All language subtitles for Aerial Greece Series 1 Part 3 Crete and The Eastern Islands 1080p

[bright music]

[narrator] at the
southern and eastern fringes

Of the aegean sea

Lie some of greece's
largest islands.

These places seem remote today,

But once they stood at
the center of human innovation.

[bright music]

Many of the values of greek
and western civilization

Were first born
and nurtured here.

Crete,

Samos,

Chios,

Rhodes,

And the dodecanese.

Places of mesmerizing beauty

And priceless heritage.

Crete, the home
of ancient palaces

And the sinister
legend of the minotaur,

Rhodes, the island once
ruled by warrior monks

Born in the turmoil
of the crusades.

And the acropolis of lindos

Where roger moore ran a pow camp

In a classic world war ii movie.

Observe the spellbinding

Decorations of a painted village

And the restaurant
where customers get plates

Broken on their heads.

Discover a monastery where
women who wish to conceive

Hope their prayers
will be answered.

The stunning classical
site that gave birth

To the most sacred
oath in medicine.

[bright music]

The tranquil island
that could erupt anytime

Into chaos and destruction.

[ground rumbles]

The vibrant performers
who give life

To the culture of ancient crete,

And the idyllic beach

Where zorba the greek danced.

[bright music]

[lively vibrant music]

[upbeat music]

At the southeastern
fringes of the aegean sea

Lie greece's most far flung
islands, the dodecanese.

The name dodecanese
means 12 islands.

In fact, this archipelago is
made up of 15 large islands,

And as many as 150 small ones.

Throughout history,
the dodecanese

Have been caught in the
crossfire of war and invasion

From the ottoman turks, to
the italians, and germans.

This could be why they are
perhaps the most diverse

And cosmopolitan of
all the greek islands.

Nowhere is this more apparent

Than in the largest
of the dodecanese.

Some call it the
island of roses,

For others it is the
island of the sun.

But many others know
it as the one time home

Of a gigantic
statue, the colossus.

This is rhodes.

[dramatic music]

Mandraki, the harbor of rhodes.

[dramatic music]

The harbor is not only
home to a superb marina,

It's also a commercial
hub with floating shops

And a floating restaurant.

But thousands of years
ago in the 3rd century bc,

Approaching seafarers beheld
a more awe-inspiring sight.

In "game of thrones",
the seaport of braavos

Is guarded by
the titan of braavos,

A huge statue that stands
with one foot planted

On either side of the harbor.

This dramatic idea

Is inspired by a
real-life marvel

That may have stood
here at mandraki harbor

Over 2,000 years ago.

A gigantic bronze statue
of the sun god helios,

The colossus of rhodes.

The colossus of
rhodes was one of

The seven wonders of
the ancient world.

The ancients built it out
of gratitude to helios,

Who they believed protected
their city from capture.

[dramatic music]

But the statue did not
straddle the harbor.

No one is certain
where it stood,

But it may have been
here on the spot

Now occupied by the
castle of st. Nicholas.

At around 110 feet tall,

The colossus would have dwarfed

The present day castle.

[dramatic music]

It took 12 years to build,

But sadly, stood for only 54.

Around 228 bc, an
earthquake destroyed it,

And its huge broken
pieces lay scattered

For a thousand years before
being melted down as scrap.

In recent years,

A group of european architects

Put forward ambitious plans
to rebuild the statue,

This time to a
height of 500 feet.

The medieval city of rhodes

Is one of the world's most
important historical sites.

Most of these buildings
have stood here

For over 600 years,
continuously occupied.

[dramatic music]

This powerful medieval wall
that surrounds the old town

Runs for 2.5 miles.

It's guarded by 11 gates.

The most impressive
is the marine gate.

Constructed in 1478,

It was the main entrance
to the town from the harbor,

And inside these walls, there
stands an architectural marvel.

[dramatic music]

This is the palace
of the grand masters,

Built by one of the most famous
military orders in history,

The knights of saint john
of jerusalem.

Founded during the crusades,

These christian warrior monks

Had a presence in the holy land

For almost 200 years,

But when the muslim forces

Finally drove the
crusaders out in 1291,

The knights looked to establish
a new center of power.

