Original subtitles

(Upbeat Greek music)

- [Peter] In the first series,

I began unravelling the story

of this spectacular and 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 holidaying 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.

We're now at the second leg of the journey,

which sees me heading south into the Cyclades,

and in this episode I'm exploring Serifos.

It's an arid and mountainous landscape,

well away from the usual tourist haunts.

(upbeat music)

Neighbouring Serifos, are Kithnos to the north,

and Sifnos to the south.

Lying on the Western Cycladic,

it's bathed in the beautiful warm waters of the Aegean.

People have lived on this island for well over 2,000 years,

and you'd think in that time

the population would have blossomed.

I mean, look at the place, it's gorgeous,

but today there's only about 1,500 permanent residents,

which makes for a peaceful place,

seemingly lost in time.

The picturesque setting

rivals that of any island in the region.

White-washed buildings, cobbled lane ways,

and splashes of blue,

make it feel like you're walking through a postcard.

A word of warning though, it's a hilly island,

so most walks are more like hikes!

It's a long way up, I hope I'm almost there!

But the return is generally worth the effort.

If it's not amazing views you're rewarded with,

you'll find a landmark worth exploring,

or a quaint cafe to grab a coffee and a bite to eat.

At the top of the hill in the town centre,

is a square with several restaurants, and a church.

But that's not why I hauled my rig up all those stairs.

(speaks in foreign language)

I came to meet Robert De Niro's love child,

or at least that's what I think he might just be.

Wait until you see the young baker I'm about to show you.

There's nothing like the smell of a baker in the morning!

(speaks in foreign language)

Look at him, Robert De Niro man!

He looks awesome!

He makes the best pastelli, sesame snap,

and it's got cinnamon in it, and it's got tumeric.

It's actually something,

Ah! Awesome!

Beautiful!

And look at this, the oven.

(speaks in foreign language)

The oven's from 1850.

So when you come to Serifos,

you must come and see Yianni and his bakery.

He's up at midnight,

all the way through to six in the afternoon,

I don't know when he,

- He doesn't sleep, unbelievable.

Anyway,

Take it easy.

Thank goodness for Yianni and his bakery.

I needed a short break and some fuel

to get me through what lay ahead.

The long climb up to the town

was just a warm up for my next hike.

From here, my path was taking me higher into the hills.

(upbeat piano music)

The white buildings sparkle

against the brown of the landscape.

The colour scheme is unique to the Cyclades,

some say it's to reflect the heat of the sun,

while others believe things are white and blue

to echo the colours of the Greek flag.

Whatever the reason, it creates a stunning effect.

After walking the 424 steps to get to the top of Chora,

and then another 100 steps

to get up to the top of the church there,

you'd think you're at the highest point of the island.

Well you aren't.

We're going to meet a local, Makis,

who's going to take us to the highest point of the island

and it's a short stroll,

and I'm told it's a wonderful hike.

So off we go.

The walk up the mountain is a great opportunity

to take in not only the typical architecture

of this part of the world,

but views across the entire region.

On a clear day, they say you can see several

of the Cycladic islands.

Makis, this track has a lot of significance

for your family I understand?

- Yes, actually, this is the path where my grandmother,

when she was young,

she had to do every day from Chora, to go to Koutalas

where the old mines was.

So she had to bring food to her father.

And she was doing that everyday.

- Every day?

- Every single--

- How many kilometres was that?

- It's about seven, eight kilometres.

- Wow, how long did she live for?

- 87 years.

- 87 years, wow, seven kilometres a day,

you'd expect it wouldn't you?

The Mediterranean diet is said to be

one of the healthiest on the planet.

Combine the healthy eating with the island lifestyle

and you've got the perfect recipe for a long life.

Here they don't follow any eating fads

or exercise regimes,

and the life expectancy on some of the islands

is greater than almost anywhere else.

Makis, did you get to meet your great-grandfather?

- Yes, I was lucky, I did met him.

- He must have had some amazing stories.

