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Greece,

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seen from a new perspective,
from above.

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We will reveal the ancient civilization to you

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what was the swing
European culture,

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a place where legends and myths
ancient collide with the modern world,

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in a landscape of contrasts
and surprises.

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In this series,
we will cross Europe by air.

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Filming from above over the course of a year,

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with the transformation of landscapes
from one season to another,

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we will discover the culture,
history and constructions

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who gave birth
the great European nations of today.

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EUROPE AS SEEN FROM ABOVE

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GREECE

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Greece is at the crossroads
between Europe, Asia and Africa.

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He has two personalities:
a mountainous mainland

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and a sprawling archipelago
over the whole Aegean Sea.

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Greece has a wealth of colors,
views and splendors.

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It is the cradle of democracy,
of western philosophy,

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of dramatic art
and the Olympic games.

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The stories of this nation date back
before the beginning of history.

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The beginning of each year

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brings a radical transformation
of the whole country.

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The rocky gorges in the north of the country
they are covered by vegetation.

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Green valleys from all over the country

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it is immediately covered with a carpet
of colorful flowers.

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It's spring in Greece.

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SPRING

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Greek cities from all over the country
they are preparing for the tourist season.

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One in ten jobs is based
on the 33,000,000 tourists

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who visit Greece every year.

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A city attracts more tourists
than all others.

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The capital of the country, Athens.

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The long history of the city
spans more than 6,000 years.

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Today, I live here
over 3,000,000 inhabitants.

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If we get closer to the goal,

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we discover an old construction
which proudly guards the capital.

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It is the Parthenon,

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an ancient temple dedicated to Athena,

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the Greek goddess of wisdom.

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This engineering masterpiece,
Greek architecture and sculpture

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was built
2,500 years ago.

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Since then it has been rising high
above Athens.

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Architect Vasiliki Eleftheriou
has a heavy load

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to make sure it will last
and in the distant future.

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These monuments are the heritage
our cultural

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We owe it to the people
to keep them in the best possible condition.

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The Parthenon was a target in the wars,

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it was plundered and endured earthquakes.

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Its durability is proof
that it is an extraordinary construction.

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Vasiliki leads a project

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restoration of the Parthenon
as many own stones as possible.

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Hundreds of stones must be relaid
old and new blocks of marble,

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to restore the walls.

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The team is working today on the pediment of
west, the emblematic facade of the building.

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The west side of the Parthenon
is the best known.

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It is the first to be seen,
from ancient times until now.

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The team has a lot to face
difficulties to restore the temple

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stone by stone.

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Among them, handling
a crane of several tons

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inside the old columns.

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It's a special procedure, which is necessary
carried out as early as possible in the morning,

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before the visitors come.

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This new block of marble is carved to
match the cracked surface

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of an original block.

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It is a work that requires care
and accuracy.

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AND it is not at all easy to seat
such a heavy block in the right place.

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This extraordinary approach determines it
on Vasiliki to appreciate enormously

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the skill of the Greek builders
from ancient times.

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We, those who work so closely
of monument,

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we wonder how they managed to maneuver
such large blocks of marble,

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up to 12 tons,
to build the temple.

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Manipulation of blocks is not the only one
weight the team faces.

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The ancient Greeks integrated
a series of special visual tricks,

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which Vasiliki must
to copy them.

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Seen with the naked eye, the Parthenon
appears to be rectangular in shape,

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but it has almost no straight line
or right angle in the plane.

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It is a perfect example
of optical illusions.

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The secret to this visual trick is
that the whole temple is, in fact, domed.

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The four corners descend gracefully,

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the outer columns bulge
in the center

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and leans slightly inward,
towards the middle of the structure.

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These optical illusions give the impression
to a truly flawless Parthenon,

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perfect, worthy of the goddess Athena.

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How did they do it?
to see all these details,

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symmetry and repetition,
all this leaves us speechless.

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After an hour of adjustments,

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the team finally succeeds
to pick up the marble block

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and place it in its new place.

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It is painstaking work.

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They are expected to finish the job
just over 15 years.

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As for Vasiliki,
every block is a small triumph.

