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00:00I'm Fred Syriex and I'm French.
00:04What courage is your long day.
00:06I used to work front of house in the hospitality industry.
00:10Cheers.
00:11But now I'm front of camera bringing people together.
00:15I really love cycling.
00:18It's a great way to travel and meet people.
00:22I haven't run this much for so long.
00:25Get the taste of new cultures and fresh flavours.
00:29I know it's naughty but they're so good.
00:33Last year I toured Northern Ireland on my bike.
00:37This time I'm heading back across the Irish Sea
00:40to explore the south of this extraordinary island.
00:44It really is epic.
00:46The cycle challenges start in Wexford
00:49and finish further south in County Cork.
00:52Some tough.
00:53Are you going to cheer me on or what?
00:55Come on!
00:57Some more gentle.
00:58Time for tea.
01:00But all spectacular.
01:03It's not just about cycling.
01:05And kiss.
01:06Perfect.
01:07There will be different challenges and adventures along the way.
01:11You've all heard of the Tour de France.
01:14This is truly an incredible place.
01:16Tour de France.
01:17This is Tour de France.
01:19My cycle trip around Ireland is almost at an end.
01:34The last leg of my journey has brought me to West Cork on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.
01:39And I have a very special cycling companion.
01:42I've been joined by my daughter Andrea.
01:45No, don't get me wrong.
01:46Cycling is actually hard.
01:48But the view here is so worth it.
01:51Who is here to get a first taste of Ireland.
01:56So what spices do you have in there?
01:58I won't be telling.
01:59She's not going to tell you the recipe is a secret.
02:01Yeah.
02:02There must be some clove in it.
02:03There might be.
02:04She's not going to tell us.
02:06We take alpacas for a relaxing walk.
02:08Well, I'm not so sure about that one.
02:11The stakes are high in our cycling challenge.
02:14Come on, Andrea.
02:15More?
02:16Yeah.
02:17I've lost my pedal.
02:18Come on.
02:21And we try very hard not to offend with our artistic interpretations.
02:25This is harder than it looks.
02:27No, you're making it look very, very, very hard.
02:31Allez, on y va to West Cork.
02:36West Cork stretches from Cork City and the town of Kinselle
02:41to three rugged peninsulas that reach into the wild Atlantic Ocean.
02:47The best way to take in all the scenery, wildlife and history
02:50West Cork has to offer is to cycle it, of course.
02:55I'm in West Cork and it's time for my last cycling challenge.
02:58I'm really excited because I'm joined by my daughter, Andrea,
03:01but also because we're going to do an incredible cycling challenge.
03:05We're going to do a whole loop of the island.
03:07And I don't mean the whole island of Ireland, but the island of Inchidone.
03:11And it's going to be beautiful.
03:13And at the end, I've got a surprise for you, Andrea.
03:15Oh, what is it?
03:16We're going to go surfing.
03:17Yeah!
03:18All right, are you ready to go?
03:19Yeah, I am.
03:20Come on, let's go.
03:21Inchidone Island lies in Clonacilty Bay and is connected to the mainland by two causeways.
03:32This loop of the island is just over five kilometres and will be cycling on sand,
03:36over bridges and along winding roads.
03:38For Andrea, a first-timer to this part of the world, it doesn't get much better than this.
03:45Whoa!
03:46Woo!
03:47I can't do that!
03:49It's like we're flying, look at that!
03:53The beach here on Inchidone Island has two separate sections, divided by the Virgin Mary headland.
04:09The sands stretch below high dunes and rocky cliffs.
04:16When was the last time you were able to cycle on the beach like this, Andrea?
04:21Oh my gosh, years ago!
04:23Just for us.
04:24It's like a private island beach.
04:26Woo!
04:31But this challenge is not just about sand.
04:33There are loads of different types of terrain on the island.
04:36It seems strange that so many fish so close to the shore.
04:39Papi would want to fish there.
04:42Yeah.
04:45Look at the cows over there.
04:46I know.
04:47There's so many cows everywhere.
04:49What would you call your cow if you had a cow?
04:51Marguerite.
04:52Mar-Marguerite!
04:56Do you remember the first time you cycled?
04:58Yeah, I remember.
04:59It was scary.
05:00Because you were standing behind me and then you said that you wouldn't let go.
05:03And then you let go!
05:05Well, at one point I have to, don't I?
05:07You let go!
05:08And now onto the main road, the most common route for people travelling to the beach.
05:14Everywhere you look, you find something new to enjoy.
05:17Want to do a race?
05:18Yeah.
05:19OK, let's go!
05:20I went the wrong way!
05:21Come on, Andrea!
05:22More?
05:23Yeah!
05:24I've lost my paddle!
05:25Come on!
05:26Competitive?
05:27Moi?
05:28Come on, lift up your butt!
05:29Come on!
05:30Show us what you got!
05:31Come on, you're going to beat your old man!
05:34We are nearing the end of our challenge and Inchidone Beach is in sight again and what a sight it is!
05:53The sun, the wind, the sea!
06:04You and me!
06:06We've now completed the Inchidone Island Loop!
06:11Wow, what a challenge!
06:16What a cycle!
06:17But you know what?
06:18It's bittersweet for me.
06:19I mean, that was really quite exceptional.
06:21But it's the last one and it's the last one with my daughter.
06:24It was really super special, wasn't it, Andrea?
06:26Yeah, it was incredible.
06:27It's just an amazing way to see the wild Atlantic way.
