All language subtitles for The Greek Islands With Julia Bradbury Series 1 Part 1 Crete 1080p

'In the hearts of us Brits.

'Every year, three million of us
head there for our holidays,

'and it's easy to see why.'

This is Greece. Look at that!

'I have a strong affinity
with the islands -

'my mum is Greek...

'..although she despairs
that I still can't speak the lingo.'

SPEAKS GREEK

CORRECTS HER

I'm proud of my Greek heritage,
my Greekness.

Look at my nose.

Look at my nose.
THEY GIGGLE

'But I've only holidayed here,

'and I've never really explored
beyond the tourist trail.'

Here we go.

'Until now.

'I'm going to see the hidden side.'

Wow, it's so beautiful.

Hello, everybody!
Look at it, it's so lush!

'From the historical
and rugged terrain of Crete...'

Ah, I think I've pulled!

Ya mas.

'..To the glamour
of a sunset in Santorini.'

Isn't it gorgeous?
Thank you. Oh, look.

'But, I'll also be taking in
the lesser known islands,

'from the architectural splendour
of Symi,

'to the natural wonder of Skopelos.'

It makes me proud
to be just that little bit Greek.

'Before ending my journey
on the island

'where my family's story
first began.'

This is a voyage of discovery,
and I'm taking you with me.

Crete is the largest
of the Greek islands,

and I've been here before, walking.

People flock for the gorgeous
white sandy beaches

and the abundance of ancient ruins.

'It marks the start of my travels

'around nine of the most
varied of the Greek Islands,

'towards my journey's end,
back home in Chios.

'And where better to begin,
given that it's the most popular

'of the islands
with British holidaymakers?

'But there is so much more to Crete
than meets the eye.'

To discover the real Crete,
you need to head inland.

'Known as
the rustic and rugged island,

'Crete's vast interior
is dominated by epic mountain ranges

'that reach 8,000 feet
over sea level.

'And it's home to the Samaria Gorge,
Europe's longest and deepest canyon.

'And the natural beauty
is matched by its rich history.

'Crete is full of ancient treasures
and mythic sites,

'like the Palace of Knossos.

'In fact, history is at the centre
of everything here.'

Crete's an enormous island.

I've done a little bit of walking,
but...

I'm cheating a bit today.
I've got myself a lift.

Jay-
Hi, Julia.

Hello, hello, how are you?
Good.

'I'm half Greek,
but even I'm going to need a guide,

'who can not only
navigate the toughest of terrain,

'but the language, too.'

Right.

Vane vane, as they say.
Vane vane!

'As we're going well and truly
off the beaten track.'

'Jay swapped Manchester for Crete
over 20 years ago.

'He's taking me out from the resort
of Malia, in eastern Crete,

'to go off-road
in the Dikti Mountains.'

So, what am I going to see today?

Well, from here now, we're going
to head up into the mountains.

We're going to get to an altitude
of about 1,200 metres,

so on par with Ben Nevis
back in the UK.

My ears will be popping a bit, then?
They might be, possibly.

We're going to get chance
to see the true Cretans.

'Crete is one of
the few Greek islands

'that can support itself
independently

'with most rural people
producing fruit and vegetables,

'or breeding sheep and goats.

'We are stopping
at the Lasithi Plateau,

'renowned for its
exceptional produce,

'and it's known by the locals
as the Plateau of Windmills.'

Up until the '50s, there was over
10,000 of these water windmills,

which span the whole plateau.

'After their introduction
in the early 20th century,

'these windmills transformed
Crete's agricultural landscape.'

This is the most fertile place
on Crete.

What would happen,
the cloth sails would spin,

it would bore down,
nine metres to the water level.

Are you familiar
with Archimedes' screw?

Of course, another good Greek.
That corkscrews the water up,

and that would
irrigate all the fields.

Now a lot of farmers
are re-renovating the old windmills.

We're going to try and get it back
to what it used to be,

which was the oldest eco-park
in the world.

Amazing! I love that.

