Original subtitles

(upbeat exotic music)

- In the first series, I began unravelling

the story of this spectacular of this historic nation,

by travelling from Athens, around the Peloponnese,

and up to the Ionian islands.

It took in parts of the country

that lots of tourists know well,

but in amongst the popular places were hidden gems,

undiscovered by the holiday masses.

So far this series, I've been back aboard

my beautiful boat, Mia Zoi,

and travelled through a region of Greece

I haven't spent much time in.

We've skipped between the islands,

taking in the sights of the Northern Aegean.

It's been a journey of discovery,

where I've dug deeper into the fabric

that makes Greece so unique,

and immersed myself in a centuries-old culture

unlike anywhere else on Earth.

The second leg of the journey sees me headed south,

into the Cyclades, which is where I am now.

And in this episode,

I'm exploring the island of Kythnos.

Most people haven't heard of this place.

Kythnos isn't exactly on everyone's must-see list,

but hopefully after you've watched this episode,

I might just change your mind.

It's about as quiet as a Greek island gets.

For some, that's a turn-off.

They're after bars, resorts and nightlife,

which is perfectly fine.

Others, though, like to do nothing but sit on a beach,

read a good book, mix with the locals,

and enjoy tavern food

that reminds you of simple home cooking.

They're the travellers that Kythnos is made for.

See those white caps?

We just left them behind.

The weather back there is like seven Beaufort, really heavy.

And we came into this protected bay of Kolones.

That isthmus down there is an awesome beach.

It's one of about 90 beaches on this island of Kythnos.

And there's only 1500 people here.

No tourists, the only tourists

are those sailing boats down there

that use these little alcoves as protection

on their way to the central Cycladic.

But right now, I'm gonna head down to a thermal spring.

It's known for its thermal springs here.

There's one right behind me as well.

I'm going down there right now.

(gentle acoustic music)

For years, experienced yacht captains

have kept this little secret isthmus to themselves,

and very rarely do you see people come down here

from anywhere other than a boat!

For most yachting flotillas travelling out of Athens,

it's the first stop over,

so at times, you'll find this really fills up with boats.

That said, it's always peaceful,

as many of the sailors keep to themselves

aboard their vessels.

It's a sailor's delight, providing alternate anchorages

regardless of the prevailing weather.

It's always a heavenly swim.

So I was definitely in the good books with Helen!

(gentle acoustic music)

(laughs)

(splashing)

I can see why this is so popular with sailors,

because the water's warm enough out there,

it's like 22 or 23 degrees.

But in here, I reckon it's between 35 and 38 degrees.

Just gotta get more of my body in here.

(exhales)

Now, I'd like to say,

"After a day of hard work, this is awesome,"

but I've actually done nothing today.

(waves lapping)

From here to Pireas Marina in Athens,

it's only about 100 kilometres as the crow flies.

However, you couldn't find a place

that's in greater contrast.

There, you've got a chaotic and busy city,

but here, you're lucky to cross paths

with a handful of people on your morning walk!

In fact, Kythnos is a popular

weekend walk for Athenians year-round.

It's this relative isolation

that makes it such an attractive place to visit.

(gentle acoustic music)

On the west of the island is Merichas village.

It's the main port of Kythnos,

and where the ferries from Pereas arrive.

For this reason, it's one of the busiest hubs.

In peak season, tourists, the majority being Greek,

disembark here before making their way around the island

to the prettier and more tranquil spots.

Not far inland are the two biggest settlements

of Messaria and Dryopida,

which I'll be checking out later.

For now, my travels took me to the very north of the island,

not far from the town of Loutra.

Having spent a day wakeboarding and relaxing

in nature's hot tub,

it was time to burn some energy,

so I met with Katerina Filippa,

for a hike up to Orias Castle.

It's a place with a dramatic past,

matched by the ruggedly beautiful scenery.

So Katerina, we've been travelling

for what, about an hour now.

How far have we come?

- We're near to the castle now.

