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(upbeat music)
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- In the first series
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I began unravelling the story
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of this spectacular and historic nation
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by travelling from Athens,
around the Peloponnese,
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and up to the Ionian Islands.
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It took in parts of the country
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that lots of tourists know well.
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But in amongst the popular
places were hidden gems,
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undiscovered by the holiday masses.
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This series I'm back on board
my beautiful boat Mia Zoi
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and heading to a region of Greece
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I haven't spent much time in.
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The plan is to skip between the islands,
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taking in the sights of the North Aegean.
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It will be a journey of discovery,
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well I'll be digging deep into the fabric
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that makes Greece so unique
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and immersing myself in
a centuries-old culture
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unlike anywhere else on Earth.
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In this episode I'm exploring Lesvos,
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Greece's third largest island
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and consequently has a lot to offer.
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It's an island of contrast where
history and nature collide.
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Wow, how picturesque is this?
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Greece's capital for ouzo,
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and its most famous person
in history was woman, Sappho,
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the great lyric poet from antiquity.
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And the island's name
has become synonymous
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with her supposed sexuality.
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There are some beautiful
petrified forests here,
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some great diving, and some of the best
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and hottest geothermal
springs in all of Europe.
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I think that's what I'm needing right now
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to recover from a long day,
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but I just don't wanna leave this place.
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It looks absolutely magnificent.
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Our first port of call was
at the very north of Lesvos,
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barely a dozen kilometres from Turkey,
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at the town of Molyvos.
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It's instantly recognisable
for its magnificent harbour
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and red-roofed stone houses.
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The town follows a gentle slope
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rising to the splendid
castle that towers above.
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It's a fortress that's
been conquered by everyone,
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from Achilles and the Byzantines
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to the Genoese and Ottomans.
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You'll learn more about that shortly.
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Walking through the cobbled streets
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you'll come across several
polygonal stone walls
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that are unique to the town.
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The shops and taverns have
their own character too,
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uninfluenced by global athletic fashion
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and fast food brands.
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Instead you'll find locals
selling art and crafts
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that are modelled on provincial products
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and the history of Lesvos.
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The restaurants are similar,
highlighting flavours
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from regional produce that
you'll discover nowhere else.
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For me, it's a bit of a step back in time,
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like visiting Rhodes, Corfu,
or Mykonos 40 years ago.
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I don't know how long it'll stay this way
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because more and more
travellers are discovering it.
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Town planners the world take note.
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You don't need symmetry and
cross-streets at 90 degrees
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to create beauty.
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There is no symmetry here, and to me,
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this is probably one of
the most beautiful towns
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I've seen in Greece.
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Big matzah ball, but I
can't see much better.
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It's a maze of alleyways that feed down
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to the harbour and beaches.
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While it might not be the
easiest place to have a go,
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it's sure a pretty spot to get lost.
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(upbeat music)
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The architecture is a mismatch
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of one civilization after another,
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each building on top of, beside,
and adding to the previous.
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Amazingly, it works.
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Like these balconies,
added by the Ottomans
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to the Genoese stone walls.
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Or these single story stone buildings
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that, as the population grew,
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they built second and
third story additions
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with that same lightweight,
Ottoman influence.
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The fabric of these little
streets is absolutely divine.
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In actual fact, this was voted
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the most beautiful
street in Europe in 2014.
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Around the world,
globalisation, planning laws,
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and the urban sprawl has
created towns and cities
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that segregate residential districts
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from retail and manufacturing.
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It's a breath of fresh
air to visit a place
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where people live, produce,
and sell their wares
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under the same roof.
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There's a genuine sense of tradition
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that makes you want to walk through
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and be immersed in the local culture
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and maybe buy something that
you won't find anywhere else.
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Let me tell ya, Helen
certainly gave the credit card
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a workout in Molyvos.
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There are two major
fortified towns in Lesvos.
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This is second to Mytilenean, Molyvos,
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or the ancient name of Mithymna.
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It's a picturesque town.
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It's absolutely magnificent.
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And you'll get a wonderful
view of its beautiful red roofs
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and blue sea, looking over to Turkey.
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If you come up to the castle
come up early in the morning.
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It opens up at eight o'clock
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and it's nice and cool right now.
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I'm gonna have a walk through.
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(peaceful music)
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I've visited countless forts
in my travels through Greece.
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And I'll be honest with you.
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Every time I seen one in the itinerary,
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I think to myself, not
another bloody castle!
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But then I do a little research
and check out a few photos
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and quickly I get excited.
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Although the castle
and the town of Molyvos
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are completely different, the
one thing they have in common
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is this place doesn't
look anything like it did
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when it started 3,000 years ago.
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There are several civilizations
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layered upon each other here.
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So this place is about 700 years old,
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but there's stuff underneath
it just like the town.
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Absolutely magnificent history.
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In more recent years,
sections of the castle
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have been restored and made accessible.
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So much of it is in great
condition and open to the public.
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In the summer months it's
actually used for events
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like live music and
orchestral performances.
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Now that would be something special,
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sitting inside the stone walls
of a centuries old castle,
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being serenaded by a string quartet
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while taking in the spectacular views.
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That's assuming there's food on offer.
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I can't go too long without a bite to eat.
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Just ask the producer or cameraman!
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This castle has connections
all the way back
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to the Trojan War,
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which occurred just
around the corner here.
