All language subtitles for M G O S03E03 TelendosLeros 1080p AMZN WEB-DL DDP2 0 H 264-NTb (1)_track3_[eng]

- My travels around Greece
as part of this odyssey

have taken me from the
heart of the nation, Athens,

and throughout several of
the major island groups.

We've cruised around the
coast of the Peloponnese

and traveled amongst the Ionian Islands.

Then we made our way across
to the Northern Aegean

before spending times
exploring the hidden gems

of the Western Cycladic
and, man, was it beautiful.

This series, seas are steering
Mia Zoi further eastward

and into the Dodecanese.

In this episode, I'm covering every inch

of the tiny island of Telendos.

It's only 600 meters from Kalymnos,

but has a personality all of its own

with great hiking and fantastic dive site.

From there I'm heading to Leros

which is a more lively island

with cliched windmills,
whitewashed houses,

and a stunning port.

The dramatic history of
Leros spans centuries.

We're so blessed to have the combination

of Mia Zoi and Captain Yami.

Two reasons, Mia Zoi has
shallow draft, 2.4 meters

from waterline down to the
bottom of the propeller.

And Captain Yami is a gun.

He knows these waters perfectly

so we can get to spaces
that no one else gets to.

A boat this size here in
Telendos, they've never seen it

in a spot like this because
it's so shallow here.

There is only sort of that
much space, 200 millimeters,

between the bottom of the
propeller and the sea bed.

And it's not that there's 200 millimeters,

if there's a wave,
propeller goes up and down

and up and down and could hit the bottom,

but Yami, he's got no problem,

he's really, really happy with it.

I'm blessed to have him and
I'm blessed to have Mia Zoi.

Not many people live on Telendos,

in fact, there's only a few families here.

However, during the summer months,

it gets an injection of life

thanks to the tourists that come across

from Kalymnos for the
day to escape the noise

of the big island.

Apart from wanting to see
this quaint little gem,

my main reason for ducking over

was to understand a
historical point of contention

between historians and some locals.

The heart of Telendos is in
this quaint seaside village.

It's quiet, it's clean, it's
got absolutely everything,

but not too much.

I feel like I'm in some other place

in some other part of the world.

It's beautiful.

With only a few small
ferries servicing the island,

you know it's not gonna
fill up too quickly.

In fact, the ferries are more
like small fishing boats.

They can only take a handful
of people at any one time.

Now, Telendos is a wonderful
place to come and stay,

but you don't need to.

You can be living in Kalymnos

and catch the little ferry

that comes across every half an hour,

day and night comes back and forth.

Come across here, spend
a day at the beach,

have a swim, looks pretty awesome.

Might to have a swim myself.

It's really good to let go.

After a long and lazy lunch,

it's nice to sit on the beach for a bit,

have a swim and then take a
stroll along the waterfront.

Too much eating and not enough exercise

is one of the challenges
when you're holed in Greece.

It's easy to just spend your days relaxing

and overindulging in the beautiful food,

but with so much to see in Telendos

and very little time to do it,

I didn't allow myself the
luxury of a nap on a deck chair.

A walk around Telendos
doesn't take that long.

It's only about eight
square kilometers in size,

with a short paved section

and then trails that lead
to some Byzantine ruins,

remains of churches, and rocky
alcoves along the coastline.

The crumbling remnants of
the century's old buildings

paint a picture of a once thriving island.

Archeologists have established
that part of the earthquake

in the middle of the sixth century,

there was an established
Christian culture here.

When they left, it was mostly
uninhabited for some time,

probably because it was so small and arid

and the neighboring island of Kalymnos

had a much larger settlement.

Apart from the history,
the more active individuals

can also climb the mountain that dominates

the heart of the island,
but I think I'll leave that

for another day.

I left my harness and climbing
shoes back in Kalymnos.

I think this is the end of the road

because beyond the
camera is a nudist beach

and we're not gonna go there.

If you're watching this, Helen,

rest assured I didn't
visit the nudist beach,

I'd never subject viewers
to seeing my naked body.

But, the producer felt
obliged to check it out,

saying something about having

to tell the complete story of the island.

I think he just wanted an
excuse to get his kit off

and work on his tan.

But, in complete seriousness,

nude bathing is actually illegal

in most parts of the country,

you might be surprised here

that not everything goes in Greece.

Only if a beach is
dedicated to nude bathing

can you indulge in your naturist habits.