From the point that we start from Loutra,

it's almost three kilometres.

- So we've done three kilometres in about an hour.

And it was basically mule trails,

but this is not a mule trail, is it?

- No, it's a goat trail.

- So we've gone from a mule trail to a goat trail.

But I tell you what, it's spectacular isn't it?

It's beautiful.

- It's beautiful, and it's gonna be better up there.

- Well, let's get going!

- Yeah!

- It's hard to believe that anything can survive

on these rocky hillsides.

It's a barren landscape, weathered by dry winds

and a scorching sun.

But goats seem perfectly at home,

and believe it or not, centuries ago,

so too did people.

This now-abandoned hilltop

was once a thriving settlement.

But as is the case with a lot of the towns in Greece,

invasion changed everything.

A walk like this is not only great

for burning a few calories,

but also to get an appreciation

of how life was in ancient times.

The harsh environment meant nothing came easy.

To grow crops would have been a challenge,

and other than goats,

you'd only have chickens for protein.

Plus, going to port to trade with fishermen and merchants

meant for a long journey by foot.

And if you look around, there doesn't appear

to be any sources of fresh water.

Katerina, I see these little buildings along the way.

What are they?

- There are cell but for the animals, for the goats.

- Right.

- And there are several of them all over the island.

- Hundreds, I would think.

- They are very old.

- How old do you think these are?

- Maybe 200 years.

- (whistles) Wow.

Now, I notice that the walk

looks pretty treacherous and dangerous.

- It's not dangerous at all,

and it's very impressive.

- These stone shelters sure have been built to last.

The herders regularly maintain them

because apart from providing protection for their goats,

during storms, they're also a safe haven for them.

(relaxing exotic music)

The walk looks difficult, Katerina,

but it's actually easy as you're talking and you're going.

It's not a difficult walk, is it?

- [Katerina] No, it's not.

- [Peter] Yeah.

Not far to go.

- [Katerina] There is the gate.

- [Peter] Oh, fantastic!

Don't let my heavy breathing put you off.

I've been on the boat for several weeks,

and thanks to Kyriako's cooking, I've put on a few kilos.

Katerina was barely sweating.

You can tell she's done this walk more than a few times.

- [Katerina] You see how thick is the wall.

It's almost one metre and more.

- [Peter] Wow.

You know what, I look at this, I look at that,

I look at that, I can understand now

why it took them 12 years to finally get through the Turks

to get through and attack the fort.

- Yes, but finally they did it by fooling them.

They weren't capable to do that.

- [Peter] So there was a trick, was there?

- [Katerina] Yeah.

- [Peter] Let's hear about it when we get to the top,

I'm a bit hammered.

(gentle exotic music)

(upbeat exotic music)

The terrain here is perfect for building a fort.

On three sides you have coastal cliffs,

making an attack from sea near-impossible.

To invade by land

would mean your forces to have to climb the rocky trail

in single file.

It's no wonder the Kythnians chose this location to settle.

Wow.

Look at this.

It's one metre thick!

- [Katerina] Yeah, and more than one metre!

- [Peter] They weren't tall people either, were they?

- [Katerina] No!

(gentle music)

- [Peter] Once through the gate,

there's still quite a way to go to reach the citadel.

It's a steep, but narrow climb,

adding to the challenges enemies would have had to overcome.

You could imagine soldiers ducking for cover

as rocks and arrows rained down from above.

There was little shelter, and one wrong step

would see you fall from the edge.

The castle was built around 500 AD,

and inhabited for over 1,000 years.

The Ottomans spent 12 years laying siege to it,

but couldn't breach the walls.

Legend has it that it was only through trickery

that they managed to get in.

The story goes that they dressed a soldier

as a pregnant woman, who was seeking refuge.

They opened the gate to allow her in,

only to have Turkish soldiers follow close behind.

The princess of the castle was the one who gave the order

for the gate to be opened.

