All language subtitles for m.g.o.s05e12.1080p.hdtv.h264-cbfm_track3_[eng]

PETER (PRESENTS):
In the first four series

of My Greek Odyssey,

we visited islands of the Saronic,
the Ionian, the Dodecanese,

the western Cycladic
and the northern Aegean.

In series five, we're seeing
the southern and central Cycladic.

Islands you've never heard of,
like Levitha, Anafi, Donousa,

and ones you know, well, like
Santorini, and the big one, Crete.

Last time, I started exploring
the island of Ios.

With so much to see and do,
it's only natural

that I'm spending
another few days here.

This episode sees me
going from the sea to the summit,

as I visit ancient ruins
from as far back as the Bronze Age,

as well as visiting
a traditional family-owned cheesery

that's been in operation
for several generations.

From Ios,
I'm then headed to Sikinos,

an island that not many tourists
know about.

Arriving in Ios,
you will immediately be taken aback

by the pretty scenery
and quaint towns.

The main port is a cliched
Greek island experience,

with its fishing boats, tavernas,
and a distant mountain-top church.

But it wasn't just
the picturesque views

that I really appreciated
about the place.

It was the people I met.

Two in particular left
an enduring impression,

Peter and Giorgos.

Peter is a British expat
that fell in love with Ios

and he kindly took me around to see
his favourite beaches.

Then there was Giorgos,
an ex Greek Special Forces officer

who has a passion
for the island's history.

I was 19 when I actually
came to Greece for the first time,

but I wasn't too sure
what I was going to do.

I just wanted to escape
from England.

Just a few more metres,
eh, to the top?

Yeah, just a few more metres.
Thank you very much, mate.

Awesome. Excellent. Excellent.
Nice to share things with you.

Hey, you got a powerful,
powerful... Special Forces.

(LAUGHTER)
Nice. Very good.

My time with Giorgos

gave me just a taste
of what Ios has to offer.

So, after originally
saying our goodbyes,

I felt compelled to catch up again
the following morning

to explore more of the island.

I had an interesting chat
with Giorgos yesterday,

after our wonderful walk
through Chora.

And I was talking
about my times in the past,

when I came to Ios and the beaches,

and he said to me, "Pete,
Ios is more than just beaches.

"I need to take you to the plains,
the centre of the island,

"which was once the food bowl,

"and it was lost for a while
and now they're bringing it back."

And I said, "OK, let's go."

So, I'm here today,
and I'm meeting Giorgos

just up the road
here in Upper Kambos.

Wow, Giorgos,
you'd never think this was here.

I mean, I've been to Ios
a few times

and I didn't realise
there's this magnificent plane

right in the middle here.

It's beautiful, you know?

Looks amazing. Yeah, isn't it?

And this is Upper Kambos, right?

Yes. This is Upper Kambos.

We also have Lower Kambos
near where the port is,

and this is where everything
was being cultivated.

Right.

Whatever you see over here
was cultivated.

People here worked a lot on the land
because it was dry.

They used to cultivate olives,
like you see, grapes, peas...

Barley.
Barley.

They used to export it
to make beer.

Right. OK.

They used to plant tobacco
to make cigars.

Even...even cotton.

They were exporting it
to England.

Who would have thought?
Right.

So, I can see there's a lot of
water running off

the hills here, you know?

Yes, indeed.

This was a very fertile part
of the island

and they used
to cultivate everything.

But during the '70s,
they used to move towards tourism.

Yeah.

Like what you met
when you came here.

But now the countryside starts
to revive again,

and people are coming back
and working on the land.

So, what are they using
the land for now?

I can see some olive trees
down there.

Yes, they're producing
their own olives, every family.

They have grapes.

For wine?
For wine.

We have a local winery,
and of course, a lot of vegetables

that they give
to the local restaurants.

So, they're supporting
the tourism as well.

Exactly.

So, this is going back
to what it was.

Back to the roots.
Yeah, that's fantastic.

This is what we really want.

It's massive.
I want to keep going.

This is a really nice walk.
OK.

Many things to see.
OK. Let's go.

If you visit any Greek island,

make sure you don't
just limit yourself

to the beaches and seaside towns.

Often, the interior of these places

offer you a totally
different experience

but equally rewarding.

The hinterland is where you get
to see the real Greece,

where tourism
hasn't altered the culture

or led to over development.