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I'm lucky to do something I love,
which brings me satisfaction.

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Beyond the crowded cities,

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agriculture dominates rural areas.

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The climate is favorable
a diversity of cultures,

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starting with the tomatoes
and ending with the tobacco ones.

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Greece is among the few
EU cotton producers.

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He also cultivates over a hundred
of olive varieties.

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The abundance of cultures offers us
a fascinating aerial view.

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in the north

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a long mountain range shelters
a fertile plain from the rest of the country.

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Rainwater flows from the mountains,
feed the land

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and paint the fields in the spring
in pink squares.

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We are in Veria,
the land of peaches.

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The view from above reveals us
a transient phenomenon of spring.

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The whole valley is flushed
of an iridescent pink,

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when the peaches bloom
from the orchards.

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Tasos Halkidis is counted
among the nearly 9,000 farmers

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who deals
of the different orchards in the valley.

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I am very attached to this place,
for here I was born.

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when spring comes
and all these trees bloom,

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we are happy
we feel blessed.

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The blossoming of the trees announces spring
Tasos' team to get to work.

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To have the biggest harvest
of peaches,

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cut all the branches,
except the strongest.

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Thus the sap of the tree does
to grow bigger fruit,

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not to give other leaves.

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If they don't cut all the peaches like this,

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risk bearing small fruits,
which are harder to sell.

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Tasos cares for thousands of peaches,

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which extend over more than 60 ha
in northern Greece.

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From above we can see the scale better
his duties.

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He sneaks in with the tractor
through the labyrinth of the orchard,

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being careful not to let any tree escape.

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After a few hours, it finally arrives
at the last row of peaches.

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They start to cut the last branches.

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You won't know
if it was worth toiling so much,

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than in three months,
when the peaches are cooked.

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Spring does not stand still,

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and the pink peach blossoms
from northern Greece they pretend

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in whole hectares of ripe fruit.

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Gatherers gather
how the sun rises

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All the orchard owners in the valley
they pick their peaches.

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The Veria region exports
500,000 tons of peaches

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in the rest of Europe year after year.

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We have been growing peaches for many years
because we have a favorable climate.

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That's why we have quality peaches
superior, exported all over the world.

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The team achieved its goal

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and sends the day's harvest to the market.

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Collectors can now celebrate,

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but Tasos can't wait
let spring come again

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and start the whole process from the beginning.

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We collect the fruits and so on.
The whole cycle is beautiful.

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Of course I like peaches.
Ours are the tastiest.

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Beyond the valleys with much vegetation,

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Greece has the longest coastline
from the Mediterranean area.

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It has over 6,000 islands,

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each forming a separate coastline,
full of color

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The white, serene landscape as it were
of the island of Milos,

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the green lagoons of Crete,

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reddish volcanic sands
from Santorini

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and the turquoise waters of Kefalonia.

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The months go by

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and visitors flock
in these sandy bays,

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to soak up the warm sun

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at the arrival of summer in Greece.

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SUMMER

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Sea travel is fundamental
in Greek history.

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Today, Greece has the largest fleet
commercial in the world

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and the largest fishing fleet
from the European Union.

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The national obsession with the sea

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led to one of the most
spectacular achievements in the world.

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The Peloponnese Peninsula forms
the southern part of Greece.

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For centuries, you had to push through
700 km to get around it.

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If we take a closer look today,
we will discover something extraordinary:

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a section of the peninsula
in the narrowest part.

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It is the Corinth Canal,

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a huge waterway,
man made

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The steep walls rise to 79 m.

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It is the deepest canal in the world.

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The channel narrows in places,
reaching 25 m wide.

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The channel is vital
for over 11,000 ships per year.

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Engineer Haris Saroglou inspects
channel, to make sure

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that the steep flanks remain
out of danger.

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Corinth Canal is
of great importance,

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for it is the gateway
in the Peloponnese

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and a place where the sea meets
with the dry.

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Upon completion of the canal in 1893,

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the boats were much smaller.

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Nowadays, some captains
daredevils cross the channel

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with large ships that barely slip by
between the steep walls.

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And their passage gives us

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one of the most spectacular
aerial views of Greece.

