Original subtitles

(upbeat bouzouki 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 North 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 is seeing me leave

the Northern Aegean and heading to the Western Cyclads.

Here, I've been exploring some of

the lesser known islands of the region.

It's been a step back in time

to when Greece was much quieter.

We're nearing the end of the journey

but I've saved plenty of great stuff for last.

And in this episode I'm continuing my time on Sifnos.

After a couple of days on the island

it's clear that this is one of those hidden gems

of the Mediterranean.

Sifnos is a sleepy place where I imagine

most of the locals know eachother

and are across all the gossip in the community.

It's a charming island

that your average foreign tourist knows little about.

And that's exactly why I love it.

You know what they say?

If you wanna go to a good restaurant,

you follow the locals.

Sifnos is an island where all the locals are at.

Have a look at the number plates.

All Greek number plates.

Must be a good island.

So, here's a bit of background information

to help establish the place.

Less than three thousand people call

this 74 square kilometre island home.

It's a dry and arid landscape with

a mountainous interior.

Well, not really mountains

but steep hills that go from

the heart of Sifnos to the coast.

In ancient times, mining brought great wealth to the island.

It was actually one of the first places in Greece

to mint coins.

Throughout history there have been

all sorts of ups and downs.

From invasion and occupation to economic disaster

and now, slowly turned to prosperity.

However, over the centuries,

there has been one consistent thing.

And that's the famous Sifnian pottery.

The clay here's been shaped by artisans

and shipped around the country since ancient times.

The summer months are the busy period

when people come from the mainland to escape the city.

It's actually a little more than a few hours from Piraeus

via the high speed catamaran.

It's also a great place to base yourself

and explore the surrounding islands.

To continue my intensive education on all things Sifnos

I met up with a local, Ronia,

who knows the island like the back of her hand.

- [Ronia] The small bay of Kastro.

It was the first port of the island down there.

High steps.

- [Peter] Yeah.

- [Ronia] Because of the stones they use.

- So, these are remnants of

the ancient city that this is built on top of.

- Yes and no.

- You're never gonna agree with me are you?

You're never gonna agree with me, hey.

I don't know what it is.

- I don't know who's fault is this.

- It is the Sifnian.

- We'll decide at the end.

- Okay, right.

- So, this is the best example of where the ancient city is.

- I just said.

Anyway, okay.

- This village is not built on top of the acropolis.

- Okay.

- It's built with the marbles of the acropolis.

- Ah.

- They use the marbles and ancient pieces,

not only from the acropolis,

but also from the ancient city below

the acropolis as building materials.

This happened during Venetian time.

So, here we can see four different pieces

from four different columns creating one.

- What's this one?

- This is Doric.

- That's definitely Carinthian.

Okay.

- Yeah, bravo.

- Thank you very much, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I know a couple of things anyway.

But you know what?

It's such a beautiful town.

I love this.

And it's so quiet now, everybody is sleeping

so we better be quiet.

- It's siesta time, yeah.

So, we can talk but not shout.

- Shh.

- [Ronia] You see, this is what I meant.

- [Peter] You can forgive the old lady for being

a little bit annoyed by us standing at

the front of the house chatting.

They get so many tourists through here in summer

and during the middle of the day,

when locals are having a siesta,

the last thing they need

is my bellowing voice in the lane way.

In my defence, I do have a bit of industrial deafness

and I was a touch excited.

- She heard first.

- She's gonna scream at us again.

Centuries may have passed

but it feels as though little here has changed.

It's still a quiet and peaceful island

far off the tourist trail

and free from many of the modern trappings

that can sometimes take away from

the authenticity of the place.

So, Ronia, there's houses below and there's houses above.

What is the difference?

- The village is built in three levels.

The first level was for the poorest.

- Right.

- And the doors and the buildings were very low buildings.

- Right.

- Now, we are on the second level of this village

and these buildings are not connected inside.

- Right.

