All language subtitles for My Greek Odyssey - 1x04 - Hydra Dokos 1080p AMZN WEB-DL DDP2 0 H 264-NTb (1)_track3_[eng]

(lighthearted traditional music)

- [Peter] From the
bustling streets of Athens

and the historic port of Hydra,

to the beaches of Zakynthos
and the villages of Kythera,

our journey over the coming weeks spans

many of the Ionian
islands, some well-known,

others that few ever get to visit.

But before heading off,
you probably wanna know

a little bit about me.

My story starts as boy growing up

in the inner suburbs of Sydney.

Like a lot of Greeks early last century,

my parents moved overseas to
find a better life abroad.

They arrived with very little
and worked extremely hard

to give my sisters and
I a loving upbringing.

They also made me believe that
if I too worked hard enough,

I could achieve anything.

54 years later, I've built
a successful business.

And that has enabled me to do
things I once only dreamed of.

One of those dreams was to step foot

on all 227 inhabited Greek Islands,

and I'm gonna take a big chunk out of that

in this first series.

Last episode, I left the
stunning island of Spetses

and made my way to the ever-popular

holiday destination of Hydra.

It's a busy tourist hub,

not only thanks to its
close proximity to Athens,

but also the old-world
charm of the cobbled streets

and historic port area.

Sitting in the Aegean,

just off the southern tip of the mainland,

its position is placed at
the centre of trade routes.

However, it wasn't just merchant shipping

that put Hydra on the map.

It further cemented its place

in Greek history during the
1821 War of Independence,

and it was this man, Admiral Miaoulis,

the leader of the Hydriots,

along with Bouboulina of Spetses,

who helped destroy the Ottoman fleet,

and subsequently liberate Greece.

This strong will has long been part

of the Hydriot people's DNA,

making them prevalent in
the politics of Greece

over the last 200 years.

- Let me show you the
monument we've got here

of the five prime ministers of Greece

that were born in Hydra.

Hydra is the birth place
of five prime ministers.

- Wow.

- It's an amazing number
for such a small island.

And also, Hydra is the birth
place of the first president

of the Hellenic Republic,
Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

- So, who do we have here, George?

- It's George Koundouriotis,
Antonios Kriezis,

Dimitrios Voulgaris, Athanasios Miaoulis,

and Petros Voulgaris.

- [Peter] Miaoulis, who
the festival is about?

- [George] No, no, no.

- [Peter] It's a
different Miaoulis, is it?

- [George] Yes, it's
a brother of Miaoulis.

- [Peter] Wow, well I'm looking
forward to the festival.

- We are all looking forward.

We have been preparing
throughout the year.

- Thank you, George.

(mellow music)

The festival we mentioned
is the Miaoulia Festival.

It's an annual event to celebrate

the contribution Hydra made
to the War of Independence,

and like all parties in Greece,
it goes off with a bang!

The celebration draws people
from across the country,

and other parts of the world.

Politicians, clergy, and military leaders

converge on the island,

along with thousands more
tourists than normal,

all here to sing, dance, eat, drink,

and commemorate this most
important moment in history.

Everywhere you look there
are smiling, happy people,

all here for the party.

But even outside of festival time,

the place is a happy one, such
is the Hydriot way of life.

Leonard Cohen, god bless your soul,

I know now why you never left.

Hallelujah!

(guitar music)

Costa has been doing this since 1978.

He hasn't missed a year.

He even left his post as a
soldier to come here in Hydra

and celebrate the Miaoulia Festival.

That's how important to him it was.

The final day of festivities
begins with a re-enactment

of the first shots fired
at the Ottoman fleet.

For Costa and his mates,
who by the way are dressed

as Pontians of the time,
this is a very proud moment.

(speaks in foreign language)

Costa is a larger-than-life character

that I couldn't imagine
being anything other than

the soldier he's acting out today.

His passion is infectious!

He showed me the pistols,
musket, and knives

that form part of his regalia.

They're authentic pieces,
dating back to the early 1800s.

His knowledge of the weapons

and events of the time were incredible.