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Braemar, a cruise ship
195 m long,

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is to cross the Corinth Canal.

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The vessel weighs 24,344 t.

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It's the biggest one to try
ever sneak in here.

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Filming from above, we will be able to see
this extraordinary achievement.

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It takes nerves of steel
and of exceptional skill.

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In the narrowest places,

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there is not even a meter left
on one side and the other.

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Ships traversing the canal
translate an old ambition into reality,

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the realization of which he took
over 2,000 years.

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The ancient Greeks wanted a canal here,
because they knew well

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that it is a strategically important place.

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It could lead to increased trade

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and to considerable development
of the Greek civilization.

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The Roman Emperor Nero began
canal works in the 1st century.

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But he didn't manage to achieve much
before he dies.

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After traveling about 6 km,

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the Braemar ship finally arrives
at the end.

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The imposing cruise ship glides away
towards the sea.

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Portrait of Nero carved in rock
guard the canal today.

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That much was chosen from the efforts of the Romanians
to build the canal.

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If Nero were here today,

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it would have seemed incredible to him that a vessel
so big can cross the channel.

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This engineering masterpiece

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it illustrates what it means
be a skilled builder.

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Crystal clear waters
around the Greek coast

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hide rocky outcrops,
dangerous for navigation.

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There are thousands of wrecks here,

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both ancient and modern.

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00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,200
In 1980, bad weather brought a wreck
of 452 tons

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on the white sands
of the island of Zakynthos.

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00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:40,120
But it's not just wrecks that block
the blue Greek seas.

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Like many places in the Mediterranean,

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and here the underwater pollution
is raised.

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The Mediterranean Sea is surrounded
almost completely dry.

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Currents bring ocean debris

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and leaves them in the water around the bays
and the Mediterranean islands.

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how is it happening here
in the island of Lefkada.

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Lefkada is a typical Greek port.

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This is where pleasure boats rock
carried by the light waves

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and dolphins fly through the water.

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But this serenity hides
a big problem

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that lurks under the water.

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George Sarelakos directs
an innovative project:

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removing underwater garbage
around the island.

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If we sit on the sea or at water level,
we have no idea what is happening.

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You may be in a bay
fairy tale, on an island,

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but let the bottom of the sea show
like a garbage dump.

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The team received word that they were
abandoned several fishing nets

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in a deserted cove
almost 10 km away.

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A team of divers goes first
to do on-site research.

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00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:15,560
Once there, jump into the water.

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It doesn't take long for them to give
of the first abandoned nets.

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In a short time, they realize
of the extent of their burden.

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The team discovers a wide variety
of underwater hazards:

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old fishing nets, tires,

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plastic waste
and metal scraps.

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Here the water exceeds 20 m deep,

242
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,080
as big as a five-story building.

243
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,560
When we're at the bottom of the sea

244
00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,800
we see better what is happening
in the depths.

245
00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:09,880
In the water it becomes clear why the nets
abandoned are called ghost nets.

246
00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,480
I can trap
and they can kill dolphins, seals

247
00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,880
and many other living things,
totally helpless.

248
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,120
The team hopes that the removal
the garbage on the bottom of the water

249
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,480
it will improve
underwater ecosystems,

250
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:29,080
the fish fund and, finally
court, local economies.

251
00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:38,520
A few inflatable bags immediately lift
nets on the surface.

252
00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,560
The nets weigh over 2.5 t.

253
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,760
The team uses a special winch

254
00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,840
and a larger ship to take out
abandoned nets from the water.

255
00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:00,560
They return triumphantly to port

256
00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,840
and unloads his catch on the shore.

257
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,840
When the trash reaches land,

258
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,360
the proportions are revealed to us
to this hidden problem.

259
00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:19,000
The nets unravel and stretch
along the dock.

260
00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,560
The team is still recovering
and piles of scrap metal

261
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,840
and 66 tires.

262
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:33,000
After the sailors threw trash
in the waters of the Mediterranean for hundreds of years,

263
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,160
Greece is taking concrete measures

264
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:40,240
to ensure the health of the seas
for future generations.