06:29It was, wasn't it?
06:30Yeah.
06:33And now for that surprise, I promised Andrea.
06:46Wetsuit on and surfboard under my arm.
06:48Do I look the part?
06:51Andrea is a water baby.
06:53She's even won a bronze medal for diving at the Olympics.
06:56I was so proud.
06:57But when it comes to surfing, it's been a long time since either of us have tried it.
07:03Inchidone Beach is suitable for surfers of all levels, which suits Andrea and I just fine.
07:08Now they say that West Cork benefits from the Gulf Stream currents and has relatively warm waters as a result, but I'm still glad to be wearing a wetsuit.
07:18Liam is an elite level surfer and has been a qualified surfing instructor since 2005.
07:25He has also been the manager of this local surf school for over two decades.
07:30Welcome to the Chidane.
07:31Welcome to the Chidane.
07:40It's just a lovely beach because it's gently sloping.
07:42It doesn't get very deep, so you won't get any shocks when you go into the water.
07:46You'll be able to stay in your depth.
07:48And we have nice, gently breaking waves, which are brilliant for beginners and intermediates.
07:53I'm guessing you're beginners.
07:54Yeah, perfect for us.
07:55Yeah, that sounds good.
07:56This is one of the nicest beaches because it's always quiet.
07:59You can go to anywhere in the world, California or anywhere, you'll have hundreds of people out in these waves.
08:04And we have two people and ourselves.
08:07Okay, guys, if you want to lie down on your boards first that way,
08:10we're going to get your feet always to the back of the boards, alright?
08:13When we're paddling for the wave, we're lifting our body, keeping it straight with our hands.
08:18And when the wave comes, we paddle three more paddles.
08:21And then we're going to go into the push-up position, our toes curled in.
08:25Now, this is a major thing.
08:27You're not looking down and you're not looking over here.
08:30You're looking where you're going.
08:31So, you're popping up to your front foot, front foot lines first and you're looking in that direction.
08:36Will you give me a look?
08:37Okay.
08:38So, you're paddling.
08:39The wave's coming so they're going to hit you.
08:41You do three more paddles.
08:43Popped up.
08:44Excellent.
08:45Just check you're not too far up the board when you're standing.
08:48So, I want you to go down to your bellies again one more time.
08:53And where are you looking when you're popping up?
08:55Up.
08:56You look at my pretty face.
08:57Ready?
08:58Three, two, one, up you go.
09:00Nice and fast.
09:01So, guys, I'm going to show you a little trick when you're standing.
09:05Go back to your standing positions.
09:06I want you to try and bend your back knee a small bit.
09:09And there we go.
09:11We're not sticking our bums out like this.
09:13No.
09:14Oh, yeah, that's beautiful.
09:15Yeah, lovely.
09:16It's a lovely bum but we're keeping it in.
09:18I can't, Andrea.
09:19I can't, Andrea.
09:20My knees are not going anymore.
09:21Like this.
09:22Like this.
09:23OK.
09:24My knees are finished.
09:25I can't do it.
09:26My hips are gone as well.
09:28OK, we're standing on our surfboards.
09:29We have to get off.
09:30We're going to jump two feet together.
09:32Oh, beautiful.
09:33A little flare on it as well.
09:35You copied me.
09:36So, have a look back at me.
09:39I'm the wave.
09:40I'm coming.
09:41You start paddling.
09:42Three more paddles.
09:43You jumped up too early or both.
09:45You're on it.
09:46Yeah!
09:47I got it!
09:48You jumped up too early.
09:49I went to safety.
09:50All right, so, look.
09:51This is a big one, lads.
09:52Shaka.
09:53No, that's...
09:54Like this, like this.
09:55That's...
09:56Like you're calling someone.
09:57That's rock and roll.
09:58This is Shaka for the second.
09:59I'm not as cool as you two, guys.
10:01You're getting there.
10:02Hello?
10:03Hello?
10:04Yes, I'm stuck.
10:05Please come and get me.
10:07Or you can also.
10:08Yeah.
10:09That's for later.
10:10A nice doubt.
10:11Yeah.
10:12So, let's go, guys.
10:13Let's go in.
10:14And if I give you this, that means you're doing well, all right?
10:15OK.
10:16And it's actually bad luck if you do this to a surfer and they don't do it back to you.
10:19All right, so, are you ready for it?
10:20If you want to follow me here.
10:22The tide is coming in now and it's just lovely.
10:25I just hope we can remember everything that we've just learned.
10:29These are the kind of waves that make you feel alive.
10:41I'm so proud watching Andrea surf like that.
10:43Look at her go.
10:48Check me out.
10:49I'm riding a mini wave.
10:51Woo!
10:52This is so tough, but I'm in my element.
10:55I love this.
11:02What an experience to be chasing waves on the edge of Ireland with Andrea.
11:12That was worth the wipeouts.
11:17But I think Andrea is the clear winner here, don't you think?
11:24What surf.
11:25I've surfed so many places.
11:26In Bali, in France, in Cornwall.
11:27This is the best surf ever.
11:28The water is amazing.
11:29The temperature, the water is great.
11:30It's perfect.
11:31Yeah, it's not too cold actually.
11:32Especially on your own, your own, your own.
11:33You don't know what you're doing.
11:34I'm going to be at it.
11:36Oh, my God.
11:53especially when you're paddling so much.
11:55No, it was tough, but a great way to end the day.
11:59Have we got on a few waves? We're actually surfing!
