Original subtitles

(lighthearted traditional music)

- [Peter] From the bustling streets of Athens

and the historic port of Hydra,

to the beaches of Zakynthos and the villages of Kythera,

our journey over the coming weeks spans

many of the Ionian islands, some well-known,

others that few ever get to visit.

But before heading off, you probably wanna know

a little bit about me.

My story starts as boy growing up

in the inner suburbs of Sydney.

Like a lot of Greeks early last century,

my parents moved overseas to find a better life abroad.

They arrived with very little and worked extremely hard

to give my sisters and I a loving upbringing.

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

I could achieve anything.

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

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

One of those dreams was to step foot

on all 227 inhabited Greek Islands,

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

in this first series.

Last episode, I left the stunning island of Spetses

and made my way to the ever-popular

holiday destination of Hydra.

It's a busy tourist hub,

not only thanks to its close proximity to Athens,

but also the old-world charm of the cobbled streets

and historic port area.

Sitting in the Aegean,

just off the southern tip of the mainland,

its position is placed at the centre of trade routes.

However, it wasn't just merchant shipping

that put Hydra on the map.

It further cemented its place

in Greek history during the 1821 War of Independence,

and it was this man, Admiral Miaoulis,

the leader of the Hydriots,

along with Bouboulina of Spetses,

who helped destroy the Ottoman fleet,

and subsequently liberate Greece.

This strong will has long been part

of the Hydriot people's DNA,

making them prevalent in the politics of Greece

over the last 200 years.

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

of the five prime ministers of Greece

that were born in Hydra.

Hydra is the birth place of five prime ministers.

- Wow.

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

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

of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

- So, who do we have here, George?

- It's George Koundouriotis, Antonios Kriezis,

Dimitrios Voulgaris, Athanasios Miaoulis,

and Petros Voulgaris.

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

- [George] No, no, no.

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

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

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

- We are all looking forward.

We have been preparing throughout the year.

- Thank you, George.

(mellow music)

The festival we mentioned is the Miaoulia Festival.

It's an annual event to celebrate

the contribution Hydra made to the War of Independence,

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

The celebration draws people from across the country,

and other parts of the world.

Politicians, clergy, and military leaders

converge on the island,

along with thousands more tourists than normal,

all here to sing, dance, eat, drink,

and commemorate this most important moment in history.

Everywhere you look there are smiling, happy people,

all here for the party.

But even outside of festival time,

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

Leonard Cohen, god bless your soul,

I know now why you never left.

Hallelujah!

(guitar music)

Costa has been doing this since 1978.

He hasn't missed a year.

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

and celebrate the Miaoulia Festival.

That's how important to him it was.

The final day of festivities begins with a re-enactment

of the first shots fired at the Ottoman fleet.

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

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

(speaks in foreign language)

Costa is a larger-than-life character

that I couldn't imagine being anything other than

the soldier he's acting out today.

His passion is infectious!

He showed me the pistols, musket, and knives

that form part of his regalia.

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

His knowledge of the weapons

and events of the time were incredible.

But you can expect nothing less from a proud Hydriot!

(speaks in foreign language)

Costa and his company of soldiers

play an important part in the week's festivities.

Today is the beginning of it all,

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

but they'll also lead a number

of processions around the port.

And eventually, light the torch

that will set the invading vessels alight.

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

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

(speaks in foreign language)

(both laughing)

(lighthearted guitar music)

All these characters, the colours,

the sounds of exploding cannons and smell of the gunpowder

were getting the adrenalin pumping.

I just wanted to get amongst all the action!

(lighthearted guitar music)

(gun shot blaring)

As a Greek Navy Patrol boat passed by,

flanked by a parading flotilla of water taxis,

the excitement really kicked off.

This is essentially the beginning of the conflict.

It's a symbolic gesture of a defining event

that shaped a nation.

The cannon fire echoes through the port,

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

you might think a war was breaking out!

Celebrations like these are unifying moments

that instil pride in your past.

And for the younger generation,

ignite curiosity to learn

about the likes of Admiral Miaoulia

and the events that unfolded here in the 1820s.

(lighthearted guitar music)

If it wasn't for Miaoulia, Bouboulina,

and the brave sailors that fought alongside them,

Greece may well have remained

under Ottoman control until today.

