Original subtitles

(upbeat music)

- From the bustling streets of Athens

and the historic port of Hydra,

to the beaches of Zakythnos and the villages of Kythira.

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 will probably want to know a little bit about me.

My story starts as a 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.

And one of those dreams was to step foot

on all 227 inhabited Greek Islands,

and I'm going to take a big chunk out of that,

in this first series.

My journey began in Greece's capital, Athens.

It's a modern metropolis that fuses the majesty

and wonder of the ancient world

with a contemporary character you'll only find in Greece.

It's a city that might buzz with activity

and occasionally feel a bit overwhelming.

But when you slow down and explore the laneways

and side streets, you'll find all sorts of gems

that give you a sense for the local, authentic life

experienced by Athenians.

This episode I'm leaving the big smoke,

and heading for Piraeus Marina,

across the Aegina to Epidaurus.

There I'm going to delve into the history

and unique culture of the region.

It's a part of the country

that many of the city dwellers visit for holidays,

but for some reason,

most foreign tourists don't make it part of their itinerary.

My plan is to show you

that if you do find yourself heading to Greece,

then this place has to be not only part of your journey,

but a highlight.

25 years ago to the month I got married,

I was travelling with my wife Helen, here in Athens,

along Piraeus, Zea Marina,

dream building just looking at these wonderful boats.

Never thinking that I'd ever own one.

And 25 years on, my dream came true.

Hey, how good is this!

Hey baby!

Let's have a coffee, come on.

She might not be the biggest boat

cruising the Mediterranean,

but she sure is one of the best looking.

Over the weeks ahead,

we're going to be spending plenty of time on Mia Zoi.

So before heading off,

I have to give you a little look around.

Like a beautiful woman,

she might be gorgeous on the outside,

but it's what's inside that matters.

Thinking back, maybe I should have called her Helen.

Anyway, throughout the coming weeks,

you're going to get a better look of things.

But I just can't help myself, I'm so proud of her.

I'm gotta give you a quick look around the place,

so you can see why I'm so fond of Mia Zoi.

This is the best part of the boat.

Now I'm going to change things, I'll tell you why.

I love sitting back here.

You can't see me, can you?

But sitting back here, in the afternoon is awesome.

Ah, the Bimini is coming back, and I've got a beer.

See the Bimini?

Best part of the thing.

Look, it's in the shade now.

I can eat in shade and not sun.

Come with me.

And you know what's good about this table?

It goes in and out.

For 20, for four, I can have coffee.

Here is our lounge room.

Here is our dining room for when it's not sunny outside.

But that doesn't happen in Greece,

so we hardly ever use our dining room.

Here is the day head,

which is the toilet we use during the day.

I'm not going to show it to you, because it's too small.

Up here is the bridge.

Come with me.

This, this is where it all happens.

This is where the captain drives the boat.

Now there's lots of instruments there,

and I don't have the time to tell you all about it,

even though I don't know anything about them anyway.

But there's a radar there, see the radar?

Come on up.

Now three metres away from the instruments of the bridge,

there's another bridge.

I don't know why.

Come across here.

This is the sundeck.

The sundeck is where we sit when the boat is moving,

because it's fun to see everything.

We also spend the evening here.

And, where is it?

We watch movies!

Now we have 3,000 movies to watch,

but we watch Top Gun every single time.

Don't ask me why, we just do.

Now, you've just got to watch yourself

walking down these stairs,

because you could easily fall over.

You don't want to have too many of these.

I don't even know why I've got one of these,

I don't drink beer.

Here's the stairs,

those stairs come in and out and we get down to the tender.

On a beautiful day you just sunbake up here, it's awesome.

That's the front of the boat.

Beautiful looking boat, and here are the anchor things.

And this is the kitchen.

And that's (speaking in foreign language) cooking away.

And I can see red cleaning glass,

he's cleaning glass wherever we are.

Let's go down, oh, hang on!

Down that way, that's where the crew lives.

In their fantastic presidential suites.

It's dark down there,

that's only because the lights aren't on.

Otherwise there's sunlight everywhere down there.

Let's go.