[dramatic music]

In 1309, they came to rhodes.

In the heart of the old city,

They built this stunning palace

To function as an
administrative center

And a residence for
their grand masters.

[dramatic music]

Now a museum,

The palace boasts a
magnificent courtyard.

Standing sentinel here are
statues of roman emperors,

Recovered from the ruins
of an ancient theater

On the nearby island of kos.

[dramatic music]

The palace is built
in the gothic style,

A rare example of this type
of architecture in greece.

It served not only as a palace,

But also a fortress.

In 1481, these
mighty battlements

Were almost leveled
by an earthquake.

But the most dramatic moment
in the palace's history

Came some 40 years later,

When a turkish army
laid siege to it.

Only a few thousand
knights faced

A determined assault
by 100,000 turks.

[dramatic music]

Despite a valiant effort,

The knights could not
withstand the siege.

Forced to abandon the palace,

They left rhodes,
never to return.

[gentle music]

Rhodes' history has had its
fair share of dark episodes.

[somber music]

None more so than
during world war ii,

When the italians, allies of
nazi germany, were in control.

Under italian rule,

The island's jewish community

Was left relatively undisturbed.

But when the germans occupied
rhodes, everything changed.

Below a green canopy,

A small monument commemorates

The horrific events of 1944,

When the nazis rounded up 1,800

Jewish men, women, and children.

[somber music]

They dispatched these
innocent civilians

To a sinister destination,

Auschwitz-birkenau
concentration camp.

1,604 rhodeian jews
died at auschwitz.

[somber music]

In their memory,
this square is called,

The square
of the jewish martyrs.

[somber music]

The nazis set out to obliterate

All traces of the
jewish presence on rhodes,

And almost succeeded.

Today very few jews
live on the island.

But the square of
the jewish martyrs

Has also seen lighter moments.

[light jovial music]

In 1979 greek-american
actor telly savalas,

Best known for
his role as kojak,

Filmed a scene here.

Kojak is a tough,
hard-bitten cop,

But in the world war ii
film "escape to athena",

Savalas shows
a more romantic side.

He and leading lady
claudia cardinale

Have a famous dance
scene here in front

Of the square's
seahorse fountain.

[bright jovial music]

The producers of
"escape to athena"

Found their most
dramatic location

On rhode's southeast coast,

The acropolis of lindos.

In the film,

Roger moore of james bond fame,

Plays an austrian general

Who is obsessed
with greek antiquities.

The acropolis of lindos doubles

As the fictional mount athena,

Where moore runs a pow camp.

The prisoners are
forced to excavate ruins

In return for more
favorable treatment.

[dramatic music]

The events of the
film are fictional.

But in real life,

The nazis were all too adept

At looting priceless artifacts

From archaeological sites.

The acropolis of lindos
has been an important place

For thousands of years.

[gentle music]

The ancient greeks and romans

Recognized the strategic
significance of this location,

Which guards an
important sea lane

Between europe and
the middle east.

From the calm waters
of the mediterranean,

Rugged cliffs ascend 300 feet

To the acropolis.

[gentle music]

Here the ancients constructed

A great temple to
the goddess athena lindia.

[dramatic music]

Many centuries later,

The knights of saint john
took over the acropolis

And built these
magnificent walls.

[dramatic music]

"escape to athena"
isn't the only film shot

On this stunning pinnacle.

In 1961, gregory peck
and anthony quinn

Came here to film another
world war ii blockbuster,

"the guns of navarone".

In the film peck and
quinn play allied soldiers

Who disguise themselves
as greek fishermen

And sail across the
aegean to fight the nazis.

[dramatic music]

Unsurprisingly,
the cast of "navarone"

Were entranced by
their surroundings.

[gentle music]

So much so,
that one of them wanted

To forge a permanent
link with rhodes.

[serene music]

Further north along the coast,

Lies one of the island's
most picturesque inlets.

This is anthony quinn bay,
named for the actor.

In "navarone",
quinn played a greek commando

And a few years later he
had an even more famous role

As zorba the greek in
the film of the same name.

