That in the next few hours. Those are the headlines. Now on Bbc News the Travel Show. Coming up on the show getting up close to an american icon in New York. Now for the the piece de resistance. The original torch. Wow cooking up a Michelin Star Takeaway in singapore. So this is the Chef Extraordinaire, hawker chan. And im on the hunt for londons fast disappearing red Phone Boxes. If you say london, its the telephone its the red telePhone Box. Hello and welcome to the Travel Show with me, christa larwood, still here at home in london. But as you can see, some things are starting to return to normal and fingers crossed we will be back out On The Road sometime soon. Until then, this week, lets take a look at some of our favourite trips to the worlds most vibrant cities here on the show. Well, New York is always one of our favourite attractions. Maybe its the sheer noise, Bustle And Knowledge that, under normal circumstances, it really does feel like The City that never sleeps. And back in 2019, lucy was lucky enough to be given a behind the scenes look at one of The Citys newest and perhaps most iconic attractions. I was up at 5am to catch the Staff Ferry the very first boat of the day to leave for liberty island, hours before the arrival of the public. Wow ive never seen the statute this close before. Definitely worth the ungodly wake up call. Until recently, visitors that wanted to learn more about the statue� s history were directed to an exhibit in its base. But the space was so limited, only a few people actually got to see it. Thats all set to change with the opening of the new museum. The museum takes people all the way back to the statue� s creation. It was designed by frederic august bartholdi, who built it in his paris workshop. The statue marked 100 years since the Declaration Of Independence and the historic alliance between america and france. In 1885, it was shipped in 350 individual pieces over to New York, where it was reassembled and unveiled to the american public the next year. Now for the the piece de resistance, the original torch. The torch the original torch wow it stood up there from 1886 until 1984. The original torch had been changed from Bartholdis Design to include a glass paneled flame that could be lit up night. In the 1980s, it was removed and replaced during a massive restoration of the statue. Talk to me about how difficult it was to get the torch in here. Well, it i didnt have to do it both chuckle but it was a it was quite a task. Yeah. People worked for about two weeks from 3 00 in the afternoon till 3 00 at night and they had this carrier that they laid they laid the face on its back, and then put the torch on it. We had not put in all the glass here so that it could lift quite nicely into its position, and it all worked quite well. And here it is martin and his team have been in charge of conserving the torch and cleaning it up. Well, today is the last day. Its sort of the clean down from the top down and so, as theyre finishing up the Lighting Fixtures inside, myjob is then the final clean down of everything that falls down. Youre one of the last people who get to be here before its off. I do feel very honoured. Yeah. Its so iconic and and you think about its history and how it stood for freedom and for liberty to people all over the world, it really is a remarkable piece of work. Lucy getting a Close Up Look at Lady Liberty back in 2019. Now, for many travellers, one of the benefits of exploring the world is getting the chance to try all sorts of local cuisine. Back in 2016, henry visited singapore to meet a man whose Street Food earned him a michelin star. This is singapores largest hawker markets in the heart of chinatown, and its rampacked with stalls selling traditional dishes. 0ne Stall in particular is causing quite a stir. This queue is absolutely humongous, full of all sorts of people from singapore, from Around The World, theres a lot of tourists here. And youd imagine it for some sort of concert but in fact, its for that Hawker Stall over there. Its one of two recipients here in singapore who actually achieved a michelin star, so im going to meet the chef. Hawker Chan Hi so this is the Chef Extraordinaire hawker chan, and hes been doing this for over 30 years, right . Yeah. Wow the stall has become famous for serving the worlds cheapest michelin starred meal. Were a Well Oiled Machine here, but im feeling the pressure. So one, one sauce here . 0ne Portion costs less than us 2. But the waits can be Up To three hours. 0h so the rice its boiling. That was pretty good its hoped the Star Award might mean more young people consider a Career Im the street markets. Hawker expert Dr Tay explans how there are fears the tradition might die out. Most of the hawkers, they want they dont their kids to do what theyre doing because its its hard work, its hot, long hours, and if you sell any of the Hawker Food for more than 3 or 4, people will start to question. So three or Four Bucks we have to change the perception of Hawker Food as being cheap. Wow, so this is like a full one Woman Operation then . 