- It's a different property upstairs

- Yep.

- Different property downstairs.

- And these were wealthy people?

- Richer, yes.

Because there is also a third level.

- Oh right, where's the third level?

- (laughs) it's hidden.

- Okay, all right.

- Because we had to protect the village, you know?

- Oh, okay, righto.

So, I can see along here, all the houses are joined.

It's like a wall of the castle.

Is that the wall of the castle?

Because this is not a traditional castle.

Every castle I see does not look white, you know?

- Exactly, and people come here and ask,

where is castle?

Where is the castle?

- Yeah, yeah, we're in it.

- Where is the castle?

We came to see the castle.

But, actually, the village is built like a castle

with buildings very close to each other

like creating the outside wall.

And this is what we can see.

Buildings like, as you said, the outer wall.

- [Peter] What period are we talking about?

- [Ronia] Venetians built this village.

- [Peter] Right.

- And we had Venetians on

the island from 1210 to 1620.

- [Peter] Wow.

(soothing bouzouki music)

Wow, unbelievable eh?

This is a fantastic example of what's essentially

a fortified town.

It was built to deter invaders

and it stood the test of time.

Not even a constant battering from mother nature

has brought about its demise.

(upbeat bouzouki music)

At the heart of Sifnos is the capital, Apollonia.

It's actually a collection of villages,

that over the years,

have grown and melded into the one town.

The other settlements are

Exambela, Actimonda, Ano Petali and Cato Petali.

Which are all now suburbs of the greater township.

They were built amongst, what was once,

thriving agricultural land.

The ancient terraces running down the hillsides

are a testament to this past.

Today it's a convenient place to base yourself

as the beaches are nearby

and there are plenty of quaint villages

in the surrounding mountains.

It's here you find a lot of the islands hotels,

restaurants and nightlife.

It's also home to Tselementes.

A name that's synonymous with Greek cooking.

We're meeting with Giorgos Tselementes,

the grandson of the most important chef in Greek history

and he's also a chef.

When I was growing up,

every Greek household had two books.

One was the Bible and the other was,

the equivalent, in terms of cookery.

Every kitchen had a copy of Nicholas Tselamendez cook book.

He's, arguably, the most influential chef

to have come from Greece

and his recipes have shaped contemporary Grecian cuisine.

He essentially put a French spin on things

and it was adored by Greek housewives.

So this is a very rare book.

And he talks about, not only recipes, but.

- [Giorgos] Nothing more, only recipes.

Even inside, how to set the table,

how to speak, where do they sit people in your house.

So, everything.

- About nutrition.

- Yes.

- About cooking utensils.

It's basically become, now,

the guide for all Greek housewives on,

not just recipes,

but how to conduct themselves in the kitchen

and at the dining table.

And, basically, from paddock to plate.

So, it's a very rare book.

I Think we better put it to one side don't you think?

- Okay.

- Okay, let's put it aside and get started.

Giorgos has released a cook book of his own.

It updates his grandfathers work

for today's more health conscious community.

For example, he uses less frying

and sunflower oil in place of butter.

His rationale is that,

we're less active than back in the days

when we worked the fields.

So we therefor need less fat in our diets.

- [Giorgos] And we put a little bit.

- [Peter] Now, obviously,

we're not explaining how the mince meat was prepared

but you need to go to the cookbook to have a look at that.

You can either go to the original Tselemendes

or you can go to his grandsons cook book.

This is the actual, most traditional recipe

that the world knows of Greece, moussaka.

And yet, there are so many better recipes as well

but I love this stuff.

- If our eggplant is bitter we can put a little sugar.

- Only the good, Greek, sugar though.

The stuff, it's natural.

- Honestly I use sugar all the time.

- You do?

- Yes.

- Well I know plenty of chefs that use sugar.

My wife is not one of them, I can tell you.

Helen, I hope you're not watching this.

So, after the minced meat,

we put another row of?