But you can expect nothing
less from a proud Hydriot!

(speaks in foreign language)

Costa and his company of soldiers

play an important part in
the week's festivities.

Today is the beginning of it all,

and not only are they going
to fight the Ottoman fleet,

but they'll also lead a number

of processions around the port.

And eventually, light the torch

that will set the invading vessels alight.

It's a role he's very
proud of, and rightly so.

No doubt he'll be doing this
until the end of his days.

(speaks in foreign language)

(both laughing)

(lighthearted guitar music)

All these characters, the colours,

the sounds of exploding cannons
and smell of the gunpowder

were getting the adrenalin pumping.

I just wanted to get
amongst all the action!

(lighthearted guitar music)

(gun shot blaring)

As a Greek Navy Patrol boat passed by,

flanked by a parading
flotilla of water taxis,

the excitement really kicked off.

This is essentially the
beginning of the conflict.

It's a symbolic gesture
of a defining event

that shaped a nation.

The cannon fire echoes through the port,

and if you weren't aware
there was a festival underway,

you might think a war was breaking out!

Celebrations like these
are unifying moments

that instil pride in your past.

And for the younger generation,

ignite curiosity to learn

about the likes of Admiral Miaoulia

and the events that
unfolded here in the 1820s.

(lighthearted guitar music)

If it wasn't for Miaoulia, Bouboulina,

and the brave sailors that
fought alongside them,

Greece may well have remained

under Ottoman control until today.

Though, something tells me
that balance of free societies

would have eventually prevailed.

(guitar music)

(gun shot blaring)

This is the Greece you
want to see and experience.

Not just the beaches and museums,

but the passion and pride of the people

and the bringing back
to life of its history.

It's by understanding Greece's past

that you can get an appreciation
for what you see today

and also an understanding
of the independence

and differing personality of each island.

No two are the same and
the locals will make sure

you're well aware of that.

(guitar music)

(transitions to pleasant music)

While standing on the fort,

I looked out and saw what I thought

was a pirate ship being towed to shore.

Mayor George suggested I follow it

to find out exactly what it was.

It turns out, it was a setup.

What I found was a bunch of crazy locals

and what's more, they put me to work.

(speaks in foreign language)

In the hour I was there,

we must have put at least 100 bags

of kindling into the boat.

It wasn't until halfway
through that I thought to ask,

what was it all about?

Turns out this vessel was the highlight

of tonight's festivities.

(speaks in foreign language)

If you look down there, you can see

this is basically an old fishing boat.

You get it back there, you'll
see it's an old fishing boat.

They've just built this frame around it

to mimic an old Miaoulian
vessel from the 1800s.

And what's gonna happen tonight

is they're gonna put
fireworks in it this afternoon

and then burn it.

And it's gonna symbolise

when the Greek Fleet went
into the Ottoman Fleet

with a smaller fleet, smaller boats,

and wiped out the Ottoman Fleet

by just burning their vessels down.

And this is what the celebration is about,

the Miaoulian celebration.

It happens every year, it's awesome.

(speaks in foreign language)

350 kilos of fireworks going on this--

(speaks in foreign language)

Gun powder!

(speaks in foreign language)

(light rock music)

(laughs) Nice!

Look at all this!

I feel like taking some
for my boat. (laughing)

Awesome!

350 kilos of fireworks!

Man, this thing's gonna go woo!

(laughing)

(light rock music)

(speaks in foreign language)

Came here to celebrate with them

and now I'm working with them as well.

(light rock music)

Oh, yeah.

(light rock music)

(speaks in foreign language)

They're gonna kill me man, I'm going!

He's smoking a cigarette!

Now you know what I
meant about crazy locals!

They've been doing things this way

year after year without incident,

but there's no way I was hanging around.

Crazy!

(light rock music)

(water whooshing)

There are 6,000 islands
right throughout Greece.

And I've made it my mission in life

to step on every single one.

Now this little tiny rock, island rock,

I don't even know what the name of it is

but it's opposite Hydra

and I'm gonna check it out right now.