Now we are going to somewhere people don't generally see,

the bedrooms, come down.

Here we are,

in the bowels of the boat.

To the left, we have the master bedroom,

to the right, we have the VIP.

Behind you and behind me are the twins.

Let's have a look at the twins.

Aren't they absolutely awesome?

And what I like is that it's not just a twin,

but there's something here called a Pullman, this thing,

it comes down, let's try and get it down.

I haven't pulled it down in ages, but oh!

Oh, oh.

Watch out Mister Camera Man.

Ah!

So, 3 kids can sleep in here, it's awesome.

So, this is the VIP.

You'll notice there's lots of mirrors,

that's only to make it look big,

there's no shows or anything that happen here.

And that's the en suite.

Let's go and have a look at my bedroom.

Now I call it my bedroom, but Helen designed it.

I had no choice.

More mirrors, no, it's not what you're thinking.

Um, wonderful en suite.

We have the house of lords there, and, really good,

this is my steam room.

Steam room and shower.

Fantastic!

I love it, just to sit here and have a steam.

Let's get going.

Around here, we have, just under the bed here,

there my clothes in those two drawers.

And in here, they're all Helen's clothes in there,

can't show you.

Lots of windows, TV to your left here,

and that's the boat.

Another day I'll show you the plant rooms and stuff,

the engine rooms and those engine things.

So, there you have it, the beautiful Mia Zoi.

Like I said, she's got all of the comforts

you could want, plus more.

But most importantly,

I've got the best crew taking care of her and me.

You'll get to meet them along the way.

For now, it's time to watch Top Gun, for the 30th time.

(upbeat music)

What a place to start the day.

It's hard to believe

that about 60 kilometres across the sea is Athens.

Here, in Epidaurus, it feels

like we are a million miles away from the chaos of the city.

With only around 2,000 people calling it home.

If it weren't for all the visiting tourists,

you'd think you were somewhere quite remote.

In this area there are actually two towns

that share the name Epidaurus.

Or (speaking in foreign language) as the Greeks call it.

There's Nea Epidavros, which is the smaller of the two

and about eight kilometres north of here,

and Palaia Epidavros, where I am right now.

An ancient settlement once stood here,

which acted as the gateway

to one of the most important sites in antiquity.

Today it's the tourism that forms the foundation

of the local economy, but there's still plenty

of old world charm to be discovered.

In certain ways, you often get the sense

that not much has changed for hundreds of years.

Visitors typically spend their days exploring

the nearby ancient ruins and lazing by the water.

Then late in the afternoon,

the restaurants become vibrant hubs of energy

as people gather to while away the evening,

eating local seafood, drinking,

and taking in the beautiful setting.

It's easy to see why it's such a popular tourist spot.

Most people know Epidavros for the ancient theatre,

which I'm heading to later,

but it actually sits within a vast complex

of incredible historic importance,

and that's the sanctuary of Asklepios.

To become a professor, where did you study?

- In Athens.

Athens University, I had my doctor there.

And then I, post graduate studies, in Germany,

in Munich and Bonne.

- In Munich and Bonne, eh?

- For 2 1/2 years.

- So, you must speak a few languages?

- Yes, I speak also German, of course.

- Greek, English, your English is excellent.

- English, German.

- German. - And French.

- And French? - French.

- And obviously Ancient Greek.

- And of course, the Ancient languages.

- Languages, which other languages?

- Greek and Latin of course.

- Is that right?

My god, you speak many languages.

- Yeah.

- Well, after 46 years, you've learnt a lot.

- Yeah. - Yes.

(calm music)

So this is it, Professor.

This is Asklepion and where it all started.

- Yes, this is the sanctuary

of the main god of medicine, Asklepios.

It is really the cradle of medicine.

Everything started here,

in the third millennium before Christ,

and it developed to the classical period and afterwards.

It started with magical procedures.

Occult procedures,

and at the time it became real medicine.

By the experience the priests who cured people there got.

- Unbelievable.

So this is where medicine went from cult ritual

to modern day, over three or 4,000 years.

This is where it all started.

- This is where it all started.

- And it spread around the world from here.