- [Giorgos] Eggplant.

- [Peter] Of eggplant, melitzána as we say.

- [Giorgos] Mm-hm (affirmative).

- [Peter] And this smells so good man.

This smells so good.

- [Giorgos] Now we will put eggplant.

- Another row of eggplant?

This is like a triple sandwich isn't it?

I used to watch my mother make this

and it was part of the digestive process for me

because I was juicing up all the enzymes

and saliva working up just watching this

and that's happening right now.

With not just me but with a few people in the room.

Next, goes in the bechamel sauce,

a foundation of French cooking

that's the defining element of this famous Greek dish.

Now the traditionalists are gonna say,

why is he putting in sunflower oil?

Well, we've already explained that to you, okay?

This is 21st century,

for the guys that sit on their bum all the time.

But if you don't sit on your bum,

well, you'll be fine.

You'll be able to give it butter.

Early in the 20th century,

Greece was still in the culinary dark ages.

That's a bit harsh.

But what I mean is, that the food was very provincial.

Using simple ingredients that could be grown

or harvested from the sea

and eaten with minimal preparation.

Don't get me wrong, it can be delicious

but Tselemendes added some European flair.

This took Greek food to the world

and revolutionised peoples attitudes

towards home cooking in Greece.

The downside was, dishes were less healthy.

But hey, if you're like me,

flavour and taste are subconscious winners

over the though of inches around the waist.

We grate the nutmeg in there?

Okay.

- [Giorgos] For many, this is the most important.

- [Peter] Is that right?

That little thing, that little bit of nutmeg?

Ah, wow.

And that's the smallest grater in the world.

Wow.

Being surrounded by food

and air that was thing with amazing fragrances

only made me hungrier.

The sooner it's in the oven, the sooner we'll be eating it.

But works of art do take a little time to create.

Ah, wow, you don't even need a utensil.

You just pour it on top.

He's a chef, man.

He's the man, look at this.

Look at the colour.

I love the textures.

Obviously not too much.

- [Giorgos] Not too much.

- [Peter] Enough to let it get a bit of colour.

- [Giorgos] Yes.

And there we will put butter.

The essence of butter everywhere.

- Ah, right, okay.

With the magic of television,

we have the final masterpiece ready to be devoured.

When it comes to food, patience isn't my strong point.

I didn't even give it time to cool down.

- We cut a little later,

everyone will have to leave 10, 15 minutes

and after the cut, that's why little bits are.

- That's okay, I'm starved, I'm gonna eat it

because it looks too good and smells fantastic.

I tell ya.

The big test, the big test.

- The big test.

- That's fantastic, that's really good.

And the difference whether it's with oil or butter.

There's no big difference at the end of the day.

You can't tell, nobody could tell.

- No

(both speak in foreign language)

- You're a gun mate, you're a modern day chef.

21st century moussaka chef, everything chef.

Good on ya mate.

- Thank you.

- And the wine's good.

I gotta keep going, this is so good.

Many young Greeks probably have

no idea who the genius was behind much of the,

now, traditional food they eat today.

They've got Nicholas Telementes for it

and now Giorgos continues that legacy.

You know, Giorgos, my mother,

if she was alive, she would be so proud to be here right now

because your grandfather, your lineage,

changed her life and changed the life of

all Greek women around the world.

It's fantastic mate.

And you're part of that and you're still doing it.

You're still a visionary.

Moving ahead.

It's in the DNA, it's in there mate.

Good on you buddy.

You're a gentleman mate.

Thank you very much.

Let's keep going, this is good.

So good.

I think we can cut now because I want another piece.

Okay?

Don't let anyone know, okay?

(upbeat bouzouki music)

- [Peter] The iconic image of a white windmill

is synonymous with the Cyclads.

It dates back hundreds of years.

However, the history of Sifnos is far greater

and some of the remnants of this past are terraces.

They cover the whole island

and many are still in use today.