Thanks, Rhett!

(footsteps pattering)

Surprise, surprise, A
Nikolaos or Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas is the
patron saint of the sailor.

And you will see a Saint Nicholas

on almost every island in Greece.

And the priests on the island

are pretty busy with
the Miaoulia Festival,

I think it's my duty to ring the bell.

(pleasant music)

(bell rings)

What a beautiful spot.

I might say a prayer.

I'm not the most religious guy

but in moments like this,

I can't help but feel the faith.

It's something that's
embedded in all Greeks.

- Peter, the reason I stay in this hotel

is because the street it's in,

just have a look up there.

- Ah, Satouris Street, awesome.

- Absolutely.

- This is Nick Satouris.

His grandfather was a Greek admiral

and what's even more impressive

is that one of his ancestors

was the Hydriot admiral Giorgos Sachtouris

from the War of Independence.

Nick was born and raised in
Australia and until recently,

was relatively unaware of
his ancestor's details.

He's now well-versed and
passionate about his heritage.

Why do you keep coming back to Greece?

- Well, my kids, we raised
them as Greeks back in Sydney.

They went to Greek school,
they did Greek dancing,

they go to the church.

What better way to have them see

where it all came from
but to return to Greece?

Their (speaks in foreign language)?

And see where it all began.

I'm so proud that they've come back

and that I'm with them
and I can show them Greece

and in particular Hydra.

- Fantastic.
- Where my father was from

and my great, great, great,
great, great, great grandfather.

- [Peter] So Nick, this has
been a pretty heavy walk.

Is it far from here?

- It's not far.

In fact, I think it's just
up ahead, up on the left.

It's my family home here in Hydra.

My father's father was an admiral

and my father was born in
Salamina in a naval base.

And he came to live in
this house as an infant.

It's this one here, just on the left,

the one with the blue door.

- So you mentioned that your grandfather

was an admiral as well?
- Yes, Peter.

He was an admiral and I come
from a family of sea men.

- Wow.

So what is it, Sachatouris Ignacio Hydra.

So this is now the high school

but it says (speaks in foreign language).

So this was given by
your family to the state

for a high school.

- [Nick] That's right.

- To be here and touching this house

that's been in your
family for 250 years up

until recently, how does that feel?

- It's very, very special.

I just can't believe it.

It's so important to find out as much

as I can about my family.

Just to think that my
father lived in this house

at some stage and it's
a house that was owned

by my great ancestor.

It's so important that I see it,

that I bring my kids and they see it

and learn as much as I
can about the family.

And that's why I come to Hydra.

And it's really opened my eyes
and it's a beautiful island.

Just to see our heritage and to see

where my parents lived,
it's unforgettable.

- I can see it in your face, mate.

I wanna learn more about your great,

great, great, great grandfather.

- Well I think there's
a place that you can

and that's at the museum.

- Excellent, well let's go.

- Let's do it.
- Thank you.

(pleasant music)

There's nothing more
important than family.

And when you've spent
your life not knowing

the entire story of your past,

then suddenly becoming enlightened,

it's an incredibly liberating thing.

Completing the picture
can help answer questions

or give you a sense of purpose.

In this case, it also
created a huge amount

of pride for Nick.

His forefathers had
achieved such great things,

impacting history, and helping to lay

the foundations of modern Greece.

For him to be able to share
this story with his children

will hopefully inspire
them to set lofty goals

and also aspire to making
a difference in the world.

At the least, it will give
them the understanding

of their heritage and how blessed they are

to have had ancestors that
fought for the freedoms

that Greeks enjoy today.

(pleasant music)

(lighthearted music)

(speaks in foreign language)

About 20 minutes ride from Hydra

is a tiny island called Dokos.

In all honesty, it's not a port of call

for your average tourist.

However, the mayor mentioned to me

that during World War II,

a German plane crashed on the island,

and parts of it still exist.

Of course, I had to find out more,

and that's when I came across George.

Not only did he know where the wreck was,

but more importantly, he
knew the story behind it.