- 170 sanctuaries of Asklepios were founded

by this sanctuary.

- From here?

- From here.

- Unbelievable, I want to have a look at more of this,

let's go.

- Let's go.

This building was one

of the most elegant buildings of antiquity.

It was a building in honour of Asklepios.

As we say, Asklepios had two identities,

he was a Celestin god and a god living under the earth.

Here was the place where he lived under the earth.

That's why he has this imitation of the underworld

with these meander-like corridors.

- [Peter] So, this was purely a monument to Asklepion.

- Yes, several of the magical procedures of health care.

But here in the sanctuary, we had, as we say, the real cure.

And we have all over the sanctuary found medical instruments

which show that surgery was also practised here.

- From the fifth century BC?

- Already from the fifth century BC.

- Fantastic.

Put simply, this is the cradle of Western medicine.

It's where the transition from the belief in divine healing

to more scientific practise occurred.

Apart from this, it's also thought

that Greek and Roman architecture was greatly influenced

by the buildings found on this site.

It's as though the great minds that visited here for healing

then took the lessons learnt

and inspirations from the surrounds back with them

to other parts of the empire

that existed 2 1/2 thousand years ago.

- [Vasilios] You see, it's huge.

- [Peter] Yeah, yeah.

- [Vasilios] We will have to work,

we, the next generation has to work for many, many years

in order to put everything.

- [Peter] How many archaeologists are working on this?

- [Vasilios] There are three archaeologists,

three architects, one civil engineer, and 40 workers.

Special liaison workers.

- This is the banquet hall.

You get an appreciation of the height and magnitude of it

by just looking at the remaining two columns.

Chariots would also use this grand entry.

So, professor, we're inside a building

and there's chariots coming down here.

There's a roof above us now.

Where do they go from here?

- The chariots came here, they turned left,

they dropped officials at the room of the gods.

And the rest of the people here.

And they got out from that door.

- [Peter] And they kept going?

- [Vasilios] Yeah.

- Such is the vastness of the site

that even after decades of work,

new discoveries are frequently being made.

As things are unearthed, history is being re-written

and for the professor, it's this constant growth

in knowledge that motivates him.

He has a way with words that paints a perfect picture

of life here at the time, and his passion is evident

in the exuberant way he describes every fascinating detail.

You probably think I'm lying down

and having something to eat

because the professor's worked me hard today.

Although that is the case, the facts are,

professor tells me this is the way ancient Greeks' ate

in the banquet room.

Is that the case?

- Yes, they ate reclined.

- How, how awesome.

And this is how they ate?

- You can see that on ancient vases.

- And these are supports?

- These are the stone supports of the beds,

there are many of them as you see,

and there were wooden coverings on which people reclined.

- So, everybody was in here, lying down.

- And in front of them,

there was a small table with the food.

- Fantastic, so when my mother used to see me on the floor

in front of the TV eating and kicking me,

I could have said to her back then,

I could have said to her "Listen, this is my genes,

"this is the way it was several centuries ago."

That's what I should have said.

Doesn't matter, anyway.

- Try it once, it's more comfortable.

- I have, I used to do it all the time.

(speaking in foreign language)

A small museum helps bring the sanctuary to life.

It's not particularly big but contains incredible items

that help to give you an understanding of the site

and the importance of the work being carried out here.

The displays include many of the artefacts

that have been unearthed through the years.

Such as statues, jars, mixing pots,

and surgical instruments.

It's hard to believe they've survived such a long time.

As wars have been waged and civilizations come and gone,

they sat covered in dirt,

waiting to be rediscovered thousands of years later.

The most famous site within the sanctuary is the theatre.

It's considered one of the great masterpieces

of Greek architecture

and has stood since the fourth century BC.

With obvious effects of ageing,

much of what you see today is as it was back then,

thanks to painstaking restoration work.

(upbeat music)

- This theatre was built in the fourth century,

at the end of the fourth century before Christ,

in order to host much older performances,

religious performances which had to do with health care.

It could house 12,000 people.

- [Peter] 12,000 people?

- Yeah, 12,000 people.

We have from the second century before Christ,

writers who say that here took place performances

of comedies and tragedies.