Upon seeing the carnage and destruction that followed,

her fatal error, she took her own life

by leaping from the cliff.

It's a harrowing tale, that may have been embellished

a little over the years.

- Since they opened the gate,

all the Turkish get inside and kill them.

- Wow.

- And the blood was so much

that the sea was full of blood until Kea.

- 'Til the island of Kea?

- Yeah.

- And I understand that the princess,

she then realised the mistake she made--

- [Katerina] Yes, and she suicide.

- [Peter] And she jumped off the cliff.

- [Katerina] Yeah. - Amazing.

And I look at this church,

and this is one of only two churches still standing,

is that right?

- [Katerina] It's the only one that's standing.

- [Peter] Only one.

How many churches were here?

- [Katerina] They say that there were about 100 churches.

- [Peter] So I can just picture that time

Barbarossa came here

and everybody here, maybe 500 people

were in these churches praying for their lives,

and they were slaughtered.

- It's a very...

- Yeah.

And for you especially, because you're Kythnian.

You're from Kythnos.

- Yes, I'm from Kythnos, and--

- These are your forefathers.

- If you think about this,

it's getting you tingly.

- Yeah, of course.

And this must be 600, 700 years old, maybe older.

- If you imagine that they abandoned the castle in 1573,

so this must be older.

- I can see from the murals on the wall

that they're still here.

Anybody can come up here.

This last bit of the journey's a little bit difficult,

a little bit dangerous, isn't it?

- Yes, at the end here, between the ruins.

- But anybody can come up here,

and it's very serene.

The frescoes are a tangible link

to the people that once lived here.

It's awesome to think that someone sat here centuries ago,

and painted these walls with brilliant images

relating to their faith.

Nowadays, anyone adventurous enough to make the hike up

can see these remnants of the past,

and get a feel for the history of the island.

The modern towns are no longer enclosed

by walls and fortifications.

In their place are vines and fig trees.

More importantly, the inhabitants don't live

in fear of invasion.

The whitewashed homes with terracotta roofs

create a picturesque setting.

But it's hard to imagine there being much

in the way of work.

To learn a little bit more about life here,

I met with the deputy mayor of Kythnos,

Gianna Filippa.

So here at night, there'd be a lot of people.

How many people would gather around here at night?

- As many as the place for.

- [Peter] Well, this is the town square also

for the people that live here.

There's 700 people live here, is that right, 700?

In Dryopida?

- [Gianna] Yeah.

- [Peter] You're a Kythnian, you were born here,

you've raised here all your life.

Why did you stay in Kythnos,

what's so special about Kythnos?

- The quality of life is better here if you have a family.

It's easier for kids to go out, to play around,

there is not the crazy rhythm of the big city.

The pace of life is easier.

- [Peter] It sounds like an idyllic way of life,

one that's built around family and community,

without the stresses of urban living

that most of us endure.

Gianna, Kythnos doesn't get a lot of rain,

summer or winter.

- [Gianna] No, it doesn't.

- But yet I see so much greenery here,

it's amazing!

- They are grapes.

Every house has its own wine industry.

There are many varieties of grapes.

They all have very good quality of wine.

- [Peter] Each household has its own wine?

- [Gianna] Every house has its own wine.

- Yeah, my neighbours like that, too.

- Oh, really?

- [Peter] So this is the ekklisia.

(relaxing music)

Gianna, I love this.

I see this and I see that,

much like the small villages in islands like this,

they really look after

the public areas like this, don't they?

- Yes, the local ladies take care of them all.

And they plant and water these plants.

- [Peter] These quiet hamlets provide an environment

that's safe and healthy.

I'd love to let my son run around all day on his own,

without fear for his safety,

but back home, it's not like that.

Here though, I lost him and his cousin on many occasions,

and when that occurred,

Helen and I barely batted an eyelid.

- [Gianna] Opposite is the most traditional

neighbourhood of Dryopida, Galatas.

- [Peter] Galatas?

- [Gianna] Mm.