0h, itsjust me in the morning, yeah. Just you in the morning . Just me in the morning. The places like this will actually encourage more youngsters to actually start a business in maybe a little its not a traditional hawker centre, it is more rowdy. Like, i invent my logo to suit this place because it is more like hipster area. Its still hot and hard work, but its hoped these new, more contemporary surroundings will encourage the next generation of singaporeans to keep creating some of the best Street Food in the world. Henry there helping, hopefully not hindering, hawker chan to keep his michelin star, back in 2016. Well, do stay with us, because Coming Up on the Show WejumpOn Board a magical bus in karachi. Ill just say that theres just so much more to karachi than we know. And i go in search of londons disappearing red Phone Boxes. So dont go away. Now, karachi is pakistans biggest city and almost 50 Million people call it home. But it has had something of a reputation for not being the easiest, or may be safest place for tourists to explore. But back in 2017 Ben Zand went there to meet a group of people working to change that. I want to get a taste of karachi, and when you think of a tour you usually think of a friendly tour guide, some foreigners, a casual stroll around The City. But in karachi it is much different. It is done on one of these things. This is the super savari express. In a city linked more with bombs and guns than tourist trips, the super savari seems a safe choice. But this is a unique kind of tour bus, created to change the image of karachi not only locally but also Around The World. Main aim to help karachis population reconnect with their city, and help the rich meet The Citys poorest members. In its early days, each tour will come with an armed guard, but as the situation has improved, it is nowjust this big, beautiful bus. I love this bus, its incredible. Dont we all . What is the history of it . You see them everywhere in karachi. Well, you know, The Concept Works on the lines of this actually being a representation of the brides of the guys who drive them. Obviously, you can climb on the roof, and who doesnt want to climb on the roof of a bus . Why do you think a city like karachi needs something like this . There has been a disconnect between educated classes in karachi and The General population. What we have tried to do is eliminate that disconnect and show everyone that the culture that you have, the history that you have, and The City that you live in is for everybody, whether you live in a mansion or you live in a slum. And do you do this because you think karachi is misrepresented and it has a reputation it doesnt deserve . I will just say that there is so much more to karachi than we know. There is something special about this mosque that i have to show you. The tour takes visitors around The City in an attempt to show its diversity. You visit mosques, hindu temples, churches, karachis version of the big ben, and then it is time for food. Sorry. Im going to ruin your tea party. What is this . This guy says traditional pakistani breakfast. Yes, a traditional pakistani breakfast is essentially you get chai and a type of an omelette, essentially most things in pakistan are made spicy, so the same with omelettes. I have noticed, my stomach noticed that a few days ago. You dip some of that in chai. You actually dip it in the tea . Yeah. I am just ruining your tea. I have got soggy pieces of dough in your tea. Our next stop. So this is lyari, widely regarded as the most dangerous area of karachi. Lyari has a pretty bad reputation, linked with gangs and violence, it is known as the worst part of karachi, but i was here to see what it was really like, and to play football. That is because i am in town to meet the people helping to change lyari for the better. And it starts here. So here in lyari there is only one sport people care about, and that is football. Theres over 175 registered clubs, and thats because these guys, like everybody else, absolutely love it. Anywhere you look you see man united tops, Real Madrid Tops and hopefully some liverpool tops, and i am here to find out a bit more about why that is the case. This is our lyari centre, in lyari, a centre of excellence, where we have approximately 100 kids that come across to train four or five times a week. We give them free football coaching, we give them life skills, sessions on top of it. So i have been asked to have a game with these kids, who look pretty good. Because i am wearing a liverpool top, everybody thinks i play for liverpool. A huge crowd has gathered. Yeah, look forward to me embarrassing myself in front of everybody. Here we go. After eyeing up the opposition, we began. Sand and heat, it is not a good combination. Soon, though, we were losing by two goals. Me and my new friend michelle realised it was our moment and, after generously being awarded a free kick, i curled it into the corner. Then two penalties later, we had won the game. After celebrating with my team, adequately named benjamins liverpool warriors, i spoke to michelle about football here. She runs the local Womens Team and is trying to get more women involved in football and, amazingly