Ironically, though, quinn
himself had no greek blood.

He was actually
mexican-american.

Quinn discovered
this bay and its beach

While filming
"the guns of navarone".

He fell in love with the
place and decided to buy it.

The authorities
agreed that the actor

Could have it for a symbolic sum

In return for his role in
publicizing rhodes

But they reneged on the promise,

And the purchase was annulled.

Quinn vowed never
to visit rhodes again.

[dramatic music]

More than 50 years later

The dispute remains unresolved,

With quinn's widow katherine

Still seeking compensation
from the greek authorities.

[bright music]

This sprawling hill
on rhodes's east coast

Has a unique purpose.

Two women and a child
climb toward the summit.

[birds chirping]

They're on a pilgrimage to
the monastery of tsambika,

A byzantine church dedicated
to the virgin mary.

But this is no
ordinary pilgrimage.

It's said that if a woman climbs

The 292 steps to the monastery

And prays to the icon
of the virgin mary,

She will be granted
a child within a year.

[bright music]

The monastery is a magnet
for childless women,

Who come to revere
the 11th-century icon,

Particularly on September 8th,

The day of tsambika's festival.

-[birds chirping]
-[bright music]

The belief could
have its origins

In the legend of artemis,

The ancient greek goddess
of fertility and midwives.

Some believe that an
altar to the goddess

Stood on this dizzying peak.

Many women have had
their prayers answered,

And as a thank you,

Some name their
children tsambikos

Or tsambika after the monastery.

Northwest of rhodes

Lies one of the jewels
of the dodecanese.

[dramatic music]

Basking in the aegean sun,

Symi island and
its harbor gialos

Have long been a magnet for
jet setters and celebrities.

Maybe it's the colorful
neoclassical facades

That line the harbor.

Or perhaps it's the
entrancing maze of lane ways

In the upper town of horio.

[bright music]

Whatever the reason,

Famous stars and politicians,

From mariah carey
and michael douglas,

To george bush senior
and silvio berlusconi,

Have made multiple
visits to symi.

[bright music]

At a fish restaurant
on the seafront,

The clients witness
a bizarre spectacle.

Owner manos magkos
smashes plates,

First on the ground

And then on their heads.

Princess beatrice, of
the british royal family,

Famously received this treatment

When she visited the restaurant.

-[bright music]
-[patrons laughing]

This custom, known as
the killing of plates,

Is an age-old tradition on symi.

Its purpose was
to drive away evil spirits,

But these days it's done more
for fun and entertainment.

It might just be the most
enjoyable thing to do in symi.

[dramatic music]

Further down the waterfront

Is another restaurant
with a colorful history.

[dramatic music]

Restaurant l-o-s art yacht club,

With its striking red facade,

Hosted one of most famous
peace accords in greek history.

On may 8, 1945,

The nazis finally surrendered
to the allies here,

Marking the end of
world war ii in greece.

[dramatic music]

The asclepeion on
the island of kos

Is one of the most momentous

Classical sites
in all of greece.

It's named for asclepius,

The greek god of
healing and medicine

Who was banished to earth
by his father, apollo.

[dramatic music]

Asclepius is said
to have learned

The art of healing
from a centaur.

The legend inspired
the ancient greeks

To build institutions
dedicated to medicine,

The world's first hospitals.

[dramatic music]

History's most renowned
physician trained here.

[birds chirping]

His name was hippocrates,

And today he's best known
for the hippocratic oath.

The oath arose from
a code of medical ethics

Devised by hippocrates.

Those who took it pledged to
do no harm to their patients

And treat them to
the best of their ability.

[gentle music]

Many modern medical
schools still use the oath,

Or parts of it, in their
graduation ceremonies.

[dramatic music]

The asclepeion was
a center of healing

Until the 4th century ad,

When two successive earthquakes
forced out its residents.

But to this day it is renowned
for its scientific approach

To medical diagnosis
and treatment.

[bright music]

Just south of kos,
on the island of nisyros,

It seems possible to
step right into a story

From greek myth and legend.

Beneath the surface
of this rocky islet,

A powerful being known as a
titan can be heard groaning.

He has been known to erupt
with devastating power.