- [Peter] While some leave for Athens

in search of work or a different life,

others remain in peace and serenity.

As much as I would like to think I'd stay put,

something tells me I'd quickly get itchy feet

and head for the city.

(gentle exotic music)

(upbeat exotic music)

(romantic exotic music)

No matter where I am in Greece,

there's one thing I can always find,

and that's the best local delicacies.

In this case, my nose led me

to a traditional suite that Kythnos is famed for.

Pastelli is a sweet that is given out at weddings.

And it's the provincial dish,

the most provincial dish of Kythnos.

And she's actually preparing this Pastelli

for a wedding that's occurring tomorrow.

I love that, I love that.

I love that.

She's not gonna let me talk at all.

When you love something a lot,

there's no work in it.

It's always gonna be fantastic, you know?

Whatever you do.

Whatever you do with love,

it's gonna be fantastic, eh!

In Pastelli, there's basically two main ingredients,

sesame seeds and honey.

Eirini includes one special addition,

Ouzo, and lots of it.

The sesame goes in,

and I'm holding the dish down

because she's stirring it,

and it's gonna become a solid mass.

She's not letting it...

She's telling me to hold it down.

This thing's about to burn my hands.

I thought my wife was hard on me, man!

(gentle acoustic music)

More Ouzo on top!

Now we're gonna roll the Pastelli.

I got a real workout on that, you know.

Oh, the tool!

Look at that, wow!

So she's just getting the length right.

That's it, good.

The whole, everything's done by hand.

Nothing by machine here.

You're not scared.

No problems.

You're not in a concrete jungle

with the fumes and the flames

and the pain of the city!

I'm coming to Kythnos!

I'm coming to Kythnos!

You know, it sounds fantastic here.

Today, I learned two things:

how to make Pastelli,

and what life is like for a Kythnian.

And I sure like both of them!

And now, after all that hard work,

I'm gonna actually try.

Thank you.

It's normally a little harder than this.

Fantastic.

Thank you darling.

She's a gem.

See ya!

In life, you never stop learning.

It's just a shame that many of the more important lessons

come in your later years.

If there's one thing I'd take away from being here,

it's that there's so much truth to the saying,

"The simple things in life are often the best."

There's nothing complicated about finding joy

in cooking or eating delicious food.

It doesn't take wealth or years of toil

to see the beauty in nature.

And greatest of all, it's not hard to appreciate family,

friends and community.

For many of us, all these things are there,

right in front of our eyes,

but we find ourselves caught up

in the western world's culture of consumption,

seeking joy from objects and assets

that come at a high cost,

rather than experiences that are largely free.

I'm not immune to this, but as I get older and wiser,

I'm seeing the light.

Many people say that you've seen one Greek island,

you've seen them all.

Well, it's not the case.

Each island has its little idiosyncrasies

that separate it from the others.

Kythnos has these walls.

They're not just any stone wall,

but they've got these big pieces every so often

that come in there.

Now, the reason for them being there,

I have absolutely no idea.

But the other thing about Kythnos is the number of bays.

There's all these alcoves right around the island.

They've been chiselled out by the geography of time,

and they've created 92 spectacular beaches,

many that aren't accessible, only by boat,

but many that are still accessible by road.

You've gotta come here and have a look at them,

they're absolutely magnificent!

(gentle exotic music)

Since visiting, I did some research,

and it turns out the stones are believed

to have been placed in the walls

to save on building materials, and allow effective drainage.

Apart from making the build process quicker,

they added ornamental appeal.

It's a style known only to the island of Kythnos.

(gentle exotic music)

These little points of interest are there to be revealed

around every corner on the islands.

You just have to be observant,

and you'll see all sorts of treasures

emerging from the hillside and farmland.

What may look like a dilapidated barn

may well turn out to be a centuries-old church.

A pile of rocks overgrown with vines

could reveal a fortress wall.

It's a place where the harder you look,

the more you discover.