So, yeah, just give it a pull...
OK.

...and you can find
where it attracts to the wind.

Right, OK, let's find that.

Where is it?
That's it, perfect.

Clever, the old Greeks, aren't they?

What's this here? Look at that.
There's a man with his van, look.

Hey, he's brilliant.

That's the village shop.
I love that, a shop on the move!

What you'll find throughout today

is that they are Cretan first,
then they are Greeks. Right.

So, what makes a Cretan a Cretan?

They are just so welcoming and warm.

We have a cultural word here
called filoxenia.

Filoxenia!

If we stopped at someone's house
now, they would feed you,

they'd welcome you with open arms.
Absolutely beautiful people.

'We are now climbing high up
into the dusty Dikti Mountains.

'This is the Cretan wilderness.

'Home to griffon vultures
and golden eagles

'and mountain goats.'

Ooh, don't drive over the edge.

'Jay has brought me here
to meet Giannis,

'a local shepherd whose family
have been farming sheep and goats

'at the top of this mountain
for decades.

'You don't get more rustic
than this.'

Hello.
Yassou, Giannis. Kalimera.

Yassou.

Julia.

That's as far as I go.
So, this is where you live?

SPEAKS GREEK

So, he's originally from
Kastamonista, the village...

Yeah.
..and what happens is,

he brings all the goats up
the mountain for the whole summer.

SPEAKS GREEK

They bring them here,
and this is where they get milked,

and this is where
the cheese is made.

His grandad, his dad and him.
OK, so generation after...

Three or four generations.

Can I ask, why the hairnet?

Part of the traditional Cretan dress
as well.

Traditional black boots.
Yes. Oh, I like those.

OK, let's go and see
some cheese being made. Ela.

'This little hut
is where the magic happens,

'where Giannis transforms
goat's milk

'into a Cretan cheese
called mizithra.'

So, what's going on in here?

Salt.

Underneath here, we've got the fire.

He wants it hotter. Hotter, hotter.

You can feel the heat now.

He is now separating
the curds from the whey.

He has to get it
into decent-sized portions

to then transfer it
into whatever mould he's making.

He gets as much out as he can
with his hand,

he'll then force it out.

Look at the smile on his face.
He loves it.

Can I have a go?
Yeah.

Giannis.

What do I do? Squash it down?

Squash it down.
Try and do it with your arms.

That is not the texture
I was expecting.

It's quite rubbery.

It's like my kids' play dough.

Oh, that's good.

A little taste.

Mmm.

Such a mild taste, yeah.

Mmm, fresh as you like.

Eating your curds and whey.
That's it.

'Over the summer, Giannis says
he makes about 25 cheeses a day.

'That's a whopping 3,000 a year.

'He sells some of them straightaway
to the local shops

'for about ten or 15 euros a kilo,
and he leaves the rest to mature.'

This is the hard cheese?
This is the hard cheese.

So, you just let that mature?

Two or three months
left just on a wooden shelf.

Then it becomes like this...

Then it becomes that...
Parmesan, Cheddar,

really good for pasta sauces.
And what have we got here?

This is Raki,
a traditional Cretan drink. Ya mas.

Everybody drinks Raki.

Oh, that's pure.
Beautiful.

And with a bit of cheese.
A bit of cheese, perfect.

There's nothing
that can't be cured from Raki.

Very good.

Ya mas.

Right, dancing on the tables next.
Oh, Lord.

Nothing that can't be cured
with Raki, apart from drunkenness.

You can't cure drunkenness
with Raki.

Ya mas.

Ya mas!

Look at this man.
I love this man, look at that face.

Oh! I think I've pulled.
Steady on.

'Two Rakis are my limit,

'so best to head back down
the mountain towards the coast now.

'But on the way,
there's a piece of history

'that I have to tread on.

'The Minoans, one of the oldest
civilisations in Europe,

'originated here
on the island of Crete.

'Signs of their innovation can
still be seen all over the place.'

This is the Minoan Path built
by the Minoans 4,000 years ago.