12:02We actually were semi-decent!
12:09What a first day with Andrea in West Cork.
12:13Who knows where our bikes will take us tomorrow?
12:23Andrea and I are continuing our adventure by bike in West Cork in Ireland.
12:34We have reached the village of Clona Kilti, West Cork's only heritage town,
12:38known for its historical buildings and colourful shopfronts.
12:46We have a long day of cycling ahead of us, so I think some breakfast is in order
12:50and where better to stop than the home of a Clona Kilti speciality
12:54seen on breakfast plates all over Ireland.
13:00Black Pudding.
13:07Gia Dic!
13:08Hi!
13:09How are you? Good!
13:10Good to meet you.
13:11Welcome to West Cork. Good morning!
13:12Andrea, how are you?
13:13Good, thank you. How are you?
13:14Good.
13:15So what's so special about your black pudding? It's unique, isn't it?
13:17It is unique. It has a unique mixture of spices.
13:19And that's the secret recipe.
13:21And how old is the recipe then?
13:22The recipe is going back to the 1880s.
13:24And you're the only person that has the spice recipe, no one else?
13:27Yes, nobody else.
13:28Can we try it?
13:29You can, of course, you can, of course. Come on over here.
13:34The concept of black pudding, or blood sausage, is ancient,
13:37with mentions in literature as far back as 800 BC.
13:41Here in Ireland and elsewhere, black pudding became a vital and cheap food source,
13:48as it used all parts of the animal.
13:50Now, here we are.
13:52Yes.
13:53Yes.
13:54There we go.
13:55Thank you very much.
13:56So what's in it exactly?
13:58There's beef meat, beef blood, onions.
14:02The grainy bits are pinhead oatmeal, and then, of course, the all-important spices.
14:07I'm not usually a fan of black pudding, but that's actually really good.
14:10Yeah.
14:11So who was the person who actually came up with the first recipe, the original recipe?
14:15The Harrington family devised the recipe.
14:18Back in the 1880s, Joanne O'Brien, a lady out in the country,
14:22made the pudding and sold it in the butcher shop.
14:25And my late husband, Edward, bought the butcher shop in 1976,
14:28and with it came a little bit of paper that we really didn't have any value on,
14:33with the recipe for the pudding.
14:35And I remember when we bought the butcher shop first,
14:38and the name was changed over the door from Harrington to me,
14:42and people kind of came to the door, hesitant, and said,
14:45can you still get the same black pudding?
14:47And we said, yes, you sure can.
14:49So what spices do you have in there?
14:51A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
14:53No, I won't be telling.
14:54She's not going to tell you the recipe is a secret.
14:56Yeah.
14:57There must be some clove in it.
14:58There might be.
14:59She's not going to tell us!
15:01There might be clove.
15:02Might be.
15:03Cinnamon?
15:05Maybe.
15:06Sorry, no, there's no cinnamon.
15:07There's no cinnamon.
15:08She's good at pork, isn't she?
15:09Yeah!
15:15Fueled up, if none the wiser about the secret recipe,
15:18it's time to leave Tonakilti and cycle back into the West Cork countryside again.
15:23These are some of the best routes I've taken so far.
15:40Around every corner there is a new view to discover, and the sunshine certainly helps.
15:46I love spots like this, because we're in the middle of nature, there's no cars, you can't
15:54hear planes above your head.
15:56Yeah.
15:57It's very relaxing.
15:58Oh, wow.
15:59Look at that.
16:00The scenery definitely helps.
16:01Look at this, Andrea.
16:04I've got a surprise when we get to the end of this path.
16:10Oh, really?
16:11Yeah.
16:12I've booked something very special.
16:13I think you're going to love it.
16:14Really?
16:15Yeah.
16:16What is it?
16:17I'm not telling you.
16:18Okay.
16:19Okay, go on.
16:21Alpacas?
16:26I know the alpacas make it look like we've traveled to South America, but we are still
16:30in County Cork, I promise.
16:35Hi Benjamin.
16:36How are you?
16:37Hi Fred, how are you doing?
16:38Very good, thank you.
16:39Nice to meet you.
16:40This is my daughter.
16:41Great to have you here.
16:42Very welcome.
16:43So why did you set up this place with these alpacas?
16:45I felt very much that it would really suit my passion to bring people, nature and animals
16:51together, you know, because this is a beautiful place in Irish nature.
16:56It suits these animals very well.
16:58And then my wife came in with a passion for knitting and knitwear and our passion together
17:04for making something sustainable, you know, and that's really where we realized that everything
17:10comes together and we could make a beautiful educational farm.
17:14And then you get the wool, so bingo.
17:16Exactly.
17:17Anastasia's slow fashion approach to making clothes means much of the alpaca fiber is
17:23processed by hand with a spinning wheel.
17:27All of the yarn can be traced back to each individual alpaca.
17:31So the alpaca is really in terms of domesticated animal that is farmed.
17:38It is the top fiber producing animal that there is.
17:43So what their main job is, relax and grow fur.
17:46Right.
17:47That's good.
17:48Yeah.
17:49So for us, it was a win-win.
17:50Perfect.
17:51Benjamin's background in educational science and his experience with animal assisted education
17:57led this family to establish their alpaca ranch here in Westcourt.
18:01He claims that walking with alpacas encourages mindfulness and a chance to connect with nature
18:07and animals.
18:08Hmm.
18:09I might take a bit of convincing about that.
18:11Right.
