Original subtitles

- Now you'd think after 25 episodes

of filming the Greek Islands, we'd have seen everything,

well you're wrong.

Have a look behind me,

that the coast of Asia Minor

and that's what makes this archipelago

of the Dodecanese Islands,

so different to the rest of Greece.

It's that Asian, sultry, exotic influence

in the food, the culture

and all the architecture here that just makes it so special.

Now, I've been here before

but I'm excited to go again, let's go.

My travels around Greece as part of this odyssey

have taken me from the heart of the nation, Athens

and throughout several of the major island regions.

We've cruised around the coast of the Peloponnese

and traveled among the Ionian Islands.

Then we made our way across the Northern Aegean,

before spending time exploring the hidden gems

of the Western Cycladic and man, was it beautiful.

This series sees us steering Mia Zoi further to the east

and into the Dodecanese.

The name might have you thinking

there's only 12 islands here

but in actual fact, there's over 160 of them,

with 26 being inhabited.

The geographical location not only means

that the Ottoman influence is strong

but the landscapes are much more arid,

hot and drier than other parts of Greece.

It gives it a character of its own

and in the weeks ahead, I'm really excited

about showing you what makes it such a special part

of the Mediterranean.

Most visitors to the Dodecanese

start their journey in Rhodes or I have Kos.

It's a jumping point to many

of the Northern islands of the region.

Here we are, day one.

30 hours of traveling to get here last night

and I was exhausted,

but you know what, I woke up this morning,

blue sky, went for a run, had a swim

and I'm looking forward to the next three months

of filming in the Dodecanese islands.

We're here in Kos and we're just about to go

to Astypalaia and we haven't got a lot of time,

so I'll see you soon.

My plan was to weigh anchor after only a day's rest,

so that I could come back and spend more time here,

after exploring some of the other islands.

First stop is Astypalaia,

which is a couple of hours cruising to the west.

Upon arrival, I met with the deputy major, Maria.

At 35 years of age, you'd think the urge to leave

this relatively remote place and head to the city

would see her doing what a lot of young Greeks do

and pack her bags,

but it seems this island is unlike many others,

because the locals don't want to leave.

1300 people here and it's been like that for decades,

so no one's leaving, why isn't anyone leaving?

Why is nobody leaving Astypalaia?

What is about Astypalaia?

- Because I think the energy are the only things

that the island have, keep you here.

- What has the island got that gives you that energy?

What is it the island has that gives you that energy?

- We don't know.

- You don't know?

- All the island have the energy.

- Astypalaia is where the Cyclades meet the Dodecanese.

It's the western most island of the group

and is shaped like a butterfly,

with one wing being, Messa nisi or inner island

and the other called Exo nisi, the outer island.

Joining the two is a narrow strip of land.

The capital and main port is called, Chora,

which is the same name as the major settlement

of most Greek islands.

It basically means, town.

The other thing you'll come across in Greece

is that they also refer to the island capitals

by the same name as the island itself.

It can all get a bit confusing.

It seems to be in the Greek islands

it's always a long walk to get to the best spots

and there's a prize at the end of this.

Definitely getting my exercise for the day.

The walked to the top passed by architecture

that's typical for the region,

cube shaped buildings with flat roofs,

flanking narrow, criss-crossing lanes.

Towns were designed this way to confuse pirates.

Today they serve to puzzle tourists.

Wow.

The white-washed walls, windmills

and gorgeous water down below

form the postcard image of Greece.

So, from an aesthetic point of view,

I can see why people don't move away,

but there has to be more to this place.

I've got to find out what this so-called energy's about.

I could do with a bit of it right now.

So for a castle, I can't see any cannon holes anywhere,

I can't see a cannon.

Now, it's probably because this island

was in the middle of nowhere

and it wasn't that important.

So, how did they protect themselves for 300 years?

I really don't know,

but I'm told when the Ottomans invaded,

they got beehives with pre-angered bees

and threw them at the Ottomans.

Well, you know what happened then, Ottomans took over.

They held the island for 400 years

until the Greek war of independence in 1821

and then the Turks took it back again until 1912,

when the Italians came to the island.

Much like they did for most of the Dodecanese,

but who cares about the history.

Have a look at this.

It's well worth--

just this view is well worth the climb.