Here there's a lifeguard
that'll give you a sunbed

and an umbrella for seven euros,

but there are no taverns or kiosks,

so you'll have to pack your own supplies.

Inland is the domineering
peak of Mount Telendos,

it rises 450 meters above sea level

and as is usually the case in Greece,

there's a church at the top.

It's been built on the ruins

of the medieval fortress
of Saint Constantine.

The castle once housed 5,000 people

who would take shelter
there during attacks.

It provided views across the sea

so inhabitants could easily spot invaders.

It seems odd to have such a large castle

on a tiny island, but when you consider

it was built at a time when
Kalymnos and Telendos were one,

it makes sense.

Now, the popular train of thought here

in Telendos and Kalymnos that at one stage

these two islands were one

is that in 500 A.D.
there was an earthquake

and they were separated.

Now, when you look at
the geological structure

of this whole bay, it's
about 50 meters deep

in the middle and it's a
couple a meters deep here

and you can see what everybody believes

is a sunken city right through here.

But, when you have a good look,

it only goes out about 10 meters

and that's probably
because the water level

has risen by about two and a half meters,

much like it has right through the Aegean.

So, it's more likely to be some sort

of geological upshift that's
happened over many thousands

of years and I'm not saying that

because I have no idea
what I'm talking about,

I read this bloke,

he's my go to for the
majority of my research,

Nigel McGilchrist, and he believes exactly

what I've just said.

So, maybe this 500 A.D. stuff isn't true,

well, maybe you're wrong
too, Nigel, who knows.

The only real way to find
out what happened here

is to see it for myself

and that means one thing,

it's time to pop on the
dive gear and get wet.

I'll take any excuse to jump
in the beautiful water here

and thankfully I found
an experienced dive team

to take me under.

Kalymnians are known for a history

of producing wonderful divers

and we have two of them here today.

And I'll tell you what,
Bradley Cooper, Jason Stratham,

they look awesome don't they?

These boys are gonna take
us for a dive this morning

in between the straits
of Kalymnos and Telendos

and tell me, what are we
gonna see there above all?

- There's a real nice route with canyons

and big rocks.
- Big rocks and canyons.

I'm actually looking forward to that

because they told me that there was

a seismic event in 500 B.C. and that's

how it separated.
- That's truth.

- I don't believe it, I don't believe it.

I think it was more a geological phenomena

that happened over a period of time.

We're gonna find out today.

And we're gonna go down with these strong,

young Kalymnian divers.

They make me look really bad, anyway,

(speaking foreign language), let's go!

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

- After you.
- After you!

I'm certainly no expert
on archeology or geology

and sometimes in my excitement I tend

to mix up my B.C.'s and A.D.'s.

So, what I meant to say
earlier was 500 A.D..

Now, let's get back to the script.

With the site we're about to visit,

the popular thought is that

a massive earthquake
occurred here somewhere

around 550 A.D., it split
Telendos from Kalymnos,

sinking a city that sat between what's now

the two separate islands.

The alternative theory is

that it was more than just an earthquake

and, in fact, a combination of volcanic

and other geological phenomenon occurring

over an extended period.

Whatever it was, it
resulted in the formation

of incredible underwater structures

that are home to all sorts of marine life.

Pablo and Nihale have been
diving on this site for decades

and in that time, they haven't come across

a sunken city, but they have
seen some remarkable creations

of mother nature.

These rock formations are
like underwater canyons,

rising from the depths
creating an eerie atmosphere.

They make you feel tiny and
somewhat fragile in comparison.

It also gives you the sense of swimming

through submerged towers.

Perhaps this is what early
divers were referring

to as the submerged city.

I didn't end up proving or
disproving either theory,

however, the dive was mind blowing.

It was one of those experiences

where you go into it expecting one thing,

but come across something
completely different,

yet just as exciting.

To finish a fantastic day, we sat back

and took in the spectacular sunset.

Like pretty beaches,
there's no shortage of them

in this part of the world.

We then spent our final evening

in the tranquil port of
Telendos debating history

and throwing around our own wild theories

about what happened here
all those centuries ago.

As the final ferry made
its way across to Kalymnos,

we called an end to the discussion

because the following
day we had an early start

for the short transit to Leros.

I was keen to get there early

and make the most of the perfect weather.