18:12So all you have to do is take the lead and start walking and they will just walk gentle behind
18:17and next to you.
18:18Okay.
18:19If they do pull ahead, just have the lead long and keep a bit of distance to their
18:23back.
18:24Okay.
18:25If you want to pet them, keep the lead short and you can pet them and you can even put
18:29your hand around for the picture.
18:30Oh yeah.
18:31Okay.
18:32So try that.
18:33And they will run off into the sunset.
18:34And what do I do now?
18:35I just start to walk.
18:36You just start walking around the house, through the cars and down into the fields.
18:40I'll be with you.
18:41I wonder if the alpacas are going to pick up on how worried I am about this.
18:45Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
18:46He's going back.
18:47He's going back.
18:48Very good.
18:49You keep going with him.
18:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:51You come here.
18:52You wanted to take the lead.
18:53Now you have to.
18:54Very good.
18:55I don't dare to look at him because I think he's going to spit.
18:58And I'm not speaking towards, in his direction.
19:02Something tells me I'm not doing a good job at hiding my nerves.
19:05Oh, he's got a branch here.
19:08Oh.
19:11Yeah.
19:12The head is a little bit sensitive, especially if you...
19:14No, but he's got a branch.
19:15I want you to take it out.
19:16No, don't touch him.
19:17These things, that's okay, yeah.
19:18All right, let's go.
19:19Come on.
19:20Let's go.
19:21Come on.
19:22Come on, Sonny.
19:23Come on.
19:24Come on, Paddington.
19:25I am stressed.
19:26I'm regretting booking that thing.
19:27Well, look at the view.
19:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:29Look at the view.
19:30At least you're happy, Andrea.
19:31That's good.
19:32I'm happy.
19:33Yeah, good.
19:34That's funny, yeah.
19:35Yeah.
19:36Native to South America, alpacas were domesticated around six, seven years ago for clothing,
19:41food and transport.
19:43I wonder, did the ancestors of these alpacas imagine they'd ever be living by the sea in
19:48West Cork?
19:49What a setting you have here, Benjamin.
19:53Yes, I know.
19:56So this island is called Rabbit Island, but in Irish it's called St. Bridget's Island.
20:07I believe that there is the story that St. Bridget visited it.
20:11Rabbit Island sits off the coast here and is known for its mansions in Irish folklore and
20:16its abundant wildlife.
20:19I am the alpaca whisperer.
20:21There you are.
20:22And I'm the stressed dad.
20:24This is actually really good.
20:27This is fun.
20:29So why do you take them here on the beach, Benjamin?
20:33We had to train the alpacas at the beginning to go onto the beach because, you know, that's
20:38new for them.
20:39But we knew that alpacas liked the water.
20:42And the other thing, what is very beneficial for alpacas is the seaweed actually.
20:47They started to graze the seaweed.
20:49And seaweed is often even mixed in with feed because it has a lot of minerals.
20:53They graze here all the time.
20:55You know, there's a big salad bar for them.
20:57Yeah.
20:58I'm fine.
20:59I'm fine.
21:00You're nervous.
21:01I'm gonna need therapy after this.
21:05Oh no.
21:06It is therapy.
21:07You're just gonna open up for this therapy.
21:09No, no.
21:10I'm trying to open up.
21:11I'm just like closing, closing off, you know.
21:19I think the alpacas have had enough now.
21:22Oh, he's like, I want to go.
21:23No, you have to take Paddington back.
21:25Look, he's coming.
21:26Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
21:28Paddington.
21:29Do you want some help?
21:31Oh, he's gone.
21:32He's gone.
21:33He's gone.
21:34I'm guessing your kids love walking with the alpacas, no?
21:40They do, yeah.
21:41Do you ever pick them up from school with them?
21:43No.
21:44No?
21:45No.
21:46If you're thinking I'm gonna pick you up from uni, Andrea,
21:48with an alpaca next week.
21:49Oh my gosh, that would be so cool.
21:51Yeah, it's not gonna happen.
21:53They are very good travellers.
21:55Benjamin likes the idea.
21:58Oh yeah.
21:59The things you do for your kids, but Andrea enjoyed it, so all good.
22:07Yeah, it was quite relaxing, I think.
22:09Lovely view, lovely walk.
22:11The alpacas were soft.
22:12Relaxing.
22:13You did good though.
22:15I know.
22:16Oh, come on, get on your bike.
22:17Let's go.
22:21And we're back on our bikes.
22:23There is so much more of West Cork to explore together.
22:39I'm continuing my cycle through West Cork with my daughter Andrea,
22:42and we have reached the fishing village of Baltimore on the southern tip of Ireland.
22:51Baltimore is linked to pirates because of a dramatic kidnapping of this entire town in 1631.
22:57Whether all the details are fact or fiction, I'm fascinated to learn more.
23:04Andrea, we're in Baltimore and I really want to find out about the pirates,
23:07so we'll stop at the pub and we'll find out about the story, okay?
23:10Okay.
23:15We have come to the Alger, a pub and restaurant here in Baltimore.
23:19I've been told this is a good place to find out more about this notorious pirate invasion,
23:24as landlord Bill knows the story.
23:35So Bill, I have so many questions to ask you.
23:37So what happened?
23:38Three ships anchored outside of Baltimore Harbor.
23:41Just before dawn, they rode around the corner into the cove where the village was to a beach.
23:47Right.
23:48That is where they landed.
23:49Walked across the small hill to the village.
23:52Right.