It is absolutely magnificent.

It's incredible to think that here once stood a fort

that would've been quite significant in its scale,

yet this island is relatively small

and not exactly of major strategic value.

But then again, every inhabited landmass

provide a worth to someone,

even if it was just a stepping stone

to get them closer to being able

to invade another nearby island.

Walking amongst the ruins, my mind wanders

as I try to imagine what would've happened here

across the centuries, countless people would've walked

through these remains.

There would've been battles fought,

times of celebration and periods of mourning.

Walls would've battered by canon fire

and additions made to fortifications

when new powers took over.

No doubt these ruins would've seen plenty of drama.

Today they stand as a solemn reminder of a bygone era,

when people lived in fear of invaders.

Nowadays, it's about as peaceful an island

as you'll come across.

A great way to see the island is on a road trip.

A short drive allows you to see the diversity

of the landscapes and it's easy to stop along the way

to take photos, visit one of the small towns

for coffee or pretty beaches for a swim.

Now, Astypalaia can be recognized in many, many ways.

One, by the shape, because it's shaped like a butterfly

and we're coming up to a spot here called, Steno.

And it's basically the center of the island

where there's symmetry and it's only 100 meters across,

it's actually quite beautiful.

The other way it could be recognized is by its name.

Astypalaia in one way is old city in Greek,

but the term I really like that the reference

of Astypalaia, is actually in popular Greek mythology,

Astypalaia was sired by Phoenix and abducted by Poseidon.

Poseidon then seduced her

and they sired the king of Kos and the king of Samos.

I think I prefer that one.

He was a real deviant that Poseidon,

anyway we're coming up to the Steno.

You can see the water there and 100 meters to my right,

you see the water on the right as well.

It's pretty impressive.

It's a beautiful coastline and there's beaches everywhere.

What I love about these beaches,

they're not that beautiful blond sand,

they're that gray-brown sand,

but you've got trees all along, so you got shade.

You don't need an umbrella,

the cafe at Steno, back there there's a little cafe.

You know, it's actually quite natural.

Well, it's nature, isn't it?

The beauty of nature always puts man-made wonders to shame,

even here, which is not exactly

the most scenic part of Greece,

the rugged coastline, rolling hills

and secluded beaches are stunning,

but if you wanna see the classic beaches

of Dodecanese that people rave about,

you have to head to one of the surrounding islands.

Making my way back to port,

we upped anchor to find one

of those pretty stretches of sand.

As much as I love the quint little marinas we visit,

it's the freedom to explore more widely,

allowed Mia Zoi that I can't get enough of.

Regardless, she's a boat and belongs at sea,

not tied to a bollard, bobbing up and down.

It takes a while to get underway,

once the anchor's up, ropes untied

and the decks cleared, we signal our departure

before idling out of port.

It's a team effort and somewhat of a dance.

You've got crew scampering about,

making sure everything is okay,

while the captain oversees it all from above.

Once clear, we can open her up to cruising speed

and in no time at all, we're out to sea,

heading to our next destination.

In this instance, we were steaming across to Koutsomitis,

a tiny, uninhabited island.

Is around eight kilometers from Chora,

so about a 15 minute transit.

Along for the ride was Michalis,

a local of Astypalaia, who uses his small boat

to take tourists to hidden gems like this

in nearby Kounoupi.

It's a gorgeous spot for a day trip,

where you're lucky to find a handful

of people swimming in the crystal clear water.

Like anywhere in Greece, if you get some local knowledge,

you're gonna discover some special things

that your average tourist won't find

in a travel book or website.

This island might be known to a few savvy travelers

but Michalis told me about a place called Red Rocks,

which is a bit more of a secret

and has a story that harks back to World War two.

It was only a short cruise away,

so naturally I had to find out more and see it for myself.

It's a fjord in Astypalaia?

- Yes, inside there in the second World War,

the submarine hidden inside, okay.

- The Greek submarines?

- The Greek submarines.

- So, Captain, I'm a bit concerned about the fjord,

you know where that is, can we get in there okay?

- Ah we can get inside there, it will be tight.

- So how wide is it, Yianni, there at the fjord?

- It's about 14 meters.

- And we're seven meters wide, aren't we?

- Seven something, yeah.

- So, there's not much on either side, is there?

