All language subtitles for Francescos Mediterranean Voyage BBC 07of12 The Peloponnese_ENG_Subtitles01

FRANCESCO: After five weeks
sailing the Mediterranean,

we have docked in Athens for a few
days to rest and refuel the boat.

So, I'm using the time to go
on a road trip.

I'm heading into Greece's wild west.

Grazie, ciao.

It's a long way,
so I need some wheels.

MUSIC: "Born To Be Wild"
by Steppenwolf

Where I'm going people
are tough, really tough.

So I need to look the part.

ENGINE REVS

I'm half way from Venice
to Istanbul,

following the trading roots
of my ancestors.

We're in Greece and I'm heading
south into the Peloponnese.

The Corinth Canal divides the
Peloponnese from the Greek mainland.

This is a land
steeped in myth and history.

My first stop is an ancient site
of architectural splendour.

A vast arena built with
just one purpose, to entertain.

This is Epidaurus,
the mother of all the theatres.

These theatres were the cradle
of all dramatic art today.

Whether Hamlet, Tosca,
or Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.

Epidaurus was built
2,500 years ago.

It was the Greeks
who invented theatre.

This place seats 14,000 people.

Although, I'm not so sure how
comfortable those stone benches are.

It's every Greek actor's dream
to perform here

and I've got a date
with one who's done it.

Francesco! Artemis!

How's it like to perform here?

Oh, well, it's a great honour
for an actor to perform here.

This is one of the most handsome
theatres in Greece and the most big,
as you can see.

You feel so, so tiny here, you know,

but when the performance begins,
you have another emotion
that fills you.

And how is it possible to hear you
when you're down there?

Well, the acoustic here is great.

I'll show you. You stay here...

..and watch. OK.

The acoustics are meant to be
so good that even the smallest
noise can be heard from the stage.

Francesco. Yeah. Hear this.

SOUND OF PAPER TEARING

Wow. It's fantastic!

Wait!

PAPER CRUMPLING

Brava!

It was marvellous. What was it?

Well, it was a monologue from
Libation Bearers from Aeschylus.

It's over 2,000 years old.

Thanks.

I'm finding these Greek roads
a little nerve-wracking.

It seems that Greeks have
their own way of dealing
with anxiety and stress.

They're even more laid back
than us Italians!

Their secret to keeping calm -

worry beads, in Greek called,
komboloi.

MUSIC: "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
by Bobby McFerrin

So many kombolois here.

Yes, there are a lot. Wow!

But why do the Greek use a komboloi?

Because they won't have a company.

They feel alone. Maybe, maybe.

Do you have an old one to show me?

Yes.

They're all the kinds here. Uh-hmm.

This is the oldest.

It's about 400 years in amber.

Amber, it is the most lucky,
or every one is lucky?

Every komboloi can give you good
luck, if you choose with your heart.

I'm doing a trip from
Venice to Istanbul, sailing.

I would like to buy one.

I show you

an olive wood.

People in our country love
very much this material.

This is black coral with silver.

This is a little heavier.
Can I try that one, blue one?

This one?

Yes, the big one.

OK. This is blue lagoon, blue coral.

Nice colour. I like it.

You like it. This is my choice.

It's very difficult to choose,
but if I have to pick one.

And now, I don't worry any more.

I'm heading inland into Arkadhia.

In the ancient world, this was
a safe haven in time of war.

Today, the very word Arkadhia
means earthly paradise.

And seeing the real place,
I'm not disappointed.

It's so quiet, it's hard
to believe not long ago,

a great city flourished here.

A place of learning,
culture and power.

It was called
the Florence of the East.

Today, the city of Mystra
lies in ruins.

Ruins like this never fail
to move me.

It's a reminder that in the future

people will see what's left of
our homes and lives in the same way -

a humbling thought.

But some of Mystra's treasures
survive.

This is the convent
of the Pantanassa.

It's home
to a masterpiece of medieval art.

These frescos
were painted in the 1430s.

They follow a strict code,

a hierarchy seen in
all Greek churches of the time.

At the top is Christ,
protecting us all.

Beneath him is La Madonna,
the Holy Virgin Mary.

Then come the Saints.

The frescos
tell the story of Christ,

his birth...

..His teachings...

..His entry into Jerusalem.

The colours are not realistic,
but bright and vibrant.

Other churches in Europe
are a little terrifying,

but here the feeling,
because of the colours, is joy.

God is not to be feared, but loved.

It is He that gave us
happiness and beauty.

The Ottoman Turks conquered
Mystra in the 15th century.

The city never regained its power
and fell into decline.

I'm entering the Mani, the most
remote part of the Peloponnese.

The inhabitants of this region
are known as Maniates
rather than Greeks.

They are a people apart,
used to doing things their own way.