enough, it turned out i had just witnessed herfirst ever game on this pitch. You were a little bit nervous about playing because you are like the only girl here. Is this the first time you have played here . It is the first time i have played here without any other girls, and if you were to look around, and theres a game going on there, and theres an academy here, i think i am the only female in this stadium right now. Sometimes we go into an area where the culture is just extremely male dominated, and they dont want females to play. Despite the resistance from some people here, michelle says things are getting better for female footballers. They have just set up a new Womens Team. There are 100 boys who come to the academy here, there are maybe 35 girls who come. That is about the ratio, but to me that is fantastic, because two years ago, there was zero. And football has picked up in areas that have been otherwise neglected. These guys often have to come up with their own recreation, solving their own problems, and football is kind of inherent to the game, solving your own problems. 0h Ben there On Board what must be one of the worlds most colourful Tour Buses back in 2017. If you cast your mind back to a time when Travel Wasnt quite as difficult as it is now, there was still the eternal dilemma, what to do with a lengthy Airport Layover . Well, we set Ade The Challenge back in 2017, how much could he fit into a six Hour Stopover in rome . So, you find yourself stuck here at Leonardo Da Vinci Fiumicino airport. This is one of the largest in italy and it is the essential hub for its national airline. Unfortunately, rome is ranked as one of the most delayed airports in the world. So youre probably going to find yourself with a bit of time in your hands. Ive decided to make it a bit more interesting and set myself a challenge to see rome in under six hours. Hello how are you . Nice to meet you. Bongiorno. I want to see the colosseum, the circus maximus, the palatine hill, the mouth of truth, and of course the Trevi Fountain. My first proper stop here is to go and see the circus maximus. Older than the colosseum, and with a capacity of hundreds of thousands of people, it was at the heart of romes lavish and brutal public entertainment the gladiators, to you and me. This was the place for the spectators, the excavation over there. The spectators sat all around. And resting just above the site is the palatine hill, which is one of the most ancient parts of The City. Next stop is a little hidden gem. It is the mouth of truth. If youre a liar, and you put your hand inside the mouth, your hand will be cut. Every time i see the Trevi Fountain it always takes my breath away because its so beautiful. And id say this is definitely one of the most must see monuments in rome. One of the downsides of a tour like this is that there is no real time to stop and really enjoy the sights, because of the tight schedule. But they give you a great taste of whats on offer. Who knows . Maybe one day ill be back to Explore Rome at a more leisurely pace. Ade their cramming in the Ancient Roman sites back in 2017. To finish off this week we are in my adopted Home Town of london, famous of course for its white red buses and until relatively recently, its red Phone Boxes. But since the arrival of these things, fewer and fewer people have been using the public phones. So back in 2019, i reported on a programme to remove those iconic red boxes from londons streets. After all, it is only tourists that would miss them, right . The red Phone Box is synonymous with london. When they were first introduced in the 1920s, they gave many poorer Londoners Access to the phone for the very first time, and after countless appearances in films, Tv Shows and music videos, they became something of an icon both here and Around The World. You say london, it is the red telePhone Box. The first thing that comes into my mind when i think of britain, was either the queen or the red phone booth. Although as more people got access to their own phone at home, the numbers of actual calls being made from them dropped. Although as more people got access to their own phone at home, the numbers of actual calls being made from them dropped. Now, i can remember when i first came here 20 years ago, using a Phone Box was a really big event, it was like, i have arrived in london. And i probably took several Dozen Selfies in one of these things. These days it is just clear it isnt being used much. And frankly it isnt the nicest place to be. The smell is not ideal, either. I might get out of here. Even though a lot of these Phone Boxes arent in the best shape now, there is a group of londoners who still take pride in them, and the postcard image they portray. I thinkjust because Phone Boxes are british icons, for them to look scruffy in the photos that are going back Around The World with tourists after their holidays, i didnt like that idea. So i thought, why not clean them up . Its only polite. Seeing one in a completely sorry state was almost like seeing an elderly relative in distress or something. We like to help emily, we think it is a worthy cause and we are