- No, there's not.

- Okay, well it's very tight but he's a gun captain,

he's a gun captain.

- Are you sure that he's a good captain?

- I know he's a good captain, mate.

He's the best, I tell you, he's the best.

Now tell me, well are concerned, are you?

- If he cannot do it, I can do it you know.

- Okay, but I know I trust him, so it's okay.

So, how high is there?

How high are the rocks?

- 30 meters, around.

- 30 meters? - Yes.

- Wow fantastic.

- If you want you can jump.

- We can jump, well I'm gonna jump in the water

and there's a cave there, isn't there?

- Yes.

- So, we're gonna go into that cave?

- Yes.

- Wow. - We'll go together, yes.

- Done.

Okay well, let's go.

I visited similar caves before,

they're surprisingly common across the islands.

In series one, I was on Meganisi in the Ionian

and captain Yianni knew a place where Greek submarines

would hide from the enemy.

It was pretty cool to squeeze Mia Zoi into the cavern

or at least try to.

We've just left Ithica

and we're headed to Lefkada over there, this is Meganisi,

which in Greek is big island.

It's not that big but that's a big cave,

that's called the Papanikolis cave,

it's called the Papanikolis cave

because a Greek submarine and man, we're getting close,

a Greek submarine used to hide in here in World War Two

from the Italian navy.

They'd go out, shoot them and come back.

We're going right in there right now

and man, it's a bit scary.

It's okay, where are you going?

Yianni, what are you doing, this is too close buddy.

Yianni is scaring the shit out me here.

Two years on and Yianni is up to his old tricks again.

He just love to see me squirm

when he so casually puts Mia Zoi

into these incredibly tight spaces.

Man, ballsy, ballsy.

Oh let's go, have a look.

How deep is it?

- How deep, 60 meters.

- 60 meters okay. - Yes.

- So, 60 meters in with 30 meters behind us, okay.

All right.

Yianni, you're a bit close, are you?

I think captain Yianni just waved me off.

And yes, he does realize it's my boat.

Yianni, I think that's enough, don't you?

I think we've gone far enough in.

- Well done, Captain, bravo.

- So, we can go down there right?

- Yes.

You can go inside here,

there is a big cave and the cave is on the left.

- Fantastic.

- And we will go out

from the other side of the mountain.

- Wow.

Awesome.

I've worked a known several captains

of the sea over the years

and Yianni is the best of them.

He's simply incredible,

not only in his knowledge of what do and see

but how to get the most out of Mia Zoi.

He knows every inch of the Greek islands,

but I reckon he has an even better understanding

of the boat, though I have to admit,

he does sometimes stretch the relationship a little

with the heart palpitations he gives me,

but the end result is that my family and I

and you guys at home, get to see some really cool stuff.

Michalis is a bit younger and fitter than me,

so naturally he was a gentlemen

and let me take the sea bob for a spin while he swam over.

It could've been a case of respecting his elder

or maybe I just pulled rank.

I'll take any opportunity to play with my toys

and I did go for a run this morning,

so I earned that easy option.

Swimming through these narrow gaps between the cliffs

and exploring hidden out caves,

takes me back to when I was a boy.

I had a habit of escaping parents' watchful eyes,

clambering over rocks and doing things they never allowed.

It's all a bit of youthful fun

and keeps you feeling young.

Mind you, it also gets the heart racing,

not only from the exercise but the little bit

of nervous fear that creeps in

from doing things that take me out of my comfort zone.

You have to do it on occasion in order

to feel alive and test yourself.

The escapade finished with a swim

through a spectacular blue hole

that emerged into the open sea.

It was a great side trip

and I couldn't thank Michalis enough

for showing us this little gem.

No doubt, captain Yianni will add this to his notebook.

Astypalaia is probably one of

the most remote island in Greece.

It borders the Cycladic group of islands

and the Dodecanese group of islands.

When you look at it, it looks like a Cycladic island,

that white, square prism shape

but it's actually governed by the Dodecanese.

It has the culture of the Dodecanese

'cause it's close to Asia Minor.

From the wild saffron that grows here

for their beautiful recipes from the koulouria

to the risottos,

to the quietness of these open plains.

It's not the sort of place you come to

if you go to bars and nightclubs and five star hotels.