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Achilles himself laid
siege to what was here.
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Not much left of it.
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The Byzantines then
rebuilt the whole place.
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And then the Genoese came
through the Gattilusi family
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and built a wonderful fortification.
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Following the Genoese, the Ottomans came
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and modernised the whole fort.
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And what you see today
is basically Ottoman.
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What I'm interested in is going to see
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if I can find some of the
ruins from Achilles's day.
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I'm no archaeologist,
but I'll give it a shot.
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(mellow music)
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And here they are, the last remnants
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of what was here at the time of Achilles.
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At least that's what they tell me.
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Regardless, it's fascinating to see
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how the changes in the ruling cultures
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and advancements in warfare
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impacted the design of the castle,
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from the simplicity of
mediaeval battlements
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to more complicated
towers with rifle slits
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from the age of gunpowder.
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Each period has left its mark.
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You could say that this
castle tells the story
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of Lesvos in one structure.
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So the walk up the hill to
see yet another fortress
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is well worth it, even if
it's just for the views.
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(mellow string music)
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(upbeat music)
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When you think of scuba diving,
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it generally conjures up images
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of coral gardens, shipwrecks, and sharks
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in places like The Great
Barrier Reef and Southeast Asia.
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Here in Greece, there
are underwater trenches
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equally as inspiring.
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You just need to know where to look.
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- For 20 million years everything
here was just a volcano.
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So we'll see some volcanic
formations, incredible.
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The deepest part will be at 28, 25 metres,
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and the shallow part will be 10 metres.
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And it's very narrow and tall.
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It's amazing.
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And the second dive will be
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on the other island called
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(speaks in foreign language) Mirmigi.
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- Mirmigi, yeah?
- Yeah.
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And this is a very nice
rocky reef with, of course,
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volcanic formations and over there
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we can have a unique view
of some tube worms meadow.
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It's a meadow full of tube worms.
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- [Peter] A meadow of tube worms?
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- Yes, yes, yes, and
when you go next to them
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they'll go inside and it's incredible.
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- Hey, I'm looking forward to that one.
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Let's go.
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- Let's go.
- Let's go.
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Lesvos is known for its many dive sites,
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from wrecks and reefs
to caves and sea life.
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There's plenty of options.
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The area we're exploring today is known
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as the Petras Islands, named
after the coastal town nearby.
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The biggest of the land
masses is Agios Georgios
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with a fewer smaller
islands surrounding it.
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From dry land, you may not be aware
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that this whole region of Greece
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has been shaped by its volcanic history.
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Get underwater and you'll
soon discover evidence
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of that dramatic past.
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These massive columns of rock
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were formed 20 millions
years ago when lava shot out
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of the seabed and subsequently cooled,
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leaving these impressive
pylon-like structures.
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I felt as those I was
swimming through an ancient,
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submerged city and these
were the remnant towers.
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They surrounded and dwarfed us
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as we drifted deeper into the abyss,
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making our way to the seafloor.
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From what seemed like a
giant, sunken metropolis
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of high rise buildings
to a miniature version,
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only this one was alive and thriving.
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The seabed at the second dive site
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wasn't the desert-like landscape
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you often encounter in open water.
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Instead, it was covered with
thousands of tube worms.
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As far as the eye could see stood
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the tiny sand and mud structures
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that house these fascinating
marine invertebrates.
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Their feather-like tentacles
arise from their heads
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and wave in the current,
collecting food and oxygen.
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At the first sign of danger,
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they quickly retract inside the casing.
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there are thousands of different
varieties of tube worms
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found around the world.
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They live in some of the
most hostile environments
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on the planet, including vast
depths and volcanic vents.
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Compared to that, these
guys live a life of luxury.
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(upbeat music)
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Diving can really drain the energy
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out of a whale like myself.
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So the perfect remedy is
to beach myself somewhere
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and just relax.
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With so many sandy foreshores,
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there's a lot to choose from.
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But here in Lesvos, we can go one better.
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And so can the thermal baths of Molyvos.
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One word of warning, they're very hot.
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- I got pins and needles,
but I'm not getting out.
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Because my mate is here from Holland,
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and we're having a bit of a competition
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to see who lasts longest.
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I think I'm gonna lose.
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(laughs)
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- I think I'm done.
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- (laughs) Yes.
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00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:49,360
- You're a winner, mate.
259
00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:50,720
You're a winner.
260
00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,880
Chloride, sodium, radium, chloric lithium,
261
00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,040
ammonium, potassium, these are just some
262
00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:08,000
of the 25 minerals that are
in that therapeutic water
263
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,160
that's coming out of the springs below me.
264
00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,400
I was in for an hour
and a half, 45 degrees,
265
00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,800
opened up the pores,
and then I came up here
266
00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,760
and Levdalia is working my body
now that my pores are open.
267
00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,040
It's absolutely unbelievable.
268
00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:25,200
I don't know what the word is.
269
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:26,760
And I've the sea in front of me,
270
00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,760
the Aegean Sea in front of me.
271
00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,480
It's absolutely fantastic.
272
00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,000
I can't even talk right now.
273
00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,240
But if you're coming to Lesvos,
274
00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:34,880
you must come to Lesvos, first of all.
275
00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,040
Come to Molyvos first,
and just get an entry
276
00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,000
into this absolutely magnificent island.
277
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,840
Anyway, I'm just going back.