Dokos is one of those
barley inhabited landmasses

in the Mediterranean that
you could easily pass

without ever knowing it
hides a fascinating history.

Behind the dry landscape
and dilapidated buildings

lie all sorts of tales.

Many of these now deserted isles

were once thriving communities,

but as time passed and
the modern trappings

became available in larger, nearby towns,

these places were left in
search of a better life.

Look at that view, aye?

- Oh, yes.
- What a view.

- That's a view.

(speaks in foreign language)

- He sees it every day.

(pleasant music)

(speaks in foreign language)

The Virgin Mary.

(speaks in foreign language)

You've had christenings and
weddings in this church?

(speaks in foreign language)

(pleasant music)

(bell rings)

(speaks in foreign language)

It's very serene in here.

(speaks in foreign language)

George was born on the island

but now lives in Hydra with his family.

No power or water and little means

by which to make an income,
forced them to leave.

However, they regularly come back

to care for the buildings
and holiday here.

What brought me to the island

was to find the wreckage
of a Stuka Dive Bomber.

These infamous machines of war

were known for their destructive power.

The screaming sound of the engines

as they dove towards their targets

struck fear into the hearts
of anyone who heard it,

and earned them the nickname
The Trumpets of Jericho.

(plane engines whirring)

(bomb explodes)

(speaks in foreign language)

George knew the story in absolute detail

and told it with passion.

It's as though he was
there when it all unfolded.

He explained how the German aircrew

crash-landed in the field,

while the villagers were busy working.

Miraculously, both the Germans survived

and were helped back to a nearby farmhouse

that was owned at the
time by his grandfather.

They were then offered food and water,

but didn't eat until
the villagers ate first,

as they thought it may be poisoned.

You could imagine the
shock for the aircrew

to find that these people,

from a country that they had invaded,

were so willing to help them.

(speaks in foreign language)

Dokos once had a population of 150,

but like I mentioned earlier, tough times,

in part caused by a drought
saw most of the families leave

for neighbouring towns or Athens.

Today, there's only one family of four

left permanently inhabiting the island.

Little rain and poor
soil makes farming hard,

but they manage to scratch
a living from the earth

and despite the
challenging life they lead,

George tells me they're happy.

(speaks in foreign language)

Here it is!

(speaks in foreign language)

Oh!

And that's the bottom of the fuse large.

There is the tail gunners canopy.

(speaks in foreign language)

George went on to explain that
once the Germans had eaten,

they spent the night in
his grandfather's house.

The following morning, the
pilot and his grandfather

rowed a small boat two hours
across to the mainland,

where they went to a
German base to find help.

They were told to row back

and sit with the plane
until others arrived.

Days later, aid came in
the form of a hydroplane,

and once there the
Germans stripped the Stuka

of all valuable items,

and after thanking the
hospitable villagers

for saving their lives, they departed.

This is a wonderful story about humanity.

Even though the Germans were their enemy,

the people here showed kindness.

Not through fear, but because
it was the right thing to do.

(speaks in foreign language)

What a great story.

(speaks in foreign language)

We'll leave it for
somebody else to look at.

(sprinkler whooshing)

Before we grabbed a coffee,

George wanted to show me one last thing.

And because it was so special,

they have to hide it to
prevent it from getting stolen.

(grunts)

(speaks in foreign language)

Wow!

(speaks in foreign language)

This is the Pilot's
seat, in the Yunca Stuka.

(speaks in foreign language)

It's a lot of armour!

If you see the thickness of this,

there's armour so that if
they shot from the back,

it protected the most important

part of the plane, the pilot.

- Wow.

(speaks in foreign language)

- We have to hide it because
we don't want people taking it.

(speaks in foreign language)

(gentle music)

(speaks in foreign language)

(serene music)

The next stop was
something really special.

We visit plenty of churches
during our travels,

but the little one you're about to see

has quite a story behind it.

It might not look like
anything remarkable,

but to mariners, it's very significant.

Legend has it that a ship was
caught in a violent storm.