I didn't think
we'd find this, Giorgos.

I'm so glad you brought me here,

because my good friend
Nigel McGilchrist

told me all about this.

This is an old farm homestead

that's been around
in Hellenistic times.

Yes.
How old do you think it is?

It's a couple
of thousand years old.

And the tradition still goes on.

They still cultivate
on the same land

like 2,000 years ago.

It's still being used as a farm.

How impressive is it,
that it's still here, you know?

And how impressive it is that
many of the locals don't know it?

That's OK. That's not a bad thing.
Yeah.

We're going to teach them.

Yeah, that's it.
That's it. That's it.

It's true.

Throughout Greece,
and the world for that matter,

there are places
where ancient ruins exist

within the confines of cities
or towns,

amongst farmlands
or other places where modern life

continues in and around them.

In many cases,

locals pass by these relics
of the past,

knowing little about them.

In my travels throughout Greece,
this has been particularly apparent,

and in many cases,

thanks to the depth
of our researchers,

I occasionally find myself
enlightening the locals

with information lost in the bowels
of our libraries.

So, we've just walked out
of the plains

and we're coming now
into the valleys.

Yeah.
Correct.

And that's Chora
over there, right?

Yes. That's Chora.

We're going to pass through
an archaeological site.

We're going to start through
the path from here, OK?

OK.

It's a pretty landscape
with terraced hillsides

that have been farmed
for centuries.

This time of the year,
there's a golden hue,

but in the cooler, wet months,
it turns lush green.

Wow.

Careful, huh?
You know it well.

This is a very old path,
as you can see.

People were coming
and going to Chora

with all their stuff.

The last four or five years,

we've been working on these paths

to clean them and preserve them.

So, this is an ancient path,
by the looks of it,

and probably the main highway
until recently.

Until very recently, exactly.
Correct.

Until about the early '70s,

this was one of the highways
of the island.

Right.

And this is the path
we are trying to preserve,

as much as possible,
by cleaning it.

This ancient path
has been trafficked by foot and hoof

for thousands of years.

It was once much higher,

but thanks to several millennia
of weathering

and countless footsteps,
it is eroded away.

Much like the way a river carves
deep into a valley.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

Running through the fertile valley,

this path is part
of the ancient infrastructure

that surrounded
and supported one of the most

well-preserved
Cycladic Bronze Age settlements,

known as Skarkos.

It's quite an extensive walkway

that would have taken
a lot of manpower to build.

Over the years,
the stone walls on either side

have been added to by farmers.

Giorgos pointed me in the direction
of the ancient town

and left me to explore
the 5,000-year-old ruins on my own.

So, Pete,
this is as far as I'm going.

I show you the way.

Skarkos is just
behind the hill.

Just up there.

You think you can make it
on your own?

I think I can, mate.
Thank you very much, buddy.

OK. Take care.
OK, mate. See you later.

What a good guy.

A lifetime in the military

can make you disciplined
and productive,

but it goes to a completely
different level

for those few that make it
all the way to the Special Forces.

Giorgos is typical of that.

What you've seen
is a fit young local

that has a wealth of knowledge
about his home.

What you haven't seen
is that he has a family,

has built up a business,

marked the island's paths
for walkers,

and published several books
on military strategies.

As well as a comprehensive guide
to Ios.

Now, that's what I call
a high achiever.

(THEME MUSIC)

Well, we've made it
to the ancient town of Skarkos.

Now, you can choose to get here

from PanoKambos

and walk
through the ancient trails

with a really fit

Special Forces dude,

or come from the main town
here in Chora

and it's like a ten-minute walk.

I know, what I'll do next time.

Skarkos is an excellent example
of early Cycladic towns.

It's sort of mid
third millennium BC.

Now, you won't find
any of the artefacts

that have been pulled out of here.

They're all in the town of Chora
in the museum,

but you'll get an excellent idea
of the architecture.

5,000 years.

That's over 100 generations

that have continually farmed
these hills and valleys,

year after year,
decade after decade,

century after century,

these same people have walked
by this ancient town

and left it alone.

I'd like to think
it's out of respect

for their forebears.

It's like a monument
to their history,

with only weather
and time slowly eroding away

this once thriving settlement.

There is an abundance of evidence

showing that this was definitely
an advanced civilisation.

Built between two rivers,
a fertile valley

and a plain further over,
as their bread basket.