278
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:43,680
Sorry.
279
00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,800
(upbeat music)
280
00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,400
The simplicity of the bath
house gave it an authentic
281
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:54,920
and welcoming feel.
282
00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,600
It was a relaxed atmosphere,
283
00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,720
which made it all the more
soothing a place to be.
284
00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:00,800
To complete the picture,
285
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,160
we sat in the cooling
waters of the Aegean,
286
00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:04,400
Mother Nature's bath.
287
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,080
I could imagine visitors
from centuries ago
288
00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:10,920
doing much the same as we did,
289
00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,400
spending an hour or so in the
hot baths, getting a massage,
290
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,000
and then enjoying a late afternoon swim
291
00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,960
to wash away the day's stress.
292
00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,640
Not that there was much of that for me.
293
00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:21,600
About the most stressful thing I had to do
294
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,640
was choosing where to go
for dinner that night.
295
00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,960
In the end, the sunset
was too good to miss
296
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,200
so we just sat at the back of Mia Zoi
297
00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,880
and Chef Kyriako cooked
up some local seafood.
298
00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:32,720
Not a bad way to end a magic day.
299
00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:36,240
(upbeat music)
300
00:13:57,640 --> 00:13:58,880
Leaving Molyvos, we made our way
301
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:00,640
to the western tip of the island
302
00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,600
and the fishing village of Sigri.
303
00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,880
It's a small town with a few
taverns and not much else.
304
00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,400
Being on the dry side of
Lesvos, it's a sparse landscape.
305
00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,600
But 20 million years ago
it was covered in forest.
306
00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,960
Evidence of that time remains today,
307
00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,400
slowly being unearthed by Mother Nature,
308
00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,840
as well as some
inquisitive archaeologists.
309
00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,160
One of them is Professor Nikos Zouros,
310
00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,160
the director of the Petrified
Forest Museum in Sigri.
311
00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,640
He's also the president of
the Global Geoparks Network.
312
00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,720
He's a busy man but somehow found the time
313
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:30,560
to show me around.
314
00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,240
- The idea of creating geoparks,
315
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,400
because this designation
didn't exist in the past,
316
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:38,840
it was born here.
317
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:40,560
- In Greece?
- In Greece,
318
00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:42,520
in Lesvos Island.
319
00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:47,280
- Wow!
320
00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,040
Professor, this is unbelievable.
321
00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,480
I've never seen, it's a tree!
322
00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:53,320
It's a whole tree!
323
00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:54,600
- Yeah, of course, it's a whole tree.
324
00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,160
Let me explain you.
325
00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,920
This is a pine tree that is here
326
00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:02,160
due to a big volcanic eruption.
327
00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,120
The volcanic eruption took
place 20 million years ago.
328
00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:05,960
- [Peter] Wow!
329
00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,080
- The volcanic eruption
destroyed the forest,
330
00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,920
and the material from the volcano
331
00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,760
came and covered everything,
332
00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,000
all the vegetation at the original site.
333
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,960
That's why we find here trees,
334
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:20,880
but also the branches, the fruits,
335
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,280
and even the leaves of the
trees inside these layers
336
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,160
of pyroclastic material, the volcanic ash.
337
00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,160
- It's ash and mud that encapsulated it?
338
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:32,800
- Absolutely.
339
00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:37,200
It was mud and dust that captured the
340
00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,960
tree and due to the
circulation of hot water
341
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,400
very rich in silicon dioxide,
342
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,160
we have a process silicification.
343
00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:48,000
This means petrification.
344
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,800
The organic material became inorganic.
345
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,200
The wood became stone.
346
00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,560
And that's how we have
nowadays these trees
347
00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:00,120
in their original position,
keeping their shape,
348
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,480
the external characteristics,
349
00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,600
but even, this is more important,
350
00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,280
the internal characteristics of the wood,
351
00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,200
we can see in the microscope
352
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,400
and we can recognise a variety of trees.
353
00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,360
That's how I can come here
and show you this tree
354
00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,920
and tell you that this was a pine tree.
355
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,720
- [Peter] This is Mother Nature's Medusa.
356
00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,400
These trees are so perfectly preserved
357
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,960
that you can even see
the details in the bark.
358
00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,240
To truly appreciate the
colour and dimensions
359
00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,480
of what you're looking at,
360
00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,400
you really have to come here in person.
361
00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,360
- So let me show how
violent was the eruption
362
00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:39,160
that destroyed this forest.
363
00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,560
Look, here we have a standing tree.
364
00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,600
Here we have a volcanic bomb
365
00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,400
that came due to the
eruption, destroy the branch,
366
00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,200
which is now under this
huge volcanic bomb.
367
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,760
- So a volcano that's kilometres away
368
00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,120
threw this bomb of lava at the,
369
00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:57,000
that's it there--
- Yes!
370
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,800
- And it ripped the branch off?
371
00:16:58,800 --> 00:16:59,640
- Absolutely.
372
00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,560
- It's a snapshot in history.
373
00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:04,080
- Yeah, it's like taking a photo
374
00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,760
of what happened 20
millions years ago here
375
00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,040
and how this forest was created.
376
00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:13,040
And you can see also how
beautifully have been preserved.
377
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:14,920
The annual rings that show us--
378
00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:15,760
- Hey, the rings!
379
00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,280
I can see them there!