In some places it looks like an open cut mine

with terraces stepping down the mountain

from summit to valley floor.

Building these by hand would've taken centuries.

Every generation of farmers would add more to the hillside.

Increasing the arable land where

they could then sew their crops.

It was necessary in order for them

to be able to grow enough to feed themselves

and trade with passing merchants.

In time, thanks to industrialization,

the need for local produce reduced

and they became largely abandoned.

Those still used today are maintained

while others slowly deteriorate.

However, the most fascinating ruins

I came across on the island

were the 76 towers dotted around the coast.

Centuries of weathering and being pilfered for materials

have seen some become, almost invisible

to the untrained eye.

Others though, are almost completely intact.

This is one of 76 known watchtowers on the island of Sifnos.

Built in the fifth century BC.

Just look at the size of the stones.

These watchtowers had a specific use.

Each watchtower could see another watchtower

and it was a way of communicating to protect

the gold and silver mines that they had here.

Popular mythology also says that they use these towers,

amongst others in the Aegean,

when Agamemnon in Troy was coming back home.

He actually signalled, using these towers,

to his wife in Peloponnesus

to let her know he's coming home

that happened in one night.

Amazing.

Check it out.

It's heavy.

(relaxing guitar music)

Enormous.

This one is called the black tower.

Sounds like something from Game of Thrones.

It was built in the fifth century BC.

Today it stands at over five metres

wit a diameter close to 11 metres.

Building it in modern times would've been challenging enough

let alone in an era before mechanisation.

Man and beast would've carted the huge stones

from nearby quarries

and engineers, using primitive tools,

would've painstakingly placed each one in position.

Talk about an awesome feat of ingenuity.

Back on the road, I continue my drive around the island.

Every corner revealed an amazing view

of dramatic coastal scenery.

It's a rugged landscape with dry, rocky hills

ending abruptly in a churning sea.

The lack of quiet bays, beaches and safe ports

means there's little development.

So the place is completely devoid of people.

Despite the small population and size of the island,

there's one thing Sifnos isn't short of

and that's churches.

You could visit a different one each day of the year.

Mind you, that's fairly common across Greece.

Reaching the south-east of Sifnos,

you come across the most famous of them,

Chrysopigi.

It's famed, not only for its location,

but the number of miracles that have occurred there.

Father Agathangelos has been at

the monastery for ten years.

He originally came from Crete

but has fallen in love with the place.

He believes the miracles occur thanks

to the icon of the virgin Mary housed inside.

Tell me about one of the miracles that you know.

Tell me the story of the miracle.

- Have a woman here, too sick, very sick.

- [Peter] Yes.

- And pray to the virgin Mary.

After one week she was.

- [Peter] She wasn't sick any more?

- Yes.

- [Peter] And this happens a lot?

- Yes, here, yes.

Every person here.

- [Peter] Wow.

- Have one story from the virgin Mary.

The virgin Mary lived here,

is working here

to this island.

- So, you told me you have a gymnasium.

- Yes.

- Do you train every day?

- Every day.

- Every day.

Can we train together?

- If you don't fret, yes, why not.

- But maybe I might beat you in a gym.

You think so?

- Yes. - Yeah?

- If you like, let's go together.

- We will go together.

- But it's very difficult for you, believe me.

- Why's it difficult for me?

- You are old man.

- (laughs hysterically) an old man.

I am an old man.

- It's very difficult for you if you play with.

- But you're a young man?

I'm 54, you must be 40.

- I'm 51.

- You're 51? - Yes.

- Come on, are you serious?

Are you saying that for the camera?

- Yes.

- You're 51. - Yes.

- My understanding is, someone told me,

you opened the gym

and you've opened this gym to the public.

- Yes.

Before six years, to open the gym.

- Yes.

- For the boys. - Yes.

- For the persons.

And really, I'm very happy

because it start

with 12, 13 persons

and now it's come 100 persons.