So, we know that it functioned also as a theatre

for many people during the festivals that took place here.

- [Peter] I'm impressed with the geometry.

For something that's built in third, fourth century BC.

- [Vasilios] It is one of the oldest stone theatres

and one of the best planned.

- So, this is the centre of the radius.

- This is the centre, of the centre rows.

Except the two last rows here,

and the two last on the other side.

- [Peter] Okay.

- They open to the public.

- Where is the centre for those rows,

where is the centre for those rows?

- For those rows, the centre is there.

- There? - Yeah.

- So you have for this theatre,

it's not a standard semi-circle it has 3 different radiuses.

- Yes, it is a horse shoe.

- [Peter] And why is that?

Is that for the acoustics, is it?

- Acoustics, and also for facilitating people sitting

in the last rows to see better what happens on the stage.

- I want to test those acoustics.

I actually want to go up there

and see if I can hear you talking from here.

Why don't I do that now?

- Well, we can either tear a paper

or throw a small stone there.

- Let's try that now.

Okay.

- Who's going to?

- I'll go up there, you do that, okay?

These rises on these stairs, it's perfect geometry.

The architecture, the engineering is unbelievable.

We're going to test the acoustics now

with our emeritus professor Vasilios down there,

ripping a bit of paper.

Let's see how he goes.

(paper tearing)

Unbelievable.

I heard it from here.

I can't get over it.

The theatre is a testament to the architectural

and engineering knowhow of the ancient Greeks.

Apart from the grand design and perfect acoustics,

it sits harmoniously within the landscape.

No matter which seat you sit in within the 55 rows,

you have a great view of the stage area

and can hear the performance perfectly,

even from 60 metres away in the topmost section.

Provided of course no one is sitting there

with a bag of chips next to you.

Thankfully that wouldn't have happened 2,000 years ago.

I'm told another claim to fame is

that it's the oldest theatre in the world

that's still in use today,

and tonight I'm going to see a performance.

It's one of the must do things when you visit the area

so getting a ticket during the peak holiday period

can be a challenge.

Luckily, we booked months in advance

because tonight's show is a sellout.

The crowd is still rolling in for this wonderful adaption

of Aristophanes piece, from 421 BC.

It's a musical adaption and it's something new

to Greek theatre and opera.

We have the best opera singers, the best orchestra,

the best conductor, and the best actors

all put in one for this wonderful art form

in probably the most renowned theatre,

and the oldest theatre in Greece.

It's a special moment and my hair is on end.

And I'm sure Aristophanes would be proud today

to see that there is 12,000 people

to see what he created 2 1/2 thousand years ago.

The buzz of the audience as we waited for the performance

to take the stage was adding to the excitement.

It wasn't long before it started,

and the theatre went completely silent.

(audience applauds)

(slow music)

(speaking in foreign language)

It's incredible to think

that the same process would have been played out

countless times before.

Since back in ancient times

when the theatre was first built.

I can just imagine the famous people from history

that would have sat in the same seats.

(singing in foreign language)

As the centuries have passed,

the old world has given way to the new.

In the time of Aristophanes,

much of the world remained little known to the west

and it took huge leaps of faith and courage

for it to be opened up.

Experiences like this make me appreciate how blessed I am

to have come from a culture that's so rich and diverse.

Greece has always been a forward-thinking nation

and managed to embrace the modern world

while maintaining a firm grasp on its past.

But something tells me the costumes have changed a little

over the years.

Personally, I like to think I'm no different.

I grew up in a family that had very little,

and I have worked hard to be in the position I am in today.

And while fast cars and travelling the world are great fun,

it's the simple things that I enjoy the most.

This is a trait I learnt from my parents.

Valuing the moment and the connections,

more than the objects.

Sharing time with family and friends,

watching a sunset with my wife,

seeing my sons grow up and tackle life's challenges,

and experiencing new things that make me think and wonder.

Plus, at the end of the day,

I'm still just a big kid at heart.

(upbeat music)

The morning started in its usual way.

A bit of exercise at sunrise, a light breakfast,

and then it's into action.

