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(upbeat music)
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- From the bustling streets of Athens
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and the historic port of Hydra,
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to the beaches of Zakinthos
and the villages of Kythira,
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00:00:28,370 --> 00:00:30,540
our journey over the coming weeks spans
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many of the Ionian
islands, some well-known,
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others that few ever get to visit.
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But before heading off, you probably wanna
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know a little bit about me.
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My story starts as boy
growing up in the inner
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suburbs of Sydney.
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Like a lot of Greeks early last century,
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my parents moved overseas to
find a better life abroad.
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They arrived with very little
and worked extremely hard to
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give my sisters and I a loving upbringing.
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They also made me believe that
if I too worked hard enough,
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I could achieve anything.
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54 years later, I've built
a successful business.
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00:00:56,940 --> 00:00:59,930
And that has enabled me to do
things I once only dreamed of.
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One of those dreams was to
step foot on all 227 inhabited
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Greek Islands, and I'm going
to take a big chunk out of that
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00:01:06,460 --> 00:01:07,823
in this first series.
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From Athens, I've made my
way through Hydra, Nafplio,
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along the Peloponnese coast to Elafonisos,
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and now I'm in Kythira.
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This is the island of my
heritage, so after a few weeks of
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travelling it was time
to slow down a little.
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My plan for the coming days is to visit
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some of my old haunts, to
see how things have changed.
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I'm also really looking
forward to searching
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for new places that have
a connection with my past.
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Compared to many of the Greek islands,
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Kythira is by no means a
famous holiday destination.
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This means there's not
nearly as much development
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as you'd find in other places.
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That's one of the charms of the island.
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In this episode I'm going
above and below the water,
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as I continue to explore more of it,
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before making our way further
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through the Ionian to Zakynthos.
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It's an island best known
for a spectacular beach,
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but as you'll soon discover,
there's a whole lot more to it,
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including great food, a rich
history and fantastic people.
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For now though, I've taken a
short drive across Kythira,
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to a special monastery that brings back
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fond memories from my childhood.
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It's also renowned for the miracles
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that occur in and around the church.
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You'll know what I mean when I drive off.
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Below me is the monastery
of Panagia Myrtidiotissa.
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The Virgin Mary.
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Probably the most significant monastery
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on the whole island of Kythira.
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The story goes that a shepherd
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found the icon of Panagia Myrtidiotissa,
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several centuries ago, in
the myrtle bushes down below,
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where the church is, or
the monastery is built now.
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And he brought it back to this location,
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and the very next night he found it again
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in the myrtle bushes.
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This happened two or three times,
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so they built the monastery down there.
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Those strange ecclesiastical powers,
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is why we say that it may have healed
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many people that have come here.
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I don't know, but I want to go down
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and find out a bit more about it.
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Like Ayia Moni in the
southern part of the island,
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this monastery is well
known for pilgrims coming
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from all parts of the world
to stay for an evening or two.
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I sometimes think that
the resorts of the world
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have borrowed their architecture
from these monasteries,
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because it's just a cool,
peaceful place to stay.
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This really is a beautiful monastery,
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from every single perspective.
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Externally, internally,
and this court yard,
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because I have special memories here,
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from when I was 10 years old.
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I had my first Greek coffee,
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I was here with my sister and my mother,
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and we spent a couple
of nights just up there.
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That's not why we're here,
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let's go and have a look at
something really special.
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I've been looking forward to
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once again walking into this church.
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The last time I was here,
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I remember being absolutely
humbled by its grandeur.
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(speaking foreign language)
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As with many of the
priests I've recently met,
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Father Petros couldn't
wait to tell me all about
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the significance of his monastery,
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in particular, this special icon.
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He's an approachable, young,
new world member of the clergy,
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and a great example of how the church
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is changing with the times.
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Father Petros has just explained,
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this wonderful icon of
the Virgin Mary Myrtle
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with the baby Jesus,
and the history of it.
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Now you can see the darkened faces,
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and the reason you see
the darkened faces is
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because that is the actual original icon
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that was found in the
Myrtles, in the 13th Century.
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They believe it came from
Mount Athos in 800 AD.
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Later on in 1837, they spent some money
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and built this beautiful
gold sheeting around it.
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This is how you recognise,
this specific icon.
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Much like many other mothers
in Kythira and across Greece,
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and in fact around the world,
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my mother carried with
her a copy of the icon.
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It's said to possess great
healing powers, as is the church.
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Such is the significance
of this monastery,
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my father placed a plaque on
the front of our own home,
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in recognition of it.
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After Easter, the celebration
of the Virgin Mary
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on the 15th of August is probably the most
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important day on the
Greek Orthodox calendar.
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In Kythira, they celebrate it here.
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So if you happen to be in the region,
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I suggest you come down to watch
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and take part in the festivities.
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Apart from visiting this elegant church
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and taking in the architecture,
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you can also enjoy some local food,
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a few beverages and plenty of dancing.
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Plus, if you have the time,
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you should also have a look at
the Catholic Church next door
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and see the mammoth
candles that were given
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as a gift by a mother after
a miracle was performed.
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Just down the road is another
place where miracles occur,
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on a daily basis.
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Now we've just left Myrtidiotissa,
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and there's some special
things about this area
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I'm going to test out right now.
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Heading down this hill, what
I'm going to do is stop.
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I'm going to stop, leave
everything, and get out of the car.
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Have a look at this!
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How good is this!
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(laughing)
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We're going backwards!
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Up the hill!
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It's true.
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I can't believe it, we're
going backwards, up a hill.
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Only 50 kilometres south of Kythira,
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is the tiny island of Antikythera.
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We were supposed to leave
Avlemona to go there,
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but the weather didn't
allow us the opportunity.
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It was quite a disappointment,
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because the island is famous
for an ancient shipwreck
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that lead to the unearthing of the
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oldest astronomical computer known to man.
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It came to be known as
The Antikythera Mechanism,
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and today is on display at the
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archaeological museum in Athens.
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You know Professor, a space physicist
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and a construction contractor walking in
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to see the first computer
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in the archaeological museum.
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- Yes, it's a very, very important item.
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- Yes.
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Professor Moussas is one of the most
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passionate scientists I've ever met.
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I could listen to his
softly spoken voice all day.
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He has a poetic way with words
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that makes it hard to believe
he's a space physicist.
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He explained the workings of
this complicated instrument
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in such a way that even an average person
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like myself could understand.
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- It is really, the grand,
grandfather of all technology.
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The bits and bytes of your
computer, or of your telephone,
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have their roots inside this mechanism.
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In fact, the gears are the bytes,
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and the teeth are the bits
of this particular mechanism,
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that has it all.
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All the Greek history is in there.
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All humanity's history is also here.
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- [Peter] In this, one machine?
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- In this machine.
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You wonder why.
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Even the philosophy, it
is really the mentality
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that the people that
constructed this mechanism,
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enable humans to develop
present day civilization.
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Even philosophy.
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- [Peter] This bronze instrument,
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that fits in the palm of your hands,
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is believed to be the first
analogue computer known to man.
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It predicts astronomical
positions, and eclipses,
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and was used as a calendar.
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It even tracked the four-year cycle
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of the ancient Olympic Games.
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- Here we have the sun,
a little golden sphere,
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that goes around in one year.
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- [Peter] And these?
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- And these are the planets.
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- Fantastic.
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Unbelievable.
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I just can't get over this.
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2,200 years old.
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And we have all this, in one mechanism.
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- Exactly, nobody can believe it.
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- [Peter] Although the mechanism was
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discovered over a hundred years ago,
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archaeologists are still
diving on the same wreck,
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and unearthing new artefacts.
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In a turn of luck, the
senior archaeologist,
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Theotokis Theodokou, was in
Avlemona at the same time as me,
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diving on another wreck in the area.
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- [Theotokis] It's about 100 dives.
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- [Peter] Wow.
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So there's two acres and you only dived
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on three square metres, 100 dives.
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That's unbelievable.
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- It's unbelievable, but keep in mind,
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even if we could, we are not allowed
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to excavate the whole area.
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I talked to you about the
symbolism of this certain site,
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and the importance of this certain site.
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For each era, and our era,
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and the chain of knowledge
throughout history.
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So we cannot go there
and excavate everything
220
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because excavation, it's
a destructive operation.
221
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So we don't want to destruct everything.