265
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,520
We are part of nature

266
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:49,680
and that's why it's important
to keep it clean and protect it.

267
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,440
As the months go by,
the air cools

268
00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,240
the tourists disperse,

269
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:04,160
and the gorges and canyons in the north

270
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,920
I know a radical transformation.

271
00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:13,120
A golden-orange blanket
envelops the land

272
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,880
and it is autumn.

273
00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:17,400
AUTUMN

274
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,240
It's warm and autumn.

275
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:26,720
Greeks spend their free time outdoors.

276
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,560
Given that Greece is
cradle of the olympic games,

277
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,680
Greeks practice outdoor sports.

278
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,000
The national sports are football
and basketball.

279
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,000
But also extreme sports
attract practitioners.

280
00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,720
The cliffs are steep

281
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,240
the ideal launch sites
of paragliders,

282
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:53,080
and the sea calm and clear
it is perfect for kayakers.

283
00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,200
But the tumult of modern life is not
never too far

284
00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:00,960
of the vestiges of the classical era.

285
00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:04,880
Rural areas are crowded
of ancient ruins.

286
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:13,840
At a site, a team strives
to remove these vestiges from the ground.

287
00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:21,360
Peloponnese Peninsula

288
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:26,480
it housed many powerful polishes
from ancient Greece.

289
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:33,160
Sparta, Corinth, Argos

290
00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,800
and Olympia,
where the Olympics were originally held.

291
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,880
But among the hills to the east

292
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:45,760
lie the circular remains
of a unique structure.

293
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,680
It is the sanctuary of Epidaurus,

294
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:57,960
where they came to find healing
the sick hikers of old.

295
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:04,400
Only these ruins remain from
temples, hospitals and even a theater.

296
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:11,040
The place was dedicated to Asclepios,
the Greek god of healing.

297
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:16,560
In the center of Epidaurus
we meet a modern metallic structure

298
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:21,840
on the place where one of the
the rare circular buildings in Greece.

299
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,280
This is the archaeologist
Vassilis Lambrinoudakis

300
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,160
strives to make history
to come to life.

301
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:36,120
Ancient Greece is part of it
from the identity of modern Greece,

302
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:42,480
influence modern thinking and
thus it is part of the modern world.

303
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,080
It is Tholos.

304
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,520
The exact purpose of the building is not known.

305
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,040
If we look from above,

306
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,800
it is possible to observe the part
the most mysterious of the structure.

307
00:25:57,960 --> 00:25:59,920
Below the original floor,

308
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:05,440
three concentric circles form
a dark maze of corridors.

309
00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,840
Archaeologists speculate that in the middle
could have been a pit of snakes

310
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:16,000
long associated with Asclepios
and ancient medicine.

311
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,840
Above the mysterious basement,

312
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:24,400
the building was counted among the
more beautiful of its time.

313
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:31,240
At its peak, a ring formed
of 26 columns surround the structure.

314
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:37,000
The tall colonnade supported
a richly decorated roof,

315
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,480
the central element of this sanctuary.

316
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,040
Vassilis is engaged in a project
reconstruction of the building,

317
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,920
using as much as possible
the original marble.

318
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,560
The Tholos temple was very important
for Greek architecture.

319
00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,160
It led to the emergence of a school
for later architects,

320
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:03,080
because it was one of the most
elegant buildings from Antiquity.

321
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,440
The team must first
to redo each column,

322
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:10,760
as in a great puzzle of history.

323
00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:18,320
The special utensils used
they copy the old ones.

324
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,440
But every structural element
is moved to its place

325
00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,240
with a modern scaffolding and crane.

326
00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,440
When elements are placed
on the monument,

327
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,120
must be measured carefully.

328
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,480
We work very meticulously.

329
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:43,680
If we don't do everything right,
the stones do not fit together.

330
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,240
The old blocks fall into place
with millimeter precision.

331
00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,680
They succeeded.

332
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:02,400
But the restoration of a building
so complex requires patience.

333
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,840
The team expects to complete
the work only many years later.

334
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,920
The building is extremely important
not only for the identity of the Greeks,

335
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,320
but of all Europeans,
of the western world.