- Yeah sure, stories about the mines,

about the hard working life.

About the strike, about everything, yeah.

- Wow, and I must say, I look at this,

and it's amazing.

It looks like the rock here,

has been quarried from this mountain.

- Yeah, actually this was the main highway of the island.

It was the main road that was connecting Chora

with the small villages of Panagia, Pirgos, Galani,

and then also with the mines,

where it was the fisherman's village Koutalas,

and Mega Livadi.

- So this must be ancient, from antiquity?

- Yes, actually, yes, 'til the 2000,

that they start to construct the new roads

to go to the villages, yeah,

it was the main road always, this.

- [Peter] So for 2,500 years, up until almost 20 years ago,

this was main street, the highway?

- Yes, exactly.

- [Peter] Wow, but look at it.

It looks like it was built yesterday.

I've got to say, Greek builders,

they're pretty good, mate, I tell ya.

They're fantastic.

Makis, this is absolutely awesome.

I love this track,

I think it's probably one of the best walks I've done,

and do you know what's special?

I think you can see so many

of the other Cycladic islands here.

What are we looking at here?

- Actually the closest island is Sifnos.

- This one here?

- On the right side, you can see Folegandros.

- That's Folegandros there, right?

And behind it?

- Poliegos.

- Poliegos is there--

- And Kimolos,

a small corner-- - And Kimolos.

- That you can see from Kimolos.

From the other side, on the left side you can see Sikinos.

- Just behind there?

- Ios, the island of Ios. - Ios!

- Antiparos. - Antiparos!

- Paros, and a small part of Naxos.

- Paros and...

So many islands.

And they're so close together!

- Yeah.

- But you know what?

After that walk, I forgot my Kyriakou bar

so let's get walking-- - Okay.

- 'cause I'm starved mate.

(ethereal music)

Didn't I tell you?

The views are well and truly worth the effort.

It's almost like Serifos

is a viewing platform for the Cycladic.

It's a jewel in the middle of the Aegean.

Surrounded by other islands begging to be explored.

So Makis, this is the top of the island, eh?

- Exactly, 601 metres.

- Only 2 and a half kilometres, from the port.

You don't have to walk all the way up here,

just a K up the top you see everything,

but this is absolutely magnificent.

Makis, thank you very much.

I really appreciate it.

He's the only Makis on the island too,

so if you want to do this walk, just ask for Makis!

- Thank you.

- Awesome, look at that.

It's beautiful isn't it?

What I loved about this walk wasn't just the views.

For me, it was the feeling of being away from the crowds.

Here I was, atop a mountain, just a short hike from town,

and there wasn't a soul around.

Serifos isn't exactly a sleepy island,

it's just at rest, awakening,

and on the cusp of being discovered

by the tourist wave that frequent it's big brothers

like Paros, Naxos, and Mykonos.

(Upbeat Greek music)

An early start saw me headed around the island.

The plan for the morning

was to just take the road and explore.

It didn't take long before I just had to stop.

There's only about 72 square kilometres of Serifos,

and as a result, the ring road is a short run.

It's a beautiful road, it's about 45 minutes.

But right here, you can see everything about Serifos.

Look down there,

you can see that black iron ore, that seam.

And just above it, you can see that big cavern there.

That's actually a collapse,

because the whole mountain is hollow,

because they exploited the iron ore.

Further over there you see a ridge.

That ridge shows you the combing, the terracing,

that has happened from antiquity,

this was basically a farming island

before the farmers turned to the mining.

Now there's no farming, and there's no mining.

They are coming back though.

There's a little bit happening here.

Beneath the hills, Serifos is like honeycomb,

much of the underground has been mined away.

Above are the terraced fields of antiquity,

this was once used for growing grain and other crops

that can handle the dry climate.

Today though, there's little in the way of agriculture,

instead, much of the food is brought in by ferry,

with small amounts of farming and fishing

providing the rest.

Other remnants of the mining and agricultural past

can be found strewn about the place.

Old mine shafts and piles of rubble

are dotted on the hillsides.