222
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We hope that next generations
will be more wise,
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00:10:27,050 --> 00:10:28,870
and more equipped than us.
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So they will be maybe able, at some point,
225
00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:36,660
without destructing anything,
to map and see everything.
226
00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:39,950
Which is the ideal.
227
00:10:39,950 --> 00:10:42,510
- Theotiokis, I'm impressed
that you know so much,
228
00:10:42,510 --> 00:10:46,290
that you've discovered so
much by just mapping it,
229
00:10:46,290 --> 00:10:50,790
and excavating only three square
metres of a two acre site.
230
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So you definitely have done
your ethical obligation
231
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and left for other generations,
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just like the other five
investigations before you.
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- Exactly.
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- [Peter] Just outside the mouth
to the harbour of Avlemona,
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is another important archaeological site,
236
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the wreck of the Mentor.
237
00:11:08,030 --> 00:11:09,590
It was one of the ships that transported
238
00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:11,660
the Parthenon Marbles
from Athens to London,
239
00:11:11,660 --> 00:11:12,813
and sunk in 1802.
240
00:11:13,780 --> 00:11:16,480
You can now see the marbles
in the British Museum.
241
00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,490
I was lucky enough to go one better,
242
00:11:18,490 --> 00:11:20,110
and actually dive on the site.
243
00:11:20,110 --> 00:11:22,350
So tell me, how deep is this wreck?
244
00:11:22,350 --> 00:11:23,870
- It is 22 metres.
245
00:11:23,870 --> 00:11:28,600
And that it was really, it
sunk in not very deep water
246
00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,540
so it was possible to salvage the ship
247
00:11:32,380 --> 00:11:34,973
in the beginning of the 19th Century,
248
00:11:35,897 --> 00:11:38,773
1802 when it sunk.
249
00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,860
And so that was the
reason that they managed
250
00:11:42,860 --> 00:11:47,690
to salvage it and bring up
all the boxes from the ship.
251
00:11:47,690 --> 00:11:49,250
Otherwise if it was much deeper
252
00:11:49,250 --> 00:11:53,280
it would not be easy for
them, but in that case
253
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,180
I think that everything will be destroyed
254
00:11:56,180 --> 00:11:57,354
by worms and--
255
00:11:57,354 --> 00:11:58,410
- [Peter] Yes.
256
00:11:58,410 --> 00:11:59,520
- And erosion.
257
00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:00,940
- So, when we go out there,
258
00:12:00,940 --> 00:12:02,789
and I'm looking forward
to diving on the wreck,
259
00:12:02,789 --> 00:12:03,998
I'm so excited.
260
00:12:03,998 --> 00:12:07,120
What do we expect to see
when we go down to 22 metres?
261
00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:08,577
- Well what we are going to see is
262
00:12:08,577 --> 00:12:11,180
we are going to see
the frames of the ship,
263
00:12:11,180 --> 00:12:12,340
we are going to see a part,
264
00:12:12,340 --> 00:12:15,070
not all the hull that we have discovered,
265
00:12:15,070 --> 00:12:17,360
'cos the hull is protected with a cloth,
266
00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:22,360
with a special cloth, protect
the destruction of the wood.
267
00:12:22,770 --> 00:12:25,780
And also we are going to see the trench
268
00:12:25,780 --> 00:12:28,843
that we have started a
few days ago to excavate.
269
00:12:30,660 --> 00:12:32,550
Now we are taking out all the sand,
270
00:12:32,550 --> 00:12:36,747
we are trying to reach the level where
271
00:12:36,747 --> 00:12:39,987
the object probably we are going to find.
272
00:12:39,987 --> 00:12:41,273
And other objects.
273
00:12:42,308 --> 00:12:43,203
- This is fantastic.
274
00:12:43,203 --> 00:12:46,610
Dimitri I can't believe you
get paid to do this stuff,
275
00:12:46,610 --> 00:12:49,224
for an adventure, this is wonderful!
276
00:12:49,224 --> 00:12:50,435
I really want to go!
277
00:12:50,435 --> 00:12:51,268
Can we go?
278
00:12:51,268 --> 00:12:52,101
- Yep.
279
00:12:52,101 --> 00:12:52,934
- Let's go!
280
00:12:52,934 --> 00:12:54,250
The marble friezes were raised
281
00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:56,700
by free divers a year after the ship sunk.
282
00:12:56,700 --> 00:12:58,920
The controversy behind the
marbles being relocated
283
00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:00,900
to the British Museum is a long story
284
00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:02,377
that is still being debated today.
285
00:13:02,377 --> 00:13:03,490
The compressor is for the hose,
286
00:13:03,490 --> 00:13:06,820
so that as they are sucking stuff up,
287
00:13:06,820 --> 00:13:07,850
the compressor is doing the work
288
00:13:07,850 --> 00:13:11,913
and it goes through to that
little basket over there.
289
00:13:11,913 --> 00:13:13,310
Many people are lobbying heavily
290
00:13:13,310 --> 00:13:15,310
for their repatriation to Athens.
291
00:13:15,310 --> 00:13:16,300
Others believe that it is great
292
00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:18,170
to spread this wonderful
history around the world
293
00:13:18,170 --> 00:13:19,580
for others to see.
294
00:13:19,580 --> 00:13:22,230
I'm just happy that they
exist for everyone to enjoy.
295
00:13:27,830 --> 00:13:29,500
What's fantastic about the Mentor,
296
00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:31,250
is that there's still more to find,
297
00:13:31,250 --> 00:13:32,900
and I was hoping that, just maybe,
298
00:13:32,900 --> 00:13:34,960
I might unearth something too!
299
00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:35,950
And guess what?
300
00:13:35,950 --> 00:13:38,560
After sifting about the
sand for only 10 minutes,
301
00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:40,903
I literally struck gold!
302
00:13:40,903 --> 00:13:42,890
I found a chest draw and immediately
303
00:13:42,890 --> 00:13:45,600
you could feel the excitement
of the others underwater.
304
00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:47,000
This was the first thing that had been
305
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,580
discovered in the previous ten dives.
306
00:13:49,580 --> 00:13:51,030
What are the chances of that?
307
00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,240
You might think that a
chest draw is no big deal,
308
00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,080
but to these archaeologists
it's quite significant
309
00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,580
and helps piece together the story
310
00:14:00,580 --> 00:14:01,980
of the events of the period.
311
00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:10,120
It took four divers two days to map,
312
00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,560
photograph and slowly
excavate this one piece.
313
00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:15,760
All this hard work will
lead to even more toil
314
00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,600
back in the office,
painstakingly researching this,
315
00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,500
and the many other finds they uncover.
316
00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:37,730
Oh candelabra!
317
00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:38,563
- Yes, yes.
318
00:14:38,563 --> 00:14:39,396
- Candelabra.
319
00:14:40,660 --> 00:14:41,640
Very nice!
320
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,020
- This one is what we found.
321
00:14:43,020 --> 00:14:43,853
- This is fantastic.
322
00:14:43,853 --> 00:14:44,904
I found this!
323
00:14:44,904 --> 00:14:46,207
I found this.
324
00:14:46,207 --> 00:14:50,043
- And also, probably this one
but they have to be cleaned.
325
00:14:51,652 --> 00:14:53,003
They are coins.
326
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,253
- Oh yeah!
327
00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:57,480
Wow!
328
00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,942
- [Dimitris] You see,
they are probably coins,
329
00:14:59,942 --> 00:15:02,810
and it is concrete, and
they have to be cleaned.
330
00:15:02,810 --> 00:15:04,680
- I think they are
probably, they're bronze,
331
00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,138
they are not gold, they are too light.
332
00:15:06,138 --> 00:15:09,330
- Yes they are covered with,
333
00:15:09,330 --> 00:15:12,040
sometimes they are covered with silver.
334
00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:12,873
Oh it's silver.
335
00:15:12,873 --> 00:15:14,760
- Yeah, and that's why that concreted,
336
00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,833
and they clean it up and the restoration.
337
00:15:19,850 --> 00:15:21,433
- Hang on a second.
338
00:15:22,276 --> 00:15:24,526
(laughing)
339
00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,290
I was underwater for only 40 minutes,
340
00:15:29,290 --> 00:15:31,500
but spent most of the day with the team.
341
00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:33,980
They didn't stop working for
the whole time I was there.