336
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,400
From the rocky hills
from the continental side

337
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,480
to the virgin beaches of the islands,

338
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,160
and from volcanic craters

339
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:37,240
in the largest forests
of palm trees from Europe,

340
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,800
the Greeks learned to adapt

341
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:44,560
to live in diversity
of landscapes from the country.

342
00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:50,000
But there is a place
which takes this idea to the extreme.

343
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,760
In the center of mainland Greece,

344
00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:00,720
the view from above reveals us
something truly remarkable.

345
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:08,400
A series of colossal pillars rises
straight from the ground

346
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,520
like huge stone fingers.

347
00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,160
approaching,
we observe a group of structures

348
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,480
placed in a precarious balance
above the rocks.

349
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:27,280
They are the monasteries of Meteora,

350
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,400
among the most special complexes

351
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,400
of orthodox Christian places.

352
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,240
They are hard to see from the ground.

353
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:50,000
But from above
their loneliness is revealed.

354
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:54,440
A sanctuary on high,
away from the outside world.

355
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,440
At the peak moment,
there were over 20 monasteries here,

356
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:00,720
isolated from the world below.

357
00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,240
Today I live here
over 65 people,

358
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:11,200
in the six monasteries
located on top of the rock.

359
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,240
Monks live in four.

360
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,680
In two, nuns.

361
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,640
The righteous live
on these stone pillars

362
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,560
for almost a thousand years.

363
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:28,960
But how were they formed?

364
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:33,720
And why did the first Christians come here
to worship God?

365
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,640
Geologist Markos Vaxevanopoulos

366
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,160
is of the opinion that the foundation
monasteries from Meteora

367
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,520
it has to do with special geology
of these rocky pillars.

368
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,000
You experience a special feeling here.

369
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:59,320
I think it was the first sensation
of the people who arrived here.

370
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,120
60,000,000 years ago,

371
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:09,080
here was a big block of rock,
the bottom of an ancient sea.

372
00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,120
The millennia of earthquakes
and wind erosion

373
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,280
formed these stone pillars
that we see today.

374
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:23,000
The erosion process left some
in soft rock:

375
00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:24,520
grottoes.

376
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:29,560
From above we can see the caves
which attracted irresistibly

377
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,640
the new religion
which ruled Europe.

378
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,880
We meet many caves at Meteora.

379
00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,840
The first hermits lived in them.

380
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:47,360
They even used to enlarge them,
so that he can live in them.

381
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:54,960
The first Christians were looking for these caves
to lead a life of wandering.

382
00:31:55,120 --> 00:32:00,800
They devoted themselves to prayer,
completely cut off from the rest of the world.

383
00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,480
The first hermits, the first hermits

384
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:08,240
they lived almost like the first troglodytes.

385
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:13,400
When they started to make a living
in the caves, they had the same conditions.

386
00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:17,760
My opinion is that,
in an attempt to overcome his limits,

387
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,480
they were trying somehow
to reach God.

388
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:28,800
Such an abandoned cave is
decorated today with flags and scarves.

389
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,040
The locals bring them as a gift
every year,

390
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,400
to make their luck smile,

391
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,440
a tradition that dates back
for over 300 years.

392
00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:43,680
Later, in the 15th century,

393
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,800
a different wave of Christians arrived
to Meteora.

394
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,440
The Ottoman Empire had invaded Greece,

395
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:58,680
and, for fear of thieves and persecution,
the Christians fled to the mountains.

396
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:00,960
Instead of living in caves,

397
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:05,520
they founded these isolated monasteries
on top of high rocks

398
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,840
and they filled them
with the treasures of their religion.

399
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000
During the Ottoman invasion,

400
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:15,120
these high cliffs were a refuge.

401
00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,960
It was very hard to get to
at these monasteries.

402
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:27,360
At 550 m height,
the monks risked no attack.

403
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:32,400
The monasteries were reached
just going up some long stairs,

404
00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,920
which could be withdrawn
when the monks felt in danger.

405
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,680
A life led in such isolation
carries some difficulties.

