TVF Docs: Escape

Meet the Cat and the Penguin, a father & son team that run fishing trips and a wild-west diner. Straight out of Hemingway, this macho backwater has more whales and assorted marine life than the entire gulf. The fishing is basic, hook, lead and squid. The catch is plentiful; pescada blanco (white fish) and pescada a puta (whore of a fish). Like the name infers, these are dangerous to play with! Penguino, prepares pescado Ranchero, a fishy salsa with his buddies. It’s a blur of tequila and sensational fish tacos.

Antonio Manuel is 71 and still fishing. Like most in this whitewashed village, he regularly takes on the brunt of the Atlantic in a small diesel boat. We see him potter along the shoreline with a cane pole and chicken gut. He’s usually up to his waist in surf & surrounded by rocks and that’s where he hunts up to 30-kilo Conga eels. They can break your arm with their body whilst dicing up your fingers with their teeth. They are also the essential ingredients for an authentic Caldirada, (the Portuguese Bouillabaisse). Cooked in a witch’s pot on an open fire for up to several days. Its got lots of surprises, some of which you are sure to smell later.

The best things in life are free, but not here. Gambling rules!.. And it can be cocks, cards or fish. Tackle shop owner, Preecher, shows his mates some stiff & dangerous competition. The rage is all lures, trawling behind an 8-cylinder canoe & landing meter long, angry barracuda & African Pompano. Its all bravado & glory but who cares when it ends up as Tom yum prad, (fish soup) bubbling with lemongrass and chillies. Away from the big money, Gotlam hangs out in a stilt kitchen where you can check the tide underneath you. He chases Mengdas, a prehistoric crab, like a squashed armadillo. You only eat their eggs as they’re poisonous if cooked incorrectly… and they taste like they look!

True Londoners love jellied eels and in this episode we’re in the company of a real cockney, Dave the eel man. Dave enjoys not only eating them but also catching them - fat eels, returning to the coast to spawn up the Thames. Using hi tech "slingshot" tackle, he makes it all look easy. The hard part is catching the bait; live crabs under groins. Only for the masochistic, and so is the meal. Boiled eel in green liqueur and jellied eel from the fridge needs no explanation. The secret in English cuisine is the salt? Not for the queasy

Here nothing is as it seems and it seems like everything is big. This is the land of burning passion where families still eat together. But there’s no crying for anyone when the big fish are on! Ailin, the local schoolteacher is set on proving her dammed river is still a source to be reckoned with! Water walking dourado and man size catfish lurk here at the base of one of the largest hydroelectric dams. It even has its very own fish elevator. Imaginations run wild and for dessert its alien fish pasties and open arms.

Pilchards hold pride of place on restaurant menus in the Cornish fishing village of Newlyn. The pituresque port is home to hardy fisherman Mark and award winning chef Ben. In this episode of A Shore Thing, follow the culinary journey from port to plate. Mark catches a rich combination of seafood and Ben cooks it up in a traditional 'star gazey pie', the boys snack on spider crab in the Cornish sunshine and explore the county's rich maritime history.

This rich & jaded paradise is famous for their stick fishermen, mounted on poles, along the coast. But the only things of value they catch are the tourists. Senna, unemployed and unassuming, fishes off the edge of the protected marine reef. It’s half work, half recreation, and Senna is highly skilled at fly-fishing. Using a Pithia (native branch) as the rod and weed plucked from the reef, the Paramuva (silver mullet) bite timidly, but once hooked it’s a fight; never mind the razor coral and crashing waves. If the endorphins aren’t flowing the quickly bled and boiled fish mixed with backyard curry leaves will sort you out.

Only an Irishman would dive for razor fish in a 1950s Bell helmet after a night on the Guinness, and in Cork several do. What they don’t sell to market or direct to restaurants they use as bait for some of the largest flat fish known to man. Not even a paella dish will carry these floppy giants. With lock–ins a prerequisite for early morning fishing you know the cooking is going to be fishy but more fun than food should ever be!

Joe of Joes Lodge loves fish, beer & grog. He explains the different disciplines. Grog or kava a mild narcotic is taken at special occasions; beer is taken always and fish only after the Yavirouw. This is when a taboo on fishing ends and the village take to the water. Circular netting and lots of big sticks are used to make the catch. The fish look like aquarium escapees, as they are driven into human pens across the coral reef. If this seems unusual they then bury the fish, (a lovu) wrapped in banana leaves and volcanic rocks with lots of goodies. Fishing and cooking doesn’t get more fun than this.

We begin the series by explaining what makes each beer style unique and what distinguishes ales from lagers; the two major beer ‘families’. As the world of beer flavours grows every year, new respect for its gastronomic worth is pushing beer back onto the dinner table.

There are ‘beer drinkers’ and ‘beer lovers’ but make no mistake, there are also true Beer Connoisseurs. Just like their wine counterparts - beer judges are experts in all things amber.

Adam and Shirley Murphy’s house is a beer shrine – this middle-aged couple have collected more than 11,000 cans over 20 years. And they are not finished yet!

It’s a time-honoured tradition. Men assuming their places around the barbeque and overcooking everything… with a beer in hand. Enter Joanne and John Meredith… two talented young chefs spearheading the fight against beer and barbeque mediocrity.

The imagery of hands-on family companies producing regional specialty wines has always struck a chord with consumers. Wine buffs are happy to pay a premium for the best boutique wines and now that attitude has spread across the gastronomic spectrum.

Modern Australia was founded on a beer. When Captain Arthur Phillip first toasted “success to the colony” on January 26, 1788, he raised a glass of porter to the Union Jack and drank it in celebration. More than 200 years on, beer is intrinsic to the Australian way of life.

It’s five years since Hugh left London behind for rural Dorset, and now he and his growing family are moving on from River Cottage to the nearby farm of their dreams. With 44 acres the farm has 10 times more land than he had at River Cottage, which allows for a lot more veg and livestock than his family needs. With this in mind Hugh is unable to resist the opportunity to expand further. He plans to set up a culinary headquarters, or food outlet, where he can sell his home-grown and home-reared produce direct to the public. Having found a collection of muck ridden and ramshackle barns in which to base his venture however he wonders if this time he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

It’s been several weeks since Hugh took a lease on a collection of barns near his new farm in Dorset. He plans to turn them into a culinary headquarters – a place he can use as an outlet for his home-grown and home-reared food and for hosting seasonal dinners for paying customers. The place is still filled with mud and muck however, but Hugh has got to get it up and running as quickly as possible if this is going to be a successful business venture. He sets himself a ludicrous two-week deadline to create a working kitchen and a charming dining room out of the filth, after which he hopes to kick off his themed seasonal nights with an opening Valentine’s Night Special.

Hugh’s sow Maggie is due to give birth to piglets. There is little Hugh can do to help except build a maternity room and leave her to it. While he waits for Maggie to give birth, Hugh must install proper plumbing and loos before he can welcome members of the public to The River Cottage HQ. Never one to be conventional, he opts for a sanitation system of willow and reed beds that will filter his HQ’s sewage, turning it into clean water. With the River Cottage HQ still some way from opening Hugh is also on the lookout for some spring business. It’s purple sprouting broccoli season and Hugh hopes to turn this neglected veg into something more special. With the help of some locally produced Blue Vinney Cheese, he plans to put purple broccoli back on the culinary map.

On May Day every year you can find the Wessex Morris Men dancing on the Cerne Abbas Giant. Crowds gather to watch the event and this presents Hugh with the perfect opportunity to make some cash selling chocolate waffles. It’s also the opening night of The River Cottage HQ. For the first time Hugh hopes to serve food to 40 paying guests and he wants to cook them something spectacular. He chooses lobster. There’s been a report of a three-foot lobster living on a wreck off the Dorset coast, and Hugh and his diving pal Tim Rudkin set off with a giant home-made metal trap to try and catch it.