342
00:15:33,980 --> 00:15:36,800
Their minds were totally
focused on the job at hand.
343
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:40,440
It's a thankless task, but one
that's incredibly important.
344
00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,640
A lifetime of work may only
add up to a handful of pieces,
345
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,240
however the objects they
unearth can change history.
346
00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,550
A rusty piece of metal might
reveal a navigational tool.
347
00:15:49,550 --> 00:15:52,580
Inside a clump of mud there
could be a piece of jewellery.
348
00:15:52,580 --> 00:15:54,850
You never know what you may find.
349
00:15:54,850 --> 00:15:57,690
In another life, I could see
myself being an archaeologist.
350
00:15:57,690 --> 00:15:59,740
Diving on old cities and wrecks.
351
00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:02,090
For now though, I'll just
have to watch in awe.
352
00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:26,250
From Avlemona, we headed to
the beach side port of Kapsali.
353
00:16:26,250 --> 00:16:28,370
It's probably one of the
most picturesque locations
354
00:16:28,370 --> 00:16:31,430
in this part of Greece, which
is certainly saying something!
355
00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:33,960
You'll have to come here
and judge for yourself.
356
00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,200
Up above Kapsali,
perched on a mountaintop,
357
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,250
is the ancient capital of Chora,
358
00:16:38,250 --> 00:16:40,520
and protecting it is a towering fort.
359
00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,080
It's a dominant feature on the horizon
360
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,250
that commands attention and
draws you up the mountain
361
00:16:44,250 --> 00:16:45,760
to do some exploring.
362
00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:46,860
But before heading there,
363
00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:49,100
it's only natural to
spend some time wandering
364
00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:50,490
around the port area.
365
00:16:50,490 --> 00:16:52,180
It's a modern settlement
with all the trappings
366
00:16:52,180 --> 00:16:54,230
you'd expect from a popular tourist spot.
367
00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,930
There's loads of taverns and restaurants,
368
00:16:57,930 --> 00:17:00,900
shops selling local produce and souvenirs,
369
00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:02,700
and plenty of space on the beach.
370
00:17:02,700 --> 00:17:05,490
It's not one of those major
centres that get overly crowded
371
00:17:05,490 --> 00:17:08,380
and leaves you struggling
for a bit of peace.
372
00:17:08,380 --> 00:17:09,790
Even in peak season you can find
373
00:17:09,790 --> 00:17:11,740
a quiet spot to relax in the sun,
374
00:17:11,740 --> 00:17:13,400
or sit in a café with a coffee
375
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,090
watching the passing scenery.
376
00:17:15,090 --> 00:17:15,990
People watching seems to be one of
377
00:17:15,990 --> 00:17:18,530
the most popular pass times for locals,
378
00:17:18,530 --> 00:17:19,993
as well as regular visitors.
379
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:23,320
Or is it just a case of
switching off for a while,
380
00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,700
and simply sitting without
a care in the world,
381
00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:27,960
as daily routines just happen around you,
382
00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,160
while you're completely
oblivious to it all.
383
00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,900
I'm not one to sit idle for too long.
384
00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:36,100
I don't mind some time to
recharge the batteries,
385
00:17:36,100 --> 00:17:37,820
but once they're full, I'm off on another
386
00:17:37,820 --> 00:17:40,520
mission of discovery, and
that fortress was beckoning.
387
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,970
I've been to a lot of castles
and fortresses on the island,
388
00:17:55,970 --> 00:18:00,680
but nothing else has a road
entry of this sort of width.
389
00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:01,610
So it tells me it must have
390
00:18:01,610 --> 00:18:04,030
been the main castle for Kythira.
391
00:18:04,030 --> 00:18:06,930
Apart from the fact that the
main town is right behind me.
392
00:18:11,978 --> 00:18:13,970
Chora and this castle,
393
00:18:13,970 --> 00:18:16,250
are the southernmost part of Kythira.
394
00:18:16,250 --> 00:18:20,513
Between us and Africa,
is Antikythera and Crete.
395
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,990
This stretch of water is
the main trading route
396
00:18:23,990 --> 00:18:26,440
between Asia Minor and Europe.
397
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,610
In antiquity, and in
modern history, and today,
398
00:18:29,610 --> 00:18:31,600
there are ships passing
through here all the time.
399
00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,667
And that's why this
castle was so important.
400
00:18:41,210 --> 00:18:44,330
This fortress has become
a monument for the island.
401
00:18:44,330 --> 00:18:45,510
It's a symbol of the past that
402
00:18:45,510 --> 00:18:47,900
helps create Kythira's identity.
403
00:18:47,900 --> 00:18:49,550
It was first built in the 13th century
404
00:18:49,550 --> 00:18:51,530
during the period of Venetian rule,
405
00:18:51,530 --> 00:18:53,210
and over the centuries that followed
406
00:18:53,210 --> 00:18:55,920
the construction continued,
with various alterations
407
00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,360
and additions being done.
408
00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:58,960
The location meant the occupants could see
409
00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,610
across the surrounding
area for vast distances.
410
00:19:01,610 --> 00:19:03,850
It meant not only could
they monitor passing trade,
411
00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:05,600
but also potential invaders.
412
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,850
(speaking foreign language)
413
00:19:07,850 --> 00:19:09,610
The current caretaker is Marieta.
414
00:19:09,610 --> 00:19:11,730
Her passion and knowledge
for the fort was clear
415
00:19:11,730 --> 00:19:14,180
as she showed me through
the small museum inside.
416
00:19:24,730 --> 00:19:26,460
These stone friezes are family crests
417
00:19:26,460 --> 00:19:28,960
that were displayed on the
homes of prominent people.
418
00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,263
Names like Casimatis, Veneris and Venier
419
00:19:32,263 --> 00:19:33,430
are still around today.
420
00:19:33,430 --> 00:19:36,020
Some originated in
Venice, others from Crete.
421
00:19:36,020 --> 00:19:38,960
Interestingly, many of my
cousins go by these names.
422
00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,980
I couldn't find my family
name up there though
423
00:19:40,980 --> 00:19:43,970
probably because we were farmers,
and peasants and builders,
424
00:19:43,970 --> 00:19:45,343
and not aristocrats.
425
00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,080
In times of war and pirate attack,
426
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:53,430
the townsfolk of the capital would
427
00:19:53,430 --> 00:19:55,660
seek sanctuary within
the walls of the fort.
428
00:19:55,660 --> 00:19:58,470
For many generations it
provided protection for them.
429
00:19:58,470 --> 00:20:00,290
We looked at the
inscriptions on the cannons
430
00:20:00,290 --> 00:20:02,080
and noticed that in many cases,
431
00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,780
they were from different periods.
432
00:20:03,780 --> 00:20:06,030
There were Venetian and even British ones,
433
00:20:06,030 --> 00:20:09,470
so we're talking different
empires spanning 400 years.
434
00:20:09,470 --> 00:20:11,420
That's several generations of families
435
00:20:11,420 --> 00:20:13,123
finding refuge behind these walls.
436
00:20:21,150 --> 00:20:22,093
Amazing.
437
00:20:23,660 --> 00:20:25,233
Barbarossa came to the island,
438
00:20:26,410 --> 00:20:29,900
he sacked the whole line of
Kythira, Poloichora was taken,
439
00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:31,410
all the small forts were taken.
440
00:20:31,410 --> 00:20:34,750
He came to this one, to this mega fortress
441
00:20:34,750 --> 00:20:36,450
and he just couldn't take it down.
442
00:20:37,620 --> 00:20:39,840
Kythira survives today as a result
443
00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,520
of those few that lived in this fortress,
444
00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,173
as a result of these walls.
445
00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:46,730
And I'm looking at that view.
446
00:20:53,830 --> 00:20:54,970
This is amazing.
447
00:21:02,050 --> 00:21:04,230
The fort may have been
battered by the centuries,
448
00:21:04,230 --> 00:21:06,210
but one thing that has
weathered the ravages of time,
449
00:21:06,210 --> 00:21:07,310
is the view.
450
00:21:07,310 --> 00:21:09,360
It's a stunning backdrop that has
451
00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:12,300
been leaving people in
awe throughout the ages.
452
00:21:12,300 --> 00:21:14,610
It's hard to imagine the
sleepy town of Kapsali
453
00:21:14,610 --> 00:21:17,060
ever being a setting where
conflict would have occurred.