23:53What they would have done is they would have lit the thatched roofs on fire.
23:56Right.
23:57The house would filled with smoke.
23:58The horrified residents would have run out and then they would have been captured.
24:04And how many people were there in these three ships?
24:07About 200.
24:08200.
24:09200 men raiding?
24:10Yeah.
24:11So then Janissaries, Ottoman Turks, as well as the main pirate whose name was John Johnson.
24:16He was Dutch.
24:17Himself captured by Barbary pirates and then converted to Islam and became the most notorious
24:23of the Barbary pirates.
24:24Really?
24:25One of the wealthiest men in the world by the time of his death.
24:27And how many people were living in Baltimore at the time of the raid?
24:30They took 107.
24:32But remember, this was occupied territory at the time.
24:35There's no Irish names on the list.
24:37None one?
24:38Not one.
24:39Wow.
24:40The only names are English names.
24:42There are theories that because the Irish people would have been so disregarded that the
24:46names just weren't recorded.
24:47They may have taken as much as 200 people.
24:50The Irish people just were anonymous.
24:52Oh.
24:53They only cared about the English.
24:56That may be the case and there's some people that...
24:58So the story could be more tragic than we know.
25:01Right, right, right.
25:02The Irish that were here all fled, founded Skibarine about 10 miles inland because they're
25:07terrified, you know.
25:08So this place that Baltimore laid empty for a couple generations.
25:14Oh really?
25:15No one came back, yeah.
25:20So do we know what happened to the people that were taken away?
25:23So they would have been taken to Algiers, which is in North Africa.
25:27It would have been part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, controlled from Turkey.
25:31So do you think that it's possible that the people who were taken slaves there in North Africa,
25:36do you think that they had an influence, you know, with their culture, their music, their language?
25:40We have people visit us here from Algeria.
25:43In fact, there was a customer that came in and he came specifically to Baltimore because he wanted...
25:48He says that in his village in southern Algeria, the music was Irish.
25:54Irish? Wow.
25:56The influence of Ireland on the world never fails to amaze me.
26:06What an interesting morning.
26:07I know. History lesson, now we get to ride our bikes.
26:11Crazy story, Andrea.
26:13All right?
26:14All right?
26:15All right.
26:16All right.
26:17We're in Baltimore, so we should cycle to where these pirates invaded.
26:28That was really, really interesting.
26:34A nice history lesson to start the day.
26:36Well, quite an incredible story, Andrea.
26:38Can you imagine being awakened in the middle of the night by pirates and then to be taken away on a ship and being a slave all your life?
26:45Crazy.
26:46Crazy.
26:47We never know.
26:48Those people could have walked where we are riding right now.
26:51Yes.
26:56This is the very cove where the Barbary pirates landed almost 400 years ago in Baltimore.
27:01I love when history comes alive like this.
27:09Wow, Andrea, look at that.
27:11It's so beautiful.
27:12Wow.
27:16Andrea and I can't leave Baltimore without visiting one of West Cork's most iconic landmarks.
27:23So we are continuing our cycle past the cove and up the hill leading to the cliffs.
27:31This cone-shaped sculpture called the Baltimore Beacon was built in 1849.
27:38Following the Irish rebellion in 1798, the British decided to build a series of beacons and lighthouses
27:45along the Irish coast as part of a warning system.
27:51The Baltimore Beacon isn't lit, but its white paint is meant to be enough of a warning for ships approaching this craggy coast.
27:59What a sight, rising 50 feet above the cliffs and spectacular views out to the Atlantic Ocean.
28:05This was well worth the pit stop.
28:06Onwards to Sandy Cove.
28:07This cove outside the town of Kinsel was once used by smugglers, but is now known as a wild swimming spot and for its cliff walk overlooking the Celtic Sea.
28:24Sandy Cove Island is inhabited except for a herd of wild goats who have been on the island for generations.
28:38We are here to meet Suzanne, who started out as a zoologist and now runs food and foraging tours.
28:46Hi Suzanne.
28:47Hey Fred.
28:48Hey Andrea.
28:49How are you?
28:50Really good.
28:51How are you?
28:52Lovely to meet you.
28:53Nice to meet you too.
28:54This is my daughter Andrea.
28:55Nice to meet you.
28:56Welcome to Sandy Cove.
28:57This location is a really beautiful spot to see wild plants.
29:00So today I thought it would be nice to show you some because a lot of them would have been really important for us in our history, in our culture, in our folklore.
29:06There's actually, there's a bunch of plants we can look at on the way down that are edible.
29:09Oh, good.
29:10Shall we go see that?
29:11Yeah, absolutely.
29:12Yeah.
29:15Obviously if you're collecting anything wild, you know, you have to make sure you know what you're collecting.
29:18Yeah.
29:19So it's safe.
29:20And also to be respectful, you know, not to take too much of anything, always leave plenty for other creatures and people.
29:25You know, be sustainable in your approach to how you do it.
29:27Right.
29:28Yeah.
29:29So I love these plants.
29:30They're called fireweed because after fire they come back to life really fast.
29:34The flowers, you can eat them if you want.
29:37They're meant to have a sort of sweetish flavour, but the seeds, so it's this cotton-like seed here.
29:43So in North America, the Native Americans would actually use this as a fire starter.
29:49So you bundle it up in a large amount and it's really flammable.
29:52It's really good to make a fire.
29:53And also they used to get goat hair and they would actually weave blankets with this and the goat hair together.