To understand them, you must see
inside one of their churches.

This church was built hundreds
of years ago

and I'm surprised
it's still standing.

This is, how you say, DIY church.

Locked.

All I need to do now
is find the way to get in.

SPEAKS GREEK

This feels like a real
Aladdin's Cave.

Over the centuries, the villagers
have continued to decorate it.

Simple modern icons
are mixed with ancient frescos.

This may not be the most
impressive church I've ever seen,

but it's definitely
the most intimate.

It's not just the Maniates' churches
which are hard to get into,

but their hearts too.

They are tough people

and this is Greece's frontier land.

Even today, they have a reputation
for being unfriendly.

I'm a little nervous
about stopping here,

but it looks like these days,

they've swapped their pistols
for backgammon.

SPEAKS GREEK

They went away.

They don't want to play
backgammon with me!

Luckily not everyone in Mani
is quite so hostile.

George was born and bred here,

but he's up for a game.

What are the people in the Mani like?

They live...very, very tough life.

It's difficult?
That's why their nature,

because from the morning
to the night,

they did not know nothing
else except to work,

that's why they have a tough life.

That's why they become tough people,

I say.

Three and one.

And six. And six, yeah.

Sixes or fives.

Ah! We are both double!

Great, very good!
We drew and we are happy.

You can tell just from the landscape
that life could be hard here.

The problem was, there just wasn't
enough fertile land for everyone.

This is Vathia, a village
full of towers today destroyed.

Each house was a,
how you say, fortezza,

a fortress to protect the people.

Not just from outsiders,
but their neighbours.

In a charged atmosphere like this,

fights broke out over food
or family honour.

The villagers built their homes
like towers,

so they could defend themselves
from their rooftops.

The vendettas could
last months, even years.

The women could go in and out
of the homes with food and armour.

And when it was harvest,
the men go out.

They worked together in fields
as if nothing is wrong.

Then they go home, lock their doors
and try to kill each other again.

It's crazy.

Today, Vathia is uninhabited,

but not because they
all killed each other.

In the early 20th century,
many villagers emigrated to America.

Considering what life here was like,

I don't blame them
for wanting to leave.

It's difficult to imagine
anything sweet

coming out of this harsh place, but
the Mani is famous for its honey.

Can I taste some honey?

Yes. We go?

OK...

This for you. Here.

I have to admit,
I'm a little scared of bees.

Do you have something for the hands?
No. No.

Apparently bees can smell your fear.

Fortunately, I'm in good hands.

Sotiris has been looking after bees
for over 30 years

and he's assured me
that smoke calms them down.

I hope he's right!

Wow. Mamma mia!

Whoa!

So many.

And the queen is here?

The queen, yes, is here,
but it's difficult to...

No, no, we don't wake her up!

We leave her quiet.

It's better. OK, leave it,
no, we don't want to bother her.

Just to know that she's here.

And there is only one queen?

Yes, only one. Only one.

Oh, this is all honey.

Wow.

Can I taste it?

Oh, my God.

Go away, little one.

Then how I do it?!

Mmm!

Buono, that's good. Yeah.

Yeah, I like it.

My journey through the Peloponnese
is nearly at an end.

I'm heading for a place
that once

witnessed a terrible tragedy
for my people.

It goes back to the days when Venice
ruled half of the Mediterranean.

This is the fortress of Methoni.

We call it the Eyes of Venice.

We had 100 fortresses like this
all around the Med.

You see, we couldn't have
a big army in each place.

So if attacked, we hide in the fort

and wait for the navy
to come rescue us.

Strategically, Methoni was the most
important of all our fortresses.

From here we could prevent Turkish
warships sailing up towards Venice.

As long as we had Methoni,
our empire was safe.

All Venetian forts have our logo,

the lion of St Mark,
but the details change.

Sometimes the book is open,

sometimes it's closed
and the lion grips a sword.

It all depends what Venice's
relationship is to that
particular place.

Here the book is open
without the sword drawn.

Here Venice is the law giver
and the defender of Methoni.

The Turks tried many times
to take Methoni,

but each time we fought them off.

Then, in 1500,
the unthinkable happened.

The sultan himself arrived
with a vast fleet

and laid siege to Methoni.

After a long resistance,
the Turks breached the walls.

In their attack,
they were merciless.

It was a massacre.

The Turks killed the men and sold
the women and children into slavery.

The few men who survived the attack
were taken here to the bourtzi,

the tower that juts out
from the end of the fortress.

This was the last thing they saw

as they were taken inside
and executed.

The locals say that when the winter
winds hit the bourtzi,

you can still hear the screams
of the dying.

When the ruling councillors
of Venice

heard the news about
the loss of Methoni,

they wept.

Venice was losing her grip
over the Mediterranean.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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