Just don't get too inquisitive,

because it can become an obsession,

and before you know it,

you'll be dreaming of life as an archaeologist.

My road trip had brought me to Loutra,

the second port of Kythnos.

It's on the north of the island,

and while being a much smaller harbour,

it seems the homes here are on the larger side.

But the best bit of real estate

was left for the tiny church,

perched on a hill, overlooking the rugged coastline.

It's a perfect place to stop and enjoy the scenery,

before continuing the drive.

Mind you, it was so nice,

I could have stayed here the night.

(upbeat exotic music)

Kythnos has 100 kilometres of coastline.

That's a beach for every single kilometre.

There is no better way of seeing it

than leaving Dryopida,

and then coming across here

and starting your beach crawl at Lefkes,

and then just head south along the southwest coast.

There's beach after beach after beach,

it's absolutely awesome!

I've got my swimmers on, too!

(gentle acoustic music)

It's hard to believe that this bay,

this beach of Lefkes,

was once used for the unloading of iron ore

onto ships going to other islands on the mainland.

But it's absolutely pristine and beautiful.

The water is velvety, it's 25 degrees,

and there's very few people here.

Couple of villas, one taverna,

all the beaches are like that here!

It's awesome!

What a way to spend the day.

Swimming, sightseeing,

and essentially doing very little else.

Touring doesn't get much better than this.

The beaches might have been quiet,

but the roads were even more so.

I don't think I passed another car for the whole time.

The only traffic was the occasional goat.

Mind you, the hard part is not stopping every five minutes

for photos or a swim.

It's a good thing I didn't have any plans

or anyone waiting for me.

It meant I could take my time and absorb it all,

free from worrying about appointments.

Our film schedule usually doesn't allow

for this type of thing,

so I'm taking advantage of every minute.

(gentle acoustic music)

We just came down here to Kalo Livadi.

Beautiful little beach, 20 houses.

And I walked down to the last house here,

and met Tryfonas.

And I said, "Tryfonas,

"is there a coffee shop here somewhere?"

And he said, "No, how about I make you a cup of coffee?"

This is what I love about the small islands of Greece.

We call it "philotimo," and I don't know

how to translate that into English,

but it's the neighbourly thing of these people.

They're wonderful people.

And I've been talking to him

for half an hour, 45 minutes about his story.

He does five, six months a year

of summer and spring here.

So there's 18 to 20 houses.

There actually is no taverna on this beach.

And he loves it because there's no taverna here,

because not many people come down here,

and it's peaceful and serene.

And I actually feel like going for a sleep right now,

even though he made me a beautiful coffee.

Is there a better life?

Ah, what a life.

Bidding Tryfonas farewell,

it was back into the car for the last stretch of the drive.

As much as I wanted to sit, drink coffee, and talk all day,

there was still more to see.

Further down the road, there was yet another bay to explore.

There were more beaches to leave my footprints on,

villages to stroll through,

and other ruins to discover.

I'd also heard there was a nice little seaside location

where you can get a massage,

with sounds of lapping water to lull you to sleep.

As if things couldn't get any more chilled!

I'd better not tell Helen about this discovery,

otherwise I might be in trouble

for not bringing her along too!

(gentle acoustic music)

It's been hard work travelling through all these beaches,

doing the beach-hopping.

And I just had to stop and get a massage,

'cause it was available.

If I have more time, I'll come back and do yoga,

but we've gotta see more beaches, and I need to eat.

I tell you what,

the food in that taverna over there smells good,

and the water over there looks even better.

So after this massage, go for a swim,

and then eat.

Anyway, for the moment, I'm just going to relax.

(waves lapping)

There was one more swim on the agenda.

I'd felt the warm waters of the Aegean

in at least half a dozen places today,

and it never grows old.

Nor do the views here.

It's an ever-changing canvas,

with colours that vary with the hours of the day.

Sunset is always a favourite time,

because apart from the hues of the sky,

the atmosphere becomes even more peaceful.