- [Peter] Wow.

- In the summer, more than 200 persons

every day go there to play.

- [Peter] Wow. - Yes.

And the money give to the persons

to starting English

or university.

I like, listen.

If you like the god,

okay,

it's working for him.

It's very important to speak with big boys.

- [Peter] Yes.

- For the people who come to the church.

- [Peter] Yes.

- You know, many persons do not come to church

because think many things negative

for the priest or for the church or the money.

For many things.

- [Peter] Yes.

- But is not though.

- [Peter] But look at this.

This big guy here.

You're very strong.

- I like, I like it.

- [Peter] You work on arms, shoulders, everything?

- Everything.

- [Peter] Everything?

Legs and everything?

- Everything.

One, every day have one part.

- [Peter] Yes, so, you do a different part every single day.

- Every day.

- [Peter] We gotta go to the gym together, okay?

- Yes, why not?

- Done, but I'm not an old man, I'm not an old man.

- If you make 100 pushups every day, you are nothing.

- (laughs)

- After 500 pushups make this time, call me.

- You can't do 500.

- This time come, I'm here.

- (laughs) Okay, I think I've got no hope with this guy.

(both laugh)

The church has been built on the ruins of an older one.

Constructed in 1650.

It occupies a peninsula that's split from the mainland.

Legend has it, that a group

of Sifniat women were hiding from pirates there

and through a miracle,

(speaks foreign language)

keeping them safe from invading pirates.

Religious or not, it's a great place to visit.

Just make sure you've been exercising

in case father Agathangelos challenges you

to some pushups.

(pleasant bouzouki music)

- [Ronia] Are you okay?

- [Peter] (speaks foreign language)

- [Ronia] Now, it starts like that but this is the.

- [Peter] This is like a goat trail.

- [Ronia] (laughs)

- [Peter] Look at that.

It's beautiful, eh?

I love this.

Ronia. - Yes?

- Why do they call this trail.

Why do they call it the eternal capitals trail?

I don't understand, why?

- We gave different names to our trails.

- Yes.

- Just to help people who use this up.

This name is because

if you do all this route,

which is more than eight kilometres,

you have seen all the very old places on the island.

The Kastro, the old capital.

The top of the hill with an ancient acropolis

and many historical monuments.

- So, listen, I trust you but can I check the app.

I wanna check the Sifnos app and make sure.

- Yes, please.

- Make sure we're going in the right direction, you know?

Because you may be taking me in the wrong direction.

You know?

- No.

The reason to check an app is not

because you are afraid not to lose your way

because there are signs everywhere.

- Okay.

Why do we use the app then?

- So, even without me, it's not easy to get lost.

You have to try, to get lost.

You can use this if you want to learn something more

because there are many photos

and information also on this website.

- Okay, well, let's keep going.

This is great.

I don't need the app, I've got you.

You can tell me everything.

- Without me, it's a very good guide.

- I got it just in case.

Ronia, might let you be boss all day.

You can be boss all day.

- [Ronia] I don't think you can do that.

- [Peter] I reckon they could try, I'll try.

There's no better way to start the day

than with a walk in the countryside.

A gentle breeze, amazing scenery,

some exercise and a little education along the way

make for a complete package.

I love these stairs, they're a regional.

How old are they?

- Ancient, BC. - Ancient?

- Yeah. - Wow.

- In the old times, people built things to last forever.

- Yeah, but we still do.

I still do, I'm a builder.

- Ah, maybe you do

but I bet today's do have an expiration date.

- That's my competitors, that's not me,

that's my competitors.

After you.

- [Ronia] I'm sure.

- [Peter] You know, Ronia,

these paths are actually quite easy

because the treads.

Look at the treads here,

they're so long and the riser is so short.

And that was for the donkeys.

- [Ronia] For the donkeys.

This is one main reason, for the donkeys.

So they can walk.