It may have only been
about a 20 kilometer cruise

between the two ports,
but the contrast between

the two islands couldn't
have been greater.

I'd left a tiny dock with
a village that matched

and here I arrived at
a massive open harbor

and a bustling town.

Leros is not your
typical Dodecanese island

where tourists come to in their droves.

In fact, very few
tourists come here at all

and that's what I like about it.

But, what's important about Leros

is this huge bay, it's harbor,
this natural deep-water port

that is unique to all of the Aegean

and the Italians, early last century,

used it as their eastern most naval base.

As a result, they built this beautiful,

rationalist architecture
right through the town

and I love the modern history of Leros.

I love Lakki and I'm looking
forward to checking it out.

During the Italo-Turkish War of 1911,

the Dodecanese Islands
were ceded to the Italians.

Leros is central in that region

and because it has a deep-water harbor,

the Italians chose it to
become the eastern most base

of their empire.

The protected waters
of Lakki made it ideal

so they built a city that could house

their 4,000 strong garrison.

That meant schools for
the soldier's children,

a theater for the officers,

and all the associated infrastructure

that goes with a large naval base.

They intended on being here for centuries.

Little did they know, 30
years later, they'd lose it.

To teach me more about the subject,

I met Dimitris, a local counsel historian.

When we say classic,
it's art nouveau, it's--

- It's a building of
30s and it looks like--

- It coulda been built yesterday.

- Exactly.
- Yeah.

- Exactly.
- The architecture here,

it's unique to the eastern Mediterranean.

I don't think I've seen it anywhere else.

It's something you might see
in the plains south of Rome.

- True.
- Where is this come from?

- Okay, if we think of
things from the beginning,

everything started in 1912.

Italians capture 12 violence,

they establish another base here

and they expand by building
this beautiful city.

They chose this island for two reasons.

First, was because it was in
the center of the Dodecanese

and the second reason
was the natural port.

Actually, what you see here,
it's unique in the island.

This town is unique.

The rest is Greek.

- So, this is the only
part of the island that has

that Italian architecture.
- Definitely, definitely.

- Well, the Italians wanted the port,

they didn't wanna go anywhere else,

they were just happy here is suppose.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- I'd like to have

a look through the building,

can we go and have a look.
- Let's go, let's go.

- In a testament to the
quality of the design

and construction of the school,

it's still being used
for it's original purpose

all these years later.

The same goes for the theater

and several other buildings in town.

The architecture is timeless

and because the Italians
intended on being here

for a century or more, they
built things that would last.

The interiors also have a style about them

that will likely never date.

They're functional, pleasant to the eye,

and devoid of any unnecessary adornments.

This playground looks like it
hasn't changed in 80 years.

The buildings look the same.

In fact, I think it's a
wonderful little playground.

They've got even their own
little castle to look at.

- You know, this tower house,

how many attacks survived by the pirates.

So, when locals were coming here, okay,

the landscape was completely different.

They were having their
lands, their harvest,

and pirates they were hiding themselves

and they were attacking them to steal

whatever they could.

So, the only place to survive
was to close themselves

inside of this tower house.

They were boiling hot oil to drop to them

and they were, at the same time,

sending smoke signals to inform the rest

of the islanders that
pirates are attacking

this particular part of the island.

Because, you see the castle
is really, really far.

- Okay,
- So, a lot of battles

actually took place around this house.

- In contrast to the
crumbling ruins of the castle,

the local Greek community has taken

to the 1930s rationalist architecture

and they're slowly restoring

and readapting these lovely old buildings.

It's as though they're
accepting of their past,

embracing the Italian
influence instead of trying

to erase it from history.

Just across the port of
Lakki is the naval base.

Now, what's special about this naval base

is that in the last 100 years,

it's changed hands so many times.

First it was the British naval base,

then it was the Italian naval base,

then it was a German naval base,

then it became the
British naval base again

until it became the Greek naval base

which it is right now.

So, let's go and check it out.

In modern times, Leros was made famous

by a battle fought here in
1943, late in World War II.

The importance of the
island and the naval combat

that occurred here,

is summed up by Winston
Churchill's description

that Leros is the mulcher of the Aegean.

Those who had control of the island

had command of the air and
sea in the whole region.

Only days after the
Italians changed alliances

from the Germans to the British,

the Nazis began a campaign
to retake the island.

Supported by limited British forces,

the Italians dug in for battle.