Pieces of abandoned machinery

and rusted out trucks can be found,

overgrown with weeds.

There are collapsed buildings by the roadsides,

and signs of quite significant infrastructure,

that once served what must have been a thriving little hub.

The mining boom lasted much of the early 20th century,

ending with the closure of the mines in the 1960s.

Throughout that time, it provided employment for the locals,

which in turn meant services were built

and the population grew.

It's quite the contrast to what Serifos is like now.

Today tourism is the growth industry,

that will likely bring some new life to the island.

Looks like any old iron ore mine, but in August of 1916,

something happened that would profoundly change

the cultural and working environment

of Greeks forever.

This was basically the start of the eight hour week,

after a massive strike.

Four miners got killed,

gendarmes were lynched and stoned to death.

It all happened here.

The mountain behind me is basically empty,

as a result of 160,000 tonnes a year of iron ore coming out

from that slave labour, wow.

(solemn piano music)

The landscape now looks a bit like a battlefield.

In some ways, it once was.

As the workers fought

for better working conditions and wages.

The 1916 strike was organised by a local,

Konstantinos Speras.

He rallied the miners to form a union,

and protest against the low pay, long working hours,

terrible safety conditions,

and the company's refusal to rehire people

who were drafted into the Greek army,

and recently discharged.

After the incident,

the miners essentially took control of the island.

It was a brief foray into independence,

that ended when the Greek navy sent in a warship.

Though they did get their better working conditions,

and shorter hours.

There wasn't a part of the island that wasn't hollowed out.

So much so, that sections like this one collapsed down,

as a result of the caverns that were created.

And guess what, we're heading through that hole!

Bit dangerous, having second thoughts now.

From a distance, the caverns didn't look quite so imposing.

However, on close inspection,

their magnitude became apparent.

It was quite overwhelming,

like an ant walking into a rabbit warren.

You wouldn't want to go traipsing around in here

without a bit of experience,

it's the sort of place you might wander into

and never find your way out.

A bit like the Jules Verne novel

"Journey to the Centre of the Earth".

Who knows what you might encounter?

Well this guy here, Dimitris,

has a good idea of what's inside.

Decades ago, his father and grandfather

worked in these iron ore mines.

It's quite a significant place for him,

and the connection he has shines through,

in his emotional descriptions of what happened

all those years ago.

As you can hear on my mic,

I'm breathing a little bit deeply,

because I'm a little claustrophobic,

and we've just walked 100 metres through this tunnel

that I could barely get through.

Thank God I've got Dimitris with me,

Dimitris is from the municipality,

and there was no way I was going to go in here on my own,

and he's been through these tunnels many, many times.

And we've come to this massive cavern.

Dimitris, this is huge.

Tell me something, how many of these are there,

like this?

So he's saying he's been into 10 of these at least,

but there are many more,

and as you can see, there are holes, everywhere,

where they've just followed the vein and dug through.

My understanding, from what Dimitris was saying to me,

is that they actually had brothers and cousins and relatives

mining different areas,

at least so that they,

if there was a collapse, that the whole family wouldn't go

but really, I mean,

what does that mean at the end of the day?

It's just the...

You know, these men, worked in these mines,

just following the veins,

they were told to follow those veins.

Life didn't matter,

up until the rebellion,

the union strike, when things changed at least,

and they went down to an 8 hour day.

But the safety still wasn't up there,

and you, you know,

it just didn't happen in Serifos, in Greece,

this happened all over the world.

These, rebellions to ensure

that people had a safe working environment,

so lives weren't lost.

What amazes me still is that,

this one cavern, one of many,

was dug by hand.

Lives were lost, in this cavern, guaranteed.

It's amazing.

The period when these mines were first operating,

was a time when workers didn't have rights.

They were treated almost like slaves.

The miners endured long and hard days,

in an environment that's not only incredibly dangerous,

but oppressive.

The management had little regard for their wellbeing,

placing profits ahead of the lives of the workers.