Look, you can see the fortification
of the road along the side.

It's a cracking bit of architecture.
And it's still here.

I had to just jump out
and put my feet on here.

'Who knows, I might even
be treading the same path

'as the mighty Theseus did when he
came to Crete to slay the Minotaur.

'And it's the Minoans themselves,

'who are leading me
back down to the coast,

'to the historic town of Rethymno,
one of the first settlements.'

It's very easy to get lost
in the maze

of beautiful
little cobbled streets here.

'The Roman and Ottoman Empires
left their mark,

'so it's no surprise
that it's home

'to some of the most time-honoured
and age-old traditions.

'One of the oldest
is one of my favourites.'

This is baklava.

Filo pastry, dripping in honey,
smothered in nuts.

Utterly delicious
and quite calorific.

The Greeks and the Turks have had
some disagreements over the years,

but you might not have heard
of the Baklava Conflict.

Essentially, the Turks claim
the baklava began with them

and the Greeks claim the same.

Whoever is right,
it's just to die for.

'When I was young, my mamamoo
used to make heaps of dishes

'with filo pastry,
including spanakopita, spinach pie.

'And I can't get enough of it.

'I've heard tales of a living legend
hidden in these backstreets -

'the last traditional
filo pastry master in Crete.

'Yiorgos Hatziparaskos. What?!

'Try saying that
with a mouthful of baklava.'

So, this is the magic flour.

This is, sort of,

a large pizza-sized shape
of the filo pastry.

But it's about to become much,
much larger at the hands of Yiorgos.

'Yiorgos has been honing his art
for over 75 years.'

How old are you?

'He's keeping alive
an age-old technique

'that's gone largely unchanged
since the time of Homer's Odyssey.'

I desperately want to touch it,
but I'm... restraining myself.

'Today, he's helped by his son.'

Do you think you're as good
as your papa yet?

Not yet. Nearly?

Look at that, look at the skill.

This keeps you fit.

'His aim
is to get the pastry ultra thin,

'so Yiorgos is tossing and spinning
the dough to stretch it out.

'Then, his party trick.'

Wow! It's so beautiful.

'This man
really is a pastry magician.'

So, what is the secret?

So this is a real art.

It's so lovely to watch.

This is how thin
the filo pastry becomes.

It's like a fine tissue.

Listen to that.
RUFFLES GENTLY

Look how delicate that is.

That is an art, come on.

'The word filo translates as leaf,

'and it takes many leaves of this
ultra fine pastry to make baklava.'

The moment of truth.

Mmm.

That really is so special.
Like crispy tissues.

'Sweet tissues. It's like tasting
a piece of Greek history.'

'And I'm about to discover
more of Crete's past

'when I visit the atmospheric island
of Spinalonga,

'an island with a story.'

'I'm in Crete, the largest
of the 6,000 Greek islands.

'Each year, two million tourists
flock to its 650 miles of coastline,

'and descend upon
the seaside hotspots,

'such as Agios Nikoslaos
and Phalasarna.

'I've left behind the rugged
landscapes of the Dikti Mountains,

'and headed west
to the coastal town of Rethymno.

'This ancient port is a magnet
for artists and artisans.

'It's brimmed full
of authentic artefacts and curios.

'Like a lyra.

'The Cretan lyra
is a legendary instrument

'unique to this island,
that pre-dates the violin.

'And to this day, the sound of
the lyra is the soundtrack of Crete.

'And here in the town
resides one of its master makers.'

Nikos. Hello! Hi, how are you?

'Nikos is a bit of a Greek God,
isn't he?

'He was taught by his father

'and he's been making Cretan lyra
since he was a child.

'Today, his lyra
sell for up to 1,000 euros each.'

How long does it take
to make a lyra?

You need almost 100 hours.
100 hours?

Yes, it's more than ten days
of work.

That is really incredible.
Exactly. You have three parts, OK?

The backsid,e we use one piece.

We use the front and the tie, OK?
Yeah.