454
00:21:17,060 --> 00:21:19,130
But behind the now peaceful facade,
455
00:21:19,130 --> 00:21:20,700
lies a history that no doubt,
456
00:21:20,700 --> 00:21:22,713
is dotted with periods of turmoil.
457
00:21:28,470 --> 00:21:29,630
Similar to how gazing up at
458
00:21:29,630 --> 00:21:31,640
the fortress draws you into its walls,
459
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,330
looking out at the view of
Kythira's western coastline,
460
00:21:34,330 --> 00:21:37,240
inspired me to hop in the
tender and explore more of it.
461
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:38,560
The distant shores are riddled
462
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,590
with hidden alcoves and beaches,
463
00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:43,723
free from masses of people
and ruggedly beautiful.
464
00:21:44,820 --> 00:21:46,670
Unbelievable coast line.
465
00:21:46,670 --> 00:21:47,930
This is the rough side, isn't it?
466
00:21:47,930 --> 00:21:49,390
- Yeah, this is the very rough side.
467
00:21:49,390 --> 00:21:51,617
- We're lucky that the weather's good.
468
00:21:57,183 --> 00:21:59,270
You can see from the
weathering of the escarpment
469
00:21:59,270 --> 00:22:01,920
that it can get pretty rough
along this side of the island.
470
00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,500
The windward coast receives the worst
471
00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:05,290
of the storms and ocean swells,
472
00:22:05,290 --> 00:22:06,890
as a result you won't see much more
473
00:22:06,890 --> 00:22:08,660
than a few goats here and there.
474
00:22:08,660 --> 00:22:10,880
But, be patient and look hard enough
475
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,730
and you'll come across some hidden gems
476
00:22:12,730 --> 00:22:14,760
that only the locals know about.
477
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,780
Beaches like Melithoni are quite remote
478
00:22:16,780 --> 00:22:19,370
and unless you live here,
you'd never know they existed.
479
00:22:19,370 --> 00:22:21,060
It's in fact accessible by road.
480
00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:23,680
The problem is, there are
no signs pointing the way.
481
00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,123
So you'll need to study a
map of the island to find it.
482
00:22:27,030 --> 00:22:28,780
I've never been to Melithoni Beach.
483
00:22:32,450 --> 00:22:34,631
- [Captain] The weather
usually is very good here.
484
00:22:34,631 --> 00:22:35,729
- [Peter] Yeah?
485
00:22:35,729 --> 00:22:37,372
It looks protected.
486
00:22:37,372 --> 00:22:39,527
- [Captain] Very protected.
487
00:22:39,527 --> 00:22:41,775
- [Peter] And is it sand or?
488
00:22:41,775 --> 00:22:43,076
- [Captain] Yeah there's more sand.
489
00:22:43,076 --> 00:22:45,505
- [Peter] More sand.
490
00:22:45,505 --> 00:22:47,940
You know, Kythira is
only 27 kilometres long,
491
00:22:47,940 --> 00:22:50,170
and I've been here dozens of times.
492
00:22:50,170 --> 00:22:51,600
It's a small island and you'd think
493
00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:52,970
I would have seen it all.
494
00:22:52,970 --> 00:22:56,360
But I still haven't uncovered
everything it has to offer.
495
00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,120
Each time I come here
I find something new,
496
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,010
which is why I love the place.
497
00:23:01,010 --> 00:23:02,990
It's always throwing up little surprises.
498
00:23:02,990 --> 00:23:04,990
One time I might visit a different beach,
499
00:23:04,990 --> 00:23:07,060
another it might be an
amazing meal in a tavern
500
00:23:07,060 --> 00:23:08,960
that's been there for generations,
501
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,900
but I never walked through these doors.
502
00:23:10,900 --> 00:23:12,950
I'd like to think that in decades to come,
503
00:23:12,950 --> 00:23:15,070
even after another dozen trips here,
504
00:23:15,070 --> 00:23:17,070
that I'll still be discovering new gems.
505
00:23:41,337 --> 00:23:44,260
The seafaring Venetians brought
many things to the world,
506
00:23:44,260 --> 00:23:45,930
a lot of which were good.
507
00:23:45,930 --> 00:23:48,280
One of the unfortunate
results of their travels
508
00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,210
was the spread of disease.
509
00:23:50,210 --> 00:23:52,190
The result of the outbreak of sickness
510
00:23:52,190 --> 00:23:54,330
lead to them creating quarantine stations,
511
00:23:54,330 --> 00:23:55,950
known as lazarettes.
512
00:23:55,950 --> 00:23:58,770
In Greece, on most of the
islands that had a lot of trade,
513
00:23:58,770 --> 00:23:59,930
you'll find one.
514
00:23:59,930 --> 00:24:02,090
Here in Kapsali, you have two bays.
515
00:24:02,090 --> 00:24:04,710
The smaller of them is the
home of the fishing boats,
516
00:24:04,710 --> 00:24:07,710
and its most prominent
building, is the old lazaretto.
517
00:24:07,710 --> 00:24:09,510
Incidentally, this building was sold
518
00:24:09,510 --> 00:24:11,150
by a friend of mine twenty years ago,
519
00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:12,640
to an artist who is the great grandson
520
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,610
of the famous engineer, Gustav Eiffel.
521
00:24:15,610 --> 00:24:17,460
No doubt the name sounds familiar,
522
00:24:17,460 --> 00:24:20,230
he's the guy that built
the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
523
00:24:20,230 --> 00:24:21,570
Being a builder myself,
524
00:24:21,570 --> 00:24:24,430
I just had to meet Silvan
Eiffel and his wife.
525
00:24:24,430 --> 00:24:26,430
They've turned it into a home and refuge,
526
00:24:26,430 --> 00:24:28,080
where they pursue their passions.
527
00:24:29,770 --> 00:24:33,300
Sylvain, I look at your
great, great grandfather
528
00:24:33,300 --> 00:24:34,971
who was an engineer, and you're an artist,
529
00:24:34,971 --> 00:24:37,090
and an artist is a visionary,
530
00:24:37,090 --> 00:24:40,090
and an engineer is an
analytical, articulated person.
531
00:24:40,090 --> 00:24:41,780
You're a different person to him.
532
00:24:41,780 --> 00:24:42,870
What happened with the genes?
533
00:24:42,870 --> 00:24:44,490
Where did they go?
534
00:24:44,490 --> 00:24:48,890
- My great, great grandfather
Gustav was a big engineer,
535
00:24:48,890 --> 00:24:52,610
a big inventor, I did not do
536
00:24:53,540 --> 00:24:57,090
as much as my ancestor
537
00:24:57,090 --> 00:25:01,053
but I like to do everything by my hand.
538
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:06,920
I can, in this house, I
did everything by myself.
539
00:25:07,610 --> 00:25:08,683
Without any help.
540
00:25:10,020 --> 00:25:12,973
I spent 6,000 hours to work in this house.
541
00:25:15,884 --> 00:25:18,551
I make, 160 tonnes of mud yellow--
542
00:25:20,580 --> 00:25:21,413
- [Peter] Wow.
543
00:25:21,413 --> 00:25:22,650
- Of stones, cement.
544
00:25:22,650 --> 00:25:26,640
I did everything, the
plumbing, the electricity,
545
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,970
all the walls inside, outside,
546
00:25:28,970 --> 00:25:31,310
I did everything by myself.
547
00:25:31,310 --> 00:25:36,310
So not as Gustav Eiffel
who has many employees,
548
00:25:38,950 --> 00:25:40,080
only myself.
549
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,340
- I think you must have done
a better job than him then,
550
00:25:42,340 --> 00:25:43,827
because he had a lot of help.
551
00:25:43,827 --> 00:25:45,130
But I can see then that if you
552
00:25:45,130 --> 00:25:46,775
did all this yourself, it's in the genes.
553
00:25:46,775 --> 00:25:50,460
You are partly an engineer
to be able to do this.
554
00:25:50,460 --> 00:25:51,293
Fantastic.
555
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:54,950
Apart from taking over a decade
556
00:25:54,950 --> 00:25:57,120
to restore this historic building,
557
00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,240
Sylvain spends the Summer
months here in Kythira,
558
00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,350
creating artworks of the fortress.
559
00:26:01,350 --> 00:26:03,530
It seems to be somewhat of an obsession.