Thankfully, things changed,

but it took an uprising that cost even more lives.

(stirring guitar music)

This mentality of having no care

for the wellbeing of their employees

still occurs in mining,

and other labour intensive sectors in developing countries.

As well as those where laws aren't in place

to protect the workers.

Capitalism has a lot to answer for,

and often it's those at the coal face

that end up making the corporate monsters accountable.

(Upbeat Greek music)

Greeks are known for their hospitality and traditions.

One cultural practise that embodies this generosity,

is the celebration of your saint's day.

Alternatively known as your name day.

So today, is a very special day,

it's Kyriakos's name day.

In Greece we don't only celebrate birthdays,

we celebrate name days, which is the saint of your name.

And it's Saint Kyriakos today, is that right Kyri?

And the good thing about name days,

is that you share, as we say, he treats today,

he's paying for all of this today,

you're paying for all of us,

no chance you're going to pay for all of us today.

I'm gonna pay.

- Okay, oh you're a gun!

He's a gun, he's a gun!

And the wonderful thing is

your house is open on your name day,

and it doesn't matter what happens,

whoever comes, eats at your house.

So you could know 1,000 people,

they could come to your house, and eat is that right?

- And to all the Kyriakos out there!

(speaking in foreign language)

- The best chef in the Mediterranean,

possibly the world,

maybe the universe.

(laughs)

In Greece with good food often comes good wine.

Earlier I mentioned that farming

was no longer a major industry for the island.

But there was a little something going on,

and that something is wine production.

However, the environment here

means that not only is the work backbreaking,

it's also dangerous.

I'd heard about a small family-run winery

that's been in operation for centuries.

They grow their vines on the side of a steep mountain,

using the terraces from antiquity.

To show me around I met with Evgenia,

a school teacher who married a Serifiot wine maker

named Christos,

and now helps him run the business.

- [Evgenia] So due to the morphology of the ground,

it's very difficult to get machines work inside,

so we have to do everything by hand.

The only helper, let's say, are some donkeys, sometimes.

- But it's you two?

- No, during the harvest time we get some workers

to help up carry and pick the grapes.

But basically, yes.

The family used to own some of the vineyards,

for a very long time, almost 300 years.

The oldest in the yard is somewhere there.

- Wow!

In a very difficult to reach place,

behind the slope, the first slope, down near the sea.

- That's a very difficult to reach place.

- Yeah!

- This is a difficult place to reach,

you need a 4-wheel drive to come here!

- This one is the most difficult of all.

- So there's a more difficult place,

so if you wanna buy wine from here, I've gotta tell you.

It's not easy to get to you. - It's not easy at all.

- As we say in Greek (speaks foreign language)

You know, but I can't say that in English.

(laughs)

It's hard enough producing wine

in vineyards on small islands with very steep terrain,

but thanks to the EU's strict policies and controls

these little operators can't compete with the big guys.

The thing is, the rules that apply

to the mass producers in mainland Europe

also apply to the farmers in rural towns in faraway islands.

It's hardly a fair and equitable system.

I can see why,

looking at all this stainless steel stuff here,

that it's hard for other wine makers,

the traditional wine makers,

to do what you're doing here,

it's amazing.

- It is because you need a lot of funding

to buy all these things,

and you need to blend the traditional way

with the modern technology.

And this is what we try to do, to blend.

- [Peter] So not only are you doing it professional way,

but you're also doing it traditionally as well?

- [Evgenia] Yes, and that's the difficult stuff,

because we want to have control over everything

to look at every tank, to see how it goes,

so we need to be over the wine all the time.

- [Peter] So how much wine do you make a year here?

- About 10 tonnes a year.

- 10 tonnes, just the two of you!

(laughs)

But before you know it, little Panayotis will be there,

he'll be making 15, 20 tonnes a year.

- Oh of course! Much more than--

- Yes, yes.

But Panayotis needs another brother and a sister

I think, you know?

- At some point.

(laughs)

- [Peter] The wine they produce

is neither white, red or rose.