It's very hard for the donkeys to walk

if there is nothing flat.

- [Peter] That's right, that's right.

- [Ronia] And it's a lot easier for humans

because it's flat.

It's not going up, its flat

and then it's flat again

and then it's flat again.

- [Peter] So it's a gradual ascent.

Yeah, it's beautiful, awesome.

Easy for me.

- [Ronia] There was a reason for everything in the past.

- [Peter] Oh, hang on Ronia.

We've got Sage.

- [Ronia] Exactly.

- [Peter] My mother used to make me tea

with this awesome stuff, it's beautiful.

- [Ronia] You can drink it, even like that.

- [Peter] You can?

- [Ronia] You boil water, you put it in.

We drink it a lot, it's the local tea.

- [Peter] Tea, yeah.

- [Ronia] Exactly.

And the nice breakfast rolls with Anis,

Sage tea and (speaks foreign language).

Let me show you

because here you stopped and we have many herbs around.

This is Thyme.

It's not very happy now because it's.

It's very dry.

- [Peter] Thyme.

Oh, it's beautiful, yes.

- [Ronia] But in July and August

there are purple flowers.

- [Peter] Yeah.

- [Ronia] And it's beautiful.

- [Peter] But I can smell it, it's beautiful.

You've got herbs everywhere.

- [Ronia] Everywhere.

Do you know this one?

- [Peter] No, what is it?

- [Ronia] There is something you don't know, I'm glad.

(both laugh)

we call it Skino.

We don't drink it or eat it but it is anti-septic.

We use it to wash the barrels we put the wine in.

- [Peter] Oh, right.

Skino, I've got no idea what it is.

Let's keep going.

Skino.

- [Ronia] Skino.

(gate squeaks)

- [Peter] Thanks.

- [Ronia] We leave that there, the way we find them.

- [Peter] We have to, of course, of course.

- [Ronia] If it's open, open,

if it's closed, closed.

- This is beautiful.

- Yeah.

- Eh.

It's so clean.

It's like, this is Sifnos.

- [Ronia] Everywhere is clean in Sifnos.

- [Peter] Look at it.

(chilled music)

The people of Sifnos are very proud of their little island.

It may not have the iconic landmarks of Athens

or the fame and popularity of Santorini

but it has its own unique charm.

It's clean, accessible, welcoming

and has plenty for visitors to see and do.

What it does lack are Creeats,

which is a good thing.

You can hike all day long and barely see a soul.

Or you can find a beach or hidden cove

and spend your time relaxing in the sun

without anyone pulling up a deck chair nearby.

In my opinion, to get the most out of Sifnos,

the more adventurous and independent

a traveller you are, the better.

It's a place you have to discover.

Primarily, under your own steam.

So, Ronia, this is a beautiful path.

How many paths do you have?

- We have 19 signed roads and

about 100 kilometres.

- Wow, a hundred kilometres of marked trails?

- Exactly.

- Wow.

- And we have a hundred unmarked.

- A hundred unmarked?

- Unmarked.

- You can see it on the app.

It's a beautiful walk.

It's beautiful.

There are trails all over the island

from top to bottom

and across the middle.

They vary in distance and challenge

so, whatever your level of fitness,

you'll be able to find something that suits you.

One thing they all have in common

is fantastic views.

If it's not a coastal scene you're enjoying,

it'll be a vista across rolling hills

or a series of ancient ruins.

The best thing is,

you don't need a map or a personal guide

because they've made their own Sifnos trails app

that has all the details you need.

Mind you, I still like to have

an old school, printed map in my pocket.

Just in case the phone battery goes flat.

(chilled music)

(upbeat bouzouki music)

- [Peter] After spending the day travelling around

the more remote parts of Sifnos,

I made my way back to civilization.

Realistically, it's such a small island

that you're never really that far from a town.

The towns themselves

are all sleepy, little seaside settlements

where Yachti's spend their days,

bobbing about in the safety of port.