560
00:26:03,530 --> 00:26:05,450
Each of his pieces might
be in different lighting
561
00:26:05,450 --> 00:26:07,510
or perspective, but at
the centre of the work
562
00:26:07,510 --> 00:26:08,800
is the fortress.
563
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:09,910
Who can blame him?
564
00:26:09,910 --> 00:26:11,410
When you've got such a beautiful scene
565
00:26:11,410 --> 00:26:13,320
in front of your house,
you'd have to be mad
566
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,050
to look anywhere else for inspiration
567
00:26:15,050 --> 00:26:16,730
- I walk about--
568
00:26:16,730 --> 00:26:19,210
Sylvain's wife is also an artist.
569
00:26:19,210 --> 00:26:21,820
The sculptures throughout
the house are all hers.
570
00:26:21,820 --> 00:26:23,880
It seems like they're
a match made in heaven.
571
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,647
Two artists, passionate about their work
572
00:26:25,647 --> 00:26:28,190
and their island refuge.
573
00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:30,310
No doubt they'll be
spending many years to come,
574
00:26:30,310 --> 00:26:32,130
both enjoying each other's company,
575
00:26:32,130 --> 00:26:34,903
while relaxing in the warm,
salty breeze of Kythira.
576
00:26:37,610 --> 00:26:39,190
It's one of those places you visit,
577
00:26:39,190 --> 00:26:41,040
and spend your days trying to work out
578
00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,120
how you might be able
to live here someday.
579
00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:46,030
Well these two have taken
that dream one step further,
580
00:26:46,030 --> 00:26:48,030
and turned it into a delightful reality.
581
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,110
Two kilometres off the coast of Kapsali
582
00:27:00,110 --> 00:27:02,270
is the islet known as Avgo, or Egg.
583
00:27:02,270 --> 00:27:04,100
It's said to have been the
birthplace of Aphrodite,
584
00:27:04,100 --> 00:27:06,030
the goddess of desire and love.
585
00:27:06,030 --> 00:27:08,540
The locals believe that it was
here that in Greek mythology,
586
00:27:08,540 --> 00:27:10,490
Cronus ambushed his father Uranus,
587
00:27:10,490 --> 00:27:13,830
and cut off his genitals before
casting them into the sea.
588
00:27:13,830 --> 00:27:16,750
From the white foam Aphrodite was born.
589
00:27:16,750 --> 00:27:18,350
It's a pretty dramatic story,
590
00:27:18,350 --> 00:27:20,070
so naturally Rhette and I had to go out
591
00:27:20,070 --> 00:27:22,110
and have a quick look
before leaving Kythira.
592
00:27:22,110 --> 00:27:23,140
Pretty cool!
593
00:27:23,140 --> 00:27:23,973
- [Rhette] Yeah it's nice eh?
594
00:27:23,973 --> 00:27:25,072
- Pretty cool.
595
00:27:28,577 --> 00:27:31,420
So I'd come in around, and go
in through the orange wall.
596
00:27:31,420 --> 00:27:33,716
- [Rhette] Yeah I'll grab
a rope and tie us up.
597
00:27:33,716 --> 00:27:34,966
- [Peter] Done!
598
00:27:37,044 --> 00:27:38,611
- [Rhette] Closer!
599
00:27:38,611 --> 00:27:39,694
Three metres.
600
00:27:41,151 --> 00:27:41,984
Okay!
601
00:27:50,274 --> 00:27:51,774
A little bit more.
602
00:27:54,066 --> 00:27:54,899
Alright.
603
00:28:00,980 --> 00:28:01,813
- Wow!
604
00:28:06,186 --> 00:28:10,660
I reckon that goes all
the way in there, mate.
605
00:28:10,660 --> 00:28:11,820
- [Rhette] Yeah, there's caves that run
606
00:28:11,820 --> 00:28:13,400
all the way to the back.
607
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:14,743
- [Peter] I'm gonna jump in!
608
00:28:18,430 --> 00:28:20,180
It's taken thousands of years of erosion
609
00:28:20,180 --> 00:28:22,150
to create this incredible formation,
610
00:28:22,150 --> 00:28:24,290
and today it continues to evolve.
611
00:28:24,290 --> 00:28:26,040
Many of the small cracks will someday grow
612
00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:27,940
to become caves in their own right.
613
00:28:27,940 --> 00:28:30,320
Who knows, maybe in a millennium from now,
614
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,080
there will be a tunnel where you can swim
615
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,720
all the way through to the other side.
616
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,520
- The water right now must be freezing.
617
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,880
I've been here at midday, and the water's,
618
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:39,620
you know, still cold,
619
00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:41,560
but right now, this morning I wouldn't.
620
00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,473
Yeah, must be so cold in there.
621
00:28:47,430 --> 00:28:48,500
- [Peter] When you're excited,
622
00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:50,090
you don't really notice the cold.
623
00:28:50,090 --> 00:28:52,380
But there's one thing I will
never be able to ignore,
624
00:28:52,380 --> 00:28:54,380
and that's the cold shoulder of my wife
625
00:28:54,380 --> 00:28:56,150
if I keep her waiting too long.
626
00:28:56,150 --> 00:28:58,130
We had a long way to
go to get to Zakynthos,
627
00:28:58,130 --> 00:29:00,277
so a quick swim and I was back to Mia Zoi.
628
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,690
My time in Kythira seemed like it flew by.
629
00:29:07,690 --> 00:29:09,540
I'd seen so much in the last week
630
00:29:09,540 --> 00:29:11,320
that some of it had become a blur.
631
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,320
It's always the way
when I visit the island.
632
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,950
By the time I've caught up
with old friends and relatives,
633
00:29:15,950 --> 00:29:18,650
had a bit of relaxation,
and done a little exploring,
634
00:29:18,650 --> 00:29:20,570
it's once again time to pack the bags,
635
00:29:20,570 --> 00:29:22,600
pull up the anchor, and make a move.
636
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,080
And just like all those
previous holidays to Kythira,
637
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:26,560
I leave with a heavy heart.
638
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,280
Only on this occasion, there's
a bit of excitement too.
639
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:30,840
Ahead were the Ionian Islands,
640
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:32,790
and plenty more fun was on the horizon.
641
00:29:34,410 --> 00:29:36,660
The next port of call was Zakynthos.
642
00:29:36,660 --> 00:29:38,480
Now, if you've ever looked
at a brochure about Greece,
643
00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,880
chances are you've seen
a picture of this place.
644
00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,520
More specifically, a spot
called Navagio Beach,
645
00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:45,260
also known as Shipwreck Cove.
646
00:29:45,260 --> 00:29:47,260
It's said to be one of the
most photographed places
647
00:29:47,260 --> 00:29:49,010
in the country, and when you've seen it,
648
00:29:49,010 --> 00:29:49,940
you'll understand why.
649
00:29:49,940 --> 00:29:53,243
To tell you the truth, a photo
hardly captures it's beauty.
650
00:30:12,260 --> 00:30:14,029
When you're coming into Zakynthos,
651
00:30:14,029 --> 00:30:16,460
most people think about the most
652
00:30:16,460 --> 00:30:19,200
photographed beach in Greece.
653
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,850
Others think about the 50 odd
654
00:30:21,850 --> 00:30:24,023
olive trees per person on this island.
655
00:30:25,340 --> 00:30:27,230
I think about the nougat,
656
00:30:27,230 --> 00:30:30,170
about my neighbour Jim who lives here,
657
00:30:30,170 --> 00:30:32,530
and I also think about the name Dionysios,
658
00:30:32,530 --> 00:30:36,480
because every second person
here is called Dionysios,
659
00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:37,630
after the patron saint.
660
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,680
Anyway, I'm looking forward
to a swim over here.
661
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:53,830
Captain Yianni and his team are amazing.
662
00:30:53,830 --> 00:30:57,350
They can get Mia Zoi into almost
any harbour, bay or beach.
663
00:30:57,350 --> 00:30:59,390
I have to admit, I
occasionally get nervous
664
00:30:59,390 --> 00:31:00,970
when all the action is going on,
665
00:31:00,970 --> 00:31:02,620
but they make it look so easy,
666
00:31:02,620 --> 00:31:04,020
and there's never a mistake.
667
00:31:06,710 --> 00:31:08,080
Mate, this is awesome.
668
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,223
This is so close!