And when you look
at the town itself, you see streets.

You see squares.

You see close-knit living
and shared facilities.

We're talking between 4,000
and 5,000 years ago.

You don't need to be here long.

Come to Skarkos,
8:30 in the morning,

spend five or ten minutes,
and just stand here,

and you're there.

You go back in time.

We all love to dream

about what the future
could hold for us

and how our fantasies
might become reality.

But I also love looking back
at the past

and getting wrapped up in the vision
of something so old and rare,

lost in wonder
about what happened here

all those years ago.

I get quite envious
of the simple life they lived,

not affected by the intensity
of this technological age

we are caught up in.

But no doubt,
they had many challenges too,

from fear of invaders
and a limited seasonal water supply,

to the stresses
of the hard physical labour

required to build and farm.

Life in ancient times
had its own unique trials.

In the modern era,
let alone centuries ago,

one of the greatest issues
faced by any remote community

is maintaining
a steady food supply.

In Greece, the sea provides
much of what's consumed,

but there is also a strong reliance
on agriculture.

Here on Ios, although the plains
and valleys are comparatively small

for a Greek island, farming
and animal husbandry are mainstays.

It's been this way for centuries,

and because of being
relatively isolated,

they've developed
strong culinary traditions,

with recipes and flavours
that are unique to the island.

Naturally, with so many goats
roaming around the countryside,

their meat and milk
is used extensively,

and there's no better way
to discover

the unique island flavours
than to meet a family

that for generations
has been making a special cheese

up in the hills.

So, Eleni, this is aged myzithra.

It's aged myzithra, yes.

Over a year.
Maybe a little bit more.

We can't say too much, can we?

It's over a year,
definitely over a year.

Now, myzithra is...

What is it called in English?

There is not an actual translation.

Right.

It's the fresh ricotta in Italian.

But ricotta's cow's milk,
so there's no English term.

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.

So, they're mixing in goat's milk
at the moment

with the aged mysithra.

What cheese
are we actually making now?

Ios.

It only happens in Ios,
this cheese.

It's the most traditional cheese
of Ios.

It's called Skotyri.

Skotyri.
Yes.

And this is a family,
because Dimitri is your husband.

You've got your mother-in-law here.

It's a real family business,
isn't it?

Yes, we don't have
any employees.

The whole family helps.

Dimitri's sisters as well.

There's a very involved process
to making this cheese.

During the handmixing,
they add ground pepper,

as well as a wild herb
that is picked by Dimitri

from the surrounding mountains.

Smells like oregano.

More like thyme,
I would say.

More thyme, I would say.
A bit like thyme.

Well, there you go.
I'm not the best herb specialist.

Despite modern advances
for the production of cheese,

these guys still rely
on some traditional techniques,

such as hand mixing.

It's physically demanding work,

but they feel
it's an important method

to ensure that they make
the best product.

Once mixed,
it's placed into cotton sacks

for the next phase.

And how long does it hang for?

For about four or five days.

It depends on the quantity.

And then it's finished.
It's ready.

And then it's...No.

Still? You still...

There is much more. Yes.

Then we put it in a pot

and we add the very,
very old graviera in pieces.

Oh, so you add
a different cheese to it?

Yes.

So, that's what makes
this a special cheese.

And this has been in your family
for generations.

Yes. For many generations.

Yes.

It's amazing
the amount of time and effort

that goes into making something
that many of us take for granted.

But the proof is in the tasting.

So, all that there was left to do,
was to try the finished product,

along with some of the other
local produce.

Of course, the highlight
was a wide selection

of the cheeses they make here.

It's the perfect afternoon snack.

Healthy, and most importantly,
delicious,

if you don't eat too much.

So, how do you have it,
just with a bit of...

Yes. With bread.
With honey.

As an appetiser...

Mmm.

Mmm.

Very nice.
Huh?

Very nice.

Here in Greece,

it's the perfect meze
for wine or raki.

So, this has got the myzithra
and graviera and the spices in it.

Yes. It's a party in your mouth.

Oh, it's beautiful
with the honey.

Yamas.
Yamas.

And a bit of wine.
Can't beat it.

Only in Ios, nowhere else.

Only in Ios, yes.

Skotyri, only in Ios.

Generations of families
continuing a tradition

that helps define Ios
and its culinary individuality.

