is a great place to visit in winter, to look at its ancient foundations and then combine it with excellent skiing in the nearby rhodope mountains. next, sabelo dlamini contacted us from eswatini, the southern african nation previously known as swaziland. he wants to know... vienna is an excellent place to begin theirjourney
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through the great railways of central europe. take a train to prague through deep valleys and across high moorland for an intense sensation of i9th—century europe. then onwards to dresden in germany, a city that's revived splendidly after second world war destruction and decades of soviet domination. go to east towards poland to krakow, and after a day or two in this fascinating city, one of europe's increasingly rare, but wonderful night trains waits to whisk you through the darkness to vienna. kay tweeted us to ask... ok, this needs some deep greek knowledge, so i've called in some expert advice. you can find old—fashioned greece even in popular places
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like the island of lesbos. in the villages of asomatos, agiasos and vatousa, you will find old men drinking ouzo in the cafe, talking with friends and playing backgammon. another option is the island of crete, where you can find villages where the time stands still. for example, the villages around the amari area. i hope you can visit them soon. finally, joe smith from ireland is heading for the us in the spring. he's flying into chicago and out from boise, idaho, and he wants to rent a car between the two. but he says he's stumped by... joe, car rental companies in europe impose higherfees if you want to drop a car off in a different country, and the same applies in america if you want to leave it in a different state. for drop—offs in adjacent states such as florida and georgia, usually, the one—way fee is modest.
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but it can increase sharply for longerjourneys. so, i suggest that to cut the cost, you use the excellent california zephyr train between chicago and salt lake city. it's an enthralling i.5—dayjourney, and if you like, you can stop off after the first night in denver and pick up a subsequent strain. —— train. from salt lake city and utah, you can rent a car and take it north across the idaho state line to boise and pay a drop—off fee of only $100, at least according to the test booking i made on your behalf. that's all for now, but do keep sending me your travel problems and i'll do my best to find you solutions. see you soon. finally, we're in fuerteventura in the canary islands, where one woman is making waves in the international kite—surfing scene. she shows us why her home
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is the perfect training ground for the sport. you well, that's all for this week. but coming up next week, christa takes a peek at the back of the notre dame cathedral in paris to discover fallen pinnacles and gargoyles, and she meets those trying to save it. within ten years, we could have the cathedral completely down,
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if we were to do nothing. and in the meantime, don't forget — you can follow us on social media. the links are on our website. but for now, from me, lucy hedges, and the rest of the travel show team, it's goodbye. hello. snow has been the most prominent feature of the weather over much of the last week. but at least on saturday, the sunshine came back. but that's going to be harder to find through much of sunday. as cloud increases, some of us will see a bit more wet weather. but that comes after quite a hard frost to start the day. in fact, some places could well be into minus double figures,
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where the snow is deepest. you can see the extent of the frost as well, even in town and city centres, it's a cold start to the day. but for many of us, there will be some sunshine, but from the word go, northern ireland and western scotland, more cloud around here and some rain, sleet and snow, courtesy of these weather fronts coming in from the atlantic. and slowly pushing their way a bit further east as we go through the day. now, the early wet weather should be fairly soon out of the way in northern ireland. a damp start here. but again, the rain preceded by a bit of sleet and snow in places, and in that process, moves across scotland. into northern england, mayjust fringe north wales. but south of that, it should stay mainly dry. cloud increasing, but still some sunny spells towards east anglia and south—east england. behind the wet weather, it brightens up again in scotland. but it stays cloudy in northern ireland. further outbreaks of rain coming back going into the evening. and temperatures, they‘ re a little bit higher. parts of south—west england could be up to around 10 celsius, for example. and a freshening
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south—westerly wind. it gets stronger through sunday night and into monday morning, as it feeds in more wet weather, and while most of us will see rain out of this, a bit of snow falling into the pennines and southern uplands, but especially into the higher ground north of the central belt in scotland, where we could see around 5—10 centimetres building up as we go through monday as well. it will be quite slow to clear, on what will be a much less cold start to the day on monday. some rainjust affecting parts of south—east england as monday starts. it may not clear the far south—east. it looks like we'll hold onto an area of cloud here in east anglia. the snowy weather slowly pulling away from northern scotland, and many other areas will see things brightening up on monday. and temperatures again are a little bit higher, and some of us in south—west england getting into double figures. they will drop again on monday night and this ridge of high pressure with clear skies, there'll be another frost going into tuesday morning. low pressure gathering to the west, though, sets the scene for quite an unsettled week to come. now, there will be some sunnier days, but there will also be some wetter days.
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it will often be windy, but if you take one thing from this chart, it is those temperatures will head upwards. more of us at times will see temperatures into double figures, and of course, that's going to feel very different compared to what we've had over much of the past week or two. so a change for the milder in the week ahead. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. our top stories: thousands take to the streets of venezuela in rival mass rallies for and against president nicolas maduro. russia says it will follow the us and pull out of a key nuclear weapons treaty. it's a tale of two city protests:
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