Spring spells many new arrivals at Hugh’s farm. Maggie has given birth to 11 piglets, and they are today joined by two new lambs. The season has also kick-started the social calendar. Hugh has been invited to an Easter Blossom Picnic Party, where the stakes are high in a competition for the best picnic. Hugh gets into the swing of things and, with mushroom-hunter John Wright, goes to great lengths to find one of the most prized seasonal mushrooms around – morells – for his picnic terrine. Later, in return for one night of his sweaty services, master baker Aiden gives Hugh a crash course in bread-making, an area of culinary expertise in which Hugh certainly has room for improvement. Armed with trays of fresh bread rolls and a ham, Hugh helps Aiden sell the produce at the Powerstock local cider festival.

With spring fast becoming summer, Hugh is tempted into installing beehives at The River Cottage HQ in order to reap the harvest of the bees’ hard work. The only problem is his fear of being stung. He also takes on his biggest event yet, a wedding party. The newly-weds want food that is not only local and fresh but either wild or home-grown. With over 70 people to feed and entertain, there’s no doubt that their big day will be Hugh’s biggest test so far.

It’s high summer and the season's underway for Dorset's carnivals and regattas. Never one to miss an opportunity for trade, Hugh teams up with Lyme Regis fisherman John Wason to catch, cook and flog John’s favourite fruit of the sea – whelks. Spiced up with some exotic ingredients from the polytunnel, they sell them on the beaches on Carnival day — before being roped into a bizarre annual fancy dress pub crawl. Back at river Cottage HQ Hugh's tomatoes are looking spectacular. He decides to hold an event in their honour, and the inaugural West Dorset tomato festival is born. There's more weird and wonderful shapes and sizes of tomato than you ever dreamed of, a hotly contested ketchup making competition, and even tomato ice cream.

The day has come for Hugh to harvest his first crop of home-spun honey. At River Cottage HQ, with the help of bee-keeper Ken Bishop, Hugh carefully extracts a healthy 25lbs of glowing golden sweetness. To prove the quality of the harvest, and his skills with honey in the kitchen, Hugh enters the bee-keeping classes at the Melplash Country Show. But after overindulging in a competitors home made mead, he comes a bit unstuck in the kitchen. Hugh's also taken a fatted steer to slaughter, and is determined not to waste a morsel. This time he's focussing on the offal. Transforming the tripe into a culinary treat is not a process to be sniffed at, but once done Hugh plans to test it on the general public at the local Bridport Farmer’s Market. But is tripe truly ripe for revival, or will the public turn up their noses??

Summer and the season of plenty are well and truly over, but Hugh's going with the seasonal flow and planning a menu for a special Autumn feast at River Cottage HQ. His hens have produced almost 30 chicks over the summer, and Hugh's looking to the young cockerals to provide the main course for the feast. The trick of course is working out which are the boys and which are the girls. Not always easy with youngsters. Being free-range, farmyard birds they're on the rangey side, but Hugh also has a cunning plan for cooking them to ensure maximum tenderness. He joins local potter Tim Hurn at the potters wheel and together they create ten chicken bricks (or at least Tim creates them and Hugh cocks his up). The bricks are to be fired in Tim's immense wood-fired kiln, that needs constant stoking for 2 days and a night. It's a great excuse for a bonfire night party, and Hugh has offered to provide firey home made pizzas for the revellers. It's also the time of year for the final flush of wild mushrooms - perfect for Hugh's Autumn Feast if only he can find them. Hugh's mushroom mate John Wright has long harboured a fantasy of searching from the air and thanks to local paraglider Eddie Colefox it might just come true. With mushrooms collected, chickens roasting in the bricks and pumpkin pie underway, the tables are again set and the Autumn Feast can begin.

It’s Christmas and Hugh is preparing for River Cottage HQ’s final event of the year. The plan is to shoot, harvest, gather and cook enough food to furnish the tables for a magnificent medieval festive banquet. Hugh’s own fattened geese and ducks inspire the centrepiece for the feast –a ten bird roast of medieval origin. The plan is to stuff a turkey with one of his fattened geese, the goose with a duck, the duck with a pheasant, the pheasant with a pigeon, and the pigeon with a woodcock, and so on. With the goose and duck already up his sleeve Hugh joins old friends for a day’s shooting to try and bag some of the rest. Next on the list is something porky. Neighbour Ed Found has a smokery where he cooks delectable smoked meats. He helps Hugh install his own cold smoker at the River Cottage HQ - improvised from an old oil tin, several meters of pipe and a large cider barrel. Hugh christens the smoker with a collection of ‘Christmas pork sausage baubles’ and two hams. Hugh then visits baker Aidan Chapman for a night making medieval bread, dye guru Sarah Burnett to process a whole range of natural food dyes, and cider maker Colin Hopkins for help concocting and testing a typically lethal and medieval brew. As the day of the medieval feast approaches a Christmas tree arrives and is hung with the smoked sausage baubles, gingerbread shapes and icing sugar streamers. The barn is then strewn with ivy and candles are lit. Medieval clad friends arrive and the kitchen buzzes with activity as the ten bird roast, hams, hot cider, bread, pickles, preserves and puddings are cooked to perfection and carried to the table. May the feasting begin...

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s dream of escaping the city sprawl and downshifting to rural Dorset is about to be realised. In his 1960s Ford Corsair, Hugh has arrived at River Cottage, and his new life as a small holder, living off the fat of the land, lies before him. But first there has to be some changes… What doesn’t put food on the table has to go. Hugh rips up the blooming flowerbeds and lays old railway sleepers as the foundations for his new vegetable garden. He visits local vegetable guru, Michael Michaud whose organic farming proves an inspiration. With the vegetables sorted Hugh is off in search of livestock. He heads off to Dorset’s rare breed pig farm, to meet breeder Peggy Davills. Hugh’s eye is caught by two little Gloucester Old Spot piglets and after a certain amount of piggy persuasion, the three set off back to River Cottage - and a brand new pig arch in the copse. But Hugh soon realises pig husbandry will involve a steep learning curve! Aware of the marine larder the Dorset seas have to offer Hugh catches up with spear-fishing expert, Gary Foulkes. After an hour fruitlessly chasing passing bass and mullet, Hugh soon realises his skills are more suited to preparing the catch, so Gary dives off alone in search of supper. Catch of the day is served on a cliff-top BBQ, and the party carries on into the dusk. Michael Michaud reappears at River Cottage brimful of seedlings and knowledge to get the garden started. Together he and Hugh plant a full range of delicious organic veg and in return for this help Michael is to receive one of the first River Cottage hams. Hugh introduces himself to his new landlord, Anthony Hitchens, and there seems to be a pigeon population problem at Slape Manor. Hugh spots an opportunity and a deal is made. In return for conducting a regular cull to keep Anthony’s pigeon flock at a manageable size, Hugh can keep any pigeons he kills. But to seal the deal he must first make Anthony and his wife Serena supper. Will they be won over by Hugh’s peculiar pigeon pastilla?

Hugh had thought his downshifting was progressing nicely. But his daily garden check reveals a pesky garden pest – Hugh is not amused. At least the pigs have settled in, although they keep Hugh on his toes with their occasional bids for freedom. Bath time inspires Hugh with a new prototype for luring pike, his rubber duck! A Riverbank rendezvous with keeper John Aplin gives him an opportunity to put his vermin control to the test, and hopefully catch himself some supper. The duck is a wash out, but John has a more traditional method. Hugh nets a beauty, but will he be able to convert John as he sets to work in the kitchen making Jellied Pike. The jam season is approaching, but sadly Hugh’s blackberry harvest isn’t exactly fruitful. So it’s off to Forde Abbey farm for a day fruit picking, where the local currency is raspberries! He meets a group of European students and is invited for a meal of Ukrainian Borscht and a campfire song. In return Hugh uses some of his pickings to make a tasty sauce for his Floating Island pudding. The jam will have to wait…Hugh decides to expand the River Cottage livestock, but foxy concerns about his new chicken run send him to fellow small holder Frank Biddlecombe for a lesson in foul play. Hugh bags three beautiful bantams, but first he has to catch them. Later Hugh sees the fruits of his labour when he triumphantly finds his first egg and then a fine home-grown courgette. This calls for a celebratory soufflé!