You can find similar enterprises
across the Greek islands,

and it's not just
with food production.

There are all sorts of
culturally unique items

that are manufactured by small,
family-owned operations.

These homegrown businesses
play an important role

in creating the uniqueness
of each and every island.

(THEME MUSIC)

It might be small,

but Ios has a huge
amount of attractions

that you have to explore.

Many of which you can do free
and without a guide.

So, I hired a car to check out
more of the Island's interior.

It's a stunning part of the world
to spend some time in,

yet there was almost
no-one else to be seen.

Well, after a spectacular drive,

let's see if we can complement it
with that Venetian fort up there.

It's a bit of a walk,
but let's see how we go.

Despite having been to Ios
several times,

I'd never been
to the Castle of Paliokastro,

so, I didn't know what to expect.

If you've watched other episodes
of the show,

you'll know that
one of the highlights

that I look forward to,

is checking out the local castle
or fortification.

Whether it's ancient, Byzantine,
medieval or Ottoman.

No matter when in history
it was built.

There's always a great story
to be told.

Also, they're generally placed
in high spots,

allowing the inhabitants to spot
approaching enemies.

Although nine times out of ten,

the only buildings that get
better real estate are the churches.

Visits to these landmarks

almost always involve
a reasonable walk or hike,

where you can stop along the way

to enjoy the views
and take photographs.

One bit of advice,

do some research
before going to see any ruins.

Not only because very few
of these places

have information boards
where you can read about them,

but taking the time
to get a thorough understanding

of the history, design,
and purpose of these landmarks

adds another dimension
to the experience.

After a short 15-minute walk,

you arrive to this coastal
mountain,

and at the precipice
is the castle of Paliokastro.

Built by the Venetians, the Pisani

and Christo families
in the 1400s and 1500s.

Now, if you're coming up here
for the castle,

I'm sorry to say,
It's not worth it.

It's a dilapidated mess,

and there are plenty of examples
of better castles

all around the Cycladic group.

But wow, the view is awesome.

And you can see
why they built this castle here.

That's Naxos in the distance
and Crete and Rhodes are that way.

So, it was protecting
that trading route.

Now, I just want to sit here
and take it in.

It's a good walk, great drive,

well worth coming,
but the castle...

The castle may not be the grandest
of buildings,

but the views you get make the hike
well worth the effort.

And remember what I said about
churches getting the best spots?

Have a look at this one.

Despite the remote location,
it's still well kept.

So, there's no doubt
plenty of people

come up here to light a candle.

Back behind the wheel

and I was off to see
more of the island.

The road winds
its way through the mountains,

carving a picturesque journey
along the coast.

Around every corner
is a different view,

providing you
with endless perspectives

across the Cycladic.

It's a contrast
to the bar-laden beach haven

that many would visualise
when thinking of Ios.

Yes, there's a lively
party scene here,

but the majority of the island
is off the beaten track

and the total opposite.

However, you have
to make the effort

to drag yourself off the deckchair
or out of the taverna

and grab a car
to do some exploring on your own.

For me, there was one
particular location

that warranted
a reasonable drive to get to.

It's a place
that lovers of Homer's writings

have to visit,

if only to reminisce and ponder.

There are a lot of unanswered
questions

about Homer.

He's such an interesting person.

First one is right up here.

Apparently,
the Dutch envoy, Krienen,

in 1771, on discovering the tomb,

he opened it up

and saw the unmolested body
of Homer

and it decomposed
in front of him immediately.

Now, I don't know if believe that,
but we'll log it.

You can make your own decision.

Legend has it that Homer ran
into a couple of boys

that were coming back
from a fishing expedition,

and they said to him,

"What we caught,
we didn't bring back with us,

"and what we didn't catch,
we still have."

And Homer
couldn't solve the riddle.

He got depressed
and apparently died here.

They were talking about lice.

I'm absolutely captivated
by the Homeric writings.

What Homer did
with 'The Odyssey' and 'The Iliad'

influenced classical
and ancient writing for centuries.

But did he actually exist?

Many scholars say
that he was more than one person.

Where did he live?

Where was he born?

What year was he born?

Some say between 1200 and 800.

Was he actually buried here?

And if he was, how sad is it that
it's been left like this

because the guy's a legend.

I suggest if you don't know
about Homer,

press pause and Google him
right now, and then come back.