This is the sort of place where you come to

and just read a book and enjoy the beach

with very few people on it and it's great value too.

And I'm looking forward to that food with the saffron.

Saffron has long been the world's

most expensive spice by weight.

It actually grows wild on this island

and as a result, it's used in many of their recipes.

This includes one of my favorite Greek snacks,

the koulouria.

They're a type of biscuit, traditionally made at Easter

and everyone has their own recipe.

My mother made the most delicious, soft, sweet ones

which I miss so much, God rest her soul.

To show me how they make koulouria Astypalaia style,

I met with Angela who works at a local baker

known for their saffron creation.

You're an Aussie, what are you doing in Astypalaia.

- Well as you know, as the story goes,

I came here about 30 years ago, in 1987.

I was on holiday, I met my husband

and that was the end of it.

- And you met your husband and you stayed?

- Yeah I stayed.

- And do you like it here?

- Yeah of course I do, it's beautiful.

Haven't you seen the island?

- I have seen it, it's awesome.

There's an energy about this place.

- There is, isn't there?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Positive.

Okay, so now we add the water.

- Ah, we add the water to it, right.

- It's a bit slightly warm.

- Right, okay.

- Okay, so that dilutes.

- And this will go into the mix?

- Into the mixture, yeah. - Okay.

Now you can really smell it, can't you, yeah.

- It should be all right now,

have a look.

- Okay, all right, good.

Let's have a look at it.

Let's have a look at it over here.

Have a look at that, guys.

Is that wonderful or what?

So, what do we do now?

- Okay, now we're gonna mix the stuff together.

- Okay. - All ingredients.

- Okay, beauty and it goes in there right?

- Yup.

- For the lactose intolerant amongst you,

this probably isn't something you wanna eat.

There's plenty of goat's cheese, milk,

slabs of butter, eggs, yeast, soda water, flour,

nutmeg, cloves, salt and of course saffron.

If you want the recipe, you'll have to visit our website,

but don't tell anyone, it's supposed to be a secret.

- Nutmeg and cloves.

- It's pretty easy, you're just adding stuff.

- You just add stuff, yeah.

- You don't need to be a genius, a chef to do this, right?

Then the yeast goes in.

That's a lot of yeast.

- Well, we're gonna add eight kilos of flour.

- Eight kilos?

- Yeah. - Of flour.

- Yip.

- Well, the saffron goes in.

- Yeah.

- Ah look at that color.

Beautiful.

Wow.

- Okay.

- Now, you wouldn't know but in the background over there,

is Maria, who is Angela's mentor, right?

Yeah look she's talking right now,

telling her, giving her guidance

to make sure it's 100%.

What's that, salt?

- Salt, yeah.

- That's a lot of salt.

- We almost forgot the salt.

- That's the good salt.

It's the healthy salt.

It's seems like some of that island energy

was starting to affect me.

I was moving at a million miles an hour.

I'll try doing the twirly job

'cause I used to make these with my mother.

God rest her soul.

She made great koulouria.

You know and--

not bad huh?

Not bad.

Not bad for a builder. - Very good.

- Pretty good, hey?

It's supposed to look like this or this.

- Okay, that's the finished product, yes.

- That's the finished product

at the end of the day.

So, in the oven for an hour, what temperature?

- I'm not sure, you'd have to ask the baker that.

- Right, 'cause the baker,

yeah it's 180 degrees, something like that.

- Baker takes care of that.

- And then--

ah 'cause you guys make it and the baker does it.

- Yeah, yeah, that's it.

This is where we finish.

- Oh okay. - We shape them and that's it.

- You don't know, so you know the recipe

but you don't know the whole thing,

they hold it to themselves.

- Yes.

- Watching the shaping is almost therapeutic.

They can easily churn out hundreds of these

in a morning of baking.

So, the normal koulouria is soft

but this breaks like a rusk, it's a rusk?

Like that, see.

And you get more value in the dipping,

it doesn't fall away,

whereas the normal koulouria is soft

and it could fall away.

You could be left with a bit koulouria

in the Greek coffee.

- And as we said, with the local cheese it's really nice.

- The local cheese, a bit of cheese.

- A bit of cheese it would be golden.

- Angela, thank you very much for this.

- Your welcome.

I hope you enjoy them.