It is summer at River Cottage. The livestock and vegetables are thriving and Michael Michaud comes over to check Hugh’s vegetable garden’s progress, and also admire his promised ham. He is especially pleased with Hugh’s exotic Tomatillo and the two enjoy a sunny lunch of home-made mayonnaise and vegetable crudités straight from the garden. With so many small-holdings in Dorset things can get a bit competitive and Hugh has decided to enter The Beaminster Horticultural Society’s annual competition. First timer Hugh joins show veterans Roy and Barbara Gunning for afternoon tea and jam tasting, in the hope of picking up some expert advice. With this new knowledge Hugh returns to River Cottage to whip up some chutney using his secret ingredient – the Tomatillo. Hugh heads to the coast to check out the amazing mating spider crabs and hooks up with local skipper, Dave Sales, and his diving team – who are not certain that the spindly sea dwellers can make a tasty treat. After the dive Hugh sets to work on the quay turning his crabby catch into linguine for his companions. It’s show time back at River Cottage. Hugh puts the finishing touches to his Victoria Sponge using his home made raspberry jam and ponders the presentation of his vegetables. After arriving at the show Hugh has a few moments to pick up some last minute tips to calm his nerves before the judging commences. Whatever the outcome the challenge is on for next year!

Hugh’s garden pest problems are now being rivalled inside the Cottage, with an infestation of mice! Things are getting out of control and Hugh’s attempts to curb the creatures are unsuccessful. Desperate measures call for unusual powers of persuasion and Hugh calls in vegan mouse charmers, Sue and Steve Smith, who prefer meditation to mutilation. But will their crystals and vocal encouragement persuade the pesky pests to relocate? Spurred on by the mice Hugh joins Jan Andrews on her regular cull of the Dorset Roe Deer population. They meet at dawn and despite Jan’s technique of using a fawn’s distress call to attract a buck, all they spot are does and fawns. As the morning wears on, a hearty campfire breakfast of wild mushrooms with Deer liver seems very distant to the hapless hungry hunters. Then it’s a trip down memory lane as Hugh catches up with local schoolmaster Mr Cheeseman, who kept a fishing boat in the bay Hugh used to play in with his childhood pals. The two reminisce before heading out in the trusty boat to catch hopping prawn pots and Hugh wades through the same rock pools he did as a boy, foraging for sea lettuce. The Cheeseman family meet for a nostalgic beach picnic, but will the schoolmaster favour Hugh’s Japanese prawn tempura or stick with his own traditional recipe?

Hugh puts the River running past his cottage to good use. It’s Eel migration season and Hugh meets up with local basket maker Malcolm Seal, to try his hand at creating an eel trap. Hugh has discovered an eighteenth century French basket design and with luck it should clean up in the River Brit. On his way back to River Cottage, Hugh keeps his eyes firmly on the road. A road kill rabbit in his new trap could prove an excellent eel enticement. If you don’t eat the apples, you drink them and when it’s free you drink as much as you like! The Chideock Cider Circle enjoy the right to collect orchard windfalls and Hugh joins the September harvest in return for a taste of their infamous brew. But first he has to tell a good un’ from a bad un’. Hugh quickly creates a tempting tortilla before it’s off to the cider house for a lesson in traditional cider pressing. With lots of tipple tasting and a raucous game of skittles will Hugh be feeling a little under the weather? Next morning Hugh is delighted to find two glorious eels in his river trap. The French design inspires him and after skinning the eels he’s back in the kitchen rustling up Eels au sauce verte. Another autumn treat is in store for Hugh as he joins a group of beaters on a nearby pheasant shoot. He is taken under the wing of veteran beater, Pete Whitlock and they set to work sending the pheasants high up in the sky. Just time to warm up with tea and biscuits before Hugh receives his payment, in pheasants naturally! Hugh returns home to make a hearty game terrine for his guests the burly beaters. The evening ends with a bang as they all celebrate Bonfire Night in the River Cottage garden.

It’s six months since Hugh arrived at River Cottage. His pigs are now ready for slaughter and Hugh intends to have a pork party to pay his new neighbours back for their friendship and invaluable help. Peggy Davills pays Hugh another visit to help him get the pigs to the abbatoir. As the pigs leave Hugh feels sadness but also pride at having raised two of the happiest pigs in Dorset. Hugh enlists one-time playboy Victor Borge and local butcher Ray Smith to help him deal with the meat. Victor, a Parma ham expert, offers Hugh some tips on wind dried ham and agrees to oversee Hugh’s own ham production. And Ray Smith makes the most of the carcasses ensuring Hugh doesn’t waste a scrap! Back at River Cottage the three immediately set to work preparing a feast of small holding delights for the party guests - only stopping to pig out on a hearty lunch of black pudding and kidneys. Hugh manages to fit in a sea shore scavenge with Bill Gibbons in search of some free food. Armed with buckets and mounds of table salt Hugh learns an ingenious technique for catching tasty razor clams. Once the guests arrive everyone gets on famously. In fact Hugh enjoys the good life so much that he is debating whether or not to stay a little longer….

The first episode of this contemporary cookery show sees master chef Kevin Dundon creating an Asparagus and Saffron broth as a starter, delivering useful tips on herbs along the way. Kevin explores the hotel fruit and herb garden at Dunbrody House with Rosemary, the lady who takes care of it, divulging seasonal and general advice. For a main course Kevin cooks a Rack of Wexford lamb with a marmalade crust and for dessert he creates a summer berries fruit cage with Grand Marnier Ice Cream. In addition to the 3 courses, Kevin shows us how to make a caramel sugar garnish with a bottom of screen graphic strap presenting recipe instructions.

In the second programme, master chef Kevin Dundon advocates the benefits of local produce by visiting a Goats Cheese farm and preparing grilled Goats cheese with an herb crust served on an organic green salad as a starter. For a main course, Kevin rustles up a char-grilled fillet of Turbot with leek fondue. In the glossary section, Kevin shows how to make Balsamic Reduction; ingredients and method are presented as a graphic strap at the bottom of the screen. Lemon Torte with Fruit Compote completes this three-course meal

Master chef Kevin Dundon turns Irish food on its’ head in this programme- cooking up funky and sexy food. Kevin presents a new and interesting way of serving a salmon starter: Smoked Salmon Gateau. The main course is Abbey blue cheese and poached pear pizza for which Kevin selects a dry red wine. Poached pears are also the theme of this programme’s glossary- with a graphic strap providing recipe directives. Believing strongly that the fundamental part of good food is the raw ingredients, Kevin calls on a local free-range egg farm and discusses with the lady who runs it the advantages of free-range produce. For dessert, Kevin creates traditional Irish Brown bread Ice Cream with a caramel crust.

This programme gets summery, beginning with master chef Kevin Dundon picking fresh watercress for a prawn and watercress spring roll starter, with chilli jam. We meet a local character Dano as Kevin goes cockle digging with him on local shores before cooking up a hearty cockle stew- poached cockles with roasted garlic and semi sun-dried tomatoes. Semi-sun dried tomatoes are the subject of this programme’s glossary section, where viewers are presented with a simple step-by-step graphic strap explaining how to prepare them. Baked Peach with cream and Honey is the perfect summer dessert to conclude this three-course meal.