Of a morning, the only sounds you hear

are the lapping of water

and the occasional splash

from someone diving in for their daily swim.

Things liven up a little as the day progresses.

Tourists and locals rise from their slumber

and start heading to the cafes around mid morning

for breakfast.

From there it's beach time.

This usually involves a bit of a walk,

some wading in the shallows

and then sitting on the sand

or a deck chair for an hour or so.

Next stop is lunch,

which for Greeks, is the biggest meal of the day

and usually blurs into the afternoon.

After that, it's time for a nap

followed by a beach session until the sun sets.

Then, once again, it's back into the tavern

for the final meal of the day.

Starting at around 9:00 p.m.

This last sitting can take a few hours

because it's as much about socialising

as it is about eating.

On this day, I skipped the post breakfast beach visit

and instead met with a local,

Leonidas Dimitriads Evgenides.

He's from one of Greece's wealthiest shipping families,

yet, despite his success,

he continues working hard.

Not only for his business but for the betterment

of the people of Greece

and the island he calls home.

What drives you to work so hard,

to spend the hours that you do doing what you do?

You could sit back and do nothing.

- It's about

how someone's brought up.

It is the feeling that nothing belong to us.

We're administrators.

Is the responsibility for the generation

to create and pass something, if possible,

more from its qualitative aspect to another generation.

So, it's there and this is the joy of life.

The joy of life is

(speaks foreign language)

have said is, whatever I do,

I do it for the next generation to come.

- We only have a short amount of time in this world

and we wanna do a lot of things.

What is the one thing that you wanna leave behind

and possibly be remembered by?

But I know you're not gonna say, I don't wanna be remembered

because you're an introvert

but what is the one thing you wanna leave behind?

- All human beings will have to leave something behind us

and if I had a wish,

not only for me but for anybody who belongs

to my generation,

is to give out experience to the young generation

so, for them, to be in a position to heal,

as soon as possible, the damage that our generation

did to our country.

- [Peter] Wow, that's a major legacy,

I can see what you do

and what a lot of others are doing, is doing that healing

you can definitely see it.

Because you've gone through a difficult period.

Tell me a little about that damage that,

you think, your generation has done.

I, sort of, understand it but many people don't.

What do you think it was?

What was it?

- It was a period.

We were the middle of the globalisation ultimacy,

where things happen the right direction,

the wrong way.

So, for a long period of time

things that were too easy.

So, there was much more

to spend than leave unless to create.

Whereas, Sifnos, we enjoy today what,

thousands of year, people who've had worked

and with their life, they created.

Their legacy.

That was their inheritance.

So, we're spenders.

So, from spenders, we have to become producers.

And only, you can do that, by heart, mind and soul.

- [Peter] Do you think it's working?

I mean.

- Yes, for the new generation, I see it working.

- [Peter] Yeah.

- I think it's very difficult.

You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

So, there's a generation which, perhaps,

is not only the generations fault itself.

It has to do with our parents

who were brought up during world wars,

civil wars, catastrophes,

so, they wanted to make a better and decent life for us.

So, we're much more enjoy the rights

and we're feeling a little less, our obligations.

- [Peter] So, some of these young people

that are in there twenties, here in Greece,

that haven't seen the difficult times.

What do you say to them?

What do you say to the young Greeks out there?

Because you're connected.

- I don't say anything to them

because these people, they are conscious

and they understand, themselves, they have to work hard

and I honestly believe that it's very important that

the people who try, also to try in Greece

because otherwise it's a pity for

a country with a brain drain,

to lose the best of a generation.

Then their cooperation is very slow and very difficult.

So, yes, we're global citizens

but it's important that a good part

of the promising

and there's a place and space

for everybody to work in Greece.

A remaining Greece for Greece.

- [Peter] It might be a beautiful place

but behind the picturesque setting lies

a challenging reality for locals.

The brain drain that's happening in Greece

isn't isolated to just here.