29:58So I've been saying for a long time that I want to like grab me a goat from over there, get a loom, sit down and make a blanket just right here.
30:05That would be very sustainable, you know.
30:07It would be very comfortable as well.
30:08Very soft, yeah.
30:09Incredibly soft.
30:10I love to walk in nature, but I don't often pay attention to the plants around me.
30:16I'm learning so much from Suzanne.
30:20Okay, so we've got nettle here.
30:22Don't touch it because it's got a really bad sting.
30:25But this is a really special and important plant, particularly in Ireland, because it was one of three plants that actually helped a lot of people survive during the famine.
30:31There's that and charlotte, which is wild mustard, and carrageen.
30:34But it's essentially a superfood.
30:35It's packed full of vitamins and minerals.
30:37But with all nettles, obviously you need to be really careful.
30:40Pick it with gloves.
30:41And when you bring it home, if you want to use it for food, you need to denature the stingers.
30:45So blanch it, boil it, freeze it, whatever.
30:48And even though the sting is really unpleasant, there's a lot of people in the past who had really bad rheumatism.
30:53They used to flay their legs with nettles.
30:55And what actually would happen was there's actually anti-inflammatories and anti-histamines in the hairs.
31:00So you get this initial pain, but then you get a relief.
31:03When I was in primary school, they taught us how to make stinging nettle soup.
31:07All right.
31:08Well, I know what I'm going to do next Sunday for you.
31:10Not stinging nettle soup!
31:12Stinging nettle soup?
31:13No, please!
31:14No, it's very bitter.
31:15It can be, but people used to take it in Ireland as a shaft, and they would say,
31:19put fire in your belly to bring up your immune system over the months ahead.
31:23It's really high in protein as well.
31:25It's fascinating to hear about all the uses for these plants.
31:29So much knowledge that has been lost over the years.
31:32I'm going to bring you down to the hawthorn tree, which we also call the fairy tree.
31:36Your favourite?
31:37Yeah.
31:38Well, I wanted to show my daughter the fairy tree because I've been telling her about it.
31:40I've been telling her about the world of the fairies, which I encountered last week.
31:44You did?
31:45Okay.
31:46Yes.
31:47Yeah, so there's a lot of fairy stuff going on in Ireland.
31:49It's like the place to be for us.
31:51Okay.
31:52Okay.
31:53So we've got the fairy tree here.
31:56Horthorn.
31:57So I think it's possible, Andrea, something is going to happen and we're going to get a sign from the fairies of this tree.
32:03Okay.
32:04Look.
32:05Look.
32:06Oh.
32:07No, this is just a branch that's cracked.
32:10But look at these roots.
32:12It looks like it might be an entry point for one of the fairy folk, for sure.
32:16Oh, you think so?
32:17Possibly.
32:18Maybe put your hand in.
32:19He might lose it, but hey.
32:21No, no, no, no.
32:22You won't lose it.
32:23You've got to trust in the goodness of the fairies.
32:25So if you damage the tree in any way, you can actually anger them because that's an entrance to their world.
32:30And there's a really famous story around one of these trees, which occurred in 1999.
32:35So they wanted to build this road between Limerick and Clare.
32:38They wanted to bypass, but there was a hawthorn bush there.
32:42And a local storyteller called Eddie Lenehan, who's a big believer in the fairies, claimed that he'd been talking to a farmer a couple of days previously.
32:48And the farmer had seen these green liver-like blobs moving around in this bush.
32:53And Eddie was like, oh my God, the fairies were there.
32:56And not only just there, they were actually going into battle.
32:59It was two different groups fighting each other.
33:01And Eddie said, if you didn't let them resolve their differences, they would never have peace and all problems will occur.
33:08And there'd be like road crashes there, all sorts of things would happen.
33:11It became so big, not only was it a national story, it became an international story.
33:16And they actually, in the end, diverted the road around the tree.
33:19And the cool thing about it is it just shows that magic and mystery is very much alive and well in Ireland.
33:24So look at what we have here.
33:38Wow.
33:39So we've got rock samphire, which is this little cliff plant.
33:43So the thing about it is it likes to grow on cliffs.
33:47This has been used actually a lot on voyages like Vikings, people traveling across the world.
33:53It would be used actually as a vitamin C source because it's really good for preventing scurvy.
33:57So they would actually pickle it and you could keep it for months like that.
34:01So I would recommend you maybe just have a taste of it.
34:04There's no wrong answer with this, but there's a really wide variety of flavors you can get.
34:10But like what flavor would you get from it?
34:12Bad.
34:13Like, does it remind you of anything in particular?
34:16It's very sour.
34:17Yeah.
34:18Okay.
34:19Very, very sour.
34:20Lemony.
34:21Yeah.
34:22So normally, like when it's younger, it tastes like carrot or broccoli or lemon or lime or salt.
34:27There is a carrot taste to it.
34:28Yeah.
34:29It's true enough to taste the carrot.
34:30You're right.
34:31But the thing is, as it develops over the autumn, it releases these oils into its tissues,
34:36which are called terpenes, and they actually taste like petroleum.
34:39So you also might have picked up on that.
34:41But the thing about this plant and what I like to show people is, you know, when you go to the supermarket,
34:44you get a tomato or a mushroom.
34:45It tastes like tomato or mushroom because they're bred to taste that way.
34:48But wild plants, if you actually eat them, quite often they'll show you that there's a whole different flavor profile for different things.
34:55So I really like to show it that way.