I'm an inquisitive guy that's always looking to learn,

and because there's so much history hidden

amongst the streets and on the hillsides

of this sleepy coastal town,

there's not much time to stay idle.

In actual fact, there's even history

just below the water's surface,

with a sunken city lying a matter of metres from the shore.

Panagiota, I'm intrigued by Epidaurus and the sunken city

because it is so accessible,

and yet, I've done a lot of reading

to find out about this place and there's not much on it.

Why is that so?

- Actually, I think the main reason is

that all the light has been shed in the ancient sanctuary

of Asklepios, which lies like 16 kilometres far from here,

where the famous festival of ancient Greek drama

and theatre takes place every year.

So, there have been excavations there

for many, many decades

and this area has been a little bit neglected let's say.

- So how deep is the sunken city,

where we will visit today?

- Well actually this is much shallower

than the ancient port that we see on our left.

The ancient city, the sunken city with the Roman buildings

that we will see, lies at the depth

of like half a metre to 1 1/2 metre deep.

The big building that we will visit

which is the Roman villa,

at major depth of one metre and a half.

It is so shallow that everybody can visit

by mask and by snorkelling,

you don't even need diving gear and diving equipment.

- [Peter] Wow.

And what will we see in this dive spot

that we're going to go to?

- Well, we will see part of the Roman city.

Actually, I have to say a few things

about what this city was because I told you before

that most people know the sanctuary of Asklepios

and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus

but they don't know who were the people

who built this sanctuary.

Where did they live?

So this is the area where those people lived.

- You know, I'm so excited

because we are just about to go out and see something

that very few people have seen,

and yet anyone that can snorkel will be able to go

and see it.

And I'm getting to see it with one of the experts

in the world, I'm so privileged.

I want to go, can we go?

- Of course, let's go.

- Fantastic, let's go.

Panagiota, I cannot believe it.

I can see the walls, we're here, I can't believe it.

It's so shallow, when we said 1 1/2 metres--

- Here is half a metre actually.

Here it is only half a metre.

So, you can see all of the Roman villa or country house

in front of us, here you can see the semi-circle

and the wing of the one of the two wings of the building

and at your back, you can see a floor made of tiles

which is a usual Roman feature of Roman architecture.

- Well, I'm excited, let's jump in.

I'll take my hat off and let's jump in quickly.

- Okay, done.

- Alright.

After you.

- Thank you.

- Archaeologist first!

- [Panagiota] Yeah.

- If you weren't aware of the ruins' existence,

you could easily spend a day sunning yourself

on the nearby Kalymnios Beach

and never discover the amazing site just a short swim away.

The archaeologists working on this site

are only now beginning to tell the story

of what once stood here.

It's believed that this was possibly a Roman settlement,

with the main building being the country house

of someone wealthy.

One of the rooms has a tiled floor

and there's also a large room with two rows of pithi.

These are jars that were likely used for food storage.

Throughout Greece there are many similar sites

where the sea has reclaimed what were once homes,

temples, or other buildings used

by people thousands of years ago.

In the time since these places were inhabited,

the earth has subsided and sea levels risen

and while most ruins have deteriorated

and become lost to time, there are places

where the silt has formed a protective layer

that once removed, reveals a fascinating story.

Discovering new places

and learning about the history of them is part of the reason

I constantly travel between the islands.

I could probably spend weeks in Epidaurus

and only scratch the surface,

but having seen some incredible sites already,

I was keen to move on and save something

for the next time I find myself here.

So, we upped anchor and headed east,

to a small island called Moni.

The main reason I wanted to go there was

to show you some of the colourful characters

that call it home.

As far as islands and beaches go,

this might not be the prettiest in Greece,

but it sure is beautiful.

Apart from the clear, warm waters,

what makes it a fun stopover is

that there are more goats, deer, and peacocks here

than there are people, and they're not exactly shy.

You know, the water couldn't be any clearer.

(speaking in foreign language)

Thanks, Captain!

We're here at Moni, what an awesome island.

Peacocks, deer, and turquoise water.

There are countless little islands like this

across Greece and the Mediterranean.