Though, something tells me that balance of free societies

would have eventually prevailed.

(guitar music)

(gun shot blaring)

This is the Greece you want to see and experience.

Not just the beaches and museums,

but the passion and pride of the people

and the bringing back to life of its history.

It's by understanding Greece's past

that you can get an appreciation for what you see today

and also an understanding of the independence

and differing personality of each island.

No two are the same and the locals will make sure

you're well aware of that.

(guitar music)

(transitions to pleasant music)

While standing on the fort,

I looked out and saw what I thought

was a pirate ship being towed to shore.

Mayor George suggested I follow it

to find out exactly what it was.

It turns out, it was a setup.

What I found was a bunch of crazy locals

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

(speaks in foreign language)

In the hour I was there,

we must have put at least 100 bags

of kindling into the boat.

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

what was it all about?

Turns out this vessel was the highlight

of tonight's festivities.

(speaks in foreign language)

If you look down there, you can see

this is basically an old fishing boat.

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

They've just built this frame around it

to mimic an old Miaoulian vessel from the 1800s.

And what's gonna happen tonight

is they're gonna put fireworks in it this afternoon

and then burn it.

And it's gonna symbolise

when the Greek Fleet went into the Ottoman Fleet

with a smaller fleet, smaller boats,

and wiped out the Ottoman Fleet

by just burning their vessels down.

And this is what the celebration is about,

the Miaoulian celebration.

It happens every year, it's awesome.

(speaks in foreign language)

350 kilos of fireworks going on this--

(speaks in foreign language)

Gun powder!

(speaks in foreign language)

(light rock music)

(laughs) Nice!

Look at all this!

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

Awesome!

350 kilos of fireworks!

Man, this thing's gonna go woo!

(laughing)

(light rock music)

(speaks in foreign language)

Came here to celebrate with them

and now I'm working with them as well.

(light rock music)

Oh, yeah.

(light rock music)

(speaks in foreign language)

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

He's smoking a cigarette!

Now you know what I meant about crazy locals!

They've been doing things this way

year after year without incident,

but there's no way I was hanging around.

Crazy!

(light rock music)

(water whooshing)

There are 6,000 islands right throughout Greece.

And I've made it my mission in life

to step on every single one.

Now this little tiny rock, island rock,

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

but it's opposite Hydra

and I'm gonna check it out right now.

Thanks, Rhett!

(footsteps pattering)

Surprise, surprise, A Nikolaos or Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the sailor.

And you will see a Saint Nicholas

on almost every island in Greece.

And the priests on the island

are pretty busy with the Miaoulia Festival,

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

(pleasant music)

(bell rings)

What a beautiful spot.

I might say a prayer.

I'm not the most religious guy

but in moments like this,

I can't help but feel the faith.

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

- Peter, the reason I stay in this hotel

is because the street it's in,

just have a look up there.

- Ah, Satouris Street, awesome.

- Absolutely.

- This is Nick Satouris.

His grandfather was a Greek admiral

and what's even more impressive

is that one of his ancestors

was the Hydriot admiral Giorgos Sachtouris

from the War of Independence.

Nick was born and raised in Australia and until recently,

was relatively unaware of his ancestor's details.

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

Why do you keep coming back to Greece?

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

They went to Greek school, they did Greek dancing,

they go to the church.

What better way to have them see

where it all came from but to return to Greece?

Their (speaks in foreign language)?

And see where it all began.

I'm so proud that they've come back

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

and in particular Hydra.

- Fantastic. - Where my father was from

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

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

Is it far from here?

- It's not far.

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

It's my family home here in Hydra.

My father's father was an admiral

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

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

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

the one with the blue door.

- So you mentioned that your grandfather

was an admiral as well? - Yes, Peter.

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

- Wow.

So what is it, Sachatouris Ignacio Hydra.

So this is now the high school

but it says (speaks in foreign language).

So this was given by your family to the state

for a high school.

- [Nick] That's right.

- To be here and touching this house

that's been in your family for 250 years up

until recently, how does that feel?

- It's very, very special.

I just can't believe it.

It's so important to find out as much

as I can about my family.

Just to think that my father lived in this house

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

by my great ancestor.

It's so important that I see it,

that I bring my kids and they see it

and learn as much as I can about the family.