After 50 days of bombardment

and finally a land invasion,

several ships were sunk and
hundreds of lives were lost.

It became known as the battle of Leros

and is regarded as the last major defeat

of the British Army during the war.

Incidentally, it was one
of the final victories

for the Nazis.

So that they sunk three
ships on that first day.

- Exactly.

The bombing continued
till the 11th of November.

It was everything was damaged here.

- So, the whole island was getting bombed

for 50 days.
- Everything.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The barracks, workshops,
depots, everything, everything.

Four days after the landing
of the German troops,

Leros was--
- Taken.

- Yes.
- So, there must have been

a lot of deaths.

A lot of people died here.

- A lot of people died here, that's true,

a lot of people, both
British, Italians, Greeks,

and, of course, Germans.

- The original
Italian base stretched halfway

around the bay with several
buildings to house the troops

and other personnel, as well
as all the necessary services

to support a large settlement.

Many of the structures remain today

and are evidence of the grand plans

the Italians had for the island.

- What Mussolini did was that
he created infrastructure

for his troops here,
permanent infrastructure.

Were barracks, depots,
workshops, hospital,

the whole island was
fortified, heavily fortified.

- Fighting was
focused on key areas

where fortifications stood.

So, despite the ferocity of the invasion

and the huge amount of aerial bombardment

in the weeks prior,

a lot of the buildings
received minimal damage.

Once the war ended and the Italians left,

these buildings were converted to schools

and a technical college,

prolonging their
usefulness for many years.

Today, most of them are empty,

but hopefully, some
day, they might be given

a new lease of life.

Across the island there are remnants

from the battle still visible today.

But, perhaps the most significant
of them lies in the bay,

beneath 20 meters of water

and an ever increasing layer of silt.

Like a ghost, the twisted remnants

of the Greek destroyer, Queen Olga,

sitting neath darkness,
they look nothing like

the grand vessel she once was.

After sustaining heavy attack

from 25 Junkers bombers on
the first day of battle,

the Queen Olga sunk.

The damage was so significant
that it took very little time

for her to sink, torn apart by explosions.

With her went 72 men.

Diving on a wreck like this
creates a strange feeling.

I'm drawn to explore more and find myself

in awe of the scale,

but then there's a certain
amount of sadness knowing

how many souls were lost when she sunk.

On dry land, the scars of
war are just as visible.

The remains of the fortifications

give you a sense of just how
significant the defenses were.

But, despite the batteries
around the island,

their superior air power gave
the Nazis the upper hand,

allowing them to cause
huge losses to the Allies

and subsequently create a supply chain

to support their ground invasion.

In all, during the Battle of Leros,

there were over 900 Allied
casualties and 520 German losses.

To learn more about Leros
and its military history,

I made my way to the nearby museum.

It's housed underground and
contains fantastic exhibitions.

Only a few hundred meters from the port

is the military museum.

I've been here before

and I've been looking
forward to coming back.

Obviously, the military museum.

The museum is in a tunnel.

There are many tunnels here aren't there?

- Yes, this is one of the thousand tunnels

that we have on our island.

- And why so many tunnels?

- The truth is that the whole island

is an experiment.

Lakki was an experiment about the war.

All tunnels, all fortification in our tops

of the mountains, it was an experience

about the science of the war.

- This is what the Italians wanted.

- Yes.
- This was a model

for future war,
- Exactly.

- building cities.

Unbelievable.
- A center of everything

to be prepared for the war,

to hide their weapons,

to hide themselves.

- And did they use the
tunnels for hiding weapons?

- Yes, they use it.

This area, Merikia that is our museum

and the north part actually of the island,

Xirokambos and Merikia,
it was only for Army.

So, a hundred of tunnels around the area

to hide their weapons, arms,
cells, bombs, everything.

So, that's why, if you go
around to our mountains

to explore more about history of Leros,

you will find a lot of
types of bombs, of cells,

everything because it was a
big, big, big deposit of war.

- So, it's real treasure hunt
when you're going through it.

- Yes, yes, yes.
- Well, let's see more.

- Yes, let's go.

- The museum creates a stark
and somewhat confronting image

of how things were.

It showcases the machines of war

and in some instances,
puts a human element to it.

And there are a lot of
artifacts here, a lot.

- Yes.
- How did they get collected?

- Donations.
- Yeah?