- Yeah, we're gonna enjoy them for sure.

I'm gonna tell Kyriakos to--

Kyriakos, I hope you're watching

and Helen, I hope you're watching,

so you can make these as well.

I might make them with you.

Once the camera was out of the way, the local ladies came in

to get the process really humming along.

The awesome thing here is,

they're not actually paid money to do this.

It's a bartering system,

where they lend a hand and in turn get some baked goods.

What a fantastic way to involve the community.

The spirit of community and sharing is common

on many of the islands,

more so the ones that are less touristy.

They rely on each other to bring to society

the different things they require to get by.

It's one of the key reasons

that the people of Astypalaia remain

and don't have the need to move to a larger settlement

for work or life's necessities.

They have it all right here.

If they need some sea food,

they just pop down to the harbor

of a morning and trade with one of the fishermen.

If there's work to be done around the house,

a local builder or painter will lend a hand.

It's a collaborative approach to creating

a sustainable community and it looks like

it's working perfectly.

There's a saying I've heard that Astypalaia

is the island that tourism forgot.

Coming here for the first time,

I get a sense that might've been the case.

However today, it's slowly changing.

The handful of travelers that do come here

spend the majority of their time in the beautiful capital

or on the beaches scattered along

the west wing of the island.

But on the other side, in the north-east,

things are very different.

It's far more remote, particularly if you come

to places like the protected bay of Vathy.

You feel like you're an explorer discovering the unknown.

It's a part of Astypalaia with very little settlement,

where just a handful of people have built homes

and fishermen come to seek shelter.

It's also where much of their agriculture occurs.

It's the food bowl of Astypalaia

and a stroll around the harbor gives you a sense

of the unchanged, centuries old, farming way of life.

The slowly declining rural element of Greece,

perhaps gets the least amount of coverage in the media,

but may well have the greatest impact in the longer term.

Yes, the economic downturn has hit the cities

and the corporate sector, which in turn has hurt

the average person, but in the country,

where the farmers live, it has also meant

that things have gotten harder.

Prices have dropped, there's increased importation

of products and people have abandoned the islands

in search of work.

So, the goat herders and grain growers

now have fewer mouths to feed in their community

and therefore end up in an unsustainable business.

Once they go, who will grow the food

to feed the island towns.

It's a vicious cycle.

You know, there's about a billion goats in the world

and they produce probably 2% of the world's milk,

which is sad, they should be producing more

'cause I love goats milk.

It doesn't have to be homogenized

because the cream actually doesn't suspend

at the top like it does with cows milk

and it's just so much healthier for you.

These guys, they're special because their cheese,

the chloro that Astypalaia is famous for

is absolutely awesome.

Lads, ladettes, thank you very much,

really enjoyed your goats milk

and your cheese.

Much like wine comes in thousands of variants,

in Greece, so too does goats cheese.

Every island has its own unique micro climate

and geography, which in turn influences what they grow

and the recipes they have for making the cheese.

Here in Astypalaia, I discovered chloro

and as expected, it was unlike any goats cheese

I'd ever had before.

While on the quiet northern side of the island,

I had one of the best experiences

during my time on Astypalaia.

We were all getting hungry

and we were keen to spend the evening off the boat

and experience a bit of local cuisine.

Unfortunately nothing was open,

but we noticed there was a light on inside

this little tavern.

It was closed to the public

as they didn't expect any tourists,

but when we popped our heads in to say hello,

Maria and her elderly mother,

who as it turns out, also calls the tavern home,

welcomed us in with open arms

and were quick to fire up the stove.

It was such a fantastic show of hospitality.

All she asked is that we waited patiently,

while she whipped up a home cooked meal.

Kyriakos, popped into the kitchen to lend a hand

as we went about setting the table

and having a glass of wine.

The quint thing about this tavern

is that there was no menu or price list.

Maria simply makes what she can with what's available

and charges little more than what the ingredients must cost.

It reminded me of what Lulu's Tavern in Spetzers

would've been like 30 years ago.

You're made to feel special, like an old friend

coming to pay a visit.

It's a great example of a business

that's more of a lifestyle choice

than a money-making venture.

Maria treats you like family,

opening her doors, pantry and heart

to those that come knocking.

This is the real Greece.

Love a Greek tomato.