And that's why I come to Hydra.

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

Just to see our heritage and to see

where my parents lived, it's unforgettable.

- I can see it in your face, mate.

I wanna learn more about your great,

great, great, great grandfather.

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

and that's at the museum.

- Excellent, well let's go.

- Let's do it. - Thank you.

(pleasant music)

There's nothing more important than family.

And when you've spent your life not knowing

the entire story of your past,

then suddenly becoming enlightened,

it's an incredibly liberating thing.

Completing the picture can help answer questions

or give you a sense of purpose.

In this case, it also created a huge amount

of pride for Nick.

His forefathers had achieved such great things,

impacting history, and helping to lay

the foundations of modern Greece.

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

will hopefully inspire them to set lofty goals

and also aspire to making a difference in the world.

At the least, it will give them the understanding

of their heritage and how blessed they are

to have had ancestors that fought for the freedoms

that Greeks enjoy today.

(pleasant music)

(lighthearted music)

(speaks in foreign language)

About 20 minutes ride from Hydra

is a tiny island called Dokos.

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

for your average tourist.

However, the mayor mentioned to me

that during World War II,

a German plane crashed on the island,

and parts of it still exist.

Of course, I had to find out more,

and that's when I came across George.

Not only did he know where the wreck was,

but more importantly, he knew the story behind it.

Dokos is one of those barley inhabited landmasses

in the Mediterranean that you could easily pass

without ever knowing it hides a fascinating history.

Behind the dry landscape and dilapidated buildings

lie all sorts of tales.

Many of these now deserted isles

were once thriving communities,

but as time passed and the modern trappings

became available in larger, nearby towns,

these places were left in search of a better life.

Look at that view, aye?

- Oh, yes. - What a view.

- That's a view.

(speaks in foreign language)

- He sees it every day.

(pleasant music)

(speaks in foreign language)

The Virgin Mary.

(speaks in foreign language)

You've had christenings and weddings in this church?

(speaks in foreign language)

(pleasant music)

(bell rings)

(speaks in foreign language)

It's very serene in here.

(speaks in foreign language)

George was born on the island

but now lives in Hydra with his family.

No power or water and little means

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

However, they regularly come back

to care for the buildings and holiday here.

What brought me to the island

was to find the wreckage of a Stuka Dive Bomber.

These infamous machines of war

were known for their destructive power.

The screaming sound of the engines

as they dove towards their targets

struck fear into the hearts of anyone who heard it,

and earned them the nickname The Trumpets of Jericho.

(plane engines whirring)

(bomb explodes)

(speaks in foreign language)

George knew the story in absolute detail

and told it with passion.

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

He explained how the German aircrew

crash-landed in the field,

while the villagers were busy working.

Miraculously, both the Germans survived

and were helped back to a nearby farmhouse

that was owned at the time by his grandfather.

They were then offered food and water,

but didn't eat until the villagers ate first,

as they thought it may be poisoned.

You could imagine the shock for the aircrew

to find that these people,

from a country that they had invaded,

were so willing to help them.

(speaks in foreign language)

Dokos once had a population of 150,

but like I mentioned earlier, tough times,

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

for neighbouring towns or Athens.

Today, there's only one family of four

left permanently inhabiting the island.

Little rain and poor soil makes farming hard,

but they manage to scratch a living from the earth

and despite the challenging life they lead,

George tells me they're happy.

(speaks in foreign language)

Here it is!

(speaks in foreign language)

Oh!

And that's the bottom of the fuse large.

There is the tail gunners canopy.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

they spent the night in his grandfather's house.

The following morning, the pilot and his grandfather

rowed a small boat two hours across to the mainland,

where they went to a German base to find help.

They were told to row back

and sit with the plane until others arrived.

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

and once there the Germans stripped the Stuka

of all valuable items,

and after thanking the hospitable villagers

for saving their lives, they departed.

This is a wonderful story about humanity.

Even though the Germans were their enemy,

the people here showed kindness.

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

(speaks in foreign language)

What a great story.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

(sprinkler whooshing)

Before we grabbed a coffee,

George wanted to show me one last thing.

And because it was so special,

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

(grunts)

(speaks in foreign language)

Wow!

(speaks in foreign language)

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

(speaks in foreign language)

It's a lot of armour!