- the age of this tree.
380
00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,480
This tree has an age of
300 years at that time,
381
00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,680
and it was stopped, his age was stopped
382
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,040
by the volcanic eruption.
383
00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:29,880
- Let me get a quick snapshot as well.
384
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,000
You stand there so I've
got a snapshot of you
385
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,440
of a snapshot 20 millions years later.
386
00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:35,280
Thank you very much.
387
00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:36,800
Professor, let's keep going, eh?
388
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,600
I'm so honoured to be here
389
00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,720
for what you and your
forefathers have uncovered,
390
00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,120
the biggest petrified forest
391
00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:48,240
in the world.
392
00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:49,480
- Yes, indeed.
393
00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,240
There's no other forest,
394
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,640
petrified forest, in the world
with 60 different species
395
00:17:55,640 --> 00:18:00,640
of trees found in their original place.
396
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,560
(upbeat music)
397
00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:06,880
- To the uninitiated,
398
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,360
everything on the island
looks like regular rocks.
399
00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,080
But if you gaze closely
enough, soon you'll discover
400
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,960
that many of the stones and boulders
401
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,320
are actually the remains
of petrified trees,
402
00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,520
slowly crumbling away and
being washed into the sea.
403
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,200
- Here you can see the successive events,
404
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,040
we can discover the successive
events that took place
405
00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:32,880
during the six million years
406
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,160
of the volcanic activity on Lesvos Island.
407
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:39,560
The lower level is just
at the level of the sea.
408
00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:40,600
- I can see the shapes.
409
00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:42,200
They're all trees, parts of trees.
410
00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,160
- Yes, yes, these are sequoia trees
411
00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:45,000
in fact.
- Wow!
412
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,600
- Huge trees that have
been released by the waves.
413
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,120
- That is the first layer.
414
00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:51,360
Is there more layers, is there?
415
00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:52,240
- Yes, yes.
416
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,000
This is the first layer.
417
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,640
60 centimetres higher we
have this yellow layer
418
00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,600
full of different trees.
419
00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,640
All these brown and yellow
things are different tree trunks.
420
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,360
- Yeah, I can see one there.
421
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,760
- Yeah, and this--
422
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:07,560
- And here.
- Here.
423
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,960
Then we have a thick layer of pyroclastics
424
00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:13,520
full of volcanic bombs.
425
00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:14,360
- That's a bomb?
- You see these red
426
00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:16,040
pieces of rock?
427
00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:16,880
- Yeah.
428
00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:18,560
- And at the top we see another forest.
429
00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,720
These yellow thing--
- Just there, yeah.
430
00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:25,200
- is a silicified tree
inside this yellowish layer,
431
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,160
which is volcanic ash.
432
00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,520
At the top of that we have another layer
433
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,440
full of different pieces,
fragments of lava,
434
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,960
and at the top you see a yellow piece--
435
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,480
- I can see it there, yeah.
- And then the black piece.
436
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,480
And this is the youngest, the
fourth forest in this age.
437
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,200
- So this period from
there to there is basically
438
00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:47,640
about six million years?
439
00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:49,720
- It is included in the six million years
440
00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,920
that we had the volcanic
activity in Lesvos Island
441
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,960
that started 22 millions years ago
442
00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:57,800
and ended 16 million years ago.
443
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,280
- So we don't have to worry
about any more volcanoes
444
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:02,120
on this island?
445
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:04,240
- No, because they are
completely inactive.
446
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,560
- Successive volcanic events
over millions of years
447
00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,520
shaped the island we see today.
448
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,800
But perhaps the slow
forces of climate change
449
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:14,680
and shifting tectonic plates
450
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,840
have had the greatest impact of all.
451
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,840
No longer do we see forest growing here.
452
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,040
The temperature is too hot,
453
00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,360
and there's simply not enough rainfall.
454
00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:26,640
Professor, I just can not
believe what I'm seeing here.
455
00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:28,680
The size, it's sequoia, right?
456
00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,280
- Yes, it's a giant sequoia.
457
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,480
- This thing is massive.
458
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,600
Tell me what do geologists get out of this
459
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,840
that adds any value to the world?
460
00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,800
- It's amazing the amount of information
461
00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,520
that this site can offer us.
462
00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,080
First of all, we are in
front of a sequoia tree,
463
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,560
and it's so big that we generally found it
464
00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,440
only in continental areas.
465
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,320
It shows also that the climate conditions
466
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,800
were completely different
than those existing nowadays.
467
00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:03,000
This forest, this tree,
and the other species found
468
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,720
in the area of the petrified forest
469
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:09,720
show us that we have
a semi-tropical forest
470
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,800
similar of the forest that exist nowadays
471
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,240
in southeastern Asia.
472
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:19,200
All this information show
us the paleogeography,
473
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,320
the climatic conditions,
the species that lived
474
00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,080
20 millions years ago in the Aegean.
475
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:27,880
All this information are unique.
476
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,240
This is the only site that we can get
477
00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:35,240
all this kind of information
in just one single site.
478
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,400
- Megalonisi is a barren,
dry little island,
479
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,400
untouched by man and just a
stone's throw from Lesvos.
480
00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,560
What fascinates me is
that the digging here
481
00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,360
has only recently begun.
482
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:47,720
There are hundreds of
these petrified trees
483
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,560
just below the surface,
waiting to be discovered.