Something about the Greek tomatoes that's so nice.

Hearty, big flavors with a rustic charm,

cooked fresh with love.

It's the type of meal I've come to prefer

over the fidgety fine dining

that's all the rage in the city.

The simplicity of this dinner, with this massive serves

and even bigger tastes was made all the more enjoyable

by sharing it with the crew of Mia Zoi,

who are like our extended family.

For me, Astypalaia is the quintessential Greek island

because it's remote and in the middle of nowhere.

It's hard to get to.

The plane comes everyday but it only brings 40 people,

comes twice on Sundays but yes,

it's got that absolutely magnificent front Chora

and it's picturesque, it reminds of Santorini

maybe 40 or 50 years ago.

But peel back that beautiful front page

and beneath it, inside the book is what you see here,

it's this remoteness and it's almost like

it's stuck in time.

This is what it would've looked 40 or 50 years ago

or 100 years ago and the people haven't changed.

I look at Maria where we had dinner last night.

We came in with our boat,

what did she do, she opened it up for us on a Tuesday night.

It didn't matter, she's open all the time.

This is what Astypalaia is about.

It is that place that hasn't changed.

Yeah, it's got WiFi but everything else hasn't changed.

I tell you what, it's a great place, you've got to come.

Take a look at this place,

there's not a soul in sight,

no hum of cars or sounds of power tools or music,

the only noises are the lapping of the water,

some insects and occasional dog bark

and the crunching of my footsteps.

Oh and my raving Mr. Camera,

but that won't be happening when you're here.

Just off the coast of Astypalaia,

in one of the more sheltered parts of the island,

we came across a fish farm.

In my travels around Greece, I'd seen plenty of them before

and there are more of them popping up all the time,

as the agricultural industry here grows.

Chris actually has one of the biggest in Europe.

Despite having past by them often enough,

I've never had a chance to get a good look at one,

but seeing a few smiling faces and waving hands

as we went by, I took a punt and asked if I could check out

what they were doing.

At one stage I wasn't a big fan of fish farms

but you realize that population growth in the world

is far outpacing our ability to deliver food

and we need to come up with new ideas

to provide food for this world

and fish farms is one of them.

They say that they're polluting

but when they move them around and the new feed

that they're providing them,

they're getting better and better

and hopefully one day they won't be considered

the pollutants that they are.

So, let me go and check it out

because I need to understand it more for my own sake.

I'm here with Manoli.

I can't slip.

It's okay, there we go, there we go.

Oh wow.

So, we're bringing some fish right now

and these are lavraki, which is sea bass.

There's four tons in there

and there are 40 encasement's like this all around here,

they more then around, so they don't pollute the area.

We're just about to see them come out.

Now, when he said four tons, I sort of didn't believe it,

but as this net's coming up it's just unbelievable.

I've never seen so many fish in one spot.

In recent decades, the once thriving Mediterranean

has become largely depleted of its natural marine resources.

Over-fishing from various countries that border the Med,

has seen her become plundered.

It's so coincided with rapid population growth

and the only way to feed all those hungry mouths

is through industries like this.

To some it's a confronting site,

but the reality is, it's a necessity.

So, it takes about half an hour to get these guys out

and they do this about three times a week.

The fish are placed in huge tubs of ice,

which serve two purposes.

One is to keep them fresh but more importantly

it also puts them to sleep.

It's the one of the more humane methods of harvesting.

It can still be a bit challenging to watch.

Now I gotta tell you, I was concerned about coming here

because you know, I don't like seeing any animal die

and there's so many fish here that are passing away

but it seems like it's reasonably humane

because they basically cool them down

and it's gonna be done, people need to eat.

The scale of the operation

and volume of fish they have, is just impressive.

In a growing industry, it would seem these guys

are at the forefront.

It's a contrast to how when

the industrial revolution arrived,

it forced people to leave the islands.

The typography of the land meant large scale agriculture

and manufacturing weren't possible

but agriculture on the other hand,

is something Greece can certainly lead the way in.

It can fill the void left by the industrial revolution

and bring back people to the islands.

Manoli may not be a farmer like his father was,

nor is he a fisherman in the traditional sense

but his gainfully employed

and able to support his family remaining

on the island he loves.

Leaving the fish farm, I reflected on the days

we just spent in Astypalaia.