He was a great man and he deserves
a lot more than this.

And if those questions...

If he wasn't buried here,
I don't care.

I like the romantic story
that he's here.

I like the fact
that he's remembered.

My Odyssey has been
and still continues to be,

a wonderful educational experience.

And none of it
would have been a dream,

let alone a reality,
if it wasn't for Homer.

As far as I'm concerned,
he has copyright on the word Odyssey

and everything it conjures up
in our minds.

Little is known of his life
or what he looked like,

but his stories have lived on
through the ages

and have stamped him
as a legend of not just his time,

but throughout eternity.

And regardless of whether or not

this is where his remains
were laid to rest,

it's now a pilgrimage
for diehard fans of his work.

I couldn't think of
a more fitting place

to end my time on Ios.

I walked away reminiscing
about everything I'd seen

and done across the years
of my own Odyssey,

knowing that ahead,

I still had many more adventures
to play out.

(THEME MUSIC)

Formerly known as Innoi,

which means wine in Greek,

these terraced hills were once

filled with grapes for vineyards.

In popular mythology,

it was named after its founder,

Sikinos, grandson of Dionysus,

the god of wine.

The harbour is fairly shallow

and has long periods of wind,
and so it's pretty inaccessible.

Even 'Mia Zoi' can't tie up to it.

But there's only 200 people here
and I'm told

one thing you're guaranteed of,
is hospitality.

Sikinos is about 8km west of Ios

and a similar distance
east of Folegandros.

But despite its proximity
to these better-known islands,

it has a tiny tourism market

and an even smaller
permanent population.

Those that do come here
and call this place home

generally gravitate
to that main port area

and nearby beach.

It's a quaint setting,
perfect for families

and those that like quiet holidays
away from the crowds.

It's not the prettiest of harbours,

but has a certain charm
that reminded me of the Greece

I knew 30 years or more ago.

My attention, however, was focussed
higher up in the mountains.

I was keen to explore
a couple of villages

that had been built right next
to one another.

To tell me more about it,
I found the mayor, Vasilis,

who turned out
to be a larger-than-life character,

full of passion for his island.

Vasilis, I look at Sikinos

and I look
at the rest of the islands.

You don't have beach bars.

You don't want beach bars here.

You make sure
that everything remains traditional.

This all very traditional.

You haven't upgraded any...
no development.

Is this you, or is this the people
that want this?

All the people
and me, we want this,

because we believe this island
is different.

We have very big history,
very beautiful culture,

traditional place,
authentic, original.

I believe, and we believe
is a place to come the visitor

and relaxing, find his self,
his mind, his heart.

It's very, very different place.

We're not jealous of Santorini,
not Mykonos.

It's other place.

Beautiful, but different for us.

You want to keep it the way
it was hundred years ago?

Bravo. Of course.
Yes.

Yes.
This is our power.

Yeah.
We are different from the other.

Small, beautiful, traditional
and authentic.

So, you don't change
for the tourist.

The tourist needs to change
for you, basically.

They love it.
They know what happened here.

And many tourists
from other countries come here

and take a small house
to live in winter, to relax.

We are friends with visitors
from England, from Italy, France,

and they love local people
and we're one team.

It's a beautiful place.
They respect it.

The tourists come here
and respect that.

It's choice of them to come here,
for his heart and his life.

Wow.

Let's keep walking, eh,
because I want to see the town.

Yes, of course. We go.

Vasilis, I look
at this island.

So far, everywhere I look,
it's clean.

You really look after it.
I'm very, very impressed.

I mean, how long
have you been the mayor?

I'm seven years now.

But for first minute
we try to be very, very clean.

All blue
and white, white and blue.

Vasilis, you were born here,
raised here,

and you went and studied
and came back.

You have a daughter, two years old.

Yes, yes. Virginia.

Do you think
it's good for her

to grow up in Sikinos
with only 200 people?

Do you think
it would be good for her?

She's blessed.
She's lucky.

She's very lucky.
Of course.

I live here.
I go for studies in Athens.

I be back here,
but all the years I was in Athens,

I'm dreaming every night
to return here,

to work here with my family.

All my family lives here.
Yeah.

And it's very beautiful place,
very beautiful.

Traditional, authentic, original.

I think my daughter
and all the young people

that live here is very lucky.

Yeah.
Why not?

Why would you wanna...