- The people, when this tunnel opened,

people, they were happy
to bring their things

because when they were a child

they go around to the
tops of the mountains

and collect things.
- Well.

- So, when this tunnel
opened, all the waitings

with their exhibits, helmets, books,

arms, what they really
found around the mountains.

- It's hard to believe

that in the years after the war,

as a child growing up here,

your out-of-school fun was looking

for unexploded bombs
and discarded weapons.

And for those that lived
through the horrors of the war,

there were lifelong scars.

Almost every Greek family has been touched

by it in some way.

I know that when I was
growing up in Australia,

most of the kids I grew up with

had parents that fled
Greece because of it.

So, what do we have here?

- It's a bomb trailer.

They use it to move the cells
and bombs around the tunnels.

- That's how much was happening here.

They had trolleys, they
had all this equipment,

this ancillary equipment
to move everything around.

It's amazing.

So, I think if you wanna come to Leros,

come to Lakki and come here first

because you'll get a
good education on Leros.

More than just the Battle of Leros.

All about how Lakki was built.

It has been fantastic,
thank you very much.

- You're welcome.
- Now, is that a real bomb?

- Yes!

And you can see inside.
- Wow.

- Awesome, how it was a real bomb.

- The views from the mountains
around Lakki are spectacular.

I'd have to say that this is one

of the most picturesque
harbors in the Aegean.

The mountains also hide many secrets,

making them a great place to explore.

One person who takes advantage
of the trails up here

to do a little searching is
a local emmet called Marcos.

He was born in America and
moved here with his wife

to settle on his family island.

Nowadays, he works in IT
for the mayor's office,

but his free time is spent
in the hills discovering

the island's past.

He's particularly interested
in the fortifications

as there's little information about them,

yet they're so domineering
and significant a feature.

All he has to go by are a few photos

and the word of those who
lived through the war,

but he's managed to learn a huge amount

and piece together a lot a history.

- This concrete structure

was used as a acoustic tool

to amplify the sound of
the airplanes coming.

Sort of a radar before radars.

- So, radar was what?

Early 40's was it?
- Yeah, around there maybe.

- And when did the Italians build this?

- Somewhere around 30s.

- Oh, okay, so how did it work, man?

I mean, where are they listening from?

- So, how this works is
there was a soldier inside

this opening area here where he would walk

up and down inside this area.

So, depending on where
he would hear a sound,

like say if he was somewhere
here and he would listen

to a sound, he would know
that there is something coming

from this area here.

If he is more down and hears
a sound somewhere here,

he knows that something's come from here.

Why this opening is down low

is because they're interested

in listening what's coming from above,

from the air, from the airplanes.

So, they get the sound that reflects

from the sky down into this opening.

If he was at this height,

all he would hear is the
sound coming from the battery.

- So, this was the radar before the radar,

really, wasn't it?
- Yeah.

Later on when actual radar
started appearing during the 40s,

this became obsolete
because airplanes started

to come a lot faster and by
the time they were listening

to the airplanes, the
airplanes were already here.

- So, the soldiers caught
the general direction

of where this plane is coming from.

What does he do with this information?

- So, since he has a basic idea

of where the airplane is coming from,

then he gives this information
to the command center

and the command center
with another instrument

that's here located in this
installation, the aerophono,

they were able to pinpoint
with more accuracy

where the airplane actually was.

- Can we have a look at that stuff?

- Yeah, let's go see it.
- Come on, let's go.

Marcos might be an amateur historian,

but his wealth of knowledge

and passion for the subject are fantastic.

He had a way of creating a vivid picture

of what was once here
and how things operated.

What I found incredible is the scale

of what the Italians had built.

Not just up here, but across
and beneath the island.

Yet, despite the money and huge amounts

of resources thrown at
this military experiment,

they were unable to keep up
with advances in aviation,

so the parabolic acoustic
mirror we just saw,

as well as the aerophono
we are about to see,

became obsolete by the
time the war arrived.

- What this was, it was an instrument

with a cone shaped nose
where they were pointing

to the sky and trying
to listen to the sound

of the airplane that was coming

and they were able to
calculate with more accuracy

what type of airplane
it was from the sound

and also the distance and
the altitude of the airplane.

- You don't have to be
a military enthusiast

to walk or drive around Leros

and appreciate the huge
amount of fortifications,

naval buildings, bunkers, and tunnels,

scattered across the island.