“It’s a beautiful day for a BBQ.” In this programme master chef Kevin Dundon begins by explaining how computers play a large role in his job as a chef- designing recipes and drawing inspiration from cultural cuisine. Scallop Kebabs with lemongrass served with a crème fraiche dip starts Kevin’s BBQ off tastefully before honey marinated corn-fed chicken breast with char-grilled vegetables is served up for the main course. Discover fancy fungi as Kevin visits Dunbrody House’s local mushroom factory. For dessert, Kevin prepares Banana Flambé with vanilla ice cream and in the glossary segment we’re shown how to make the perfect summer tipple- Pimms.

In this programme, award winning chef Kevin Dundon cooks one of the tastiest (and ugliest) fish as he prepares a pan-fried Monkfish with mussels and a roast garlic sauce as a starter. Discover how to obtain the perfect fish fillet in the glossary section, which offers a graphic strap revealing all you need to know to be an expert in filleting fish. Kevin who enjoys gathering ingredients from local suppliers takes a trip to his local butcher where we meet Leo. Kevin has never had a bad bit of beef from Leo- apparently the secret is in the Irish grass! Kevin offers up the recipe for char-grilled fillet of beef in a caramelised red onion mash, topped with Black truffle oil as his main course. For dessert Kevin makes an Apple and Hazelnut Torte.

Kevin Dundon visits the Viking town of Wexford in this episode, calling in at Green Acre Delicatessen, which offers an array of beautiful foods. For a starter, Kevin gives away his trade secret Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup. A very French inspired main course, herb crusted cod fillet with an organic salad, is complemented beautifully with creamy Irish potatoes. We learn how to make Dunbrody brown bread in Hip World Gourmet’s glossary section, with all the necessary information visible in a graphic strap. For dessert it’s Chocolate Torte with burnt Orange sauce.

This episode sees Dunbrody House’s master chef Kevin Dundon giving an oriental twist to his meal dishing up pan-seared salmon served on pickled cucumber/ caper vinaigrette as a starter. The main course is a Lobster Salad with a lemon Yoghurt dressing. This lobster is caught one mile from Dunbrody House and we see Kevin visit the harbour and discover how to catch lobster. The glossary segment explains how to steam lobster. Returning to his roots, Kevin makes bread and butter pudding with an Irish whiskey- a traditional Irish dessert.

Master chef Kevin Dundon gets fishy in this episode with Seafood chowder to start; prime fish fused with white wine and cream. Kevin goes to a local fish auction where his friend Kia explains how it works and shows the various fish on offer. For the main course it’s a loin of venison pan-fried on sautéed root vegetables with sesame seeds and for dessert Kevin makes a Pavlova with fresh summer berries and a fruit compote. The secrets behind good fruit compote are divulged in the glossary section with the graphic strap showing all you need to know.

With a passion for organic food, master chef Kevin Dundon obtains a lot of his ingredients from the kitchen and fruit garden of Dunbrody House. In this episode, the gardener, Rosemary, shows him around and talks him through the produce they have there. Keeping an organic theme, Kevin prepares a fresh organic garden salad as a starter with crispy smoked ham topped with a poached quail egg. The main course is a lattice of puff pastry filled with gingered vegetables. For dessert, Kevin creates what he calls Bailey’s cream and strawberry temptation and whilst thinking about strawberries you can also learn how to make strawberry and tarragon jam in Kevin’s food glossary section.

The award-winning chef, Kevin Dundon, starts his three-course meal off with an avocado and crabmeat tower with a mustard grain dressing and champagne salsa. This is an exciting starter as it has a completely different presentation to anything he has shown on Hip World Gourmet before. The main course is a breast of pan-fried duck with kumquats and a port wine jus. In this episode, Kevin calls upon the local bakery where we meet another Kevin the baker who talks through how he makes his bread. The glossary segment describes how to make good vegetable stock and for pudding Kevin produces a timeless dish, a classic Crème Brule.

In this programme, master chef Kevin Dundon’s starter is a Wild Mushroom Toastie- a tasty dish involving caramelised bread, white wine, cream, herbs and Parmesan shavings. Kevin takes a trip to the pier of Arthurstown to meet a real fishing character, Frank Ronan, and try and catch salmon for the main course. Kevin will marinade a pan-seared Teriyaki Salmon with a lemon grass risotto. Discover how to make great lady fingers in Kevin’s glossary segment and for dessert he prepares a fresh goats cheese and tropical fruit parfait with strawberries and cream.

This episode begins with Kevin sitting outside a hut, which has been made into his own private pub called Kevin’s Whim as it opens and closes at his fancy. Back in the kitchen, first up is the starter- a shallot Tarte Tartin with Parmesan shavings served with baby lettuce. The main meal in this episode is Kevin Dundon’s Signature dish, which is a loin of bacon with Colcannon Potato cake. He visits Pat the butcher for his Irish bacon and Pat imparts details about the local meat. Dunbrody Chocolate Kiss is for dessert- this is a rich chocolate truffle and the glossary segment teaches how to make a chocolate ganache, with all the information displayed on the bottom of screen graphic strap.

Long before Jamie Oliver thought about setting up his kitchen to help disadvantaged children, an extraordinary and humble man had already done so in Vietnam. This film tells the story of Jimmy Pham, a Vietnamese-Australian, who decided to do something to help the street kids of Hanoi by setting up KOTO, a restaurant and training school to provide working opportunities for street children. As a result, many of them have now been given the choice to leave the streets behind them and learn new skills; ones that will help them find a better future.

It’s a year since Hugh arrived at River Cottage and he’s expanding his operation. He’s rented the field over the river and sets off to buy some livestock: a Dexter cow and calf, a flock of Dorset Down sheep, three pigs and a handful of chickens. Before they’ve had a chance to settle in, Hugh’s off to the annual nettle-eating competition at his local pub the Bottle Inn. After being roped in to take a place on the Bottle’s team, he cooks up nettle gnocchi for the victors. Next morning, local carpenter Angus Carmichael comes over to help make Hugh’s chickens truly free-range by building them a high-rise fox-proof coop. While they struggle to make the climb, Hugh takes off to Lyme Regis to go scallop hunting with local divers Paul Crosby and Doug Chalk who use scallops to barter in the local economy. The dive only produces enough for personal consumption but Hugh gives them a Mexican twist with scallop tortillas that he cooks up on the beach for Paul and Doug’s friends.

Hugh’s cattle and sheep are settling in but his chickens are having problems. Two of his chickens have failed to learn the ‘ladder test’, and because there’ll be no passengers on his smallholding, he’s entered them at the annual Gaggle of Geese pub poultry auction. He meets chicken expert Richard Hicks, who helps him bid for some replacements. Back at the cottage, Hugh helps local vet Jeff Thomson with the delicate operation of castrating his calf. Never one to let anything go to waste, Hugh cooks up the resulting testicles for Jeff, washed down with his home-made Elder-flower sorbet. Not only has Hugh expanded his livestock side he’s going into full-scale vegetable production with a 40-foot polytunnel. The huge crop of tomatoes that he’s planning to grow will generate much needed cash in August. His old friend and organic vegetable guru, Michael Michaud calls round to offer advice on which varieties to grow. Depressed that the rabbits have eaten his only early vegetables, Hugh declares his intent to turn adversity into opportunity by converting his pests into ready cash before setting off with local gamekeepers Larry and Dawn for a night of rabbiting. Next morning, Larry helps turn the vermin into rabbit burgers and satay-sticks for the upcoming Farmers’ Market. After a hard day at the Market, Hugh has managed to raise enough cash to struggle on - and he’s found another use for his overheating polytunnel. Totally exhausted, he strips off to enjoy a relaxing sauna.