It's hard to believe things could be more serene

than these stress-free days.

But with the setting of the sun,

everything goes down another gear.

(gentle acoustic music)

This really is the cliched "Our World"

Mediterranean island you read about

in travel guides from the 1950s.

You know, the places with sleepy fishing villages

where everyone knows each other,

and you're the only English-speaking tourist in town.

It's an island you can quickly fall in love with.

The way of life is carefree,

or so it seems on the surface.

No doubt the locals have their stressed and worries.

After all, no life is without its ups and downs.

But I like to think their concerns aren't the trivial things

we in the city get caught up with on a daily basis.

Or maybe I'm just being a bit naive.

(gentle acoustic music)

(upbeat exotic music)

We're at the site of the ancient city of Vryokastro.

These hills were once a thriving town

that was around 10th century BC,

right through to, I think, seventh century AD.

We're gonna meet an archaeologist,

Alexandros Mazarakis,

who did the dig here.

He's coming out specifically to talk to us.

My understanding, though, is it thrived

as a result of the metallurgy and the Bronze Age.

I'm really looking forward to going up there

on land, and walking through with Professor Mazarakis.

(gentle exotic music)

There are few people in the country

that know as much about ancient Greece

as Professor Alexandros Mazarakis.

He's the Head of Classical Archaeology

at the University of Thessaly,

and leads the excavations at this remarkable site.

As far as credentials go,

he has a record that reads like a shopping list,

so I couldn't have been in better hands.

- When I started here in 1990, the survey,

and it took us roughly five years to complete this survey.

We returned one year in 2001,

and then we started excavating 2002 to the present day.

So, another 20 years of excavation since then.

- [Peter] Wow.

- Yes.

A total of 30 years of work on this site.

- This is a lot of your life you spent on this!

- Yes. - Wow.

- But it's something I like a lot,

and I would not exchange it for anything.

- [Peter] Yes. - Yes.

So, this is where we've been digging

for the past 20 years,

in this specific area the last years,

but this is a big plateau

with sanctuaries and cult buildings,

and it's the public, let's say, area

of the ancient town.

Next to the fortification wall.

- [Peter] Let's go and have a look.

- [Alexandros] Okay.

- Professor Mazarakis has given much of his life

to exhuming the past of Greece.

The discoveries that he and others like him

have made over the last 30 years have rewritten history,

and as more ruins and relics are found,

the story keeps evolving.

In another half-century from now,

who knows what might have been unearthed!

What's the special thing about this town?

- The special thing about this town

is that it is one of the best-preserved

ancient towns of the Aegean.

Because nothing disturbed this place

after its abandonment in the 7th century.

We have the luck to be able to investigate

a series of public sanctuaries,

and to understand all these public, let's say,

activity taking place in an ancient town

from its beginning, from its birth,

to its abandonment.

- Excellent.

So, Professor, tell me,

this is a massive city, a huge town.

A port, a military port as well.

What was it that they had?

Was it the mines here that was their major trade?

- Kythnos was not renowned in antiquity,

we don't hear much about Kythnos.

It was not a very rich town,

at least if we read the sources.

The excavations have shown something different.

Also, we know from Herodotus, the ancient historian,

that the Kythnians were among the few islanders

who participated in the naval Battle of Salamis

against the Persians in 480.

So this means that the town was quite confident of its power

in the beginning of the 5th century.

- [Peter] It always amazes me how much they can learn

about the ancient world from what seems like rubble

and a few scattered writings in history.

It takes painstaking research and years of toil

to piece together the story of sites like this,

but once the picture becomes clear,

the hard work all becomes worthwhile.

So, Professor, where are we now?

- Well, this is

the sanctuary of Apollo

and Artemis, as we believe,

excavated between 2002 and 2006.

The temple and the two altars of the two divinities.

So this is a very intriguing sanctuary for two reasons.

First, from the conditions of the discovery,

and second, due to the finds

made during the excavation.