According to mythology,

This place was the
scene of an epic battle

Between the titan and
the sea god poseidon.

[suspenseful music]

This small church overlooks
a magnificent valley.

Here, poseidon crushed the
titan with a gigantic rock.

-[suspenseful music]
-[greek gods growling]

Or so it seemed to the ancients.

Because nisyros is home
to the stefanos crater,

A dormant volcano
that last erupted in 1933.

Oval in shape,

Stefanos measures
853 feet across

And 88 feet deep.

It's one of the largest
and best-preserved

Hydrothermal craters
in the world.

Surprisingly,
people are free to walk

On the crater if they wish.

They are only advised not
to approach the holes,

Where the surface is known
to give way suddenly.

[gentle music]

North of the dodecanese,

The islands of samos and chios

Guard the approaches
to turkey's western coast.

They share a common history
since ancient times,

When they were
the stepping-stones

Of trade, shipping,
and communication

Between asia and europe.

[gentle music]

Since they were first
settled around 5,000 bc,

The islands have passed
through the hands

Of every major
mediterranean civilization,

From the greeks,
to the egyptians,

To the romans in
the first century bc.

[dramatic music]

In the middle ages,

Control passed to
the ottoman empire,

Which held sway until 1912,

When the islands
were finally incorporated

Into the greek state.

[dramatic music]

Tucked inside a sheltered bay,

Samos port has given birth
to ships for over 2,000 years.

In 250 bc, the entire
egyptian navy was based here,

And for good reason.

[gentle music]

Samian shipbuilders were famous

For their boat building skills,

Especially the
tough wooden hulls

Made from local wood.

For centuries,
samian pine was prized

By every shipyard in greece

For its sturdiness
and high resin content.

By the 20th century, however,

The demand for wooden hulls

Had diminished.

[gentle music]

The bay of agios isidoros

Is home to the island's
last surviving shipyard.

[gentle music]

[hammers thudding]

Here, two craftsmen
use samian pine

To create sturdy fishing boats

Known as trechantiria.

[upbeat music]

-Vavellis manoliadis,
-[saw buzzing]

Seen here plane-ing wood,

Works alongside
his friend kiriakos.

They're the only
local shipbuilders

Who still use
traditional methods.

[upbeat music]

Fifty years ago, there were
100 shipbuilders working here,

But now there is only
vavellis and kiriakos.

Depending on size,

The two men can build an
average of five boats a year.

But these vessels
have to be durable.

They're intended
for local fishermen,

Who will spend a lot of
time on the open seas.

[upbeat music]

In the past,
pirates also roamed these seas.

Northwest of samos,

They targeted another
lonely island.

[gentle music]

The greek island of chios

Is home to a village
like no other.

Pyrgi is famed for the
curious black and white

Geometric motifs, called xysta,

That adorn its facades.

So much so, that it's
called the painted village.

This decorative technique,

Much like the italians graffiti,

Is produced by
applying layers of plaster

Tinted in contrasting colors

To a moistened surface.

[dramatic music]

Pyrgi still retains its original

10th century medieval structure

With narrow streets,
vaults, and arches.

It may be the most
well-maintained village

On chios.

[dramatic music]

Another of chios's towns
could not be more different.

[dramatic music]

The byzantine
tower-village of anavatos

Hugs a granite peak at
the island's center.

Now deserted its crumbling
dwellings rise up

To a medieval stronghold
at the summit.

[dramatic music]

In the past this was
a military position,

Most likely set up to
defend against the pirates

That plagued
the island's coasts.

The pirates attacked
anavatos regularly

In the 18th and 19th centuries.

Then, after a catastrophic
earthquake in 1881,

The village was
finally abandoned.

Today, it is well preserved

And eerily quiet,

The very epitome
of a ghost town.

Marking the southern boundary
of the aegean sea,

Is the largest of all
the greek islands.

[dramatic music]

Crete is 160 miles long

And 37 miles wide
at its broadest,

So it's no wonder
that its inhabitants

Call it megalonisos,
the great island.

But they're not just
talking about its size.

They're also talking
about its status,

Because this is
where it all began.