Hugh’s landlord, Antony Hichens, is holding a Medieval Fair to raise funds for charity and Hugh has offered to donate one of his pigs. Antony and his wife Sczerina come down to the pig-pen to see which one should end up on the spit. As the weather warms up so do Hugh’s sheep and he calls in itinerant stockman Braid for a lesson in the art of sheep shearing. In order to ensure a continuing supply of beef it’s essential that Marge should produce a calf every year and local stud Knotting Regulus has come round to do the business. But Hugh can’t wait around to see if the relationship is consumated as he has a date on Chesil Beach. Royston and his team fish for mackerel in a traditional style that has been passed down for generations. Hugh takes a seat in their boat and helps them shoot the net in return for a share of the catch. The next morning he converts his share into Gravad-max - a variation on the preserved salmon dish of Gravad-lax. The day before the Medieval Fair, Hugh enlists the help of local bakers, Clive and Philip Crabb. They bake a batch of traditional Dorset lardy cakes but refuse to divulge their secret recipe. That evening, Hugh’s rival from the local horticultural show, Barbara Gunning comes round to the cottage to help Hugh mount the pig on its spit and make up a batch of apple sauce. The pig is fired up at dawn on the big day and Hugh and Barbara take it in turns to turn the spit. Dressed up in their Medieval costumes, Hugh and Barbara dish out over two hundred roast pork rolls before taking part in the climax of the day’s events, the tug of war.

It’s late summer at River Cottage but the weather is far from seasonal. Torrential rain washes out Hugh’s entire hay harvest and his polytunnel full of tomatoes is beset with blight. Radical plant-surgery saves the tomatoes but the hay is lost. Hugh is entering Joanna, one of his sheep, in the Melplash Agricultural Show and local expert Jo Forsey comes over to give it a shampoo and set before helping him trim it into shape. There’s still a week of combing and primping ahead before the day of judgement. At least the wet weather has brought out the wild mushrooms and Hugh gangs up with expert foragers Nick and Paddy to exploit the situation. Armed with a shopping list, they visit several different woods with the aim of collecting a completely free meal - picking up pigeons, fungi, blackberries and crab-apples on the way. However they spot an amazing circle of giant puffballs and take one back for a meal. That night, Hugh bakes the puffball stuffed with pigeon breast, wild garlic and other mushrooms. While there’s more than enough food, they run out of wine and head off to the pub where local band Bad Acid are holding an open mic session. Hugh rashly takes to the stage to give his unique rendition of The Who classic ‘Baba O’Reilly’. Next morning, Hugh collects the crayfish from his traps in the river. He then prepares a classic crayfish cocktail for Jo who’s coming round for dinner. After checking that Joanna the sheep is ready for the show, Jo and Hugh sit down to the crayfish cocktail followed by a leg of River Cottage lamb cooked in what remains of his hay. The next day, Hugh takes Joanna down to the Melplash Show where despite Hugh’s lack of experience in the show ring Joanna walks off with second prize in her class.

Hugh is embarking on the big financial venture of the summer. He’s harvesting his entire tomato crop to sell at the local Farmers’ Market. He plans to maximise his profits by converting his raw material into a range of deli products: tomato ketchup, smoked tomato soup, tomato and apple butter and green tomato and tomato samosas. To add spice to the enterprise he’s got a bet with his rival grower Michael Michaud as to who will take the most at the market. He’s come up with a brand name, The River Cottage Glutton, but in search of a suitable design he goes to see local artist Trish Wylie. Hugh gets down to making his tomato products but while feeding his pigs one morning he notices signs of a porcine rumpus. It appears that a local wild boar has attempted to break into the pen. Fearing for the safety of his sows, he builds an elaborate alarm system to warn of any future incursions. Taking a break from his preparation for the market, he gets a day’s work with John Wason who fishes out of Lyme Regis. Aboard his boat the Rhiannon, Hugh is put to work hauling pots and untangling nets. At the end of the day, and after some haggling, Hugh gets paid one lobster for his efforts. That night, he makes the classic lobster thermidor for Trish who’s coming round with the labels. Hugh works on into the night sticking labels on to the various jars and bottles of tomato produce. Despite the wind and rain, the Farmers’ Market proves a huge success. Hugh sells out and wins his bet with Michael.

Autumn is nearly over and Hugh is concerned about the winter ahead. He’s slaughtered his steer and his old mutton weather but he’s short of firewood and, after his disastrous hay harvest, still hasn’t any feed for his animals. But Hugh’s spotted a wild hop plant attached to one of his elm trees and gets down to brewing some beer to liven up the cold winter months. Local woodsman Nigel Dowding and his daughter Sharon come round to help him clear the hedge behind the cottage. Their efforts are rather more radical than Hugh had in mind, but the resulting crew -cut at least generates a healthy pile of logs. In return for a dozen bales of hay, Hugh agrees to be the quarry for the hunters of the West Country Bloodhounds. Despite his best efforts at deception, Hugh is pursued over the rolling hills and finally caught by the pack of slavering hounds. Hugh realises that as a means of earning winter fodder, playing the fox is a non-starter and decides to throw a party where the guests will be asked to bring a bale of hay instead of a bottle. Next morning, he cooks a mutton tagine for the party before freelance butcher Ray Smith calls round with the hindquarter of his Dexter steer. While Ray butchers the beef into steaks and burgers, Hugh rustles up a horseradish sauce. That night, the party goes well and next morning he stacks up the bales of hay - just enough to see him through the winter.

Part of the Greater Kruger Park, one of the world’s great game sanctuaries; home to a great diversity of wildlife with a large predator population. We encounter lions with their cubs and track the increasingly rare wild dog.

The other side of the Zambezi Valley – the River and its vast floodplain. Pods of hippos, lone crocs, buffalo herds and elephants abound in this ideal habitat. Smaller things too, myriad birds and tiny community spiders that create masterpiece structures. Breakfast on a sandbar in the middle of the river is one of the more unusual places we’ve eaten.

Made at the time of the renegotiation of the Antarctic Treaty, this investigative documentary examines what is really going on in Antarctica. Unlike previous documentaries, most of which have been about the Antarctic environment, this programme focuses on the scientific research being carried out by specific nations.

Not two hours from the sprawling city of Johannesburg you will find Foxwood House. Designed for one of the leading pioneers of the motor industry in 1933 by David Fleming, the homestead and gardens are essentially unchanged. Its present owners are the descendents of Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic at the time of the Boer War with Great Britain and creator of the world famous Kruger National Park and President Steyn. These prominent families played central roles in the twists and turns of South Africa’s turbulent past, and the house is filled with ephemera dating back over 200 years. The past and the present sit side by side in this exquisite boutique hotel, the result of complex intermingled visions and culture. In the Waterberg north of Johannesburg you find a piece of paradise. The sounds, sights and colours of the Waterberg have inspired artists, writers and poets. It is here that the visitor can rediscover his place in nature. Feed his soul and become one with nature. A place of animals and trees, birds and Sediba Lodge! Your heart swells and your spirits rise and you know there is no other place like Africa. From a lost life you hear it: lions calling across the night, calling to the wildness inside your own heart – you have come home at last.

A trip into the vast emptiness of the Kalahari is as awe inspiring as it is endless. Here you will find Deception Valley Lodge. The Kalahari has been home to the Bushman for centuries and stretches for as far as the eye can see. Being with these supreme knowers of the bush is a real lesson in humility. These tireless little men know the bush in a way that most of us only know our credit cards. They have a mystical relationship with the animals and you are caught in a world gone by, side by side with every luxury the 21st century has to offer. An unforgettable experience!