The merchant on-board looked
to the heavens and said

that if God saved them,
wherever they made landfall,

he would build a church.

(speaks in foreign language)

The story goes on to claim

that the cargo of the vessel was wine,

and the merchant was so
thankful for having been saved,

that he used the wine in
the mortar of the walls.

Now, that's pretty special!

(bell rings)

(serene music)

George tells me there's a possibility

the wine didn't actually go
into the mud for the bricks,

and the boys that were labouring
on it actually drank it.

(bell rings)

I don't know.

I prefer to think that
it went into the mud.

This is a great example
of how local knowledge

can bring the seemingly ordinary to life.

Regardless of where the wine went,

this quaint little church
now holds a place in history.

And for centuries to come,

the story will no doubt keep evolving

and be embellished, just a little.

(serene music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

Tonight, we've been invited
to a Greek function,

the Miaoulia Festival.

And we probably won't be eating
until 10:30, like Greeks.

I'm in bed by 9:30

so I've asked my favourite chef, Kyriakos,

(speaks in foreign language)

to make us something light,

that we can have very small portions of,

and I don't know if Kyriakos understands

what small portions are,
at about 5:30 to six,

before we head out.

So he's decided to make Araka Anginares

which is peas mixed with artichokes.

(speaks in foreign language)

- Hey!
- How are you?

(speaks in foreign language)

1 kilo of peas, six or seven artichokes

which is around about
half a kilo of artichokes,

five or six potatoes,

(chef speaks in foreign language)

and two carrots.

Four tomatoes, fresh tomatoes,

he's taken the guts out of them,

and some dill and an onion.

And we're just chopping up the onion.

(speaks in foreign language)

I'm just worried that he
will chop his fingers off.

He's only been doing this for 25 years.

(knife tapping)

(speaks in foreign language)

He's looking at the captain.

(speaks in foreign language)

I told you!

I told you!

(speaks in foreign language)

He didn't listen to me,

and that's the first time I've
seen him cut in two years.

It's because he's nervous,
with you on the camera.

(speaks in foreign language)

All the peas inside, okay.

(speaks in foreign language)

Okay.

- Okay.

- Greeks love their food,

so it's only fitting that we share

some of the local secret
recipes when we can.

By the way, Kyriakos let the peas boil

for 10 minutes before setting them aside.

(speaks in foreign language)

The finger's okay now.

Apparently, it has cured like that!

He's fine.

(speaks in foreign language)

So I was just asking him

how long it's gonna go in the oven for,

he's laughing, he's having a go at me now.

We're gonna put it in the
oven for about an hour.

(speaks in foreign language)

At about 180 degrees
for an hour in the oven,

we'll bring forth all this together.

So we now have the artichokes,

the potatoes, the carrots, in our dish.

(speaks in foreign language)

He's gonna cut up the tomatoes.

The tomatoes in Greece in summer

in the bulk generally,
are absolutely glorious.

You can just eat tomato on its
own with a bit of olive oil

and some salt, some of the
rock salt they have here.

(speaks in foreign language)

And a little bit of cucumber.

Mm!

I've still got the taste
of tomato in my mouth.

And we just put them in like, ooh yeah.

It's actually a very simple dish.

And I'm asking Kyriakos
for a light, a little bit.

And look at this,

it looks like it's gonna
feed half of Greece.

(speaks in foreign language)

Whatever's green needs salt.

(speaks in foreign language)

And because it's fresh tomato,

we need to put in a little bit of sugar.

(speaks in foreign language)

And we're ready to put it in the oven.

(speaks in foreign language)

About an hour, maybe a little bit longer.

Just enough for.

(speaks in foreign language)

We're gonna go for a swim.

We'll be back in an hour.

(pleasant music)

When we went out for a swim,

we saw this beauty sitting
there beyond the harbour.

So naturally, I diverted

and asked permission to come aboard.

A couple of weeks ago, while in Athens,

I'd seen one of these fast
patrol boats at the naval base,

but to actually get
aboard an active vessel,

now that's a different story.

(speaks in foreign language)

Captain Panagiotis has a 14-month-old boy,

and he hasn't had a
chance to christen him.