484
00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:51,880
Wow!
485
00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,440
(upbeat music)
486
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,480
This is the Gulf of
Kalloni, Aristotle's Lagoon.
487
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,600
Aristotle came here and he
did a lot of field work,
488
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,960
which was the basis of biology.
489
00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,800
And today we're here sardine fishing.
490
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,400
All morning we've been out
there with the sardines,
491
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:28,600
and we've caught a bounty.
492
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,440
We're gonna take 'em back,
493
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,120
and we're gonna salt them and
have them with a bit of ouzo.
494
00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:36,160
That is what they do in Lesvos.
495
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:37,880
It's an awesome morning.
496
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,560
I'm sorry that you couldn't
be here for the fishing,
497
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,520
but it was three o'clock
and it was too dark for you.
498
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,040
But you're gonna see
some awesome sardines.
499
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:46,960
What a great place!
500
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:47,840
I love this place!
501
00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:53,480
Compared to much of the Mediterranean,
502
00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:55,720
the fishing industry
here is still thriving.
503
00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,120
It might not be the
heyday of a century ago,
504
00:22:58,120 --> 00:22:59,280
when the hauls were so big
505
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,880
they were exporting
sardines across Europe,
506
00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,480
but they manage to catch
enough to feed themselves
507
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:05,720
and keep the local restaurants
508
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,560
and home kitchens well supplied.
509
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,680
Today's catch made the early
start all the more worth it.
510
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,680
I had to admit, when I woke up at 3 a.m.
511
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:21,360
to board this little fishing vessel,
512
00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:22,680
I was a little sceptical.
513
00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,280
But once the morning coffee kicked in
514
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,000
and I could see plenty
of fish coming aboard,
515
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,680
it became quite exciting.
516
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,440
Mind you, it's a tough
life doing this everyday.
517
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:34,280
They're just taking the
sardines out of the net,
518
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,600
and they're putting them into fresh water,
519
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,160
just to take the salt water
out of them and clean them up.
520
00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,800
So you could see that was a
clean solution of fresh water.
521
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,560
When they finish you'll see
all the gunk coming out.
522
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,040
And they'll put 'em into these
foam boxes, ready for market.
523
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,440
By fresh water I mean clean salt water.
524
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,640
It's fresh because it comes
straight from the sea.
525
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,800
Amongst other things, Lesvos
is known for ouzo and sardines.
526
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:06,640
So it's only fitting
527
00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,920
that the pairing of the
two originated here.
528
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:10,800
It's quite common to sit in a tavern,
529
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,120
sipping on an ouzo
while munching on salted
530
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:15,080
or barbecued sardines.
531
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:16,200
They go well together.
532
00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,800
Perhaps too well on occasion.
533
00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,520
(mellow music)
534
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,800
The Gulf of Kolloni has
provided a rich harvest
535
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:27,600
of sardines for centuries.
536
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,160
It became known as the
sardine capital of Greece,
537
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,440
and locals would claim the best
tasting fish came from here.
538
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,480
To tell you the truth, they
all taste much the same
539
00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,720
wherever you go, delicious.
540
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,520
A bit of salt and pepper, some garlic,
541
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,440
and a drizzle of olive oil
is just about all you need
542
00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,600
before roasting these bad boys.
543
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,560
Once cooked, add a squeeze
of lemon and some parsley
544
00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:52,120
and you've got the
perfect entree or snack.
545
00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,720
Not only is it tasty, but healthy too!
546
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,720
From Sigri we travelled south
along the west coast to Eresos.
547
00:24:58,720 --> 00:24:59,560
This was the setting
548
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,880
for Lawrence Durrell's play named Sappho.
549
00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,440
And you'll see plenty of
monuments commemorating her life
550
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:05,640
all over the place.
551
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,040
She's without a doubt the
island's most famous person
552
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,800
and considered one of
antiquity's greatest poets.
553
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:12,760
A groundbreaker for her time,
554
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:14,520
way back in the sixth century BC,
555
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,360
Seppho wrote about the beauty
556
00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:18,360
of women and their relationships.
557
00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:19,840
The island's name became synonymous
558
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,560
with her supposed sexuality.
559
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,840
Her work is considered extraordinary
560
00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,320
and has influenced writers
throughout history.
561
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,240
To learn more about this great woman,
562
00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,280
I met with local photographer and writer,
563
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,960
Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, and
we spent the morning talking
564
00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,200
about Eresos and Sappho.
565
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,560
Tzeli, I came to Eresos
because I understand
566
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,880
it's a very significant town.
567
00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:41,480
What's special about Eresos?
568
00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,840
- Well, Eresos has the best energy,
569
00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,760
the most strange and precious energy
570
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,080
from the whole island of Lesvos.
571
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,360
And it attracts lots of people here.
572
00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:54,200
- Where does the energy come from?
573
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:55,800
I can feel a bit myself.
574
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:57,400
I love the green water.
575
00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:58,800
I walked through the town.
576
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:00,960
What is it that brings
this energy, you think?
577
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:02,680
- Well we are trying to figure it out,
578
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:03,520
but we don't know.
579
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,520
Maybe it's the same energy
that inspired Sappho.
580
00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:07,680
- Right.
581
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,480
- In the ancient years.
582
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,800
We're really trying to understand
583
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:13,800
what attracts people so many times.
584
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,000
Actually, I can say that
this is a pilgrimage.