If you see the thickness of this,

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

it protected the most important

part of the plane, the pilot.

- Wow.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

(speaks in foreign language)

(gentle music)

(speaks in foreign language)

(serene music)

The next stop was something really special.

We visit plenty of churches during our travels,

but the little one you're about to see

has quite a story behind it.

It might not look like anything remarkable,

but to mariners, it's very significant.

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

The merchant on-board looked to the heavens and said

that if God saved them, wherever they made landfall,

he would build a church.

(speaks in foreign language)

The story goes on to claim

that the cargo of the vessel was wine,

and the merchant was so thankful for having been saved,

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

Now, that's pretty special!

(bell rings)

(serene music)

George tells me there's a possibility

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

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

(bell rings)

I don't know.

I prefer to think that it went into the mud.

This is a great example of how local knowledge

can bring the seemingly ordinary to life.

Regardless of where the wine went,

this quaint little church now holds a place in history.

And for centuries to come,

the story will no doubt keep evolving

and be embellished, just a little.

(serene music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

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

the Miaoulia Festival.

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

I'm in bed by 9:30

so I've asked my favourite chef, Kyriakos,

(speaks in foreign language)

to make us something light,

that we can have very small portions of,

and I don't know if Kyriakos understands

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

before we head out.

So he's decided to make Araka Anginares

which is peas mixed with artichokes.

(speaks in foreign language)

- Hey! - How are you?

(speaks in foreign language)

1 kilo of peas, six or seven artichokes

which is around about half a kilo of artichokes,

five or six potatoes,

(chef speaks in foreign language)

and two carrots.

Four tomatoes, fresh tomatoes,

he's taken the guts out of them,

and some dill and an onion.

And we're just chopping up the onion.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

He's only been doing this for 25 years.

(knife tapping)

(speaks in foreign language)

He's looking at the captain.

(speaks in foreign language)

I told you!

I told you!

(speaks in foreign language)

He didn't listen to me,

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

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

(speaks in foreign language)

All the peas inside, okay.

(speaks in foreign language)

Okay.

- Okay.

- Greeks love their food,

so it's only fitting that we share

some of the local secret recipes when we can.

By the way, Kyriakos let the peas boil

for 10 minutes before setting them aside.

(speaks in foreign language)

The finger's okay now.

Apparently, it has cured like that!

He's fine.

(speaks in foreign language)

So I was just asking him

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

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

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

(speaks in foreign language)

At about 180 degrees for an hour in the oven,

we'll bring forth all this together.

So we now have the artichokes,

the potatoes, the carrots, in our dish.

(speaks in foreign language)

He's gonna cut up the tomatoes.

The tomatoes in Greece in summer

in the bulk generally, are absolutely glorious.

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

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

(speaks in foreign language)

And a little bit of cucumber.

Mm!

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

And we just put them in like, ooh yeah.

It's actually a very simple dish.

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

And look at this,

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

(speaks in foreign language)

Whatever's green needs salt.

(speaks in foreign language)

And because it's fresh tomato,

we need to put in a little bit of sugar.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

(speaks in foreign language)

About an hour, maybe a little bit longer.

Just enough for.

(speaks in foreign language)

We're gonna go for a swim.

We'll be back in an hour.

(pleasant music)

When we went out for a swim,

we saw this beauty sitting there beyond the harbour.

So naturally, I diverted

and asked permission to come aboard.

A couple of weeks ago, while in Athens,

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

but to actually get aboard an active vessel,

now that's a different story.

(speaks in foreign language)

Captain Panagiotis has a 14-month-old boy,

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

He hasn't given him a name

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

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

(serene music)

Greece has conscription laws

that mean from the ages of 19 to 45,

all males have to join the Armed Forces

for a minimum of nine to 12 months.

Although it's not compulsory for females,

they can serve if they want to,

and many of those that volunteer excel in their positions.

On this ship, from a crew of 40,

six are women, all of whom hold high rank.

They're just loading up one of the machine guns

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

It's actually a development of the German MG42,

that was in World War II.

But this is I think the MG.

What's the name of that, captain?

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

And we're just loading up the bullets.

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

- Yes, sir.

- 7.62 millimetres.

There you are.

I know what I'm talking about.

Occasionally I know what I'm talking about.