It's actually orange in colour.

It's from a grape variety called Serfiotiko,

which is endemic to here.

Technically, I think it's a white,

but it has a beautiful orange colour,

so who's going to argue?

- So, what do you think?

- I've never had anything like it,

and I tell you, it's not too heavy and it's not too light,

but it's something you can eat with.

This is what the locals eat.

- Exactly.

- Well you don't produce enough wine really

to export do you?

- No, we don't export, for the time being

because our production is not so big,

but we try to keep the local market satisfied,

because they are the people who support us,

and supported us from the beginning,

so we have it here on the island,

and we giving some neighbouring islands.

- Well the world is unlucky not to taste it

You need to come here - You have to come here!

- With your 4-wheel drive.

- Of course, you have to come here.

(speaking in foreign language)

- Awesome stuff.

Ah that's...

And with the little (speaks foreign language)

It makes a big difference! - At the taste of one.

- Wow.

There are small wineries

on just about every island in Greece.

Most produce just enough for the local community,

but some are slowly up scaling.

These guys are doing exactly that,

making a fantastic product that not only earns them a living

but gives a little back to their local economy too.

Judging by the quality of what I've just tasted

this may well be the beginning of a family dynasty.

Who knows, with any luck,

soon you might find them on wine lists

at your favourite restaurants around the world.

(Upbeat Greek music)

You know there's nothing more Greek

than eating directly from the sea.

And one of my favourite meals

is grilled or barbecued octopus.

And this is what Kyriakou's preparing for us right now,

I love this stuff, it's absolutely magnificent,

and it just melts in the mouth,

I'm actually salivating as I talk.

And we've got the ingredients in front of us,

there's oregano, capers, olive oil, and ouzo,

for afterwards obviously.

(laughs)

- So a bit of lemon, right,

bit of capers.

Now this guy, he's not just any old octopus.

He's a special octopus.

- He's...

Very significant.

Because of where he comes from.

Oh!

It doesn't get any fresher than this.

That tasty octopus was given to us by a local fisherman

who passed by early this morning.

Now if you think you just grab one from the sea

and pop it on the barbie, you're wrong.

To tenderise it,

you've got to whack it a minimum of 100 times.

It's a tiring and time consuming process.

(octopus squelching)

Now, obviously this looks a little violent,

but you've got to remember

that the octopus has been humanely killed,

and this is the way they've been doing it

for 2,000 years, maybe longer, I don't know.

But, it's the only way.

I mean, you can't take an octopus from the sea

and just eat it, 'cause it's just too hard.

You need to tenderise the octopus.

Now you've got to appreciate,

every octopus you buy at the shop has been tenderised.

Obviously they haven't bashed every single one,

a method that they use today is they

put them in a washing machine and...

They, is that right, a washing machine?

And they, like a tumble dryer thing, you know?

We're doing it the traditional way.

I love the way the Greeks live by the sea and the land

and they live off it.

And they, protect what they've got there.

They don't actually go out and fish for everything.

They don't out-fish the sea,

there's still plenty of octopus in there,

they only take what they need.

(traditional Greek guitar music)

- We're about 55, he wants me to go now.

Yeah, sure.

- Oh no.

I'm going to give it a shot now.

There's obviously an art to this.

- Poor little guy.

(laughs loudly)

We all love a nice piece of fish

or some calamari and octopus,

but you're not always going to be able

to get your hands on them.

Sometimes you have to make do with what the ocean provides,

but as Captain Yianni has taught me,

there's an abundance of tasty seafood

that may not be as popular, or well known.

However it tastes just as delicious,

you just have to know where to look for it.

Captain is giving Eirenaios a lesson on the sea

and getting sea urchins and mollusks and crustaceans

from the sea, so they,

looks like they caught something.

Here Eire, I've got it mate.

There we go.

Sea urchins, are they sea urchins Eire?

- [Eirenaios] Yeah.

- [Peter] Mate, there's a little guy living in there.