585
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,880
Especially women come here every year
586
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,240
in a kind of pilgrimage,
587
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,520
searching the, let's
say, the traces of Sappho
588
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,400
or something that connects.
589
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:30,400
- Wow.
590
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,400
I'd like to understand more about her.
591
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,200
- To tell you the truth,
if you want to find,
592
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:39,200
discover Sappho, it's
better to look around,
593
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,920
to look at this wonderful
landscape that didn't change
594
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,480
since her time, to look
at the light, the water,
595
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,440
and you will be inspired
596
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,920
and you will discover Sappho
and you will understand
597
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:55,320
her poetry, her amazing words, her poems.
598
00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,360
- Well let's finish our
drinks and go and do that.
599
00:26:57,360 --> 00:26:58,680
- Okay, that's good.
- Thank you.
600
00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:02,400
(speaks in foreign language)
601
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,200
Unfortunately, the majority of
Sappho's work has been lost.
602
00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,080
She's most remembered for
her poem, "Ode to Aphrodite",
603
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,280
possibly because of how revealing it is.
604
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:16,280
But like many great works,
605
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,000
scholars still debate the
context to this very day.
606
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,960
In the poem she praised
Aphrodite, the goddess of love,
607
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,120
for the attention of another woman.
608
00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:28,120
To me, the final paragraph
is the most powerful.
609
00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:30,480
"Come again to me!
610
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,480
"Oh now, release me!
611
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,040
"End the great pang!
612
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,840
"And all my heart desireth now fulfilment!
613
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:38,360
"Fulfil, oh Aphrodite!
614
00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:40,520
"Fight by my shoulder!"
615
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,000
These emotive and poignant words
616
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,280
inspire imagination and passion
617
00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,400
and have done so for over 2,000 years.
618
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,080
Here on the island, it's
expressed through art, writing,
619
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,680
and the way many of the
locals conduct their lives.
620
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,520
It's a place that oozes
creativity and a sense of freedom.
621
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:00,800
You know what's amazing?
622
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,000
It's almost like it's hidden.
623
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,120
You see her hidden.
624
00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:05,720
It's almost like in history
625
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:06,840
they've hidden her away.
- Exactly.
626
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:08,280
- You know?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
627
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,840
And you can only have one point of view
628
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,600
in order to discover Sappho.
- Exactly.
629
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,680
- It's not the easiest thing in the world.
630
00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,360
And if we consider that all her poems,
631
00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:21,640
they were destroyed in the Alexandria--
632
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:22,640
- Fire.
- Fire.
633
00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:26,440
Anyway, I'm still hoping
that somewhere in the world,
634
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,480
in a hidden monastery,
635
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,840
the poems of Sappho will be discovered
636
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:31,920
because there were the monks
637
00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,040
that there were copying her poems.
638
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:39,160
So maybe somewhere they
are, and they are hidden
639
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,240
from the Christians.
640
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,520
- She wrote 10,000 lines.
641
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,800
- Yeah, she wrote, there were 10 books,
642
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,800
and now we have only some
fragments of her poems.
643
00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:51,640
- That's sad.
644
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,200
They'll find it, someone will find it.
645
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,400
- Yes, that's your new project.
646
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,440
- You bet, you bet, you bet.
647
00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,920
Tzeli's fervour for
Sappho is clearly apparent
648
00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:01,560
in the way she talks about her.
649
00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,720
Her in-depth knowledge was articulated
650
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:05,400
in the most colourful way.
651
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:06,760
I love meeting people like Tzeli
652
00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,120
who are so passionate about a subject.
653
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:10,640
It goes to show how great an impact
654
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,320
Sappho is still having today.
655
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,920
(upbeat music)
656
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,800
Now if you'd ever asked
me would I ever consider
657
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:34,240
the joy of bird watching,
658
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,920
the response would be immediate
and almost predictable,
659
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,720
a deep belly laugh.
660
00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,520
But meeting Eleni in
the wetlands of Alykes
661
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:42,800
has changed that forever.
662
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,920
So I'm speaking very quietly
because already I've scared
663
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:49,520
a number of birds many, many times,
664
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,720
purely because of the
way I move and my size.
665
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,280
Thankfully I've got Eleni
here to guide me in some way.
666
00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,160
Eleni, I'm looking at the
number of flamingos here.
667
00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,280
That bunch there, how many
do you think are there?
668
00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:03,640
- 400.
669
00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,040
- 400, how many here
just generally in Alykes?
670
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,840
- Generally today around 1,000.
671
00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:11,240
- About 1,000?
- Mhmm.
672
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:12,080
- That's amazing.
673
00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:13,160
I'm just watching those guys there.
674
00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:14,600
They're beautiful birds.
675
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:15,920
Tell me something.
676
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:16,920
Where are they coming from?
677
00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,600
How much time do they spend here?
678
00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,920
- They spend many months around here.
679
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,400
They are born in Turkey,
680
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,560
but we have seen birds coming here
681
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:30,280
that were born in other parts
of the Mediterranean Sea
682
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,320
like France and Spain and Italy
683
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,720
or Algeria and Morocco.
684
00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,960
But most of them, they come from Turkey.
685
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:38,960
- Such a beautiful bird.
686
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,080
How close can we get?
687
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:41,760
This is about as close
as we can get, isn't it?