The conditions of the discovery were that

during the last year of serve in 2001,

we fell upon some precious jewels

which were scattered all over on the ceiling

of this modern animal pen.

- [Peter] Right.

- The owner of the field had taken earth from nearby

to spread over and repair the ceiling of the animal pen.

And this revealed the presence of an important secret place.

- [Peter] Did he know that he had jewels?

- No no, he didn't realise this.

And nothing was visible.

There was earth covering all this area,

and you couldn't see anything.

So this allowed us to start excavating here

with some expectations.

Not many, because one corner of this temple was visible,

and it was clear that illegal diggers

had come before us.

But the illegal diggers, like us,

didn't realise that they had missed

the back chamber of the temple.

And this back chamber,

which is very small, two by three metres,

was packed with votive offerings,

mostly precious jewels of gold, silver, bronze,

rock crystal, corals and ivory,

and semi-precious stones,

and a lot of vases.

And bronze offerings--

- I suppose you were excited when you found this, eh?

- That was the first year of excavation here,

and we didn't expect much, as I said,

but it was really a revelation for us.

- You struck gold, as we say!

You struck gold!

- That's it, exactly.

I think that it's the most incredible experience

in my career as an excavation,

that year in 2002.

- [Peter] Is that unusual to see votive jewellery

buried in these buildings?

- Yes, it's very unusual,

because usually temples were abandoned in late antiquity,

and all their offerings scattered,

so we find them usually without any,

rarely with the votives.

Now, this is an exception because

the temple was destroyed, as the excavation showed,

by an earthquake,

around the first century BC, and never reoccupied.

So they didn't come in to recover the votives.

The site was abandoned completely,

and never revisited here.

This is very exceptional.

I mean, you don't find the votive offerings

inside the temple, and especially in the back chamber,

the adyton, of a temple.

(relaxing exotic music)

- Exciting discoveries like this

are what motivates people like Professor Mazarakis.

You never know what you might find on a dig,

from pottery and tools to coins and jewellery.

It's like being a treasure hunter,

only your reward isn't fortune,

it's the rewriting of history.

(upbeat exotic music)

I couldn't believe my luck when the professor asked me

if I wanted to see the treasure trove

that was discovered in 2002

on the site in Vryokastro.

They keep it locked up in a secure site on the island,

and we the first people to film this priceless collection.

One day, it will likely end up on display in a museum.

For now, though, it's being studied,

and slowly, secrets are revealing themselves.

Looks like some exceptional pieces here.

That one looks like it's come from Disneyland,

can I grab it?

- [Alexandros] Yes.

- This one here, what is it?

It looks like Mickey Mouse.

- [Alexandros] It belongs to some kind of pendant, perhaps.

It is of glass based, and that's why it's coloured.

And this is unique, because it looks like a bear as well.

- But it almost looks like a caricature of a bear.

So these guys, they're not just replicating animals,

they're making of them a bit, as well.

- Yes.

This look like Phoenician,

these could be a Phoenician. - Oh right, okay.

I'm gonna put that back.

- But we have finds like these, which are Carnelian beads,

dozens of them, which come from Crete,

so they are already 1,000 year old

when they were dedicated to this sanctuary,

so they're heirlooms.

- [Peter] Wow.

(calming exotic music)

I think, looking at what you've done here,

finding what you've found here,

which is very rare to find in a temple,

to find all this product in one temple,

because generally they've been pillaged at some stage.

So from this, you've discovered a lot about Kythnos.

You've discovered a lot about the Cyclades.

It's amazing, it must have been a great experience,

the last 20 years, for you.

- Yes, it was a great experience

and continues to be a great experience,

despite the fact that, let's say,

most of these finds that we are simply looking at today

were found in one excavation season in 2002.

Of course, we continue, but it's rare,

and it shows the rarity of such discoveries.

It's rare to find such groups of objects

all together in an excavation,

and sometimes, in a lifetime,

you don't fall upon such a group.