[bright music]

If greece is the cradle
of european civilization,

Then crete is
the cradle of greece.

Long before classical
greek civilization

Arose on the mainland,

A sophisticated
society flourished

On this spectacular island,

The minoans.

[bright music]

The minoans ruled crete
from around 3000 to 1100 bc.

They left behind
stunning physical remains

And magnificent palaces.

[dramatic music]

The greatest of all

Is the palace of knossos,

Which flourished
for over a thousand years.

As a major center of trade,

It had links with many
ports and cities

In the eastern mediterranean.

In its day knossos was a marvel,

Boasting spectacular
royal buildings,

Extensive workshops,

And luxurious rock-cut tombs.

But in time,
the minoans were superseded

By the mycenaean culture

That arose on mainland greece.

Around 1400 bc,

A mysterious fire
destroyed much of knossos.

The town that survived was
a shadow of its former glory.

Knossos again came to prominence
in the early 20th century

When british
archaeologist arthur evans

Excavated and restored it.

Today the site covers
about 150,000 square feet.

Knossos is a mystifying place.

We'll never fully understand
the minoan culture

That built this great complex.

But what really captures
the imagination here

Is the legend
of a fearsome creature,

Half man and half bull,

The minotaur.

-[creature growls]
-[suspenseful music]

The ruler of knossos,
king minos

Imprisoned the creature
in a dark labyrinth,

A maze of twisting passages.

The minotaur lurked
in the shadows,

Devouring anyone unlucky enough

To be thrown into the labyrinth.

Until, at last,

The hero theseus killed him.

The origins of the legend
may lie in seismic activity.

Knossos lies at the center
of an earthquake zone.

Some believed that
the rumbling of the earth

Was the sound of
the minotaur roaring.

Arthur evans believed
that legend originated

In the minoan sport
of bull jumping,

Shown in frescoes
on the palace walls.

[dramatic music]

By grabbing the bull's horns

And leaping back
over the animal,

Man and bull appeared
to be one creature.

But did the labyrinth exist?

The question has mystified
visitors to knossos

For many years.

Some believe the palace
itself was the labyrinth,

And it does have
a maze-like appearance,

With many confusing
passageways and dead ends.

[gentle music]

The minoan civilization may have

Died out thousands of years ago,

But its spirit is very much
alive among cretans today.

The minoan theater
is a group of young dancers

Who recreate the ancient
minoans' flamboyant performances

Including the bull dance.

[pleasant ambient music]

Like their ancient ancestors,

The dancers leap
energetically over a bull,

Not a live one, thankfully.

[pleasant ambient music]

Evaggelia orfanoudaki

Is a traditional greek dancer.

She has been performing with
the minoan theater since 2011.

[lively music]

She practices every day

To perfect the intricate
dance moves and techniques.

Evaggelia and her fellow dancers

Enjoy keeping this
important tradition alive.

But the women are
not just dancers.

They also see themselves as
priestesses inspired by nature.

By dancing, they pray
to the mother goddess,

Represented by an
ancient olive tree

That faces the theater.

[dramatic music]

It's no surprise that nature

Is important to
the cretan people,

Given their magnificent
surroundings.

In the southwest of crete,

Stands a majestic
limestone mountain range.

[dramatic music]

This is lefka ori,

The white mountains,

Known for its spectacular
plateaus and gorges

That run like tunnels
through the rock.

[dramatic music]

The most impressive
is samaria gorge.

From the coastal village
of agia roumeli,

The gorge climbs steadily
into the mountains.

Covering ten miles,

It's one of europe's
longest canyons.

At its highest point,

The gorge will reach 1,250 feet.

The steep rock
faces and raw beauty

Make samaria gorge
one of crete's

Most popular
hiking destinations.

[dramatic music]

It also boasts
impressive expanses

Of high-altitude
mediterranean forest.

Pine, cypress, and phrygana
trees all thrive here.

In the past this was
a rich source of timber,

But these days the gorge
enjoys special protection

As a unesco world
biosphere reserve.

And yet there is danger
amid the beauty.

[tense music]

Some steep sections
are prone to rock falls.