It was a clear weather window

that brought us there at this time.

We originally planned to come later in the year

but when an opportunity arose to make a dash across

to this remote part of Greece, we jumped at it.

You have to make the most of good cruising conditions

and the beauty of Mia Zoi is, we're adaptable,

but our time here was up.

So, we got back onto our original course,

making our way north-east to the tiny island of Pserimos.

So a couple miles to the south is Kos

and a couple miles to the west is Galianos.

We're in Pserimos and Pserimos lives

of its tourism basically.

The day tourists that come in here

on those boats, on those gullets, just to swim

at these beautiful beaches.

I'm here to find out why they come here.

Let's see it it's all its trumped up to be.

That was my attempt at a dramatic entrance.

I'm not quite as graceful as I once was.

Regardless, the quicker I could get

into that gorgeous water, the better.

Well, it's true, the water's beautiful,

the sandy beach is nice

and this is the main town,

the main port with such a beautiful beach.

It's hard to believe.

Anyway, I'm gonna go and check out that tavern.

Walking along the beach, you immediately get the impression

that this place is set up for large numbers of tourists.

But where are they?

The shops are stocked full of goods,

with beads and trinkets to sell,

there are taverns all around the port

with empty tables and hot grills ready to go.

Other than a few locals,

I pretty much had the place to myself,

but that would all change in an hour or so

because everyday from late in the morning

this place transforms.

It goes from a peaceful paradise to a hive of activity

as the tourist boats roll in ferrying hundreds of passengers

coming for just a couple of hours.

Wait until you see how much of a contrast it is.

I can best describe it as being like a theme park,

at least for now though, I could sit back,

relax and enjoy the sounds of the lapping water.

It looks like I'm not the only one an odyssey.

Having visited here five years ago,

I knew exactly what to expect,

but the film crew on the other hand, had no idea.

Here we were in a picture perfect peaceful island

and then in almost an instant,

it was like a neighbor cranking up the volume

on their stereo and spoiling your quiet morning.

It gives the place a completely different vibe

and one of a party island.

Nikos watches it unfold everyday.

- Every time you see the boats come in,

it's like two shifts.

So, the one will show up around 11-ish

until 12, 12:30 and then you have a quiet break

which will be about two and a half hours

and around three again

you have the people attacking you again.

It's like an invasion.

- Twice a day hordes of tourists visit

from Galianos and Kos and it's like a military operation.

The boats role into the port and people storm the beaches,

while the guides stand there with clocks,

reminding the visitors what time

they need to be onboard again for departure.

I'd worry if I wasn't back in time

that I'd be left on this sleepy island,

you know what though, that would actually be a good thing.

I wonder how many people hide behind the dunes

just so they can stay a little longer.

Why do they come here?

Why do they come to Pserimos?

What is it about Pserimos?

- These people?

- Yeah.

- First of all, we're talking about the guys

who come on the boats?

- On the boats yeah.

- Like it or not, they're gonna come through.

- Yeah.

- That's the deal with it.

- It's the beaches and the warm water.

- Yeah, you got this paradise here.

- Yeah.

- Look where you are.

- Yeah. - Feel it.

- That's awesome man.

- Many people think it's not natural.

- Do you ever put shoes on?

- No, no my friend, no.

- For seven months you've got no shoes.

- Seven months, six months is no shoes, mate.

This Pserimos guys and if you wanna come for a holiday,

you come for that reason 'cause first of all,

you don't need luggage.

You come over with two changes of swimwear,

you got two shirts for your evening,

two pair of trousers and that's the end of Pserimos, mate.

That's the holiday.

Bring cash with you, what else to you want?

Your rooms are here on the beach,

I think it's perfect, perfect living.

- So, there's the day trippers,

but there's people who stay here in the evening,

how many do you think stay on the island?

How many rooms are there?

- First of all, we have a lot of people

that are hardcore foreigners who love this island

more than Greeks do.

- Really, okay?

- You got people coming here since the 1980s every year

and they will spend two and three weeks and a month here.

There must be something there.

- Yeah.

- Don't ask us, I'm here for my business all right,

like it or not, I've got to be here.

I do my business, I love the place.

But you ask a foreigner who comes here

and spends his holiday every year,

that's who you should ask I think.