688
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:42,920
- Yes, yes.
689
00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,080
- And what's amazing is the
road's only 200 metres away.
690
00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:47,880
Anybody can do this bird watching.
691
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,280
And I haven't, I'm not a bird watcher,
692
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:51,280
you know, I'm not a bird watcher,
693
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,240
but I think I've found a new hobby
694
00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,080
because they're beautiful.
695
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,240
- They are, they are.
696
00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:58,240
- They are beautiful to watch them,
697
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,560
the black and the pink and the whites,
698
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,000
it's absolutely magnificent.
699
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,400
I wanna get closer.
700
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:04,360
Can we go closer?
701
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:06,800
- Yeah, we can, we can try.
702
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:08,800
We can try.
- Okay, let's go, let's go.
703
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:14,520
So the first lesson for bird watching
704
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,280
is that walking tippy toe
is not only ridiculous,
705
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,600
but the immediate signal
that you are an amateur.
706
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,000
That gaggle you hear in the background
707
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:23,640
is the flamingos laughing at me.
708
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,480
The protected sentry of Alykes
709
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,000
covers around 3.5 thousand acres.
710
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,400
Seasonal flighting attracts
various migratory birds
711
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,760
to the wetlands from vast distances.
712
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,120
They come here to rest, feast, and nest
713
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,760
before returning to their normal homes.
714
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:41,560
It's an important habitat
that's under threat
715
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,680
from a changing climate
and localised human impact.
716
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:46,920
For now, though, vast numbers of flamingos
717
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,520
and other birds too come
here on an annual pilgrimage.
718
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:52,800
It's a sight to behold and
not something you'd imagine
719
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:53,960
coming across in Greece.
720
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,680
Sure, you'd expect to
see vast herds of goats
721
00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,720
or be stopped on a mountain
road by a mob of sheep,
722
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,200
but a flock of flamingos?
723
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:04,560
You know what?
724
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,160
I think they're still laughing at me,
725
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,280
but now they're in chorus.
726
00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,360
(birds squawking)
727
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,600
To be a good bird watcher you
don't wear white t-shirts.
728
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:15,880
- Yeah.
- Look like a fool
729
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:16,720
in my lucky cap today.
730
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:19,760
- You need to be not so visible.
731
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:25,640
(birds squawking)
(inspirational music)
732
00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:30,320
- The long and the short of it is
733
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,120
you don't need to have an
expert like Eleni with you,
734
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,840
although it certainly helps.
735
00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:36,040
Anyone with a set of binoculars
736
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:37,440
can come out here and do this.
737
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,600
It's an experience that
you'll never forget.
738
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,640
But please respect these
wonderful creatures
739
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,040
by keeping a distance
of at least 200 metres
740
00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,920
and leave the place the way you found out.
741
00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,360
Oh, and don't wear white.
742
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,560
(inspirational music)
743
00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,120
Next stop was at the
southern end of the island,
744
00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:00,000
the town of Plomari.
745
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:00,920
It's the second largest settlement
746
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,320
in Lesvos and home to about 3,000 people.
747
00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:08,400
Here you'll see distinct remnants
748
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,440
of century old stacks and buildings
749
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,520
that remind us of what an
industrial powerhouse it once was.
750
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,440
In the past it was known for
supplying much of the Aegean
751
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,280
with olive oil and all
its byproducts like soap.
752
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,320
Today it's a tourism hub,
753
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,760
and more importantly, Greece's
capital for ouzo production.
754
00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:28,440
It's a big claim to fame
755
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,800
but something the island
certainly lives up to.
756
00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:38,040
I specifically time my visit
to coincide with Ouzo Fest.
757
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,040
Much like Germany's Oktoberfest,
758
00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,240
Ouzo Fest is a weekend of festivity
759
00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,240
that brings all the distillers together
760
00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,720
to celebrate Greece's world-renowned
anise flavoured spirit.
761
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,520
Apart from the ouzo, they
also serve the local food
762
00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:51,840
that should accompany it.
763
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:53,800
Plus, of course, no festival is complete
764
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:55,520
without a bit of traditional music.
765
00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,160
(sings in foreign language)
766
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,400
The music was blaring, souvlaki cooking,
767
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:16,120
and the ouzo was flowing.
768
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,520
It was a great atmosphere
that brought together locals
769
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:20,640
and tourists from across the globe.
770
00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:21,560
The producer tasked me
771
00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,200
with tasting every
different ouzo on offer.
772
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,800
With my odyssey and pride
in mind, I accepted.
773
00:34:27,720 --> 00:34:29,520
Something tells me I wasn't the only one
774
00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,040
taking on the challenge.
775
00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,800
There were plenty of rosy-cheeked
and glassy-eyed folks
776
00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,000
laughing, eating, and
dancing amongst the crowd.
777
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,840
It was going to be a long night,
778
00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,080
and yoga wasn't looking
good for the morning.
779
00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,400
How much ouzo of the
world production of ouzo
780
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:48,640
is made in Lesvos?
781
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:50,040
- Over 60%.
782
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:51,360
- 60%?
- Yeah.
783
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,240
- Wow, so majority of ouzo
comes out of this island?
784
00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:55,080
- Yeah.
785
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:56,080
- Wow, so it must be good.
786
00:34:57,240 --> 00:35:00,320
- We have the oldest companies in Greece,
787
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:04,520
and it is the number one capital
because of the anise seeds.