[tense music]

Not far away, another canyon
cuts through the mountains.

With its dusty
yellow appearance,

It seems to belong more
to the american west

Than the southern mediterranean.

This is aradena gorge,

Famed for its steep walls

That ascend vertically
for 500 feet.

It's also home to
a small community.

This pickup truck
is heading for the area's

Only inhabited village.

Beyond the gorge,
agios ioannis village

Is separated from
the rest of crete.

But it does have
one important lifeline.

The aradena bridge crosses
the narrow gorge

At an altitude of 453 feet.

This is a bailey bridge,

A type of prefabricated bridge

That can be transported easily

And assembled by hand.

British engineers first
developed these structures

For military use
during world war ii.

Today, the ardena bridge

Is the highest of
its kind in the world.

Constructed using a steel
structure and wooden planks,

It's 275 feet long.

[upbeat music]

The bridge owes its existence

To two local businessmen,

The vardinoviannis brothers.

They commissioned it
to give their community

A link to the outside world.

Without the bridge,

Agios ioannis would
have been abandoned.

Now, locals like
manolis orfanoudakis

Can reach the village easily.

But when a vehicle
crosses the bridge,

The serene atmosphere
is shattered.

The sound of tires
on the wooden planks

-Creates a thundering echo
-[planks rumbling]

That can be heard
throughout the canyon.

It's also not safe
to be under the bridge,

Because passing vehicles
often dislodge debris,

And send it crashing
into the depths.

[gentle music]

At matala on crete's
southern coast

Lies a beach and a cliff
with a unique story.

Honeycombed with dozens
of small caves,

The rock face looks
like a giant beehive.

The island's early
stone age inhabitants

Cut the caves out
of the cliff face

Thousands of years ago.

Some believe they
used them as tombs,

But it's just as likely
they were living spaces.

[upbeat music]

In more recent times,

The caves of matala became
an iconic hippie destination.

[upbeat music]

In the 1960's,

The arrival of long-haired,
guitar-strumming americans

Completely shook up the sleepy
fishing village of matala.

Famously, bob dylan,

Joan baez, and cat stevens,

Are all said
to have been attracted

To this bohemian haven.

[people laughing]

[upbeat music]

But singer joni mitchell

Has the closest
connection with matala.

In 1970,

Mitchell came to live
in the caves

Following her painful break-up

From fellow songsmith
graham nash.

At the time, matala village

Had only two restaurants
and a bakery,

And joni adored the
wholesome local cuisine.

By the end of a four-month
stay, she had grown homesick,

But the experience inspired
some of the songs

On her acclaimed album "blue".

Joni mitchell may have found
peace and love on crete,

But the island has also
known war and turmoil.

[dramatic music]

The city of chania
on crete's north coast

Looks peaceful today.

But 80 years ago, at the
height of world war ii,

It was overrun with
armed soldiers.

The germans invaded
greece in April 1941,

And quickly overran
the mainland.

After a few weeks,

Only crete still held out

Against the might
of nazi germany.

With the british navy
in control of the seas,

The germans were unwilling
to risk an amphibious assault.

Instead, hitler decided on
a new and daring tactic.

On may 20, 1941,

Dozens of german planes
appeared in the sky over chania.

They were not bombers,

But transport aircraft,

Carrying a human cargo.

-[dramatic music]
-[planes roaring]

When the planes
jettisoned their loads,

Swarms of paratroopers
darkened the sky.

Some 10,000 german paratroopers
descended on crete.

For the first time in history,

An invading force
had arrived mainly by air.

[suspenseful music]

The germans faced a combined
allied and greek army.

Although the force
was 40,000 strong,

It was short on weapons
and heavy artillery.

[dramatic music]

Even so, the allies
inflicted heavy losses

On the german paratroopers.

But then the germans
took control,

Forcing the allies
into a slow retreat

Toward the island's south coast.

[somber music]

Many of those who fell in
the conflict are buried here

In the allied war
cemetery at souda bay.

The british lost almost 4,000
men in the battle of crete,

With 11,000 more captured.

This cemetery is a grim reminder

Of the terrible toll
the war took on human life,

Not only in crete,
but around the world.