Africa is truly a strange place. In Africa many roads seem to lead to one destination. Karl Jung called it “synchronicity”; the study of meaningful coincidence. On a visit to Camp Jabulani within the Kapama game reserve you discover the breathtaking beauty of the Mpumalanga bushveld. Here you will meet Lente Rhoode, an African angel of mercy for orphaned or endangered animals of all kinds; from the awesome King Cheetah, to the clumsy but gentle Rhino and including a small elephant herd rescued from certain death in Zimbabwe. Riding an elephant is a rare privilege – meeting and touching them, a precious experience

Sabi Sabi lies close to the vast Kruger National Park in South Africa’s lush subtropical lowveld. But Africa is more than just a place on a map. Here, whether you stay at Selati Camp, Bush Lodge or Earth Lodge, each of which is utterly unique, you soon learn that Africa is a state of mind that’s timeless; enduring through yesterday, today and tomorrow. Africa is inside us all. Sharing space with the Big Five of Africa: elephant, lion, buffalo, white rhino and leopard is indeed a great privilege and witnessing a kill in the bush re-affirms Africa’s way: death and rebirth in endless cycles. With the whole cycle of mothering, birth, decay and stalking – It’s a primal experience without equal.

The Waterberg lies in a mountainous region of South Africa on one of the roads leading to the world famous Kruger National Park and it is here that you will find Paperbark Lodge.. The Waterberg was made famous by one of South Africa’s favourite sons, the great poet Eugene Marais. The hillsides of this majestic safari area are adorned with the lovely ghost white Albizia tanganyicensis and it is from these exquisite trees that Paperbark gets its name. The Big Five and a wealth of Africa’s other animals roam the vastness of the land. There is no end to the gorgeousness of Paperbark Lodge

Mateya Lodge is situated within the Madikwe Game Reserve in the north-western corner of South Africa. This enormous wilderness is characterized by wide grassed plains that stretch from horizon to horizon. Mateya is home to the Big Five but its open plains are the perfect habitat for both the sprinting cheetah and the tireless hunting wild dogs. Legend has it that Queen Mateya traveled from her kingdom in Zimbabwe to consult with Queen Modjadji, the Rain Queen when her land was ravaged by drought and stopped over near the place where Mateya Lodge now stands. Ruins in the area resemble those of Great Zimbabwe and bear out the legend.

Singita is sited on the confluence of the Nwanetsi and the Sweni rivers. It is here where cheetahs roam, unafraid of man. A small quiet place of the spirit. The Lebombo range of mountains stretches from the Kruger right down into northern Zululand and the lion play and groom themselves in the heat like overgrown pussycats. Giraffe graze the succulent topmost stems of the acacia trees and the antediluvian relic; the white rhinoceros trots prudently into the bush. Night drives at Singita are standard. This is when secret Africa reveals itself. The prolific Africa artist, Keith Joubert, is represented here. Steeped in Africa; his soul is African. His art is intimate. In his landscapes the sun rises inside you; the baobab tree shelters you from the heat, the hyena looks back over his shoulder only at you! Yet another gift from Africa!

Shumbalala - where the lion sleeps – is in 30 000 acres of the unspoilt wilderness of the Thornybush reserve. Game is plentiful here. Blue wildebeest, zebra and impala flourish on the vast grasslands. The sighting of three male cheetah at a kill leaves you spellbound. This is Africa. A cycle of life and death! The placid white rhino with their young graze peacefully in extended family groups. A breeding herd of elephant wallowing while their young engage in play play duals. Then face to face with one of evolution’s marvels at home in her habitat, words fail you. The stately female leopard – Africa’s ultimate killer! It’s best just to be silent and watch.

Africa is wise, because Africa is ancient. There’s an old saying that goes something like this; “A man is afraid three times: when he first sees a lion spoor; when he first hears a lion call; and when he first sees a lion when he’s on foot”. At Makenyane situated in South Africa’s north-west province, even the elephants - the real kings of the jungle – respect lions. At Makenyane there is an important lion research project on the go and there is nothing like waking in the night to the call of a lion or a hyena shrieking to remind you that you are in a place of primal beauty. You watch and wonder at the gifts of Africa. Just beyond the Magaliesberg Mountains, near the ancient extinct volcano of the Pilanesberg, you will find Boekenhout Lodge. Built on the site of the old homestead of Paul Kruger, once president of the Transvaal Republic during the Second World War of Independence with Britain in 1899. Gnarled by past hardships , transcended and mutated into strength… some of this strength is visible in the old house, home of a family that loved the land and reveled in nature. Twenty seven thousand Afrikaners died in the war against the British; of those twenty two thousand were women and children. Now the animals have come back to the land around the Kruger house. The past is another country, they do things differently there…!”

There was a time when travel was elegant. Rovos Rail has turned back the clock to recapture some of that glamour and elegance. From the gracious colonial style station which dates back to 1943 to the first hiss of steam, the huff and chuckle of the pistons and the slowly accelerating clackety-clack of the wheels over the tracks, you know you are in for an unforgettable adventure. The northern Transvaal of South Africa is utterly breathtaking. The sheer cliffs, the waterfalls and the noble expanse of sky and horizon all compete to entrance the eye. No visit to Africa is complete without a game drive and a Rovos adventure is no exception. Soon you are crossing over the Zambezi, that most romantic of Africa’s rivers, and on the descent into Zambia. No matter how many times you see the Victoria Falls, it’s such an awesome spectacle you never get over it. David Livingstone wrote; “Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight…” He’s right. They thundered before we were born and will thunder on after we are gone.

Beautiful Benguera Island lies off the coast of Mozambique in Southern Africa. Mozambique is now at peace but for longs years was gripped by a bitter and cruel civil war. The scars still show but the people are happy, upbeat and industrious. Now peace is like a port after stormy seas. The African sun follows its own clock and once set you’d best hurry. Sailing in a dhow with lateen rigged sail and harnessing the wind as centuries of seafarers have before, the flat seas of the Mozambique Channel are entirely unique. An unforgettable experience! The Mozambican water is clear and the richly populated reefs swarm with green turtles, butterfly fish, angel fish, sea anemones… an underwater paradise and a fisherman’s delight!

In the first episode of this extreme-sports and backpacking adventure, he group gets thrown right into the heart of the Australian outback. Birmingham city-slicker Rebecca soon discovers that home-comforts are a little too far away for her liking; while Miki tries to overcome her fear of putting her head under the water as she trains for her Scuba Diving Certificate…but the unspoken question on everyone’s mind is… sharks! These young travellers who carry their world on their backs in search of life-changing experience on the road, soon discover the challenges of living off the sunburnt country.

This time we’ll see Rebecca and friends living in a fish bowl. And we meet Anita from Amsterdam, who has come prepared for some serious horse riding. Then we’ll catch up with the Irish in Australia as Brendan and Jimmy set off for Perth, three thousand kilometres away. When we reconnect with Rachel and Miki, they are forming a fast friendship on the training farm- where backpackers can learn new skills, so that they can earn money in the outback to pay for their travels.

Last time the Irish Engineers got lost in the bush. This time they head deep into the desert. Last time Rebecca from Birmingham shared an apartment with other backpackers in Sydney. This time she finds a job waitressing in a strip club. Last time at the training farm, Miki from Japan became fast friends with Rachel from Canada. This time they split up for a while when Rachel takes a job and Miki goes exploring. The Irish Engineers, Brendan and Jimmy have been earning some petrol money by doing a little rough carpentry on an outback station. But their traveling companion, James from London, is an artist and philosopher, and he won’t compromise his principles. He believes the workers should be free to work, while the players are free to play, until it’s time to move on.

This time Miki continues exploring the world’s largest sand island, while Rebecca gets her heart broken and then flees to the Outback. Anita returns with her dog Chooka, and we meet Enrico from Italy and Reiko from Japan. Backpacking on the world’s largest sand island, Miki is making new friends and learning to drive. She is delighted to encounter one of those wild Australian dingo dogs that are so fond of human children. . . But this dingo isn’t hungry enough to take any real interest in Miki. Miki’s love for nature is irrepressible . . . and undiscriminating! Here she discovers the painful sting of an Australian bluebottle jellyfish.