He hasn't given him a name

because he's out on duty most of the time.

This is the life of a Navy
man, especially in Greece.

(serene music)

Greece has conscription laws

that mean from the ages of 19 to 45,

all males have to join the Armed Forces

for a minimum of nine to 12 months.

Although it's not compulsory for females,

they can serve if they want to,

and many of those that volunteer
excel in their positions.

On this ship, from a crew of 40,

six are women, all of whom hold high rank.

They're just loading up
one of the machine guns

that's on the side of the
deck, small arms fire.

It's actually a development
of the German MG42,

that was in World War II.

But this is I think the MG.

What's the name of that, captain?

- It's the MG3.
- MG3 that they use.

And we're just loading up the bullets.

I think they're 7.62
millimetres, isn't it?

- Yes, sir.

- 7.62 millimetres.

There you are.

I know what I'm talking about.

Occasionally I know
what I'm talking about.

(serene music)

Look at that, it's a nice
belt of bullets there.

I'm not gonna fire this

because I just wanted
to see what it's like.

I will not even hold on.

Over the years, the development
of technology on this craft,

this is probably one of the
best missile boats in the world.

If you wanted this technology
25 or 30 years ago,

you would have needed a boat

three times or four times the size

or maybe three or four boats.

Packs a punch!

Packs a big punch here, I tell you!

(serene music)

Continuing my conversation
with the captain,

I asked him if being a career officer

is worth all the sacrifices he makes.

And I couldn't help but wonder

how it made him feel to look at Hydra

and see the reactions of locals

when they watch the navy pass by.

His answer didn't really surprise me.

(speaks in foreign language)

I've met a lot of
interesting people in my time

and often I'm left in
awe of their stories.

For most, it's rarely been steady sailing.

There are always periods of turbulence

that have tested them.

But it's through loss or down times

that you come to truly appreciate life.

Captain Panagiotis represents

all who serve in the Armed Forces.

His dedication and the sacrifices
he's made left me moved.

(serene music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

In the next bay over from
the main port is Mandraki.

I came here not only to enjoy
the beauty and serenity,

but also to see Arthur and his new hotel,

in what was once the Lazaretta.

Like a lot of expats I've come across,

Arthur visited Hydra 10
years ago and never left.

Who knows, I might just end
up doing the same someday!

(speaks in foreign language)

He's in the process of building
and after two years of toil,

there's still a long way to go.

However, he remains upbeat
and full of confidence

that it will all come together eventually.

- [Arthur] Come, come this way.

- It's said that in the 1960s,
Frank Sinatra stayed here

at a time when the hotel

was considered to be quite exclusive.

Such a beautiful building.

Architecturally it's--

- Amazing, isn't it?
- It is.

Arthur I understand that the Black Plague

killed many on the island in 1792

and this building is
significant for the reason.

- Many people were taken into sanctuary

in the hope that they would get better

and they were all in these
bungalows in the back.

This was the main
operation building in here.

- Right.

And then what happened to it after that?

- It got turned into a ship yard.

- Right.

- Admiral Miaoulis built
the ships that went out

and beat the Turks from
this ship yard here.

- From this building.

So it's had adaptive reuse once,

and now what are you doing
in the second adaptive reuse?

- We're like 3B.

And at some point in the '60s,
it got turned into a hotel.

And to begin with, it was
a really successful place

because standards in those days,

you didn't have to be that
high to be great, right?

- Yes.

- Then it fell in to
disrepair and got abandoned,

and now we're trying to reinstate it

into a really exclusive kind
of place for people to come.

- Right.

So it's gonna be a hotel again.

So it started as a hospice,
then it went to a ship yard,

then it turned into a hotel,

and now, fourth go, it's a hotel again.

- Yeah.

Hopefully it'll be a better hotel now.

- Fantastic!

Wow, I love the architecture.

And obviously, there's a lot of work

in working with the
archaeological ministry.

- It's really great to
enjoy the architecture

until you're trying to do an
operation with the damn place.