34:56Wow.
34:57What a fascinating tour.
34:58Yeah.
34:59Thank you so much.
35:00Thank you, Suzanne.
35:01You're very welcome.
35:02Merci beaucoup.
35:03Don't you?
35:04Oh boy.
35:05Oh, be careful.
35:09What an introduction to foraging.
35:11I'm going to have to keep an eye out for interesting plants on my walks back home now,
35:15but I won't be collecting anything I'm not confident about.
35:18It's always better to be safe than sorry.
35:21Onwards to our final stop in West Cork and a chance to flex our artistic skills.
35:26Well, that is if we have any.
35:28Andrea and I are on the final leg of our West Cork adventure,
35:43and we are cycling to a pottery class through the town of Kinselle.
35:50Kinselle is on Ireland's southwest coast at the mouth of the river Brandon
35:54and is a starting point for the wild Atlantic Way.
35:59The Irish for Kinselle is Kientalia, which roughly translates to Headland of the Sea.
36:06The colourful streets make a pretty backdrop, a picture postcard of West Cork.
36:16Jedid!
36:18How's it going?
36:21They had their headphones in.
36:23Yeah, but they think that we are locals and we are very friendly.
36:26We are contributing to the reputation of Ireland as a friendly country, Andrea.
36:29With your French accent. You have to have your Irish accent.
36:35Andrea, I said Gia Dij. Go up!
36:42Just outside the town is the home of Kinselle Pottery run by Adrian.
36:49We are looking forward to creating art together.
36:52Adrian quit the rat race in London over 25 years ago and set up a pottery studio here.
36:57Quite the lifestyle change.
36:59Hey Adrian.
37:05How are you?
37:06Good, yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:07Are you yourselves?
37:08Yeah, good, thank you, good.
37:09Nice to meet you.
37:12Oh, wow!
37:16Adrian's work is so unique but there is no time to admire it.
37:19Our challenge is to make a sculpture of each other.
37:22At the front, you can put your hand inside it and push out where the chin is going to go.
37:28So you are starting to get the form of the head.
37:31Then the eyes are going to be about half way up.
37:35And you just need to create indentations in the face.
37:39When you get to that point, the first thing you are going to do is start to build the nose.
37:43There are people with very large noses, but there are, nevertheless, you don't want them to be too big.
37:49OK, so that's probably where you are going to start.
37:52Why are you looking at me like this, Andrea?
37:54Nothing.
37:55Different noses, different people.
37:56Yeah, they are beautiful.
37:58You can add a bit to the front of the chin.
38:00So you don't have to push the chin out all the way.
38:02If you think the person has a bit more chin...
38:04Look at this.
38:05I look like a snowman.
38:08I look like a Minecraft character.
38:11Adrian, you make it look so easy.
38:13Yeah?
38:14And now I feel totally out of my depth.
38:16OK, so before we get too far into adding, I think we need to change the shape of the head of it.
38:22Uh-oh, not a great start with Adrian already having to take over and slap our pots into shape.
38:28We will get on to the detail, but...
38:30I think this is really good so far what I've done.
38:32Look at that.
38:33I look slightly offended.
38:36You're slightly offended, Andrea.
38:38Well, this is an artistic impression of you, Andrea.
38:41I understand.
38:42The eye sockets need to be a bit...
38:44Deeper?
38:45A bit bigger.
38:46How's that?
38:47Why are you looking at me like this?
38:49Actually, he's got quite a sort of strong bridge to his nose.
38:52So we might want to...
38:53Strong.
38:55I didn't get my creativity from you.
38:58No, you didn't.
38:59I've actually made you look like Superman.
39:01You're welcome.
39:02I don't know that I look like Superman like that.
39:05You've got chiseled jawline like this.
39:06Chiseled jawline?
39:07Look.
39:08Oh, wow, they're so sharp.
39:09We're having such good crack, but we really should be concentrating.
39:15Let me see.
39:17No, it looks exactly like me, Andrea.
39:20Yeah.
39:21That's not bad, Adrian.
39:22It's got a small nose.
39:23Really?
39:24Well, I'm joking.
39:26But, like, a lot of things that people don't like about themselves is what makes them, like,
39:30the most beautiful, in my opinion.
39:32Like, if someone doesn't like their nose, but it's a part of their heritage, then that's what makes them them.
39:37Yeah.
39:38Individual character.
39:39Yeah.
39:40This is quite good.
39:41Yeah, look at this.
39:42I think it's quite good, too.
39:43My nose is flat!
39:45I think this is really quite good.
39:47I'm not sure it looks like Andrea, but...
39:50You're supposed to do me!
39:52What I am doing you...
39:54Okay, that's...
39:56That nose just doesn't do her justice.
39:59No, no, not yet.
40:00Not yet, Adrian.
40:01We are working on it.
40:02It's a work in progress.
40:03While I'm still trying to sort out Andrea's nose, Adrian has already moved on to the mouth.
40:08If you look at somebody's top lip, it's quite a big pad of clay.
40:12Take out the bit in the middle.
40:14Like that.
40:16The bottom lip actually tucks in below the top lip.
40:20Like that.
40:21So you're trying to give this looks like Cillian Murphy.
40:23Actually, we had somebody made Cillian Murphy, and actually it was...
40:27It just didn't look like him at all.
40:29But you couldn't say that, really.
40:30I'd love to be like a fly on the wall in your next class.
40:33Yeah, there was Fred Sirix and his daughter.