The scale of it, for a
seemingly small land mass

at the bottom of the Aegean is immense,

yet despite it all, as
history has taught us,

when a better-equipped, more motivated,

and highly trained force arrives,

immobile fortifications
will generally be conquered.

Heading to the southern tip of Leros,

Marcos took me to a very
different remnant of the war.

- During the German occupation
we had a German soldier

that was here, his name was Otto Meister,

and he was an artist and he started

to make these interesting
drawings all over the place.

Well, you see here in this
area which is the kitchen,

we see a drawing of a chef

with his helpers preparing a soup

and he has the recipe for the soup there.

- He was
obviously a very busy guy.

- Yeah, course.

A lot of things to do.

- Man, I think the goats
like it here as well,

must be a bit of a sanctuary for him.

- Yeah, we do have a lot
a goats inside here too.

They find shelter in here.
- Wow.

Look at them, they're all looking at us.

Hey guys, how we going?

The frescos adorn many of
the former barracks walls.

They were probably done
by more than one hand.

Italian soldiers, or political prisoners,

who found themselves
confined within these rooms

are also believed to have contributed,

whether out of boredom or
wanting to leave their mark,

the art has managed to survive.

The art ranges from social
or political commentary

that depicted their daily lives,

to more elaborate works like this copy

of Dutch artist, Peter
Bruegel's the "Peasant Wedding."

And another of his masterpieces,
the "Peasant Dance."

The works are a reminder
of the human side of war.

They show that soldiers are
more than killing machines,

but artists, musicians, chefs,
and just every day people

with hobbies and passions.

Prior to restoration
works being carried out

on the building, there were
many more pieces of art

about the place, unfortunately
they were destroyed

and the barracks left to
become a shelter for goats.

It's a stark contrast to what many

of these rooms were once used for.

Besides being sleeping
quarters, dining halls,

and other domestic
spaces, they're also cells

that amongst other captives or criminals,

held political prisoners.

Looking at it now, Leros
is a peaceful haven,

but just like the rest of Greece,

it's had its fair share of
war and political turmoil.

These events have shaped
the culture and people

of the island, but also left some damage.

The time is 1967 and there's a
lot of civil unrest in Greece

and Georgios Papadopoulos
there is a coup d'etat

and the military take over
the government of Greece

up until 1974.

As a result, many
rioters, poets, musicians,

any extremist, any visionaries,

were exiled to islands like this in Leros.

How they recorded their coming years

murals, writing, poets, songs.

Here, something really special happened.

Three artists, political prisoners,

decided to rebuild this beautiful church

of Ayia Kioura and fashion it

in their own take on Byzantine
art, a modernist way,

by using political prisoners
and locals as models

for the frescos that you see up here.

But, this is not a story about
this church and the Hunda.

This is a story about the edge of society

and the view of these
extremists in our society,

their vision and being able to document it

in our governments of today

and in governments that
they weren't able to do it,

this is what occurred, their exile,

but they got their way,
they got to document it

and it's been kept and the
state has protected this church.

For centuries, the Greek Orthodox church

has portrayed their icons
in the Byzantine style.

Strict tradition has
maintained this practice

and anyone that deviated from
it was committing blasphemy.

However, in exile, these artists were able

to express their creativity.

They didn't do it to
cause trouble or offense,

but to simply put their
thoughts and emotions

onto the walls of the church they rebuilt.

It is visionary and a
way to make a statement

about progress and inclusion,

rather than conservatism and exclusion,

that is often the way of
politics and religion.

Having spent a few days
exploring the harbor of Lakki

and it's Italian built town,

I started to fall in love with the place.

In terms of the architecture

and surrounding mountain scenery,

it's quite different from most of Greece.

The expansive anchorage
and rationalist buildings

from the early 1900s,
create a unique setting

that at times makes you
think you're far from

the Dodecanese and that
recent wartime history

adds plenty of drama to the town story.

But, now it was time to
up anchor and make a move.

There was plenty more
to see and do on Leros

and we had to spend
some time in what I call

the Greek part of the island.

This is about as cliched a
Greek port as you'll come across

with fishing boats, windmills, and a fort,

but as I'll show you, it has
its own unique personality too.

From the southwest part of the island,

we've traveled half way up the east coast

to this beautiful, seaside
fishing village of Pandeli.

Gone is the Italian
architecture and we're back

to the Greek island white.