- You've been digging for 20 years.

You're still digging, there's 50 people

digging from all over the world.

How much longer do you think you'll be digging for

to really expose and exploit

everything that's come out of the ground here?

- Well, my aim is to continue digging

as long as my feet will take me up to Vryokastro.

(laughing)

There's no age limit for an excavator and an archaeologist,

so I think until the end of my days,

I will be digging on Kythnos.

- Wow.

(upbeat exotic music)

Doing what we love until the end of your days.

Now, that's something we should all aspire to.

I can only imagine what incredible discoveries

Professor Mazarakis will make in years to come.

His legacy will be penned in the history books,

studied by future generations of archaeologists.

(rattling)

So we're leaving Kythnos.

I'm a bit sad, because it's been a special island.

It's so close to the mainland, it's easy to get to.

Most people that come here come to Kolones, the beach,

and then they go, it's all these sailors.

But they don't see the rest of the island!

It's like they're window-shopping,

and they don't enter the shop.

You come here, you gotta enter the shop.

The people are fantastic,

they'll give you the shirt off their back.

They're awesome.

It's not for everybody, though.

It's for people that like a quiet island.

Hard to communicate here,

'cause they don't speak much English,

but where there's no communication,

there's the generosity, the friendship, the philotimo.

You gotta come to Kythnos,

it's absolutely magnificent.

Anyway, we're going.

Let's go, Gene!

The odyssey continues,

taking me from the hidden gem of Kythnos

to another of the lesser-known

islands in the Cyclades, Serifos.

From upping anchor to arriving in port,

it's about 50 kilometres of steady cruising.

Immediately upon arrival,

you can see the difference between the two islands.

In Serifos, the mountains loom over the port below.

And being smaller than its neighbour,

the populations might be similar,

but here, they're more condensed.

It makes the place feel a little less rural.

In reality, though, it's just as chilled out.

Like Kythnos, Serifos is a place for the active traveller.

Not so much the ones

that are after excitement, night life and shopping,

but those that are happy to hike mountain trails,

or in this case, willing to walk

1,000 steps up a hillside.

(panting)

It's a long way up.

I hope I'm almost there.

This Medusa better be worth it.

You'll know what I mean when I get to the top.

Climb up the steps from the port

to the top of this mountain at Serifos.

Absolutely magnificent,

and there's a wonderful view down there,

but that's not why I'm up here.

I came up here to see

that little church down there, St John,

which is built on the Temple of Athena.

You can see a couple of columns next to it that prove that.

And in popular mythology, apparently,

Perseus came to this island

with his beautiful mother, Danae.

And the King of Serifos fell in love with his mother.

He wanted to marry her.

Perseus said he didn't want

the King of Serifos for his mother.

King of Serifos then said to Perseus,

"If you can find Medusa and bring her here,

"cut her head off, then I won't marry her."

Guess what he did?

He got on Pegasus, went out there, found her,

cut her head off,

didn't get stoned up like he was supposed to,

and the marriage never happened.

Anyway, we know that's mythology.

Could be true, who knows.

But what a view, eh?

It's worth the view at least, anyway!

And the walk, I'm hammered.

Gotta walk down now.

Ciao!

(gentle exotic music)

In the next episode of My Greek Odyssey,

I'll be taking on a journey across Serifos,

and experiencing everything this little island has to offer.

While it might not have the resorts and bars

of its more famous neighbours to the south and east,

it's a place where you can make your own adventure,

and enjoy a taste of Greek culture,

only found in these off-the-beaten-path destinations.

We'll eat like a local,

learn about the island's ancient past,

and explore every inch of the place,

from the hilltops and bays

to the seafloor, and even underground.

The beauty of an island like this

is that it's easy to fully immerse yourself

in all that it has to offer.

Plus, everything is easy to access.

There's no traffic or crowds,

and best of all, there's no rush to get things done.

Can't see Medusa's head!

(gentle exotic music)

(flame roaring)