It's perfect.
..live anywhere else?

I think it's better life in place
like Sikinos.

Yeah.

Vasilis is a pocket dynamo.

His positive energy
and infectious character

are just what this island deserves.

With his enthusiasm
and fervour at the helm,

no doubt Sikinos will prosper.

Hopefully not too much though,
as he's keen to keep it peaceful.

You seem to know everybody here.
You're saying Kalimera to everybody.

What's going on here?

Is all my friend.
I know everybody here.

I live here.

Kalimera.

Everybody.

It's a small island.

It's a small island, yeah.
We're a big family.

Yeah. Yeah.
Kalimera, Dimitra.

Kalimera.

(SPEAKING GREEK)

Can we go to the bakery?
Yes.

I want to try something
that is Sikinos, only Sikinos, mate.

Melitini.
Melitini?

Yes.
Done.

It's a beautiful street.

Yeah.

Here is the bakery.

OK.

We'd better
let our cameraman through.

Come on, mate.
Oh, kalimera.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

So, what is Sikinos?

What are we going to have
with Sikinos?

Sikinos, many things.
But here we have melitini.

Let's try one.
Of course.

Now what is in the melitini?

Beautiful sweet,
but with local cheese, myzithra,

myzithra, sugar, and the mastika.

They featured, it's very,
very beautiful, very tasty.

OK, I'm gonna try now.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

Very nice.

And of course,
pasteli with corn of Sikinos.

Many islands, they have...

I seen the pasteli
else where but not this.

This is beautiful.
Yes, very beautiful.

Local cheese, sugar,
and mastika.

Mastika, mate.
I love it. It's beautiful.

Good taste.
You are a legend, buddy.

Thank you very much.
Thank you for everything.

You treat every tourist like me,
like this, you know, everybody?

Everybody.
The drama, I speak to everybody.

Someone told me you know

90% of the tourists
who come to this island.

It's true. It's true.

Because the time
they come, the boat,

I go, everybody say
welcome to Sikinos.

I try to help everybody.
We're big family here.

We'd better get to the port, mate,
because there's a boat coming now.

Come on, let's go.
Let's go.

Thank you.
Yeah, bye!

(SPEAKS GREEK)

Sit at the coffeeshop opposite
the main church for long enough

and you might be blessed to hear

the unique talents
of the island's priest.

He's a musician and singer,
and as it seems,

has just as much love
for Sikinos as Vasilis does.

(PEOPLE SINGING IN GREEK)

This is a great example

of a tightly bonded
island community,

where life exists in a time warp,

sheltered from many
of the negative influences

of modern society.

It's a special place
that has to be experienced firsthand

in order to fully appreciate it.

I've quickly become a fan
of the island,

even though
I haven't seen much, yet.

(PEOPLE SINGING IN GREEK)

(THEME MUSIC)

Despite being a relatively unknown
tourism destination,

people from the four corners
of the world find their way here,

albeit just a handful of them.

Usually, it's a result of hearing
about Sikinos from a friend

or relative who somehow stumbled
across the place.

Of those that visit,

no doubt many have the dream
of getting a holiday home

or even resettling here.

I was lucky enough to meet
a Swiss couple

that had done exactly that.

In fact, they bought their home
without even seeing the place.

So, 33 years, you've had this house
and 33 years been coming.

You bought the house
in the same year

that you first came here.

That's amazing.

Yes.

And I came here

with my two small children.

Casas was not even two years old,

the other one, 3.5,

and my Filipino housekeeper.

And we came
on the Giorgos Express.

I never forget that.

They didn't have a harbour.

It was wavy, and we had to transfer
to a small fishing boat.

And I was terrified.
I was terrified.

I was supposed to throw my children
and I didn't trust them.

So, I watched them
first catching the yayas.

The grandmothers.

And then I threw my bags,
and they caught that.

And then I physically
had to throw my children.

Wow.

And then I jumped myself. Yeah.

You jumped yourself.
And we all survived.

And you hadn't seen
your house yet.

I didn't even know where it was.
Wow.

I went to the village
to the other side, into the shop,

and tried to explain
I have a house,

and suddenly a neighbour
from here,

he made me
understand, "Wait."

And I understood that.

I didn't speak Greek
at the time.

And he came with two donkeys
and brought me to the house.

So, you bought the house
sight unseen

and you didn't even know
where your house was.