(serene music)

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

I'm not gonna fire this

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

I will not even hold on.

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

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

If you wanted this technology 25 or 30 years ago,

you would have needed a boat

three times or four times the size

or maybe three or four boats.

Packs a punch!

Packs a big punch here, I tell you!

(serene music)

Continuing my conversation with the captain,

I asked him if being a career officer

is worth all the sacrifices he makes.

And I couldn't help but wonder

how it made him feel to look at Hydra

and see the reactions of locals

when they watch the navy pass by.

His answer didn't really surprise me.

(speaks in foreign language)

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

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

For most, it's rarely been steady sailing.

There are always periods of turbulence

that have tested them.

But it's through loss or down times

that you come to truly appreciate life.

Captain Panagiotis represents

all who serve in the Armed Forces.

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

(serene music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

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

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

but also to see Arthur and his new hotel,

in what was once the Lazaretta.

Like a lot of expats I've come across,

Arthur visited Hydra 10 years ago and never left.

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

(speaks in foreign language)

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

there's still a long way to go.

However, he remains upbeat and full of confidence

that it will all come together eventually.

- [Arthur] Come, come this way.

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

at a time when the hotel

was considered to be quite exclusive.

Such a beautiful building.

Architecturally it's--

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

Arthur I understand that the Black Plague

killed many on the island in 1792

and this building is significant for the reason.

- Many people were taken into sanctuary

in the hope that they would get better

and they were all in these bungalows in the back.

This was the main operation building in here.

- Right.

And then what happened to it after that?

- It got turned into a ship yard.

- Right.

- Admiral Miaoulis built the ships that went out

and beat the Turks from this ship yard here.

- From this building.

So it's had adaptive reuse once,

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

- We're like 3B.

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

And to begin with, it was a really successful place

because standards in those days,

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

- Yes.

- Then it fell in to disrepair and got abandoned,

and now we're trying to reinstate it

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

- Right.

So it's gonna be a hotel again.

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

then it turned into a hotel,

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

- Yeah.

Hopefully it'll be a better hotel now.

- Fantastic!

Wow, I love the architecture.

And obviously, there's a lot of work

in working with the archaeological ministry.

- It's really great to enjoy the architecture

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

- Right, okay. - Right?

And then you tend to not quite appreciate

the architecture quite so much.

We're not allowed to touch anything,

we're not allowed to change anything.

And whilst it's a beautiful space,

it doesn't have all the space that I need

to run an official hotel.

- Right. - Right?

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

- Right. - But it will be lovely

and it will look like it used to.

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

We're putting in the infrastructure that is necessary

that didn't exist 300 years ago, right?

- Exactly.

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

and air conditioning, and the little things like that.

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

- Well, we'll be open next summer!

- Excellent!

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

that was two rooms.

- [Peter] That was two rooms?

- [Arthur] That was two rooms.

- So 14 rooms only, that's difficult.

But you've got all these beach umbrellas

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

for other people from the port, I would think.

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

- Right, yes.

- I'm doing this as something

to keep me occupied while I'm here.

And actually, something to help the local community,

I'm using local builders.

- [Peter] Excellent, right.

- [Arthur] And rather than shipping people in

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

That's wonderful.

Putting my builder's hat on,

I'm a little worried about Arthur's plans

to be open by next summer.

If my experience in Australia is anything to go by,

heritage laws will make things much slower than expected.

And knowing the strict Greek system,

he's in for a challenging time ahead.

Hopefully though, one day sooner than later,

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

in what will almost certainly be

a beautifully restored hotel.

(serene music)

Now, about that swim I wanted to have earlier.

This place is perfect to wet the toes.

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

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

and I'm already overdue.

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

(pleasant music)

Arriving back to the boat,

it was no surprise to see the engineer Rhett,

busy giving her a clean.

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

his favourite thing to do is wash Mia Zoi.

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

cleaning windows, and polishing everything that shines.

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

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

Even the captain got involved.

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

Here it is, Araka from Kyriakos.

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

(pleasant music)

Mm!

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

(pleasant music)

And a bit of bread!

But you know what?

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

is what I do on this boat with Kyriakos.

He just feeds me so well.

(pleasant music)

Mm!

Mm!

Perfect!

Cheers!