- [Yianni] Yeah they live, two--

- [Peter] Two little guys, what are they?

- [Yianni] And they clean it.

- [Peter] Ah they're cleaning the...

- [Yianni] Without that, it doesn't live, this thing.

- [Peter] Is that right?

Can you see the little guy swimming in there?

And this is how the Greeks have been living

for 2,000 years, just doing what we're doing here.

And Yianni, how long were you in the water for?

- [Yianni] Half an hour, 40 minutes?

- [Peter] This half an hour!

I mean, there's enough food here for these guys

for the whole day.

We've got the oregano, we've got our octopus,

what else do you need!

(upbeat music)

Is that good?

(laughs)

- Crocodile Dundee junior, definitely.

Some of these morsels are considered delicacies

all over the world,

sea urchins are a favourite in places like Japan,

Chile, and across the Mediterranean.

Oysters, scallops and abalone

are some of the most expensive shellfish you can buy.

However, with a little bit of effort,

you can harvest the sea and make a meal fit for a king.

A fresh seafood feast

was the perfect way to end our time on Serifos.

Coming here took me back to my youth,

when more of the islands were far quieter,

and the life much simpler than it is today.

In Serifos, they've managed

to keep a hold on their traditions,

and for the time being, fly under the tourist radar.

It's a quiet island, with a strong community,

the kind of place I can certainly see myself coming back to,

time and time again.

(Upbeat Greek music)

Welcome to Sifnos, a 74 square kilometre mountainous island,

that's home to around 3,000 people.

We've travelled all of about 30 kilometres,

and found yet another peaceful enclave,

where dry mountains run down

to the blue waters of the Aegean.

Sifnos is recognisable by it's white Cycladic architecture.,

but it's actually quite different

to the other Cycladic islands.

It's surrounded by 76 round towers on the coastline,

they were build around the 6th to the 3rd century BC,

and they were put there

to protect the island from invaders,

because they had gold and silver mines here.

Some of the best gold and silver mines in all of Greece.

It made it one of the wealthiest islands,

right through this whole region.

It's also known for this stuff, clay.

Really awesome clay,

and the coastline was once a menagerie of potters,

hundreds of them, but probably more importantly,

as my mother said, it's known for Tselementes,

The first great Greek chef.

A man that changed the way that Greek housewives cook today.

But, have look at that.

I've got to get moving, but I could look at that all day.

It seems I wasn't the only one

who appreciated the view up here.

No matter where you are in Greece,

there's always one thing you can be sure to find, goats!

They're like sheep in New Zealand,

and kangaroos in Australia.

As much as Sifnos is a touristy destination,

it's not like the more established holiday spots,

with people from across the globe.

Your average visitor here

is likely to be from another part of Greece.

For few international tourists that come over

are generally the ones who have already seen

the cliched parts of the country,

and now make this smaller, quieter island

the place they return to.

While it has all the creature comforts

that you want in a vacation destination,

there's still plenty of that old world charm,

only found in the lesser known islands.

You know right now I've noticed,

with the island of Sifnos, and your villages,

they're all very clean.

- It's one of the cleanest destinations in Greece.

- Yeah?

- It's the municipality of course,

but it's also the people are like that.

If your doorway is dirty, then it's your problem.

You should be ashamed.

Everybody feels that, their responsibility,

that you have to keep your place clean.

- [Peter] But Ronia, it's not just the cleanliness,

it's the flowers, it's the fauna, everything is in--

- If things are tidy and clean,

then beauty is easier to be seen.

- That's the beauty of Sifnos, eh!

- I wanna show you something, very special there.

- Oh this is the clay chimney things?

- The clay chimney things, yeah.

- What do you call them?

- Flaros. - Flaros?

- Flaros, is the word.

It's only in Sifnos, and nowhere else.

This one is not a chimney, this is a lamp

and this is the modern use of the old chimney.

We make all these holes, decorative one,

and we put a lamp inside.

Traditionally there are no holes here,

but there are these three or four,

which help the smoke of the fireplace coming up,

and prevent the air from coming in.