406
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,320
All materials needed for construction
they were taken up the stairs

407
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,520
or pulled up
in nets tied with ropes.

408
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:49,880
Monks use a system
of pulleys and ropes

409
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:51,960
to the transport of goods even today.

410
00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:56,760
Lower the nets to the ground,
like little elevators,

411
00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,920
and with the help of the funicular
I go from one monastery to another,

412
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,080
each perched on a different rock.

413
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:09,720
I love this place. I am in awe
at each visit.

414
00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:16,840
I completely understand what they felt
the first people who came here.

415
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:23,080
You don't have to be a monk
to feel the greatness of nature.

416
00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,800
As the months go by,

417
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:38,240
the new season brings changes
throughout the country.

418
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:43,400
It's getting cold, and over the monasteries
from Meteora

419
00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,560
a fine carpet of snow is laid down.

420
00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,040
But in the south, where it's warm,

421
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:55,840
the thirsty land has a share
of rain after months,

422
00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:01,040
and the hills yellowed and dry
they all turn green

423
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,080
at the arrival of winter.

424
00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:04,760
WINTER

425
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,520
Greece is a land of contrasts.

426
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:13,440
Here, in the coastal towns
from the northern Peloponnese,

427
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:19,400
tourists stay in the sun all year round,
even in winter.

428
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,600
But they have another option
during this period.

429
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,280
A railway makes the connection
between the beaches at sea level

430
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:33,680
and a ski resort by the sea
altitude, where there is fresh snow.

431
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:40,320
It's a separate train, so he can do it
facing steep slopes.

432
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,080
The Odontotos railway meanders

433
00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:50,920
among the canyons and defiles
from the north of the Peloponnese

434
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,800
and climb over 700 m.

435
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,080
The top ski resort

436
00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:01,920
waiting for visitors to come
from the foot of the mountains.

437
00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,000
Dimitrios Giannopoulos is pregnant

438
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:09,040
to keep open
this important leisure line.

439
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,320
This train works a little differently.

440
00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:17,560
No two trains are the same. This one has
a special handling system.

441
00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,920
The train starts its journey of 22 km

442
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,680
from the train station near the beach

443
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,800
and picks up speed towards the mountain.

444
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,120
Can carry
over 100 passengers.

445
00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,600
We will accompany them from above

446
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:41,720
through romantic landscapes
of all the beauty.

447
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,520
The view is gorgeous,
leaves you speechless.

448
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,400
The railway itself, the tunnels,
the flowing water we pass over,

449
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,680
the trees when they are green.

450
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,480
Every season has its beauty.

451
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,240
This railway was inaugurated
in 1896.

452
00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:07,840
It has been operating for over 120 years.

453
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,000
The gauge is only 75 cm,

454
00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,480
being much narrower
than standard European trains.

455
00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,080
So the train can slip
through narrow tunnels

456
00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:22,200
and on the edge of the rock walls,

457
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,160
a great advantage
in this mountainous part of Greece.

458
00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:31,600
The splendid route through the gorge
attracts hikers and tourists

459
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,680
who seeks to cross the mountains
on an easy route.

460
00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,520
But the easiest is for Dimitrios
and its passengers,

461
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:43,440
when the train approaches the first slope.

462
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:48,880
In the first five kilometers of the road
there is no climbing

463
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:53,400
but when we actually enter
in the gorge, we come across mountains and rocks

464
00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,800
and the river, of course.

465
00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:02,040
But to climb the steep slopes
to the ski resort at the top,

466
00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,840
our train needs
of a secret weapon.

467
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:16,840
The Odontotos train can go up
the steepest mountain slopes

468
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,520
thanks to a technical solution
intelligent.

469
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:27,080
At the center of the gauge is
a rail with thousands of teeth

470
00:38:27,240 --> 00:38:31,160
which include special gears,

471
00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:35,480
like a Swiss watch mechanism.

472
00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,320
We have passengers from all over the world.

473
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:44,160
I met people from all corners
the globe, everywhere.

474
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,640
Among the places they wanted
to see them in Greece

475
00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:50,880
this little train is also included.

476
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,120
After just an hour,

477
00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:02,360
the train arrives at the station
from the foot of the ski resort.