Each with hidden alcoves, beaches, old ruins,

small villages, and other quirks

that make them a joy to explore.

It's rare that one of these quick side trips disappoints.

No matter how much research you do,

every time you step ashore you don't really know

what to expect and always come across nice surprises.

What you see now is a male and a female peacock

and there is a deer in the background.

Now if I go closer, she may fan out

as a result of wanting to scare us off.

This is amazing.

I'm two metres away, and this peacock doesn't really care,

it's so tame, it's used to people being on this island.

Mainly Greeks, because not many people know about Moni.

And you've got to pronounce it Moni,

because if you pronounce it another way,

the Greeks might get the shits with you.

And these animals, and this fauna is all owned by the monks.

The monks have placed these animals here,

and it's their way of saying this is our territory.

And the monks of old used to come here in silence

and meditate and say their prayers.

That peacock is still sitting there!

Doesn't care about who I am.

And I think that peacock wants to come closer

and check me out.

Probably hasn't seen a bald, Aussie Greek before.

Peacocks come from India,

so these guys couldn't be any further from home.

But they've adapted to island life well

and their population grows every year.

They've even taken on some of the behaviours

of young tourists that visit here,

strutting around, showing off for the ladies

in the hope of attracting a partner.

I did similar to win my wife Helen.

Only let's be honest,

it wasn't my good looks she was after.

Peacocks also do that fanning of their feathers and shake

as a way to say leave me alone.

Oh, the shake!

That's the shake!

That's the defensive shake.

I'm going to go away now,

because I think it's wrong for me to be here too long.

See you Peak!

The birds are all over the tiny island

and having lived here for so long,

they're perfectly accustomed to humans

and aren't afraid to come over for a feed.

However, it's best to keep your distance,

unless of course they come to you.

They remind me a bit of the ibis

and seagulls you get in Australia

who try to steal your lunch,

only these guys are much prettier.

You know, it's too good to be here without having a swim.

I might not take the tender back to the boat,

I might just strip off and swim to the boat.

What a way to start the day.

It's these little encounters

that I often end up speaking about the most.

There sure is something to be said about the simple things.

From the shore, the boat looked a lot closer.

Maybe the tender would have been a better option.

Nah!

(upbeat music)

Greece is made up of around 6,000 islands,

all dotted about the Ionian and Aegean Seas.

Of the thousands of landmasses,

only about 227 of them are inhabited.

This means it can be nearly impossible

to get to many places without a boat.

Even on the larger islands

where there are bigger settlements,

to really explore them properly you need

to catch a water taxi or a ferry

to get to some of the more removed alcoves and beaches.

It's worth the effort though

because these hidden gems get you away from the masses

to more secluded and peaceful places.

Places that you need a bit of local knowledge to find.

One such location is on the northern end of Spetses,

so as we made our way from Moni we stopped

at what's become one of my favourite places in Greece.

35 years ago, my cousin Nick brought me

to the Island Spetses, it holds a special place in my heart.

It's only two Ks from the mainland

and it's a two-hour ferry ride from Parais.

Every time I come here, I come here first.

Zogeria Bay.

It's a special spot.

The water is absolutely magnificent

but what's even better is the restaurant behind me.

80 years with one family.

Five generations have been serving meals here

every single summer.

And only four meals, the same four meals, for 80 years.

In fact, just talking about it makes me hungry

and I'm going to go and grab something at Lula's right now.

You won't find Lula's on the internet.

You won't find it on Google.

You will find it nowhere, you've got to come here.

After 80 years of being one of the best taverns in Greece,

located near one of the prettiest beaches,

word of how good Lula's is has started

to spread a little wider.

Even with this notoriety,

you can still find an empty table for lunch.

The tavern opened back in 1937

when a woman named Lula had an idea

after opportunity literally came knocking at her door.

To tell me more I met with Rena, the tavern's manager.

She's the current generation's version of Lula

and maintains the traditions of great food and hospitality.

- And they were coming here

and saying "Hello Miss Lula, can we eat something?"

"Okay, yes, what do you want?

"Do you want some eggs?

"Fresh eggs or fried some fresh eggs?