Last time Enrico and Reiko set off in canoes up the Katherine Gorge. This time they find out it’s not as easy as their guide had told them. Anita got her dream job minding horses, and now she has her own car to go travelling with her dog Chooka. Rebecca is steeling herself for the withdrawal from Tim Tam Biscuits, and prepares to immerse herself in the bush for a whole week, on this no-frills guided tour through Central Australia- first stop is Uluru. Like most tourists, she’s come here in search of an authentic experience of the Australian wilderness. And for her, if romance happens to come with the package, for example with Bones, the tour guide, well, that would be okay, too. And if nothing else, at least one can come away with a good taste of that emptiness and isolation that defines the remote centre of Australia.

Anita has been minding horses and planting native trees in exchange for room and board. Although she’s enjoying her life on the farm, her companion is not happy there - so Chooka is being placed in a new home, back at the farm where Anita was last working. She leaves her canine companion behind so she can travel around Australia with her American boyfriend, Baaba. Her plan is to buy a new vehicle …one which is more conducive to romance. Rachel’s job in the Aboriginal community is finished, so she takes Miki on a farewell picnic with some of the kids she’s been working with.

Rachel bids a tearful goodbye to her adopted mother, Margie and the schoolkids she’s grown to love. In this episode, Rachel and Miki buy a car and take a road trip in Western Australia where they’ll earn a living picking fruit. Enrico and Reiko enjoy a series of disasters on the river, and Rebecca continues her no-frills tour of Central Australia- she has attracted two men and a permanent entourage of flies! She tells everyone who will listen how outback experience so far has left her speechless. Fifty kilometres west is the next stop on the tour -- The Olgas, one of Central Australia’s unique geographical features, and an important place in the Aboriginal Dreamtime.

Rachel and Miki are checking into the backpacker hostel where they bought their car. The car cost them all their savings, so now they can’t afford to drive any more. Their hope is to find some work picking fruit for the local farmers, so they can save up and get back on the road again. Miki’s experiences in Australia have already changed the way she sees the rest of her life unfolding. Two weeks of fruit picking gives Miki and Rachel enough money to hit the road once more. Rachel and the tour group continue their insect-eating antics and gathering campfire wood. An all-female tour group called ‘Birds In The Bush’ sets up camp nearby- the boys in Rachel’s group discover their presence and invade their space.

Previously, we saw Anita from Amsterdam connecting with her guru and boyfriend, Baaba from Los Angeles, whose great grandfather was a Masaai warrior. Now they’re on the road together in Australia. We also saw Miki and Rachel meet up in Western Australia, where Rachel was working in a remote Aboriginal community. In this episode, Miki and Rachel use their hard-earned savings to hit the road together and embark on their desert road trip. They head deep into the desert with their pre-owned but never nurtured car. It’s a 600 dollar vehicle that’s been handed down through several generations of backpackers.

In this episode, Miki and Rachel try to be at one with nature. . . Miki is backpacking her way around Australia. She’s on the lookout for a sexy boy, because she’s become bored with her Japanese boyfriend back home. Her traveling companion is Rachel, who has escaped from her workaday world in Canada. She wants to experience the freedom of life on the road before she gets too old for it. They’re also keen to have their first nature experience in the desert, and they’ll begin by sleeping out under the starry Southern sky. We last saw Rebecca touring Central Australia. Her heart was torn between two suitors -- her cool eccentric Tour Guide, Bones, and Steve, a young tourist from Germany known as The Testosterone Kid. So Rebecca makes her choice -- by staying on with Bones’s tour of the Kakadu National heritage Park, in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Miki’s ex-boyfriend is flying in from Japan tomorrow to visit her. But what he doesn’t know is that Miki now has two new boyfriends, both Australian, and both named Chris! She’s also about to start her night shift as a waitress in a local Chinese restaurant. But first she’s rewarding herself with her favourite pastime… eating. Baaba’s loose attire is ideally suited to desert conditions, but it requires him to frequently adjust his weapon! Life on the road is teaching Baaba a lot about Australia’s indigenous cultures, and it’s also giving him plenty of exposure to the alternative culture of backpacking.

In this episode, Yonit, Enrico and Reiko are leaving the Northern Territory and heading across the continent to the west coast, with their Aussie friend and guide, Zac. He has arranged a special visit with his old friends, Jack and Lilly, two respected elders in the local community. Miki and ex-boyfriend Hiro take to the skies with a sky-diving lesson and as Hiro sleeps off his jet-leg Miki keeps a pre-arranged date with one of her two Aussie boyfriends. Everything goes wrong when Miki accidentally spends the night away from Hiro… after a night of drinking she’s surprised to wake up at her girlfriend’s house.

The final episode catches up with Yonit, Enrico and Reiko in Kalumburus - one of the most isolated of all the Aboriginal communities, well away from any tourist routes. Zac is good friends with Jack and Lily, who’ve agreed to give Zac’s backpacking friends a taste of the real indigenous Australia. After this rare experience, they head off to their final destination in Australia- the famous pearling town of Broome, on Australia’s far west coast. Miki has decided not to return to Japan yet, and she now has an Australian student visa so she can improve her English, and spend more time with Chris. Rachel is working as a long-haul truck driver based in Ontario. She’s saving money so she can go to college and study photography. Rebecca is working as a waitress in a New York strip club, saving enough money to travel through Southeast Asia, and then on to India.

This time it is Mona who travels, discovering the land of Braveheart and Rob Roy. Upon her arrival in a typical castle hotel located near Stirling, she starts the exploration of Scotland from its ancient capital Edinburgh. Here she wanders amongst historical castles, mysterious catacombs, characteristic streets and trendy places. The following day Mona decides to treat herself with the natural beauties of the region. She looks around Loch Lomond, feeling free in the Highlands and taking a peaceful cruise on fascinating Loch Katrine.

In her third day in Scotland Mona looks at the history and the legends of the country. After visiting Stirling, “Braveheart’s” hometown (and actually meeting with him!) she reaches the famous William Wallace tower, the unusual Blackness Castle ending her day trying to cope with a strange ghost. The last day of Mona’s trip is dedicated to Scottish products, so firstly she visits the well known Scottish wool center. After a taste of real Scottish salmon in a very hip restaurant Mona goes to learn something about whiskey in an old distillery. Ending her trip in this astonishing country Mona meets a skillful bagpipes and kilts maker.

Geraldine reaches the most famous Italian Island, Sicily. Upon her arrival she drives a beautiful Morgan car to a very unusual hotel located in Castel di Tusa. From there she boards a hydrofoil to Lipari Islands, the so called Italian Hawai where she meets with Massimo, a local guide. Massimo takes Geraldine to Vulcano where she discovers the therapeutic benefits of sulfuric volcanic waters. The second stop is Salina where she visits its pretty museum, its gardens and its vineyards finishing the day drinking Malvasia and tasting local cookies and giant capers.

Geraldine goes by car to Agrigento in order to visit the very famous temple valley. After a quick stop to the national reserve of Torre Salsa she is invited to the little village of Siculiana where she can enjoy a traditional Sicilian marriage. On her last day in Sicily Geraldine reaches Catania where she boards a train taking her on the Etna volcano. Here she has the opportunity of watching closely the new craters opened by last eruptions. She says goodbye to Sicily from the very Hip city of Taormina.

Mona decides to go to Portugal and particularly in the enchanting region of Sintra. From the visit to a very old monastery to the one to a Masonry’s palace and its mysteries Mona enjoys the trip while discovering also Portuguese delicacies in a typical restaurant. The second day Mona goes to Colares to familiarize with the well known Colares wine made from grapes grown in the sand. Next stop is the historical town of Sintra for shopping and local pastry tasting. She ends the episode in Merces where it is held a very traditional fair.