(pleasant music)

Here's to Captain Miaoulia!

(pleasant music)

Simple, but delicious.

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

(pleasant music)

(transitions to lighthearted music)

(speaks in foreign language)

The last evening of the Miaoulia Festival

is when most of the pomp and ceremony occurs,

as well as the main event.

It's as though all the week's activities

have built to this final night of celebration.

However, prior to the finale,

there's a parade or procession of luminaries.

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

followed by dignitaries, clergy and military officials,

as well as many of the towns folk.

The march travels around the port,

making their way to the mayor's office.

With them, they carry the embalmed heart

of Admiral Miaoulia from the museum.

There is a somewhat sombre mood,

however it's a respectful celebration of the past

that brings together people from all walks of life,

from across Greece, and all over the world.

(people chattering)

Once the procession arrives at the mayor's office,

there are presentations

to the various important people in attendance.

It's essentially a moment to say thanks

to those that contribute to the success of the festival,

and a show of respect to the religious, political,

and business leaders that are in attendance.

(traditional music)

While the ceremony is going on indoors,

outside, the party is just getting started.

People begin to gather around the port,

searching for the best vantage point to watch the fireworks.

At the moment it's relatively quiet,

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

(lively traditional music)

Throughout the week,

it's been one celebration after the other.

The festivities have brought back to life

cultural elements that you really only see

during a panigiri or a major event.

From traditional dancing and costumes,

to music and even food,

the Miaoulia Festival sure hasn't disappointed.

(traditional music)

Looking at the crowds

that have poured into Hydra during the week,

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

Naturally, the best seats in the house

were occupied by locals,

but to see plenty of folks from abroad

making the effort to come here

and take part in the festival was great to see.

It was also fantastic to see families

and lots of children present,

not only learning about their history,

but taking part in customary dances

and embracing their culture.

(lively traditional music)

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

It is just an absolutely wonderful backdrop here in Hydra,

you just can't beat it.

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

And the boat that I've filled with fireworks

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

We're gonna see this absolutely wonderful spectacle

of pyrotechnics and a burning ship,

resembling the fire-bred ship

that went in to the Ottoman Fleet.

Absolutely fantastic.

I just can't wait to watch.

(traditional drum music)

Greeks love a good festival.

We're always finding excuses for a party

and to let fireworks off.

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

than to commemorate the contribution

the island made to the War of Independence.

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

along with the smell of smoke

created by the flaming torches.

It's incredibly dramatic and I have to admit,

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

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

It's practically a floating bomb!

(traditional drum music)

I can tell you now, there's no way

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

(traditional drum music)

(pleasant music)

(fireworks exploding)

No matter how old I get,

I'll never lose my love of fireworks.

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

as brilliant colours lit up the night sky.

I can still hear the explosions and feel the rumbling.

That sense of excitement is no different today.

Knowing what it represents, watching the fireworks

and seeing the burning ship in the harbour

gave me a sense of pride.

It's a powerful reminder of the past.

(lighthearted music) (fireworks exploding)

As flames billowed from the ship,

more and more fireworks erupted

from the buildings around the port.

It might not have been as big

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

but it was moving.

(lighthearted music) (fireworks exploding)

This is a fitting end

to what has been an amazing week-long festival.

This colourful and, well, noisy finale

is as much about celebrating as it is about remembering.

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

a moment that helped liberate,

and eventually unified the country.

(pleasant music) (fireworks exploding)

(transitions to guitar music)

In the next episode,

my journey through the Aegean continues

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

It was the first capital of Greece

after the War of Independence,

and is famed for its mix of architecture.

Building styles that tell the story of different cultures

having influenced the development

of this unique port town throughout the centuries.

I'm also headed inland

to visit one of the oldest settlements on earth, Argos

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

one of the most powerful cities in Greece.

From the ancient theatre and pyramid of Hellinikon,

to templed ruins and a hilltop castle,

there are countless remnants

from antiquity throughout this region

whose stories continue to unfold today.

But before heading off to our next stop,

I've got a night of celebrations to enjoy.

The fireworks might have been the finale for the festival,

but it's only the start of the party.

When the light show comes to an end,

the wine starts flowing

and the music in the taverns fills the air.

Nothing beats a good panigiri!

(lighthearted guitar music)