[somber music]

[birds chirping]

Further along
the island's coast,

Is a colorful spot.

The sand of elafonisi beach

Has a remarkable pinkish hue.

But it's not the sand
itself that is pink.

In fact, the color is produced

By thousands of
broken seashells.

The shells belong
to a type of oyster

Named foraminifera.

When they're crushed,

Their red color
mingles with the sand,

Giving it a pink hue.

[gentle music]

This combined with
the clear green-blue waters

Gives the impression
of an exotic paradise,

And it's no surprise

That elafonisi
is consistently voted

One of the world's
most majestic beaches.

Due north of elafonisi,

Near crete's northwestern tip,

Lies another special beach.

[dramatic music]

The lagoon of balos

Is possibly the most
photographed body of water

In all of crete.

A pale sandy beach surrounds
the turquoise lagoon,

Which attracts
holidaymakers from all over.

The lagoon and its surroundings

Are a haven for
rare flora and fauna.

To protect it,
the government has banned

The high-rise hotels
and commercial buildings

That often blight beauty spots.

Two of the lagoon's
most famous visitors

Were prince charles
and princess diana.

[upbeat music]

In 1981, the royal
couple honeymooned

On the mediterranean.

Their yacht, the britannia,

Dropped anchor here at balos.

[upbeat music]

These days, a cruise ship,

The gramvousa,

Makes regular trips
to the lagoon.

[upbeat music]

Tourists disembark
and swarm onto the beach,

Looking rather like
invading soldiers.

[bright music]

It could almost be
a d-day landing scene

From "saving private ryan"

If it wasn't for
the pristine weather

And tranquil surroundings.

When it comes to ideas
for hollywood movies,

Crete is not lacking.

A native son inspired
two very famous

And very different films.

[dramatic music]

Perched on a hill outside
crete's capital city, heraklion,

Is the tomb of the man who wrote

"the last temptation of christ".

Nikos kazantzakis

Remains one of greece's
most famous writers.

So why is he buried
in this lonely place,

Marked only by a simple
cross and stone slab?

Kazantzakis was born
in heraklion in 1883.

He traveled widely abroad,

Returning to greece
just before world war ii.

In 1955, he published "the
last temptation of christ",

Which depicts a jesus
with all too human frailties,

Fear, doubts,

Depression, and lust.

The novel caused
major controversy,

And the greek orthodox church
excommunicated kazantzaskis.

He was not permitted
to be buried in a cemetery.

So, in his will,

He asked to be buried outside
the walls of his hometown.

In 1988,

The controversy flared again

When martin scorsese directed
a film based on the novel.

By then, kazantzakis
was long dead.

The famous epitaph
on his tomb reads,

"I hope for nothing.

I fear nothing.

I am free."

[light pleasant music]

These sentiments
have an eloquent basis

In kazantzakis's other great
novel "zorba the greek".

First published in 1946,

"zorba the greek"
was made into a film

Starring anthony quinn
and alan bates.

The film's most iconic scene
was shot here on stavros beach.

Here, the viglatores
dance group performs

A greek folk dance
called the sirtaki,

Made famous by the film.

"zorba the greek"
was a box office smash hit

And scooped
three academy awards.

To outsiders, the film
seems to epitomize greece,

But it does take
certain liberties.

[light pleasant music]

The film tells
the tale of basil,

A reserved english writer who
travels to crete on business.

While there, basil meets the
extrovert greek alexis zorba

And his life changes forever.

In the film's closing scene,

Basil and zorba perform
the sirtaki on stavros beach.

Sirtaki can be danced in
line or circle formation

With hands on
neighbors' shoulders.

But the dance has a secret.

It's pure hollywood.

Choreographer giorgos provias
created it for the film.

[lively dance music]

Set to music by
famous greek composer

Mikis theodorakis,

Zorba's dance became
a worldwide hit.

As the film closes,

Basil has learned to breakout
of his shell and embrace life.

Like nikos kazantzakis himself,

He has learned
to hope for nothing,

To fear nothing,

And to be free.

A sentiment that appeals
to many who visit crete

And the enchanting
islands of greece.