No.
Wow.

That's not very Swiss.

No, no, no.
That's not very Swiss, is it?

The Swiss are normally
very calculated, like

watches, aren't you?

You know, it's like this.

I don't want to speak
for the Swiss.

(LAUGHTER)

But it's not very typical,
I think, for most people.

Yeah.

It's not very typical
for most people, no.

No.

And it was very spontaneous,
and to this day,

it was probably the best decision
I ever did.

And I've made a lot of money
as a commodity trader,

and like Mischa said,
that year, we had a bonus.

None of that money
stayed eventually.

But the best decision
and the best investment

I ever made
was in this little house.

Wow.

Because it has become an anchor
for the family

and a home also for our sons.

Talking to this lovely couple,

I began to understand
how people like this feel

as though they've discovered
their own piece of faraway paradise.

I sat and spoke to them
both for hours.

But the one thing
that brought it all together

was when they gave me their address
so I could write to them.

It was as simple as this.

Mischa, Sikinos, Greece.

Pop those three words on an envelope
and it'll find its way to them.

That says it all.

The truth is, the more people
I met on the island,

the more I came to understand

that Sikinos was like
a hidden treasure,

that very few people know about,

and those that do,
keep it to themselves.

The next gentleman
you're about to meet

spent much of his lifetime

travelling through
the islands of Greece.

And when he left England years ago,
he chose Sikinos to be his home.

So, I went fishing with him
to learn more about what it was

that made this island so different

and attractive
to foreigners like him.

I want to just try
and get as much luck

as I can for us today.

Yeah, sure.

So, I'm going to talk
to our angel,

I hear Zoi,
alright?

Saint Zoi.

And I ask that,
"I think I've been a good boy today.

"If you could allow us
to maybe just get one or two fish

"so, that we can feed
the crew tonight,

"Terry and I, we might
have something to eat,

"we would appreciate it.

"Thank you very much."
Not more than that.

We don't want more than that,
do we?

Well, you know what I do?

I cross myself three times
every church I pass to catch fish.

Alright. OK.
When you pass the church.

That's what the locals do.

You're 47 years
coming to Sikinos, mate.

You're a Greek now.

Yeah.

Listen, why Sikinos?

I mean,
you are probably one guy

that's probably seen
more Greek islands than me,

as a professional photographer

for National Geographic
and all those guys.

Why Sikinos?

When I first came in 1971,

it was just so different

from any other place
I knew in Greece.

There was no harbour.

There was no road.

There was no electricity
the first year.

And you had to jump in a small boat
like this and row ashore,

and there was a mule train waiting
to take everything up.

Wow.

People bought furniture, beds.

Everything had to go up by mule.

Well, we still can't get our boat
on the moorings there.

We can't get it on the dock.

It's still not easy, is it?

Yeah, OK, it's changed
with the road and tourism,

but it hasn't changed
that much beyond recognition,

like a lot of islands have.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

It's still got
that private personality

of the locals
that got a bit of hospitality.

There's only 200 people here
or something, isn't there?

In the winter,
there's hundred...

No, 212.

Yeah.
Right.

And you know them all.
Yeah.

I know them all.

When I first used to come here
in the '70s,

I was studying photography.

I used to take lots of black
and white photos of all the locals

and print them in the winter
and bring them big 20x16 prints.

And they used to love...

Really be happy.

I read somewhere
that in Athenian history,

they say that they would rather
be put in jail in Athens

than go to Sikinos

because it's so remote
and abandoned.

They used to send
the communist prisoners...

Yes, of course.

..to prisons here.

And my understanding is the Delian
and Athenian League,

the tribute
that they gave from Sikinos

was the least amount
of all the islands,

because it was the poor cousin
of all the other islands.

And it didn't get pillaged
by the pirates

because there was nowhere
for them to land,

like Ios or other islands

where they used to steal
and take people.

Here, they couldn't stop.

So, Terry, I think we've got
to just keep fishing

a bit longer and stop talking

because I'm scaring
the fish away, mate.

We've got to catch
one sooner or later.

There's a cormorant there,
which is a good sign.

Yeah.

Alright.
I'm going to be quiet now.

No more interview.

Let's just see
if we can catch a fish.

Come on, help us out, please.
Please.

Take the rod.
I'll take the rod.

Maybe that'll make
a difference.