They are still in use, we still use them as chimneys.

- [Peter] Wow!

- And this is the nice modern use.

Over there, is another one you see, a small one.

But we will find more on our way.

- Let's go have a look!

All this white in my eyes,

you need sunglasses here don't you, you know?

- It reflects sunshine.

- But that brings me to the issue

of the blue and white of the Cyclades,

someone told me that it was law,

that they've got to have white houses,

with blue windows, and blue domes,

or brown doors,

- [Ronia] Okay, okay,

the white outside buildings is the tradition,

and it's also the law.

The tradition says that this material is calcium carbonate,

which is antiseptic, so it keeps bugs and insects away,

reflection shine better, and also allows walls breathe.

- [Peter] Ah, yes.

- [Ronia] So it helps the temperature inside the building.

Today, it's also the law,

which says in traditional places like Sifnos,

you have to whiten your buildings every year.

There is no law about the colour of doors and windows.

- Okay.

- And blue, since you mentioned, is not a traditional colour.

- No? - No.

- Where did it come from?

Didn't Metaxas in 1936, the Prime Minister,

he said, "I want all the houses"--

- Okay, okay Metaxas--

- Let me finish! (speaks in foreign language)

- Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.

(laughs)

- Metaxas said-- - You know, I'm...

(slaps hands)

- (Speaks in foreign language) This is Sifnian women, man.

They are strong! You know--

- I know what you're going to say!

(laughs)

- He said, "I want all the houses white, and the domes blue,

"the blue for the sky, the white for the waves."

Now you tell me your story,

'cause you're dying to tell me, right, go on, yeah.

- Traditional colours were colours that people could make,

so blue was never a traditional colour,

because they couldn't make themselves.

Today, there is no law about it,

you can have your doors and windows any colour you want.

And many, many Greeks

believe that blue is a traditional colour.

- Ah well, it is the way it is.

- So, yeah.

Would you like to make friends again?

- Mint? - Bravo!

- I'm friends, I'm friends, I'm friends darling, I'm friends

- It's mint - I'm friends!

(Uplifting guitar music)

I'm a big eater,

and all this walking and talking leads to one thing,

me getting hungry.

So a quick stop to try a local delicacy,

called revithada was perfect.

Its made from chickpeas,

baked for six hours in a ceramic pot.

It was made as a traditional Sunday meal,

and being a Sunday, it was only fitting I gave it a try.

- The reason is, that way, on Sunday morning,

after church, people, women, had the meal of the day ready,

so they didn't have to cook on Sundays.

- Right, okay.

Because Sifnian women are a bit different

to the other islands, aren't they?

- Ahh...

- They've got more power.

- They have a power.

- They have a power, in the family.

- If this is what you want.

- From tradition, from the times of gold and silver.

- From the very ancient times,

but in recent history, even more, and today as well.

- They control the money in the family?

- They have the financial control of the money.

And men are very proud of this.

- Yes, the men are proud?

- Yes, I was just sure

that you are going to comment on that.

(laughs)

Men are very proud to have a very clever woman next to them,

who can handle situations.

- Well it's good to have a clever woman next to me.

Thank you very much.

- Thanks a lot.

- I'm lucky in that way too,

I have a clever woman next to me as well.

- Do you like your chickpea soup?

- Fantastic, fantastic.

(Speaks in foreign language)

And with a bit of white wine.

(Speaks in foreign language) as we say.

- And the chickpea soup is very thick, as you can see

it's not, very watery.

- This is not soup man, have a look at that, awesome, eh?

And do you dip bread in it? Do you put bread?

- Bread, there are many Greeks who cannot sit on the table

if there is no bread. - Without bread,

that's right.

- You know. And some others who cannot sit

if there is no feta cheese.

- [Peter] No feta cheese, that's right.

Yes!

I love this revithada man.

They are so good.

Eat up! Eat up!

(laughs)

(Upbeat Greek music)

(Speaks in foreign language)

Sifnos is known for its clay.