"Okay, some potatoes, fried potatoes,

"or do you want a chicken?"

- [Peter] So this was a house, and people came

and asked for something to eat

and this is how the tavern started?

And it's continued on?

- [Rena] Yes, and Lula said, "Oh, it's a very good idea.

"Let's make it a restaurant."

- [Peter] She was the matriarch, and it's a women, woman.

She was the one running it.

Like you now, you're running it now.

You're the same.

- Yeah, almost.

- I got to tell you, the food is always good when I come.

I love the food here.

So you still have your own chickens?

- Not anymore.

- Not anymore, not anymore.

So you have chicken, you have...

- [Rena] Veal.

- [Peter] Veal, you have Soutzoukakia.

- [Rena] Soutzoukakia.

- Which are meatballs, Greek meatballs, I love those.

I love your food!

Now, hopefully you will continue for another 80 years

so my son can come, and his son can come,

and my daughters and their daughters can come as well.

Fantastic.

- Yes, even our customers are third generation.

- [Peter] Is that right?

- Of course, yeah.

- It's pretty special to think

that people like me have been visiting the tavern

for generations, and sharing in great food and laughs,

while enjoying the beautiful setting.

Here's to hoping that it stands

for many more decades to come.

So long after I'm departed my descendants can visit

and they too can reminisce about their past experiences

of visiting here.

(glasses clinking)

With the traditional visit to Lula's finished,

it was time to move to the main port on the island.

To get here, you can drive for 2 1/2 hours

from Athens to Porto Heli and then hop on a water taxi.

It's a prefect weekend escape from the city.

Now, while Spetses is only a small landmass

with around 4,000 people calling it home,

it's had a huge impact on the development

of modern day Greece.

One of the most influential people

in Greek history came from Spetses,

the pirate-turned-admiral Boubalina,

and as pretty as the old port and beaches are,

it's the maritime past that brings me here.

That said, I'd be mad

not to spend some time exploring the town

and checking out a few of the other sites in the area.

I've been coming to Spetses since I was a teenager.

My cousin Nick had a summer home here

which made it easy for a penniless student to visit.

I have fond memories of laying on the beach,

drinking coffee, and dreaming about spending more time here.

While other islands have built massive resorts

and the associated infrastructure,

Spetses has remained relatively unchanged,

which for me makes the memories all the more vivid.

It's a place where life is lived in the outdoors,

with the sun on your face and wind in your hair.

Or in my case, across your scalp.

It's an island that, as historic as it might be,

has a youthful energy about it that's quite infectious

and every time I visit I feel invigorated.

To me, Spetses is the cosmopolitan capital of this region.

Lots of history, but what I like about Spetses is

right where we are right now, the old port.

It's actually the new port,

we're going to go and see the old port soon.

But from here, you can catch a water taxi

or a water bus to the beautiful beaches of Spetses.

But right now, I want to head out to the old port

and see someone really special, he's awesome.

Awesome, off to the old port!

Let's go!

Stavros has been doing this for 50 years.

There's 20 of these horse and carts on the Island.

Fantastic.

He's saying this is a beach side island,

where people come here just to enjoy themselves,

getting out of the heat of Athens in the summer.

Have a look around there, it's just awesome, man.

These are all basically captains and...

He likes talking, this bloke.

Basically all along here along the seaside,

you just see admirals and captain's houses.

Famous admirals, famous captains,

that built these houses so they could see out

and enjoy themselves in paradise

after coming back from battle.

(speaking in foreign language)

Wow.

I really didn't understand a word he said,

but I think it's special.

The Greeks will understand anyway.

Legend has it that the monastery of Saint Nicholas,

which we are passing now, is where the bells were rung

to announce the start of the uprising

for the war of independence.

Now my friends from Mani will argue

that it all started there and it did,

but that's the mainland.

For the most part,

the war of independence was a naval conflict

and this is where the fleets of Hydra, Psara,

and Spetses gathered to take on the might

of the Ottoman Navy.

These guys were more or less a bunch of pirates,

who became national heroes for their victories

and consequently, captains and admirals.

History is always written by the victor.