This work is always
work with your mind.

The thing is that you always need
your heart, because it's a passion.

How important is this music
to Crete, to Cretans?

The music is inside... inside us.

We love it so much, we can speak
with music for everything.

So, music is your language?

I think for all the people.
Would you like to hear it?

I'd love to hear.
Of course I want to hear it.

VIOLIN-LIKE SOUND

PLAYS MELODY

SLIDES NOTES
AND PLAYS HARMONICS

Bravo!

I don't know if I fell in love
with the lyra or Nikos then.

THEY LAUGH

'Before I wrench myself away
from Nikos,

'I want to take the opportunity
to try and learn some more Greek

'to impress my mum
with her mother tongue.'

So, you need to teach me
one thing in Greek.

The gods want to bless you.
OK, so, how do I say that?

THEY SPEAK
AND REPEAT GREEK

Oh, that's hard.
SHE SPEAKS GREEK

Excellent, excellent. Exactly.
SHE SPEAKS GREEK

HE CORRECTS HER

HE LAUGHS
So good.

I'll try.
Yes.

Thank you, Nikos.
OK.

Just a chance to hug him.
Yes.

'The Cretan lyra
is an emotive instrument

'that echoes
the island's turbulent past.

'Throughout history,
the Cretans have suffered

'at the hands of the Romans,
the Turks and, most recently,

'the Nazis
during the Second World War.

'A short boat ride
from the coast of eastern Crete

'is a little prison island
with a haunting past.

'Spinalonga wasn't home
to criminals,

'it was Europe's last leper colony.

'Widely believed
to be the world's oldest disease,

'leprosy causes severe disfiguring
skin sores and nerve damage.

'Lepers were stigmatised
and treated as outcasts.

'In Greece, if you caught leprosy,
you were sent here to Spinalonga,

'for good.'

It's such a short boat ride
over from the mainland,

but imagine if you knew
that this was your last boat trip.

That you were leaving your family,
your friends...

...and your new life
was waiting here.

A new life with strangers.

And this would be the place to die.

You can't really imagine it,

because now it all seems
so pretty and so adventurous.

'Since Victoria Hislop wrote a
global bestseller about Spinalonga,

called The Island,
it's become a tourist hotspot.

'That's how I heard about
this tragic story.'

Spinalonga was called
the Island of Tears.

If you fell pregnant
while you were here,

they would check your baby
for leprosy...

...and if they didn't have leprosy,

obviously,
you'd be crossing your fingers,

then your child
would be taken away from you

and taken back to the mainland
to live with your family there.

So you'd never see them again.

This was a completely
self-sufficient island.

There were about 400 people
that lived on the island,

and there are lots of signs
that people here

were getting on
with as normal a life as possible.

The Nazis,
during the occupation of Crete,

wouldn't step foot on the island.

They had no need to
and they were frightened as well.

Apparently,
snipers would sit on the mainland

and take pot shots
at the residents here.

As if life wasn't bad enough
here on Spinalonga.

I mean, it looks very beautiful,
doesn't it? But...

...there's a very eerie feel here.

Because, you know,
behind all of these doors,

that there would always be

that shadow of sadness
in your heart, wouldn't there?

The life that you used to have.

The last person left this island
in 1957.

That's not so long ago, is it?
60-odd years.

'Spinalonga will leave
a lasting impression on me.

'Crete has a rich history,

'passionate soul
and beautiful landscapes.

'My next Greek island will certainly
have a lot to live up to.

'Next time, my Grecian grand tour
takes me to Corfu.'

What a special, magical place.

'The island renowned for being
the least Greek of them all.'

Oh, come on! Seriously?
It's as if I'm in Venice.

'I'll be trekking into its hidden
heart in search of secret villages.'

Because of the pirate attacks
on the island...

Pirates? Like real-life pirates?
Real-life pirates.

'And exploring the unique character

'which makes it
the melting pot of the Med.'

The flavours, Katarina,
are incredible.

Corfu on a plate.

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