40:35Yeah, he tried to make his daughter.
40:36Didn't look at him at all!
40:38One thing you need to know about ceramics is once it's been fired, it's fixed.
40:43And if I was to bury it and dig it up in 500 years' time, it would be in good condition.
40:48So think about that when you're making that piece.
40:51Some archaeologists are going to find this and say, who the hell is that?
40:55Yeah.
40:56You're good at working on people's confidence.
40:59Really good.
41:00Psychologically you are.
41:01I really hope that my piece of pottery is never dug up by archaeologists.
41:05But I wonder how the other budding sculptors are getting on.
41:09Where are you there?
41:10What's happening?
41:11I really don't know, Fred.
41:13The last time I tried this, it ended up as...
41:18A toilet?
41:19A toilet.
41:20Seriously?
41:21An outside toilet, yeah.
41:22Oh, OK.
41:23So...
41:24No, it was quite big, wasn't it?
41:25It was about this size.
41:26It was almost big enough, but not quite, yeah.
41:28So is it a self-portrait or...?
41:30I'm aiming for Jack.
41:34It's you, Jack.
41:35It could be anyone here.
41:37Adrian, come and make me feel good and tell me how good this is.
41:40Memorable, I think, is the word.
41:42Her lips are probably a bit narrower.
41:44Yeah.
41:45I think that's probably...
41:46And come down.
41:48And then she needs more chin.
41:50OK.
41:51But it's the dexterity in which you work the clay that's really impressive.
41:57I'm really...
41:58Keep it going, I love this.
42:00Enjoy watching people who know what they're doing.
42:02That's a bit sort of luscious.
42:04We don't want to make them too luscious, you know?
42:06You can.
42:08Because she's so young, she doesn't have any creases.
42:12Yeah.
42:13No wrinkles.
42:14No, no wrinkles.
42:15Yes.
42:16Once upon a time, we were like that too.
42:17Were we?
42:18Right.
42:19Yeah.
42:20I've got pictures to prove it.
42:21Right, everybody at the right point.
42:24Let's have a look at the eyes.
42:26So you're going to start with a little torpedo like this.
42:29And then that goes in at the top.
42:32OK.
42:33Like that.
42:34And just get it in place.
42:36And then the...
42:37You need to join it onto the face with the tool.
42:42All the way around.
42:43Like that.
42:44The bottom lid, a bit smaller, but the same principle.
42:47Tucked on there and joined onto the face.
42:51Then you take a piece of clay on the end of the piece of wood.
42:55Just make it into a little lump like that.
42:58And that tucks inside the eye on the inner edge.
43:06That's good.
43:07Is it?
43:08No, no.
43:09I was talking to Andrea.
43:12With Andrea's face nowhere near correct, it's time to mess up the ears now.
43:16And the way you make an ear is you start by shaping it first.
43:21And it needs to be thin on one side and thick on the other.
43:25You put it on the face at the side and then you smooth it on really well at the front.
43:32Like that.
43:33And if you want to make something with earrings, then you can make a little hole in the sculpture.
43:38And then when it's been fired and glazed, you can...
43:41Yes, Andrea, don't forget my earring.
43:43Style is very important.
43:45So if you want to add a bit of hair, just take a chunk of clay, reasonably flat,
43:51and join it on really well to the head.
43:54And then you can just carve into it, OK?
43:58Now, because he's not got long hair...
44:00No, I'll be fine with the hair.
44:01You can literally draw it on and then I would just add bits, right?
44:04I wouldn't add huge amounts, but...
44:06Then draw it all the...
44:08Oh, the wrinkles, yeah, OK.
44:09So the key with wrinkles is not to use a sharp knife,
44:11but to use a sort of nice blunt area like that.
44:13And you're just pushing it in like that.
44:16What wrinkles?
44:17Exactly.
44:18Exactly.
44:20Laughing lines, of course.
44:23Jack, let me see your masterpiece.
44:25I don't know who this.
44:27Yeah, no, he's got a square eye.
44:29I probably shouldn't speak too soon.
44:32Hey, let's go.
44:33Ready?
44:34Voila.
44:36Indeed, voila.
44:42This is brilliant.
44:43Actually, it looks much better in picture than in real life.
44:47Delighted.
44:48Spitting image.
44:51So, did you have fun?
44:52Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
44:53I mean, what I found really interesting is to learn about the proportions and the techniques
44:57behind the sculpture, but also the crack.
44:59It was good fun, wasn't it?
45:00No, it was really fun.
45:01Especially Adrian.
45:02He loved it.
45:03Oh, yeah, he was roasting me that there was no tomorrow.
45:10With Cork, for me, it's dramatic scenery.
45:12It's where the land meets the sea and create this beautiful, magical, poetical island.
45:18Isn't it, Andrea?
45:19It's incredible.
45:20I really love my journey here.
45:24Did you see my surfing in Inchidone?
45:25I was surfing mini waves.
45:32Last time I was in Northern Ireland, I had the Clona Kilti black pudding, but this time
45:36I had it where it's actually made, where it came from.
45:39And we almost got the secret recipe.
45:42Yeah.
45:43Minus the spices.
45:48Well, the cycle challenge around Inchidone Island, I think was the best I've ever had in
45:51Ireland.
45:52It was fantastic.
45:53I mean, first of all, the scenery was incredible.
45:56And for me, of course, I was doing it with my daughter.
45:58So, yeah, it was the best of the best.
46:00Great exercise, too.
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