I was quickly discovering
that remoteness and beauty

were key features as to why people
chose to make places like Sikinos

their second or even first home.

But they were just initial,
superficial things

that attracted people
to these places.

At the end of the day,

it was the more human
or personal elements

that were the deciding attributes.

It's the sense of community,
of belonging to a place,

that galvanised their desire
to make it their home.

(THEME MUSIC)

If you come to Greece
and you want to walk

onto archaeological site
or you want to investigate it

or you want to dig it
or even film it,

I can tell you the Greeks
are stricter

than anybody else in the world.

And it is so difficult for us

to come in and film
these wonderful sites.

But there's a solid reason for it,

and the reason is that
they want it to be done well.

They want these sites
to be investigated, dug,

explored, exploited
in the proper way.

And everything takes time in Greece

because there's just so many sites

like this one behind me, Episcopoi

here on the central
western portion of the island.

This is a classic example of a
very, very important structure.

We're talking
about a second century mausoleum.

You can see
that light-coloured building.

That was the original building.

And then around it, later on,

they've built
in the 6th and 7th century,

a Christian Church
that lasted to the 20th century.

There is a dome that's built up
there on the 17th century.

So, we've got a building

that has slowly been renovated,
changed use.

And that's a record in time

and it's a wonderful thing.

And right now, we're actually
not allowed to go inside

because the archaeologists
are working on it

and refurbishing it.

Hopefully by the time
that this film comes out,

you'll be able to come out
to Sikinos and see Episcopoi

it in all its beauty.

The wonderful thing
about this is, it's very, very rare.

In the mausoleum,
only in, I think it was 2018,

they found a lady, her bones,

in her noble dress,
with jewellery, a mirror,

and a whole lot of
other paraphernalia,

which showed that this mausoleum
was for one lady,

even though there was another
couple of crypts in there,

another couple of tombs.

They don't know
where she came from,

why she was in that mausoleum,
and that's what's important here.

It may take decades to find out,
but these guys are working on it.

There's six or seven
archaeologists in there.

There is an architect.

There's all the specialists
in there.

And when you come here
and you realise that,

you get an understanding
of how important it is

that we give these Greeks the time

to be able to exploit
what we have here.

Sites like this
are incredibly fragile

and come with important lessons
in history and culture.

They're remarkable things to see,
even if you can't walk inside.

If ancient landmarks
aren't your cup of tea,

then maybe my next stop is.

I've filmed several wineries
through out this Odyssey

but none like the one
we're about to see.

The seaside amphitheatre location
makes this the most

picturesque vineyard
I've ever been to.

The winery also doubles
as a restaurant

and it's become
a well-known destination

at sunset.

It's owned by Giorgos,

who walked away
from his life as a builder

to pursue his dream
of being a winemaker.

His story resonates closely
with mine.

As I enter the next phase
of my life,

I want to pursue other projects
and challenges,

and who knows,
maybe I'll end up growing grapes

on my home island of Kythira.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

(SPEAKS GREEK)

The life cycle of grapevines,

or more so the changes
they go through

from season to season

is a living metaphor of Giorgos'
own existence.

He's been reborn,
given a new lease of life,

after taking the leap of faith
to walk away from building.

The fruits of his labour
is the charmed life

he and his family now enjoy
and share with tourists.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

(SPEAKS GREEK)

To build your dream
takes hard work,

and Giorgos finds motivation
and inspiration

in those that have done similar,

be it here in Greece
or other places

where his countrymen have settled
and led successful lives.

If what I see today
is anything to go by,

Giorgos has achieved
something to be admired.

Yet every day, he works harder
to make it even better,

if not for himself and his family,
then for others to experience.

(SPEAKS GREEK)

(SPEAKS GREEK)

The recurring theme
of my time on Sikinos

is that this is a place
where people come

for a lifestyle change.

To escape the trappings

and stresses of the modern-day
world and slow down.

It's something I can
totally relate to.

The next episode sees me
finishing my time on Sikinos

with a visit to one of the most
remarkable monasteries

I've ever seen,

before upping anchor
and heading west to Folegandros.

It's my final stop in this series
of the Odyssey

and the perfect way
to bring it to an end.

Just like this view

is the ideal finish
to an awesome day.

And you know what?

It's right up there

with the famed sunsets
of Santorini.

Captioned by Ai-Media
ai-media.tv