669
00:31:10,097 --> 00:31:14,040
My last captain tied us
out about 100 metres,
670
00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:15,850
my captain has got balls mate!
671
00:31:17,309 --> 00:31:19,559
(laughing)
672
00:31:21,756 --> 00:31:24,147
Oh man, it's unbelievable.
673
00:31:36,947 --> 00:31:38,197
Thanks captain!
674
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:40,833
How blue is this water?
675
00:31:41,777 --> 00:31:44,060
And how clean is this beach?
676
00:31:44,060 --> 00:31:46,520
There's thousands of people
coming here every day,
677
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:47,770
and yet it's still clean!
678
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,170
There's no rubbish strewn about the place,
679
00:31:53,170 --> 00:31:55,290
however there's one glaring blemish,
680
00:31:55,290 --> 00:31:56,640
and that's the shipwreck.
681
00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,810
That said, it's become a landmark.
682
00:31:58,810 --> 00:32:00,720
Most tourists leave their mark on it,
683
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:04,070
and being the hopeless romantic
and sentimental bloke I am,
684
00:32:04,070 --> 00:32:06,060
I felt compelled to leave a small reminder
685
00:32:06,060 --> 00:32:07,210
for when I next return.
686
00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:17,540
I'm here in Navagio, which is on
687
00:32:17,540 --> 00:32:19,703
the North West side of Zakynthos.
688
00:32:21,570 --> 00:32:23,330
Many people call it Shipwreck bay,
689
00:32:23,330 --> 00:32:25,996
because of this ship wreck, the Panioti.
690
00:32:25,996 --> 00:32:30,996
The Panioti in 1980 was smuggling
tobacco along the coast,
691
00:32:31,660 --> 00:32:33,560
from Turkey, all the way through here,
692
00:32:34,470 --> 00:32:36,476
and the Navy were chasing them.
693
00:32:36,476 --> 00:32:40,730
It sped through a storm,
came across Navagio beach,
694
00:32:40,730 --> 00:32:42,690
and was shipwrecked right here.
695
00:32:42,690 --> 00:32:45,350
Apparently there was sailors
scurrying all over the place,
696
00:32:45,350 --> 00:32:47,370
trying to get out of here.
697
00:32:47,370 --> 00:32:49,240
But now it's a beautiful beach,
698
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,440
and people visit it every
single day of summer.
699
00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,120
Look at it now, it's bare.
700
00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,793
But in three hours time, it'll be packed!
701
00:33:01,490 --> 00:33:04,133
Once the taxis and tour
boats begin operating,
702
00:33:04,133 --> 00:33:05,880
the masses start arriving.
703
00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,200
They pile onto shore in their hundreds.
704
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,660
The boats are constantly coming
and going, day in, day out.
705
00:33:11,660 --> 00:33:14,600
When we arrived at seven AM
the place was almost deserted.
706
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:15,970
Within a couple hours it was full
707
00:33:15,970 --> 00:33:17,840
of camera-wielding tourists.
708
00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,470
I can only imagine the
chaos in the peak of summer!
709
00:33:20,470 --> 00:33:21,890
I guess we're no different,
710
00:33:21,890 --> 00:33:23,250
only our camera is a little bigger,
711
00:33:23,250 --> 00:33:24,410
and we have the luxury of being able
712
00:33:24,410 --> 00:33:26,340
to visit under our own steam.
713
00:33:32,860 --> 00:33:35,240
From ground level the
beach is pretty amazing,
714
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:36,820
but from a bird's eye view,
715
00:33:36,820 --> 00:33:39,820
it takes on a whole new
level of spectacular.
716
00:33:39,820 --> 00:33:41,230
It also gives you an appreciation
717
00:33:41,230 --> 00:33:43,170
for just how many people are here.
718
00:33:43,170 --> 00:33:44,370
You can appreciate why.
719
00:33:44,370 --> 00:33:47,340
It's a remarkable place,
and even with the crowds,
720
00:33:47,340 --> 00:33:49,440
it's well worth spending a few hours here.
721
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,010
The capital of Zakynthos caries
the same name as the island,
722
00:33:55,010 --> 00:33:58,740
but keep in mind Zakynthos
is also called Zante.
723
00:33:58,740 --> 00:33:59,720
To tell you the truth,
724
00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,210
for outsiders Greece can
be confusing in this way.
725
00:34:02,210 --> 00:34:04,510
You'll also come across a
lot of places called Chora,
726
00:34:04,510 --> 00:34:06,770
which basically means, town.
727
00:34:06,770 --> 00:34:08,460
Around 10,000 people live here,
728
00:34:08,460 --> 00:34:11,040
making it the commercial and
tourist centre of the island.
729
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,470
It's a charming place
with an old-world feel,
730
00:34:13,470 --> 00:34:16,090
combining architecture
from various periods.
731
00:34:16,090 --> 00:34:17,550
The dominant style is Venetian,
732
00:34:17,550 --> 00:34:20,020
with numerous major buildings
all around the port area
733
00:34:20,020 --> 00:34:21,390
and throughout the town having features
734
00:34:21,390 --> 00:34:22,223
typical of that time.
735
00:34:22,223 --> 00:34:24,440
The thing is, a lot of it is new,
736
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,310
having been rebuilt after
the 1953 earthquake.
737
00:34:27,310 --> 00:34:29,060
To show me around I met with Nienke.
738
00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:30,780
Yep, that's not a Greek name.
739
00:34:30,780 --> 00:34:32,460
She actually comes from the Netherlands.
740
00:34:32,460 --> 00:34:34,720
Like several people I've
come across in my travels,
741
00:34:34,720 --> 00:34:36,340
she came to Greece on holidays
742
00:34:36,340 --> 00:34:38,430
and eight years later remains.
743
00:34:38,430 --> 00:34:40,990
Nienke is now a tour guide
and knows more about the place
744
00:34:40,990 --> 00:34:42,940
than most long term locals probably do.
745
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:45,450
It's very green this island, isn't it?
746
00:34:45,450 --> 00:34:47,329
- Yes, it's rainy.
747
00:34:47,329 --> 00:34:48,162
- Yes.
748
00:34:48,162 --> 00:34:52,482
- So, the rain starts in
September, until May, June.
749
00:34:52,482 --> 00:34:54,310
- And they had plenty of rain this year?
750
00:34:54,310 --> 00:34:55,810
- Yes, yes.
751
00:34:55,810 --> 00:34:57,900
And it's always green, it's always green.
752
00:34:57,900 --> 00:35:02,310
Because the soil keeps
the moist, keeps the rain,
753
00:35:02,310 --> 00:35:05,473
and the trees always have water.
754
00:35:05,473 --> 00:35:06,950
- Fantastic.
755
00:35:06,950 --> 00:35:09,100
Our first stop is the castle of Zakynthos.
756
00:35:09,100 --> 00:35:11,250
Yes, I know, another castle.
757
00:35:11,250 --> 00:35:13,670
But each one has its own
history, and besides,
758
00:35:13,670 --> 00:35:15,130
you have to see the view from up here.
759
00:35:15,130 --> 00:35:17,850
So Nienke, this is the second gate,
760
00:35:17,850 --> 00:35:19,480
how many gates are there here?
761
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:20,700
- There are three gates.
762
00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:24,130
So the first one that we just
walked through, this one,
763
00:35:24,130 --> 00:35:26,763
and the third one a little bit, uphill.
764
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:29,250
The castle needed three gates,
765
00:35:29,250 --> 00:35:30,880
to protect the people who lived inside.
766
00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:34,870
- [Peter] Wow, they must
have been in major fear.
767
00:35:34,870 --> 00:35:35,720
With three gates!
768
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,280
- [Nienke] And they spent a lot of money.
769
00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,130
- [Peter] A lot of money, a lot of money.
770
00:35:42,130 --> 00:35:42,963
- [Nienke] Yes.
771
00:35:42,963 --> 00:35:44,890
- [Peter] I notice the third gate has the
772
00:35:44,890 --> 00:35:46,120
famous lion with the wings,
773
00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:47,640
the Venetian symbol.
774
00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:49,840
- [Nienke] Yeah if you
look closely, you see that
775
00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:53,400
he has his paw on the book.
776
00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:54,430
And that means,
777
00:35:54,430 --> 00:35:58,190
that the Venetians conquered
the island by negotiation.
778
00:35:58,190 --> 00:35:59,410
So not by war.