Up there we have our 11th century castle

and a dozen or so windmills.

It's just such a beautiful spot

and this is really the
fabric of the Greek islands.

You can hear the kids
playing in the background,

families are having fun,
it's just an awesome place.

The people of Pandeli are
known for their hospitality.

They're a friendly
bunch and love welcoming

the summer tourist to their town.

They've managed to create
the perfect balance

between the old-world
charm of a fishing village

and the more modern needs
of the whole dang crowd.

On the one hand, you've got
the seaside taverns and cafes

with a more local feel,

then there's the lively
bars for nighttime drinks.

Along the waterfront you've
got the colorful fishing boats,

bobbing up and down, covered in nets.

But parked right next to them

are modern cruisers and yachts.

I personally love a morning
walk in these types of ports.

It's always interesting
to watch the fishermen

coming and going.

Some of them loading the night's catch

while others are preparing
to head out for the day.

Completing this mixing
pot, there's the beaches.

You can sit beneath an umbrella

or alongside friends and family,

sipping on a cold drink
while the kids play

or find a quiet corner
away from the crowds

to read a book and get some peace.

It's a coming together of
worlds in a gorgeous setting

and I'm excited to show
you why many visitors

come to Leros for weeks at a time

and never leave this idyllic little spot.

So, this is the Church of Saint Isidor.

He was traveling along and
there was a heavy storm

and he said, "Wherever I
find a harbor, a safe harbor,

"I'm gonna stop and I'm
gonna build my church there."

And he built it here.

He actually didn't build it here,

he built it around the back there

and that's the first church.

This is the second church.

Little is known about the
original temple that stood here.

The submerged ancient
foundations are all that remain.

Today, the church is
a symbol of the island

and hosts weddings and
services on important dates.

To me, the role Isodoros Leros
plays is to inspire people.

It's not the grandest building,

but the location is hard to beat

and its simplicity is
what makes it so special.

If head to Saint Minas Beach on a Sunday,

there's a cult-like
phenomenon that goes on.

It's a perfect example of how something

can touch an island's history

and then form a life of it's own,

becoming part of its cultural identity.

Giorgos, what is it about
Vespas on this island?

Why is there a Vespaholics club?

What is the story.

- When the first Italians came to Leros,

the officers used to ride Vespas.

So, the natives, was very common for ride.

The main reason that I
ride a Vespa motorcycle,

has a history behind.

The design is, the first
Vespa that was produced

for the Italian Army,
it's very aerodynamic,

most of it is made of metal.

- It's able Italians,

they know how to design things don't they?

- Yeah.
- Nick, you started

the Vespaholics club, is that right?

- Yeah.
- How many people

in the club now?
- 100 I think.

- 100.
- But, there are more

than 500 Vespas on the island.

Friends get together, they
talk about our Vespas.

- At these bridge clubs.
- Yes, they mostly own Vespas.

We have Vespa parties here.

We play wrecking ball music, garage music,

and we drink beers and
talk about our Vespas,

how we build them.
- That sounds like

real fun, mate.

It really does.
- Yeah.

- Well, I feel like joining
the Vespaholics club

and having a few drinks with ya.

Can I do that?
- Yeah, sure.

- Let's do it mate.

Let's go and do it, eh?

All right, let's go.

This town really is a place of contrast,

that somehow meld perfectly.

Here you've got the Italian
influence from the mid-900s,

now manifesting itself with
the youth of the island.

They've created a
bonding unlike any other.

Giorgos and his band of Vesparites

have an unmistakable sense
of freedom and zest for life

that's highly contagious.

It certainly rubbed off on me

and for a little while there,
I felt 30 years younger.

Mind you, that still makes
me the oldest blokey.

Dimitris, it's a long way
up to the castle, mate.

- It is, but it's a beautiful long way.

- Yeah, it's a beautiful long way.

Thank you for getting electric bikes,

I really appreciate it.

Next time no baskets mate.
- Okay, okay.

- I don't need a basket.

Let's go, eh?
- Let's go.

- Here we go, oh shoot.

Man, this is so easy.
- It is.

- You know, riding a bike is a great way

of seeing the Greek islands.
- Definitely.

- You see everything.
- Not only you see,

you smell.
- You smell,

that's exactly right,
- You smell.

- you smell it.

- You smell the thyme.
- But, when you smell things

like Vista Berma that's coming up.