Anywhere in the world that has high unemployment

and low incomes is going to experience the same

but the difference in a place like

the Greek islands is that, once gone,

people don't return in a hurry.

The turnaround in economy is much slower

in places like Sifnos.

Everything moves at a more gradual pace.

So, it takes a lot of investment

and inspiration to get things back on track.

That's where people like Leonidas come to the fore.

Through his philanthropy and influence,

he's making a huge difference to the lives of others.

The people of Greece are a resilient lot.

They've been through plenty over the centuries.

Wars, famine and oppression have shaped them

into a tough people.

So, now it's time to put that strength into practise.

Knuckle down and work hard to restore the nations economy.

(relaxing music)

You can't see the white caps out there

but the weather has actually kept us in Sifnos

for a couple days longer than we wanted to

but it's been a great experience

because we've discovered more of Sifnos as a result

and the many personalities that it has.

This place here, alone, here at Lazerus beach.

It's so comfortable,

so luxurious.

I feel like the weather should stay here for a bit longer.

Cheers.

Be sad to leave Sifnos now.

That's beautiful.

(sighs with relief)

I feel like a bit of a travel tart.

I seem to fall in love with every island I step foot on.

Across the last two series,

I've probably seen a dozen or more places

that are up there in my favourite places to visit.

Mind you, it's hard not to be smitten

when there's so much beauty to enjoy

and such incredible history to learn about.

(upbeat bouzouki music)

- [Peter] I'm on the island of Poleigos,

adjacent to Kimolos and Milos.

And to everybody, this is an uninhabited island.

But we've heard that there is one lonely shepherd, Petros,

that's been living here for 30 years.

And in my quest to see all the inhabited islands of Greece,

I had to come here.

But this is some track and some mountain.

Even though it's surrounded

by islands where there's plenty of people,

Poleigos remains vacant,

with the exception of our herder and his goat, it's empty.

There's even very little in the way of plant life

which is largely due to the aforementioned animals.

For those of you who don't speak Greek,

the name translates to mean, many goats.

Despite all he great minds

and artists that have come from Greece,

sometimes they're a bit simple in naming places.

Jeez, he wouldn't wanna have too many visitors would he?

It's a dry, rocky lump of land

about 18 square kilometres in size.

It's not flat either.

So, you can see why it's not exactly

the most attractive place to build a settlement.

That said, the isolation and views have their appeal.

It's the kind of place, that in 20 years from now,

you'll find a yoga retreat.

The man I was coming to meet is somewhat of a hermit.

By no means does he not like visitors.

Petros is just seaking sanctuary away from the crowds.

Where he and his animals can enjoy

a simple life with minimal stress.

He spends his days tending

to his animals like they are his children.

He's not on Facebook or bothering with politics.

He gets on with things fuss free

and at his own pace.

(both speak in foreign language)

It's like his family.

(both speak in foreign language)

They've all got a different name.

This is Petros's family.

This is fantastic.

(both speak in foreign language)

See ya girls, boys.

Thank you.

Life here might be simple

and Petros may not be a wealthy man

but it's happiness that we all aspire to.

He's achieved a state of wellbeing

that most of us only ever dream about.

There's nothing better.

And the Ghi, the heavy Ghi.

Man.

(coughs and laughs)

(both speak in foreign language)

With Petro being

the last surviving inhabitant of Poleigos,

I can't help thinking

that in a few years time he'll no longer be here

and we're probably the last ones to film life

on this island.

It's a bit sad but wow, what a great experience it's been.

In the final episode of series two,

I'm finishing my time in the western Cyclads

by exploring the islands of Kimolos and Milos.

Despite their close proximity to one another

they're in stark contrast.

Kimolos is small, sparsely populated

and relatively flat.

While the much better known, Milos,

has a mountainous landscape and loads of people.

Each has its own appeal which I intend to unearth.

(gentle bouzouki music)