- Yeah for sure.

- Hello!

- Taking Nick's advice, I was introduced to Glenn,

a Welshman, who has been holidaying here since the 1980s.

He spends his entire vacation, just sitting on the beach.

It's awesome.

What I wanna know is, what keeps bringing

you back here since 1985?

- Well, initially it was the look of the place

and then when you get here, you start to meet the people.

They're all very friendly, very nice people,

some are contentious, some are not,

but they're Greek and this what I loved about it,

the Greek--

I still don't speak much Greek but--

- But you're communicating, I mean?

- Always we have some fun

and we do it with fun and laughter

and we get close this way.

I think people who come here,

they're not just your normal tourists,

there's something a little bit,

you look at things a bit different,

you're like I first seen it.

The wow this is beautiful.

There are others who come here through the year

and from all over the world.

We sit here, it's like United Nations some nights.

You know, we've got Germans, Dutch,

we have Teke-Slovakians, we've got Spanish,

we go every night and we all sit together.

- They come in like locusts for an hour or two,

twice a day, thousands of them and then they go,

how do you handle that, mate?

- Well, you just shut your eyes

'cause you know it's gonna go.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Now, you stay in this hotel just one night, right,

you'll get up at 7 o'clock in the morning

and you've got this beautiful empty bay.

And you really know it's 11:15

but there are going to make a living,

so we just let them get on.

12 o'clock they're gone.

- Yeah.

- Then we got this peered when you arrived today,

seeing the quiet and you think, ah you know, this is nice.

- Yes, yes.

- And the of course in the afternoon,

it just gets crazy again.

- It seems kind of ironic that most of the people

that come on the day trips,

do so to sit on a peaceful beach

and see a slice of the authentic Greece

that you only get on the small islands,

but the whole machine-like process happens so quickly

that I can't imagine it being all that relaxing.

However, I do understand why they do it.

Not everyone has the time or money to spend months

on end traveling amongst the 227 inhabited Greek islands,

so if you wanna see some of the smaller places,

these types of day trips are a great option.

After the night here, I actually join the flotilla,

headed for Galianos.

I'd have loved to stay a little longer

but there was a very special package

waiting for me at the post office.

We just got delivery of our new flight board in Galianos,

came all the way from Australia.

It's the first one in Europe

and there's so much packaging there, it's unbelievable.

Look at that baby.

I'm excited.

There's a foil that connects

to that bottom little rectangular section.

The foil basically is a big airfoil fin

and it sits up out of the water like a hydrofoil.

Wow.

The flight board is designed

and make in the coastal Australian town of Byron Bay.

It looked like so much fun

but it sure wasn't as easy as they made it appear

on their promo videos.

The ships engineer, Mikey was the test rabbit.

When I asked for a volunteer to figure out

how this thing worked, he was quick to put his hand up.

It took a bit of getting used to

but once he got the hang of it,

how cool was this thing.

It was like floating through the air,

quickly followed by crashing head first into the water.

I could've said I was a natural and took to it immediately

but I actually spent an undisclosable number

of hours mastering it before I let the cameras role.

It's some of the best fun I've had in years.

As much as I love all the cultural activities we get up to,

I occasionally like to cut loose

and have a bit of good, old-fashion fun.

This is just the beginning of the third series

of "My Greek Odyssey".

In the weeks ahead,

I'll be traveling through the Dodecanese,

digging deep into the culture and heritage

of a part of Greece that's about

as far from Athens as it gets.

Many of the places I'll be visiting

are well and truly off the tourist track,

yet have a charm that makes them fantastic destinations

that no doubt, will eventually be on every traveler's radar.

There's also gonna be a few of those well known island,

where not only will I be showing you

what makes them so popular but I'll do my best

to unearth a few things you probably never knew about them.

Next episode I'll be hopping off the flight board

and onto the island of Galianos.

It's the fourth biggest landmass in the Dodecanese

and somewhat of a hub for the smaller surrounding islands.

Amongst other things, it's famous for adventure sports

like rock climbing.

The mountainous interior is a playground

for thrill-seekers and hikers too.

The island also has a rich history

that's closely linked to sponge diving

and I'll experience how the divers involved

went about harvesting their bounty.

A part from being highly educational,

it's also gonna be loads of fun.