Mona’s third day in Portugal begins with a visit to the capital Lisbon. Here starting from the famous Belem tower and Navigators monument she decides have a taste of the delicious Pasteis de Belem in the oldest pastry of the city. From there she walks in the characteristic streets of the ancient Alfama neighbourhood and she boards a typical tramway to complete her visit. In the evening after a glass of perfectly chilled sherry in the trendy area of Docks she has a moving experience listening some typical Fado music in an old restaurant. Mona decides to spend her last day in Portugal in the country’s beautiful nature. So from Praia Grande she reaches Cabo da Roca the most westerly point of continental Europe to finish the trip in front of the impressive Boca do Inferno where she meets a very brave fisherman

Geraldine loves legends and medieval times so what’s better than going there where the most famous knights once lived? And here she arrives in Malta and its sister islands. Besides being an interesting mix of cultures Malta will show to Geraldine its past and its natural beauties along with the characters of its inhabitants. She starts to explore the ancient town of Medina and after she takes off to visit the beautiful coastline of the main island to arrive in the incredible Popeye Village built in the 90’s to film the movie starring Robin Williams. The following day Geraldine goes to the second major island of this archipelago, Gozo in order to discover the legendary Calypso cave, the salt ponds and the city of Vittoria. Back in her hotel she meets the heir of the mythical St. John’s Knights.

On the third day of her Malta’s visit Geraldine goes for a stroll in the Presidential gardens before reaching the Blue Grotto, one of the most impressive natural caves existing in the Mediterranean. Her next stop for the day is the Neolithic temple of Gantija and of course the Island capital, La Valletta. Geraldine’s last day in Malta brings her to visit the so-called three cities, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua and after a gulf exploration on a beautiful Maltese gondola and a quick look to a curious art gallery she finally goes for some gambling in the famous Casino. To end her stay in the archipelago Geraldine stops in a colourful market of a cute fisherman village and goes to an international rugby match.

This time Mona arrives in the green and bright Ireland. From the magnificent hotel located in the countryside of Arthurstown she decides to have a riding lesson and a golf lesson before taking a look of the pretty little villages of Dunmore East and Tramore well known for their cliffs and beaches. The following day she travels to Waterford which she discovers accompanied by Jack, a fun Irish guide. After visiting the Waterford Treasure Museum and the famous Waterford Crystal factory she ends her day playing and singing celtic music in a very trendy pub.

Mona starts her third day in Ireland with a cooking lesson given to her by the renowned chef Kevin Dundron. Along the way to the cute city of Kilkenny she stops to learn some pottery-making in the Nick Mosse workshop. Finally she ends her day visiting the Kilkenny Design Center and the city and its beauties. The day after Mona decides to climb the most ancient lighthouse of Ireland and she also board the famous Famine Ship, a boat used by Irish immigrants in the 19th century to reach America. From there she goes to meet one of the Kennedy’s heirs before ending her trip stepping back into time while visiting the beautiful Irish National Heritage Park.

Geraldine starts her trip in the land of Rubens Van Gogh and Rembrandt visiting beautiful Amsterdam by bike, the most used means of transportation by Dutch. From the nine roads, looking for exclusive products to the red quarter our presenter finally has a close encounter with the art and the genius of a painter worldwide known entering the famous Van Gogh Museum. The following day Geraldine moves north to have a look of three typical Dutch towns: Marken, Edam and Volendam. Nature is fascinating under the snow and she enjoys herself admiring the dawn and the sunset in such an environment recalling the XVII centuries Dutch masterpieces. And to finish the day there are two exceptional events waiting for her: a frozen lake and a frozen port where time seems to stand still.

In this episode our host goes to pay a visit to “girls’ best friends”: diamonds! She shows one of the finest diamond factory for which Holland is so famous. After the visit is time to take a trip on a barge around Amsterdam’s canals before finishing the day in a very trendy restaurant. For the last day of her visit, Geraldine goes to Zaanse Schans. In fact this town is the home of two major Holland icons: clogs and windmills. After some “ritual” pictures is time to move to the little village of Enkuisen just to learn some ice-skating the same way Dutch love to do.

Following the call of her Mediterranean heritage Mona decides to visit the warmest of the Spanish region: Andalusia. Upon arrival at her hotel in the beautiful village of Carmona our host goes for a full immersion in the Spaniards’ culinary culture. In the evening she decides to check the “movida” in the wonderful capital of Andalusia, the legendary city of Sevilla. The second day is totally dedicated to Sevilla and its historical legacy. Furthermore Mona could not miss a lesson in one of the most known “flamenco” school of Spain before spending the evening in the Jewish quarter of the city.

On her third day in Andalusia Mona takes a trip to Jerez de la Frontera to discover the world of famous Sherry wine and a unique riding University. While going back to her hotel our host stops by a real bullfighting school to meet some of the students in their quest for glory in the “arenas”. The last day is dedicated to the visit of Arcos de la Frontera, one of the famous “white villages” of Andalusia and to the historical city of Cadiz, starting point for ships during the conquest of the “New World”. After a visit to the colorful market of the city the episode ends on a romantic sunset on Cadiz beach.

On her third day of stay in Austria, Geraldine goes up to the very top of the so called Kitzbuhel horn, where the story of this ski resort started. After that she realizes a real tyrolean recipe and she tries to milk a cow in the same way farmers around here used to do. The night is the right time to enjoy a party in the trendiest club of the town. The last day is entirely dedicated to snow activities, so viewers will see how to do some snowshoe hiking, where to try a real wooden sleight and learn to sing some “jodel”. The episode ends with a visit to an incredible safari park in the snow.

Mona continues her quest for sea and sun this time in the most photographed island of Greece: Santorini. Here she arrives by boat from mainland and after a quick stop in her fantastic hotel she shops around in the peculiar village of Oia before going for a tour of the island’s capital Fira. On her second day Mona is very determined to find out the story behind the Caldera, the basin in front of Santorini, believed to be the legendary Atlantis. After sailing she has a nice meal in the small hamlet of Thirassia before reaching the magic atmosphere of Good Friday in Pyrgos.

In this episode Mona relax herself paying a visit to the art village of Megalahori and after strolling on the three famous beaches of the island: the red, the black and the white beaches. To complete an enjoyable day she takes a Thai massage and a yoga lesson in front of a breathtaking blue sea. The last day is Easter so our host helps some new friend cooking sweets and lambs for the special meal of the day. The party is hold in a beautiful home of a very colorful family.

This time Geraldine reaches the village of Samnaun close to the Austrian border. After visiting the old and the new village our host assists to a suggestive party on the snow at night. The following day, being her birthday, Geraldine enjoys herself skiing and relaxing in a beautiful spa. The treatments offered in this spa are the best any woman could look for.

In this episode Geraldine wakes up early to work out in the gym. After that she goes for a visit in two places for which Switzerland is famous around the world: a cheese factory and a chocolate factory. In the evening she is a challenger in a curious ski tournament. Her last day in Switzerland is dedicated to the new trends in snow sports, like the ski-doo and the rack track. A chocolate fondue is the perfect end of a nice weekend in the mountains.

On a vast salt lake surrounded by red earth, renowned British sculptor Antony Gormley embarks on a sculptural installation that awakens a small Goldfields town in remote Western Australia.

Stretching further than London to Moscow – from the fringes of the Great Barrier Reef to the heart of the Australian outback – the newly crowned Route 66 Australia is challenging its famous American namesake as THE road trip for dreamers and adventurers the world over. This fascinating documentary reveals the amazing characters, rich history and World Heritage Listed natural wonders of this unique 2000 kilometre journey through the heart of Australia

This episode follows Lionel, a native Aussi, bush politician & ex-pro fisherman. The waterways are called Narooma, Aboriginal for clear water & they’re not kidding. We learn how to throw a traditional spear; precise hunting of mullet & bream and gather lobster, abalone & other succulent shellfish. Cooking is no mucking around, boiling and barbying with a few secrets chucked in. It’s a seafood-and-eat-it paradise but with the local law playing a tough role.