- Right, okay.
- Right?

And then you tend to not quite appreciate

the architecture quite so much.

We're not allowed to touch anything,

we're not allowed to change anything.

And whilst it's a beautiful space,

it doesn't have all the space that I need

to run an official hotel.

- Right.
- Right?

So we're gonna end up with very few rooms.

- Right.
- But it will be lovely

and it will look like it used to.

We're restoring it, and at the
same time we're improving it.

We're putting in the
infrastructure that is necessary

that didn't exist 300 years ago, right?

- Exactly.

- And now there's these
proper drains, and water,

and air conditioning, and
the little things like that.

- Well, I look forward to
coming back when it's open.

- Well, we'll be open next summer!

- Excellent!

- [Arthur] See, the hotel
that was built in the '60s,

that was two rooms.

- [Peter] That was two rooms?

- [Arthur] That was two rooms.

- So 14 rooms only, that's difficult.

But you've got all these beach umbrellas

that are gonna be here so,
you're gonna be catering

for other people from
the port, I would think.

- I'm not doing this as
a commercial venture.

- Right, yes.

- I'm doing this as something

to keep me occupied while I'm here.

And actually, something to
help the local community,

I'm using local builders.

- [Peter] Excellent, right.

- [Arthur] And rather
than shipping people in

from Athens to do it.
- That's wonderful.

That's wonderful.

Putting my builder's hat on,

I'm a little worried about Arthur's plans

to be open by next summer.

If my experience in Australia
is anything to go by,

heritage laws will make things
much slower than expected.

And knowing the strict Greek system,

he's in for a challenging time ahead.

Hopefully though, one
day sooner than later,

I'll bring the family here
for a couple night's stay,

in what will almost certainly be

a beautifully restored hotel.

(serene music)

Now, about that swim I
wanted to have earlier.

This place is perfect to wet the toes.

That said, I've got a six-foot tall,

120-kilogram chef waiting
for me to try his Araka,

and I'm already overdue.

The last person I wanna upset
is the guy who cooks my food.

(pleasant music)

Arriving back to the boat,

it was no surprise to
see the engineer Rhett,

busy giving her a clean.

When he's not getting
greasy in the engine room,

his favourite thing to do is wash Mia Zoi.

He's always keeping himself
busy hosing down the decks,

cleaning windows, and polishing
everything that shines.

In fact, all the crew take
great pride in their vessel,

and being a big night,
it was all hands on deck.

Even the captain got involved.

All be it, a little less
hands-on than Rhett.

Here it is, Araka from Kyriakos.

We're gonna try it out
and see what it's like.

(pleasant music)

Mm!

One minute, we need a bit
of feta with it to enjoy it.

(pleasant music)

And a bit of bread!

But you know what?

I'm gonna push the bread
away because a kilo a week

is what I do on this boat with Kyriakos.

He just feeds me so well.

(pleasant music)

Mm!

Mm!

Perfect!

Cheers!

(pleasant music)

Here's to Captain Miaoulia!

(pleasant music)

Simple, but delicious.

And no, no, I don't dress like
this for dinner every night.

(pleasant music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

(speaks in foreign language)

The last evening of the Miaoulia Festival

is when most of the pomp
and ceremony occurs,

as well as the main event.

It's as though all the week's activities

have built to this final
night of celebration.

However, prior to the finale,

there's a parade or
procession of luminaries.

Leading the way are the Pontians,
next comes the navy band,

followed by dignitaries,
clergy and military officials,

as well as many of the towns folk.

The march travels around the port,

making their way to the mayor's office.

With them, they carry the embalmed heart

of Admiral Miaoulia from the museum.

There is a somewhat sombre mood,

however it's a respectful
celebration of the past

that brings together people
from all walks of life,

from across Greece,
and all over the world.

(people chattering)

Once the procession arrives
at the mayor's office,

there are presentations

to the various important
people in attendance.

It's essentially a moment to say thanks

to those that contribute to
the success of the festival,

and a show of respect to
the religious, political,

and business leaders
that are in attendance.