779
00:35:59,410 --> 00:36:01,270
If it would have been by war,
780
00:36:01,270 --> 00:36:03,560
he had a sword in his hand.
781
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:05,710
- So Nienke that paw on that book,
782
00:36:05,710 --> 00:36:10,160
means a hell of a lot, because this peace,
783
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,216
led to the education of these
young boys from Zakynthos,
784
00:36:13,216 --> 00:36:14,049
is that right?
785
00:36:14,049 --> 00:36:16,480
- Yes, the rich families of the island
786
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:21,190
were able to send the young
boys off to study in Italy.
787
00:36:21,190 --> 00:36:23,810
Because the routes were
open, because of this peace,
788
00:36:23,810 --> 00:36:25,860
and the boys went to study in Italy,
789
00:36:25,860 --> 00:36:27,820
and came back as famous Poets.
790
00:36:27,820 --> 00:36:28,710
- Wow.
791
00:36:28,710 --> 00:36:31,760
- Like Solomos, Kalvos.
792
00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:33,640
- [Peter] The early poets
and writers of Zakynthos
793
00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:34,923
may well have learnt their craft in Italy,
794
00:36:34,923 --> 00:36:37,580
but I like to also think
that they drew inspiration
795
00:36:37,580 --> 00:36:39,370
from the surrounds of their Greek home.
796
00:36:39,370 --> 00:36:40,670
The most famous of the poets to
797
00:36:40,670 --> 00:36:43,450
have come from here was Dionysios Solomos.
798
00:36:43,450 --> 00:36:45,350
His work, Hymn to Liberty,
799
00:36:45,350 --> 00:36:48,300
became the national anthem in 1865.
800
00:36:48,300 --> 00:36:51,830
For this, he earned the title
of Greece's national poet.
801
00:36:51,830 --> 00:36:55,260
The amount of cannons I've seen in forts,
802
00:36:55,260 --> 00:36:58,370
I reckon you could melt
all of these cannons
803
00:36:58,370 --> 00:37:00,606
and build a castle made of cannons--
804
00:37:00,606 --> 00:37:01,640
- [Nienke] Yes, yes.
805
00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:02,694
- [Peter] Of cast iron.
806
00:37:02,694 --> 00:37:06,207
- [Nienke] They probably did as well.
807
00:37:06,207 --> 00:37:09,900
- [Peter] So Nienke I
can see mainland Greece,
808
00:37:09,900 --> 00:37:10,980
just over there.
809
00:37:10,980 --> 00:37:12,480
And this was, in the 14th century,
810
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:13,620
this was Ottoman, wasn't it?
811
00:37:13,620 --> 00:37:14,572
- [Nienke] Yes exactly.
812
00:37:14,572 --> 00:37:15,405
- [Peter] And this was Venetian?
813
00:37:15,405 --> 00:37:16,238
- This was Venetian.
814
00:37:16,238 --> 00:37:20,120
And Zakynthos, together with
the other Ionian islands,
815
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,200
all belonged to the Venetian republic.
816
00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,660
And this Venetian republic
created a defence system,
817
00:37:27,660 --> 00:37:30,590
against the Turks, against
the Ottoman empire.
818
00:37:30,590 --> 00:37:35,250
So it made a defence system
from Kerkyra in the North,
819
00:37:35,250 --> 00:37:38,260
until Kythira in the south, and also
820
00:37:38,260 --> 00:37:41,350
it conquered several ports on Crete,
821
00:37:41,350 --> 00:37:43,980
all the way up to Rhodes and Kos,
822
00:37:43,980 --> 00:37:48,760
as an arc to defend their trade roots.
823
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,160
- [Peter] Right, so this
big arc around Greece.
824
00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:52,111
- Yes.
825
00:37:52,111 --> 00:37:53,847
- Around the Ottomans, so
they could keep trading.
826
00:37:53,847 --> 00:37:55,320
Yes, exactly.
827
00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:56,867
- Wow.
828
00:37:56,867 --> 00:37:58,940
The influence of the past is most evident
829
00:37:58,940 --> 00:38:00,550
in the forts and ruins you find
830
00:38:00,550 --> 00:38:02,470
on the islands across Greece.
831
00:38:02,470 --> 00:38:04,120
But what's far less obvious,
832
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,870
is how the various conflicts
and foreign invaders
833
00:38:06,870 --> 00:38:09,050
have impacted on the
culture of the nation.
834
00:38:09,050 --> 00:38:11,480
Apart from bringing with
them different religions,
835
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,180
practises, foods and belief systems,
836
00:38:14,180 --> 00:38:16,420
they also helped galvanise
the people of Greece,
837
00:38:16,420 --> 00:38:17,993
and instil a sense of unity.
838
00:38:37,870 --> 00:38:40,540
Zakynthos is also famous
for its olive trees.
839
00:38:40,540 --> 00:38:41,810
They say there's 50 of them for
840
00:38:41,810 --> 00:38:43,420
every person that lives here.
841
00:38:43,420 --> 00:38:46,330
Dionisis, I know that
this is a family business,
842
00:38:46,330 --> 00:38:49,560
and its 150 years old, some of these trees
843
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:51,430
actually look 150 years old!
844
00:38:51,430 --> 00:38:52,421
- [Dionisis] Actually they are more,
845
00:38:52,421 --> 00:38:54,378
they are more than 500 years old.
846
00:38:54,378 --> 00:38:55,269
- [Peter] More than 500 years old?
847
00:38:55,269 --> 00:38:56,310
- More than 500 years old, yeah.
848
00:38:56,310 --> 00:38:57,710
- Wow!
849
00:38:57,710 --> 00:38:59,720
So how old can these trees live to?
850
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:00,790
- They can live, it's been estimated
851
00:39:00,790 --> 00:39:03,130
they can live up to 5,000 years of age.
852
00:39:03,130 --> 00:39:04,100
- And they are still fruiting?
853
00:39:04,100 --> 00:39:06,370
- [Dionisis] They are
still fruiting every year.
854
00:39:06,370 --> 00:39:07,830
Actually how it goes is that one year
855
00:39:07,830 --> 00:39:09,280
they produce a lot
fruits, and the next year
856
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:10,680
they are resting.
857
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,420
They produce less, or nothing.
858
00:39:12,420 --> 00:39:15,690
- You know Dionisis, I walk
through these olive groves,
859
00:39:15,690 --> 00:39:19,560
and this is when I feel, I
feel the Greek in me, you know.
860
00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:20,393
It's a wonderful thing.
861
00:39:20,393 --> 00:39:22,130
But I've never actually picked an olive
862
00:39:23,510 --> 00:39:24,807
and made olive oil.
863
00:39:24,807 --> 00:39:25,640
What happens?
864
00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,790
- What happens is each farmer
has his own plastic nets,
865
00:39:28,790 --> 00:39:30,890
so they are plastic nets under the trees,
866
00:39:30,890 --> 00:39:32,440
they have enough to place under three
867
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:33,960
or five trees at a time.
868
00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:35,902
They do cut some branches for two reasons,
869
00:39:35,902 --> 00:39:37,930
they like to keep the
trees as low as possible,
870
00:39:37,930 --> 00:39:40,390
and secondly, new growth gives
better quality of fruits.
871
00:39:40,390 --> 00:39:42,500
A couple of years later,
because the olive tree,
872
00:39:42,500 --> 00:39:43,770
one year it produces a lot of fruits,
873
00:39:43,770 --> 00:39:44,603
the next year is resting.
874
00:39:44,603 --> 00:39:46,890
It produces less or nothing.
875
00:39:46,890 --> 00:39:49,240
Then, we are beating
them with wooden sticks,
876
00:39:49,240 --> 00:39:50,610
in our days a small rotating machines,
877
00:39:50,610 --> 00:39:52,640
to make our life a bit easier.
878
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,680
It is still a very physical job.
879
00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:56,760
Just to give you an idea,
a group of four people,
880
00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,660
they can pick no more than 12
average sized trees per day.
881
00:40:00,660 --> 00:40:01,697
- Wow!
882
00:40:01,697 --> 00:40:02,530
- So it is a lot of job.
883
00:40:02,530 --> 00:40:03,363
- A big job!
884
00:40:03,363 --> 00:40:04,196
- Yeah.