(upbeat music)

The location of Spetses

and the abundance of timber has forged an industry

of boat building.

At its prime, this old port housed up to 30 shipyards,

however in recent years the industrial revolution has led

to this way of life declining.

Thankfully though, Spetsiots have realised the importance

of this industry and each year they gather period boats

for a regatta.

It's become world famous

and draws beautiful old sailing vessels

from all parts of the world.

What's also great is

there are still a few boat builders here,

maintaining the old traditions and passing them on

to the next generation.

One such example is Dino and his son Pandelis.

Dino started as an apprentice ship builder

at 11 years of age.

The rule at the time was that he couldn't draw a wage

until he finished his first boat.

It took him five years,

and it wasn't until he was 16

that he got his first pay check.

I hope some of my apprentices are watching this,

because hearing stories like this makes you appreciate

just how much better off we are today.

Watching his father and mentor intently,

Pandelis is the next generation in an industry

that as old as it might be,

is becoming less and less necessary

with each passing year.

He still works just as hard as his father did

and is proud of his family's heritage.

Dino is now 83.

Soon it will be up to Pandelis to pass the lessons on

to someone younger,

so they too can carry the torch into the future.

The launching of a Kaiki is a rare sight today.

But thanks to the likes of Dino and Pandelis,

beautiful ships like the Viking here are kept alive

for the annual Spetses Regatta.

The Viking is a perfect example of a traditional Kaiki.

It may not be the biggest, fastest, or even the most modern,

but it's a true Spetsiot boat,

built and birthed on the island, and sailed by locals.

She's one of the most popular boats in Spetses

and it's easy to see why.

The captain's over there but I think he's the captain now.

Coming.

- [Man] Keep this that way.

- [Peter] This way.

- [Man] That's not very...

- My job is to keep the spinnaker pole out of the way,

just to hold this rope.

But I don't know the screaming and shouting.

(laughs) It's going up absolutely beautifully,

it's a wonderful sight.

Manolis is not the captain or the owner of the boat,

but he has lived and breathed it from its inception

as a designer, construction supervisor, and deckhand.

He reminds me of a staunch drill sergeant.

What a character!

And what makes a Greek Kaiki different from other boats?

- They use the Kaiki for two reasons.

One was for fishing boats, the other was a cargo boat.

- Right, right, okay.

- To bring from the main land to the island

or from main land to main land like how is from here,

from this island to the other side of Telendos, you see?

- So, it's dual purpose, yes.

- To go there, you need about a day drive.

And in that time, there was no cars.

So, you need a few days to go there.

So, with boat, you make it in just a few hours.

- Yes, yes, yes, I understand.

- So, in this kind of boat,

they're designed like that to sail so well,

with so light wind.

- With light winds, right, okay.

- And with a heavy wind.

- The captain was just saying to me

that around this time of the day,

the thermal winds come through about 1:30?

About 1:30, two o'clock.

So, we should feel the wind come soon.

And you can't hear me talk because Manolis can't stop,

Manolis is just, just keeps going.

Look at him, he doesn't stop.

Look at him, it's just amazing.

The maritime way of life is often portrayed

as a hard and lonely existence,

where seaman battle the elements to make a living

and spend weeks on end away from home and loved ones.

However, if you talk to those that have spent their lives

on the water, they speak of it in more romantic terms.

It creates a connection with nature

and a reliance on your knowledge of not only your vessel,

but the environment around you,

to be able to carve an existence from the sea.

The people of the Greek islands have done this

for generations, whether it be as boat builders,

fishermen, traders, or ferrying cargo

and people between ports.

It's a foundation of Greece's history

and for me it's wonderful

to see such traditions continuing today.

So far, I've barely scratched the surface of Spetses,

yet I've experienced so much.

It's an island that's rich in history

and full of colourful characters.

Once you meet a few of them,

you come to understand not only why

it's such a popular place for tourists,

but also why the locals are so proud of living here.

Thankfully though I've got a few more days in Spetses

to dig a little deeper and show you more of what's on offer,

including meeting a few

of those previously mentioned characters

that add a certain quirk to the place.

(flames whooshing)