For over 2,000 years it's been exported across Europe.

One of the last remaining potters on the island is Antonis

He's the third generation running the family kiln.

Good quality, Sifnian clay.

It's everywhere here.

I don't think he's ever going to run out of material,

that's for sure.

And the good thing is, they just dump it here for him.

Antonis's family have been operating this workshop

since 1870, and what you're looking at

is one of the last remaining traditional kilns on Sifnos.

I imagine there wouldn't be many of these found

anywhere in Greece.

When Antonis eventually retires,

his son will take over the trade,

making him the fourth generation

running the family business.

It's Antonis's hope that it will continue

for many generations to come.

However, it's a legacy that could easily become a burden,

as there's likely some temptation to leave the island

to pursue your own career.

But no doubt, the pressure to maintain the family trade

is just that little bit greater.

Four generations of potters, here in Vathi.

And we're seeing two generations here,

it was his father and grandfather.

I love that!

I love that we're seeing

a fully vertically integrated business,

Antoni, and his forefathers before him,

took the dirt from the mountain,

they mixed it here in his own little pad over there,

this little well that he's got there,

they mixed it, they turned it into clay,

into this sort of clay,

they put it on the wheel,

they put it in their own oven,

and they sold it, to the boats that came in.

And these boats would go right through the Mediterranean.

To Cyprus, Crete, all the islands.

That's why they're close to the water,

that's why you will see the potters

on the coastline.

He's already finished, in like, two minutes.

The potter's wheel is now electrified,

and a few of the other parts of the process

have been made easier,

but the bones of it are the same.

The clay is sourced locally,

the shaping is done by hand,

and the kiln is as it has always been.

The most significant change has been the clientele.

People now use stainless steel pots for home cooking,

so most of what comes out of here

ends up being sold to the passing tourist trade.

These are awesome, they are Sifnos through and through.

On a Saturday night, what they'll do is put water,

chickpeas, olive oil, and onions in there,

they'll put 'em in the oven, Saturday night,

Sunday morning after they've come back from church,

they'll open 'em up, and they'll have chickpea soup.

Now it is absolutely awesome, and it's not a gluggy soup,

it's actually a thick, awesome mass,

and I tell you what,

it makes me hungry just thinking about it.

So I'm going to buy one of these,

and I'm going to get Helen to start making revithada.

Revithada? (speaks in foreign language)

Chickpea soup. - Revithada.

- Let's go.

Before electrification, this is how they shaped the clay.

Man it feels awkward!

I don't know if I could do this,

he says they work morning to evening,

all light hours.

I don't know if I could be doing this all day,

sitting in this position.

Shows you the amount of work these guys would have put in.

Unbelievable, eh?

(uplifting guitar music)

We've only just scratched the surface of Sifnos,

and if the start of my time here is anything to go by,

it's going to be an amazing week.

It's an island that you might not have heard of,

but Sifnos has had quite an influence on the nation.

Not only through the pottery that was made here,

but more so from the food.

This is the birthplace of the great chef Tselementes,

the father of moussaka, and other great Greek recipes

now eaten across the globe.

He changed how and what Greeks ate,

and in the next episode, I'm meeting his grandson,

who like Antonis, is carrying on a family legacy.

How's that? Have a Kyriakou bar!

Come on, you want a Kyriakou bar?

Is that awesome or what? You like the Kyriakou bar?

Everybody loves a Kyriakou bar!

Is that good?

There's a bit down there, okay?

All right buddy, love you.

There, you can have that,

there you go.

Next time on "My Greek Odyssey",

apart from getting a cooking lesson from a master,

I'll be walking from one side of Sifnos to the other.

I'm going to see and do as much as I can,

on this slice of Greek Paradise.

We'll head to the ancient watchtowers,

found around the island's perimeter,

and visit the former capital, Kastro.

I'm also popping across to Poliegos,

a tiny island that's home to just a single shepherd

and his flock.

(Upbeat Greek music)