- Oh.
- A bit of a worry, right?

- Yeah, yeah.

- You get up to this point and you realize

how valuable it is to ride a bike up here.

The fresh air, the view,
a little bit of exercise,

you just can't beat it, the smells.

- The thyme, the oregano here.
- Yeah, it's awesome man.

And Leros has a lot of bike tracks

and a lot of bikers, a lot
of people ride bikes here.

- True, true.

True.

- As fun as it was hanging out

with the Vespa club yesterday evening,

this is a bit more to my liking.

The pace is much slower,
allowing you the time

to really take in the scenery
and absorb your surrounds.

We're not exaggerating when
we mention the smells too.

The hillsides are covered
in flowers and herbs

and with every gust of
refreshing sea breeze,

comes a waft of amazing bouquets.

- See here the castle.
- Awesome.

Thankfully we had a mild
morning to be out riding bikes.

In the heart of summer, you
wouldn't wanna be heading

up here too late in the day.

The exposed mountainside
with its granite faces

would bake in the heat.

I was also grateful for the little bit

of assistance provided by the e-bike.

After spending a few weeks
with Kiyako's cooking,

I'd put on a few extra kilos,

so a bit of help getting up
to the castle was appreciated.

- Okay, here we are.
- Fantastic, man,

thank you very much.
- You're welcome.

- Thanks Dimitris, I
really appreciate that.

That was an awesome ride, mate.

Come on in here, buddy, thanks.

- Okay.

See you later.
- See ya buddy.

- Okay, bye.
- Bye, my friend.

Got my hat and off.

I did the hard work of
getting the bike up the hill,

now one of the crew got to do the fun part

and take it down with Dimitris.

Now, you gotta be careful along here

because there's bits of this wall

where there is a hundred
meter drop right under ya.

Whoa!

That's heavy.

Now, you're almost always guaranteed

the most spectacular view on an island

if you go to the castle.

And this Castle of Pandeli
does not let you down

because from here, you can
see every bit of the island

and primarily and most importantly,

the three main villages here.

It's just a spectacular view.

And this castle, she's a beauty.

It actually sits on an old acropolis

and it was rebuilt many, many times,

but the big one that you see here

was done in 1395 by the
Knights of Saint John.

It was subsequently bombed
in the Battle of Leros

and they've actually
repaired it ever since.

But, coming up here is awesome

whether you walk, you jog,
or you ride your bike up,

it's fantastic and I've
actually got a meeting now

with some other guys that'll give me

a pretty rough ride going back down.

So, I'll see you soon.

If it's not a castle occupying
the best spot for views,

it'll be a church.

It's not terribly often
you'll find towns perched

on tops of hills,

because generally the
people need to be close

to the port which is where it's cooler

and the supplies come and go.

But, at times of conflict,

they'll flee to hilltop fort for safety.

Speaking of safety,

I was about to completely
throw mine out the window,

or should I say, off the cliff edge.

I was meeting up with
Nicholas and his mates

who formed a bike club,

not of the motorized
variety like the Vespa guys,

but mountain bikes.

These guys are soldiers
based on the island

and in their free time
they hit the trails.

Such is their passion for it,

they regularly plan outings
to build more tracks

to open up other parts of the island.

The popularity of the
sport is on the rise,

but after you see how much I struggled

on the hard core trail they took me on

maybe there won't be a line to sign up.

All jokes aside, I did
eventually find my feet.

Once I got a bit more confident,

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

They took me to parts of Leros

I would've never otherwise seen

and like the rock climbing
I did in Kalymnos,

made me push my limits just
that little bit further.

Oh, shit!

Where are they taking me?

I'm just not going down there buddy.

The camera really did make
it look far less steep

than it actually was

and it wasn't just sheer,

the massive rocks added
to the difficulty too.

So, we headed to something a bit tamer,

more in line with my skill level.

Mind you, it had a few challenges also.

In the next episode, I'll
leave the hills of Leros

and make my way across the
island group of Micronesia.

It's a brief visit to what they call

the Polynesia of the Mediterranean

before heading to the island of Leipsoi.

There I'm getting hands
on as I learn all about

the life of the locals,

from the farming practices
to the food they eat.

I also meet a team of researchers working

to protect the area's marine habitats,

before finding out what the
life of a great soldier is like

in such a remote part of the country.

But, before that, I had a quick drink

with my new friends to bid Leros farewell.