478
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,840
The passengers start towards the slopes.

479
00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,280
After a short pause,

480
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:15,960
Dimitrios sets off again,
back to the sea.

481
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,600
I never get bored.

482
00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:22,920
I wake up happy every day,
thinking of this road.

483
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,480
The territory of Greece is studded
of places of legend,

484
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,800
over which thousands of winters have passed.

485
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:36,480
Knossos, with the palace
the mythical king Minos,

486
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,960
which would be sheltered
the labyrinth of the Minotaur.

487
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:45,720
Delphi, where the ancient Greeks came
to consult the oracle

488
00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:47,960
and find out his future.

489
00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:53,320
And Olympia,
the cradle of the Olympic games.

490
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:57,080
But there is a place of legend
in mainland Greece,

491
00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:59,480
which eclipses them all.

492
00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:02,760
Mount Olympus.

493
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:08,920
In winter, a thick blanket covers it
of snow.

494
00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:11,360
If we look at it from above,

495
00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:16,320
we discover an untouched peak,
a truly impressive landscape.

496
00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:21,440
Mount Olympus is among those
most important peaks in Europe.

497
00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,840
It reaches a height of almost 3,000 m.

498
00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:31,720
A landscape of legend and myth,
the abode of the gods.

499
00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:42,200
The huge mountain stretches
on an area of over 500 km2,

500
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:46,560
with 52 peaks and deep gorges.

501
00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:54,840
At a closer look,
something extraordinary is revealed to us.

502
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:59,600
A building can be seen in the deep snow.

503
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,640
At almost 2,700 m altitude,

504
00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:14,200
this secluded cabin is
near the top of Mount Olympus.

505
00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:18,960
It is a refuge for climbers.

506
00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,720
It must be maintained and supplied

507
00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:25,840
until the new season starts
of mountaineering in May.

508
00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:30,120
being winter,
the snow is almost impassable.

509
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:36,960
Lazaros Botelis and his team know well
that their efforts are vital

510
00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,960
so that the refuge is well equipped
in the spring.

511
00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:51,320
This is life on the mountain. We can't
do the job than walking.

512
00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:57,360
Today, the team starts
in the annual pilgrimage

513
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,880
for spring cleaning
in the abode of the gods.

514
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:10,120
Annually, nearly 10,000 people search
to conquer Mount Olympus.

515
00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:15,400
But only Lazaros' team
he wants to reach the top in winter.

516
00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:20,560
Winter is unspeakably cold on the mountain.

517
00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:25,720
The lowest temperature that
I endured it was -30 ̊C.

518
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:32,240
In six hours the team reaches the refuge.

519
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:37,720
Looking from above, we realize
of the immensity of Lazaros' mission.

520
00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:39,960
Must clean the solar panels,

521
00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:42,600
which feeds the refuge
with electricity,

522
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:47,840
and to ensure that it can shelter
the climbers who will come in the spring.

523
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,240
The clouds are at our feet.

524
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,520
It is an indescribable feeling.

525
00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:59,120
Climbers can take shelter here
bad weather, to stay on the mountain.

526
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,200
Thanks to Lazaros,

527
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:04,920
the shelter is open
for anyone who needs help.

528
00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:07,680
The team is done.

529
00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:13,560
The climb takes six hours,
but the descent takes much less.

530
00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:15,880
The mountain attracts like a magnet.

531
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:19,560
Man seeks a being above himself,
regardless of his religion.

532
00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:22,400
Usually research
the highest peaks.

533
00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:31,280
Greece is a country where history
collides with the legend,

534
00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,760
a sacred land full of history,

535
00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:38,600
where we meet alike
old symbols and innovations.

536
00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:44,400
thousand islands,
each with its own personality,

537
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:50,480
together they form a great nation
diversity, which pushes the limits,

538
00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:55,720
trying at the same time to preserve his
history and to protect its future.

539
00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:58,560
The variety of landscapes and climates

540
00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:04,240
nurture a culture that has inspired
the entire western world

541
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:08,440
and built this great nation
European today.

542
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:10,600
Translation: Alina Petrescu