(traditional music)

While the ceremony is going on indoors,

outside, the party is
just getting started.

People begin to gather around the port,

searching for the best vantage
point to watch the fireworks.

At the moment it's relatively quiet,

but give it an hour or so and
there's barely room to stand.

(lively traditional music)

Throughout the week,

it's been one celebration after the other.

The festivities have brought back to life

cultural elements that you really only see

during a panigiri or a major event.

From traditional dancing and costumes,

to music and even food,

the Miaoulia Festival
sure hasn't disappointed.

(traditional music)

Looking at the crowds

that have poured into
Hydra during the week,

one thing I noticed was there
were lots of foreign tourists.

Naturally, the best seats in the house

were occupied by locals,

but to see plenty of folks from abroad

making the effort to come here

and take part in the
festival was great to see.

It was also fantastic to see families

and lots of children present,

not only learning about their history,

but taking part in customary dances

and embracing their culture.

(lively traditional music)

We're in the 11th hour
of the Miaoulia Festival.

It is just an absolutely
wonderful backdrop here in Hydra,

you just can't beat it.

It looks exactly the same
as it did 200 years ago.

And the boat that I've
filled with fireworks

is just over there and
it's just about to go.

We're gonna see this
absolutely wonderful spectacle

of pyrotechnics and a burning ship,

resembling the fire-bred ship

that went in to the Ottoman Fleet.

Absolutely fantastic.

I just can't wait to watch.

(traditional drum music)

Greeks love a good festival.

We're always finding excuses for a party

and to let fireworks off.

In this instance, there's no
better reason to celebrate

than to commemorate the contribution

the island made to the
War of Independence.

It's an intense build-up,
with drums filling the air,

along with the smell of smoke

created by the flaming torches.

It's incredibly dramatic
and I have to admit,

the anticipation of what was
about to happen had me on edge.

Remember, there's 350 kilogrammes
of fireworks in that boat.

It's practically a floating bomb!

(traditional drum music)

I can tell you now, there's no way

you'd catch me out there
setting the boat alight.

(traditional drum music)

(pleasant music)

(fireworks exploding)

No matter how old I get,

I'll never lose my love of fireworks.

I remember as a child, looking
to the heavens in wonder

as brilliant colours lit up the night sky.

I can still hear the explosions
and feel the rumbling.

That sense of excitement
is no different today.

Knowing what it represents,
watching the fireworks

and seeing the burning ship in the harbour

gave me a sense of pride.

It's a powerful reminder of the past.

(lighthearted music)
(fireworks exploding)

As flames billowed from the ship,

more and more fireworks erupted

from the buildings around the port.

It might not have been as big

as the New Year's Eve
celebrations on Sydney Harbour,

but it was moving.

(lighthearted music)
(fireworks exploding)

This is a fitting end

to what has been an
amazing week-long festival.

This colourful and, well, noisy finale

is as much about celebrating
as it is about remembering.

It's symbolic of a major
turning point in Greek history,

a moment that helped liberate,

and eventually unified the country.

(pleasant music)
(fireworks exploding)

(transitions to guitar music)

In the next episode,

my journey through the Aegean continues

as I head deep into the Argolic
Gulf to the port of Nafplio.

It was the first capital of Greece

after the War of Independence,

and is famed for its mix of architecture.

Building styles that tell the
story of different cultures

having influenced the development

of this unique port town
throughout the centuries.

I'm also headed inland

to visit one of the oldest
settlements on earth, Argos

where I'll be exploring the
story of what was formerly

one of the most powerful cities in Greece.

From the ancient theatre
and pyramid of Hellinikon,

to templed ruins and a hilltop castle,

there are countless remnants

from antiquity throughout this region

whose stories continue to unfold today.

But before heading off to our next stop,

I've got a night of celebrations to enjoy.

The fireworks might have been
the finale for the festival,

but it's only the start of the party.

When the light show comes to an end,

the wine starts flowing

and the music in the
taverns fills the air.

Nothing beats a good panigiri!

(lighthearted guitar music)