loyal fans. It looks nice when they are all scrubbed up. Emily and her band of volunteers regularly spend their spare time sprucing up Phone Boxes like these for sightseers. But it looks like even their valiant efforts might not be enough to save them. They are difficult to keep clean, and theyre not very easy for people with disabilities to use, and we are obliged to have a quite high percentage of payphones which can be used by people with disabilities. So the question is, whats going to happen to the old red Phone Boxes weve all come to know and love . Some have been put up for sale, and some are being offered to local communities to turn into things like public libraries. Others are already being rented out to businesses who see the beauty in keeping things small like fouad, who now repairs phones inside a Phone Box. I am not claustrophobic at all. If you work in an iconic place you are iconic too. Other businesses that have cropped up include cafes, coffee bars, and souvenir shops, all crammed inside a Square Metre of floor space. If you think of all the conversations these four walls must have overheard, declarations of love, cries of emergency or whispers of espionage. These walls have heard it all, every type of conversation. And i think it is sad to see they are now empty. Sadly that is all we have got time for on this Weeks Programme but i hope we have given you enough inspiration to keep going until we can all travel again. Coming up next week it is the turn of technology in the final part of our series in which ade looks at some of the issues to shape travel as we get back out On The Road. So dojoin us then if you can. In the meantime you can catch up with more of our recent programmes on Bbc Iplayer and we are on Social Media in all the usual places. Until next time from me and all the Travel Show team, its goodbye. Hello there. Thursday brought another rash of showers, some significant snow to some parts of scotland. Its still cold air with us for the day ahead, so it will be a chilly start, and there will be further Snow Showers over the hills of scotland. But as weve gone through the evening and overnight, the showers have tended to fade away. We had a lot of Hail And Thunder in eastern areas, but under the Starry Skies once again, because its cold air, temperatures approach freezing a little below and given there is some dampness on the surfaces, it could be a Bit Icy in a few spots. Perhaps a little bit of River Mist as well. But an abundance of sunshine first thing. The showers already with us in some areas, as you can see, become more widespread as the morning goes on. Initially, across many parts of england and wales developing across scotland, one or two for Northern Ireland, but then congregating on the east into the afternoon. Hail and Thunder And Snow over the hills. So, again, chilly, but temperatures probably a little bit higher than yesterday, Up To 15 perhaps in the south. But then, its all change as we go through the coming night and into saturday. Weve got the next Weather System coming in, so the Frost Wont be as widespread by saturday morning. More limited to the far northeast of scotland, which is where we probably wont get the milder air in. Its this deep area of low pressure thats pulling itself in off the atlantic, giving us all, really, a spell of wetter weather. Looks quite wet in western areas, and given weve got the South Westerly Wind coming in off the atlantic, it is bringing much milder air in, which means a lot of rain potentially across south west england, wales, into the north of england. You can see a wetter day for Northern Ireland and much of scotland. It may actually dry up and brighten up in South Eastern Areas later. The rain may not actually reach the far north of scotland, and the milder air slow to arrive here, perhaps some wintriness on the hills. But we could see 16 or 17 if it brightens up in the south. Through the night, that weather front� s dragging its heels, really slow to move its way eastwards. Weve got one band of rain moving Up Towards the north of scotland, showers following in behind. Still the South Westerly Wind into sunday, so still mild, but with plenty of showers merging together across North And West areas near the centre of the area of low pressure. It will be windy through the weekend as well, but we could see 20 22 celsius and possibly some late afternoon thunderstorms in South Eastern Areas. Quite a lot of uncertainty on the detailfor sunday, but it does look a very unsettled weekend ahead. You can get more from the website. They have just set up a new Womens Team. Welcome to Bbc News. Im tim willcox. Our top stories another day of record infections and deaths in india. A Special Report on just how badly this crisis is affecting rural health facilities. A brazilian Police Operation against Drug Traffickers in rio ends with the deaths of 25 people. Polls close across england, scotland and wales in super thursday the biggest test of opinion since the uk General Election of 2019. And us secretary of state Antony Blinken on a visit to kiev urges russia to end what he calls its reckless and aggressive actions towards ukraine