885
00:40:04,196 --> 00:40:05,825
Then, they are getting
the olives from the nets,
886
00:40:05,825 --> 00:40:08,990
and they are filling big
sacks, about 50-60 kilogrammes
887
00:40:08,990 --> 00:40:10,960
- Wow, I'm just looking at
some of these olives now.
888
00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:12,300
These are a couple months away
889
00:40:12,300 --> 00:40:13,133
from being picked aren't they?
890
00:40:13,133 --> 00:40:13,966
- Oh yes, yes.
891
00:40:13,966 --> 00:40:15,860
Couple months away, yeah.
892
00:40:15,860 --> 00:40:17,062
- So they're not that big?
893
00:40:17,062 --> 00:40:18,420
- Not really, not really.
894
00:40:18,420 --> 00:40:20,323
I mean, they do need some rain.
895
00:40:21,211 --> 00:40:22,810
They will be, lets say
twice the size of that.
896
00:40:22,810 --> 00:40:25,380
- [Peter] Yeah, twice
the size of that, right.
897
00:40:25,380 --> 00:40:27,020
- Then, the beginning of October, November
898
00:40:27,020 --> 00:40:29,210
they are green in
colour, then they become,
899
00:40:29,210 --> 00:40:31,720
as they ripe on top of the
trees, they become purple.
900
00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:34,700
Purple becomes brown,
brown and finally black.
901
00:40:34,700 --> 00:40:36,890
- Oh! So what you're saying to me is,
902
00:40:36,890 --> 00:40:39,422
all olives start out
green, and end up black!
903
00:40:39,422 --> 00:40:40,255
- Exactly.
904
00:40:40,255 --> 00:40:41,088
- So there's no black olives--
905
00:40:41,088 --> 00:40:42,963
- No, no, no at the end of
the season they are black.
906
00:40:43,930 --> 00:40:45,923
- I didn't know that, wow.
907
00:40:48,530 --> 00:40:49,610
It turns out that there was a lot
908
00:40:49,610 --> 00:40:51,090
I didn't know about olive oil.
909
00:40:51,090 --> 00:40:52,760
So, we made our way back to the factory,
910
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,440
where Dionisis could
explain the whole process
911
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:55,393
in more detail.
912
00:40:57,272 --> 00:40:58,320
This is where it all happens, is it?
913
00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,300
- This is where it all happens, yeah.
914
00:41:00,300 --> 00:41:01,133
What are these?
915
00:41:01,133 --> 00:41:02,510
Those are big mixing containers,
916
00:41:02,510 --> 00:41:04,790
when the olives become grounded, the pulp,
917
00:41:04,790 --> 00:41:06,440
comes inside here.
918
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,080
So they get mixed, for about half an hour.
919
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:10,740
What happens when you mix the pulp,
920
00:41:10,740 --> 00:41:12,513
the membrane of the cell,
that holds the olive oil
921
00:41:12,513 --> 00:41:16,730
becomes more soft, so when
you try and extract from it,
922
00:41:16,730 --> 00:41:19,210
it bursts more easily,
the membrane of the cell,
923
00:41:19,210 --> 00:41:20,800
so you get more olive oil out.
924
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:21,633
- [Peter] Wow.
925
00:41:21,633 --> 00:41:22,930
- [Dionisis] And then
from there, the olive pulp
926
00:41:22,930 --> 00:41:24,940
passes through the centre
of fusion separator,
927
00:41:24,940 --> 00:41:27,720
and gets spun 3,000 times per minute.
928
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:29,320
And that separates olive
oil from the waste,
929
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,200
which are the pip from the olives
930
00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:32,366
and the small broken piece from the pips.
931
00:41:32,366 --> 00:41:33,199
- [Peter] Right.
932
00:41:33,199 --> 00:41:34,032
And then?
933
00:41:34,032 --> 00:41:36,120
- [Dionisis] And then, olive
oil comes to the next stage
934
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:36,953
where it is mixed with water.
935
00:41:36,953 --> 00:41:39,090
The olives as we know are fruits,
936
00:41:39,090 --> 00:41:41,915
so they have about 20% of moisture within.
937
00:41:41,915 --> 00:41:44,100
There is another centre of
fusion separator in the corner,
938
00:41:44,100 --> 00:41:47,180
which spins vertically,
olive oil is lighter,
939
00:41:47,180 --> 00:41:49,270
it always comes up, and
the water simply goes down.
940
00:41:49,270 --> 00:41:50,250
- [Peter] And the water goes down.
941
00:41:50,250 --> 00:41:51,083
And then you have the olive oil?
942
00:41:51,083 --> 00:41:51,916
- [Dionisis] And then
we have the olive oil.
943
00:41:51,916 --> 00:41:54,060
- [Peter] And then I take that
it goes into these big vats.
944
00:41:54,060 --> 00:41:55,130
- [Dionisis] Exactly, yeah.
945
00:41:55,130 --> 00:41:55,963
- [Peter] Wow.
946
00:41:55,963 --> 00:41:59,180
So Dionisis we have gone
through the process,
947
00:41:59,180 --> 00:42:00,460
I need to taste the product.
948
00:42:00,460 --> 00:42:01,430
- Of course, yes.
949
00:42:01,430 --> 00:42:03,830
- I'm Greek, so I know my olive oil,
950
00:42:03,830 --> 00:42:04,779
let's go and try it out.
951
00:42:04,779 --> 00:42:06,350
- Let's go and try, please.
952
00:42:06,350 --> 00:42:08,120
Look at that colour!
953
00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,560
Green, good olive oil is Green!
954
00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:12,160
- [Dionisis] Extra virgin olive oil.
955
00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:13,360
- [Peter] Is green.
956
00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:14,193
- [Dionisis] Yeah.
957
00:42:14,193 --> 00:42:15,140
- [Peter] Oh, the aroma!
958
00:42:18,210 --> 00:42:19,500
Oh man, that's fantastic.
959
00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:22,100
That, you know, I've never
drunk olive oil before,
960
00:42:22,100 --> 00:42:23,880
but I could do this every morning.
961
00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:25,560
- Of course you could, it's very good!
962
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:26,610
- That's magnificent.
963
00:42:28,130 --> 00:42:29,590
Okay, I think I need to buy some!
964
00:42:29,590 --> 00:42:30,720
- Okay!
965
00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:33,250
- It's got my approval, it's fantastic!
966
00:42:33,250 --> 00:42:35,200
Olive oil is synonymous with Greece,
967
00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,140
so it's only fitting that
if you ever come here,
968
00:42:37,140 --> 00:42:38,500
you learn a little bit about it.
969
00:42:38,500 --> 00:42:41,120
What the country is also
known for, is the food,
970
00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,350
and the typical Mediterranean way of life
971
00:42:43,350 --> 00:42:46,060
that sees dinner being
consumed late in the day.
972
00:42:46,060 --> 00:42:47,333
These night time meals also have a way
973
00:42:47,333 --> 00:42:50,800
of turning into parties,
particularly in the summer months
974
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:52,290
when the island's alive with energy
975
00:42:52,290 --> 00:42:53,890
and packed with tourists.
976
00:42:53,890 --> 00:42:55,560
In busy towns like Zante,
977
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:57,720
the evenings are always a
great time to take a walk
978
00:42:57,720 --> 00:42:59,260
and enjoy the changing light.
979
00:42:59,260 --> 00:43:01,200
In the next episode of My Greek Odyssey,
980
00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:03,540
my exploration of Zakynthos continues.
981
00:43:03,540 --> 00:43:06,030
First stop is to learn about
the famed nougat of the island,
982
00:43:06,030 --> 00:43:07,790
before getting to know
more about another thing
983
00:43:07,790 --> 00:43:10,950
it's known for, the
poet Dionysios Solomos.
984
00:43:10,950 --> 00:43:12,510
I also catch up with a good friend
985
00:43:12,510 --> 00:43:14,650
and visit a self-sustainable
farm in the island's
986
00:43:14,650 --> 00:43:15,930
fertile heart.
987
00:43:15,930 --> 00:43:17,900
From there, I head to the turtle sanctuary
988
00:43:17,900 --> 00:43:19,200
to meet a few of the locals.
989
00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,233
I also make my way to Pilos
for a very special dive.
990
00:43:23,070 --> 00:43:25,480
I cover a lot of ground in not much time,
991
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,923
so you won't want to miss
a single second of it!
992
00:43:27,923 --> 00:43:30,506
(upbeat music)
76648