788
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:05,840
- Is the anise seed special here, is it?
789
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,320
- Yes, it is.
- Why is that?
790
00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,520
- It's because of the
microclimate of the region
791
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,920
and also from the seeds that
they're still the old seeds
792
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,960
that we used to put inside the ouzo.
793
00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:19,320
- We are working together now
fifth and sixth generation,
794
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,800
officially since 1860.
795
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:26,360
The company belongs 100% to the family.
796
00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,200
We are three families that
we own the company now.
797
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:30,200
- You are the fifth generation?
798
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:31,640
- I am the sixth generation.
799
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,720
We do not do it just as a profession.
800
00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:34,640
We love it.
801
00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,160
We have an advantage of
because of the succession
802
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,280
of the generations, too many knowledge
803
00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:40,760
and experience has accumulated
804
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,720
so this comes directly
to the next generation.
805
00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:45,920
This gives us a great advantage.
806
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,400
- Family business has
to be better, hasn't it?
807
00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,720
- We have been experimenting
and distilling and producing
808
00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:52,680
for one and a half century now so--
809
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:53,760
- Wow, that's awesome.
810
00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:55,240
- Thank you, sir.
811
00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:57,200
- I think I've been to
like five stands so far,
812
00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,280
and I've got to try and stand straight.
813
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:01,440
(speaks in foreign language)
814
00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:02,280
- And also be careful.
815
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,800
That's ouzo, it needs food inside.
816
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:05,640
So just as--
817
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,960
- I just a gyro so I
just had a top gyro, man.
818
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:08,800
I was hungry.
819
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:10,160
I was hangry, man.
820
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:11,440
- Cheers, welcome to Lesvos.
821
00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:12,760
Welcome to Greece.
822
00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:13,760
- Thank you.
- Have a nice time.
823
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:14,600
Enjoy your staying.
824
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:15,800
- I will.
825
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,320
- Ouzo, the best message for ouzo
826
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:19,240
is the company, the companionship,
827
00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:22,080
and so let yourself relax, just
828
00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:23,480
(speaks in foreign language).
829
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,520
And some small dishes with salted fish.
830
00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:28,040
- Excellent, I will.
831
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:28,880
Thank you.
832
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,560
Very nice, very nice.
833
00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,120
- Thank you.
- Now this is like my sixth
834
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,240
or seventh ouzo tonight
835
00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:38,560
so I'm getting a bit wobbly here now.
836
00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,640
(upbeat music)
837
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:42,000
So do you wanna hear the verdict?
838
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,680
Which is the best ouzo in
Greece and possibly the world?
839
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,000
Let me start by saying
the gyros was awesome
840
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,840
and I've never tried so
many different ouzos,
841
00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,560
each distiller had up to five varieties.
842
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,760
However, there can only be one winner,
843
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,400
and that was the atmosphere.
844
00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,160
From 8 p.m. into the early
hours of the morning,
845
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:00,960
people were coming and going.
846
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:03,600
Singles, couples, entire families
847
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:05,640
with 90 year old
grandparents and newborns.
848
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:07,840
There were kids everywhere,
849
00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,720
and it was ouzo, souvlaki,
salted fish, and more ouzo
850
00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:13,080
that brought them here.
851
00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,680
(upbeat music)
852
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,000
If you're thinking about Greece,
853
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,400
one of the first four or five things
854
00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,040
that comes to your mind is ouzo.
855
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:44,800
Lesvos is the capital of ouzo in Greece,
856
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,440
and we've come to the biggest
distillery in the world
857
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,480
just to see how ouzo is made.
858
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,760
Legend has it that back
in the 14th century,
859
00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:58,880
monks in Mount Athos were making tsipouro,
860
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,840
Greece's Rocket Fuel, and
flavoured some with anise.
861
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:03,600
And from that arose ouzo.
862
00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,920
So you could almost say that
it's a form of holy water.
863
00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:08,720
It rose to prominence in the 19th century,
864
00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:10,720
just after the war of independence.
865
00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:13,520
It was as though the country
needed an actual beverage
866
00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,280
to call its own or maybe
to celebrate the occasion,
867
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,240
but it was the demise in
popularity of absinthe
868
00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:22,880
early in the 20th century
that saw ouzo become popular
869
00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:24,520
in other parts of the world.
870
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,160
An expert on the subject
is Marqussa Tsachaki,
871
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,640
the master distiller here at Plomari Ouzo.
872
00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:32,080
- So these are the main seeds
873
00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,240
that we use in the distillation.
874
00:38:34,240 --> 00:38:36,880
Anise seed is the most important one,
875
00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:40,480
is the one that we are
cultivating in our fields here
876
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,200
in Lesvos, in Lisvori.
877
00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:47,200
This is fennel, this is star
anise, cinnamon, nutmeg,
878
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,920
and the salt of south Kalloni.
879
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:55,000
Many people are asking
how the recipes original,
880
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,880
why we use seeds like
star anise or cinnamon
881
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,040
that they are coming from the far east.
882
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,960
We should not forget that
Plomari was a very big port,
883
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,200
and it was just in the road of spices
884
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:09,160
from the far east to Europe.
885
00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,920
- But principally, the anise
seed and salt is local?
886
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,760
- Yes, they are from Lesvos.
887
00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,840
But I think it's better to
see them in the distillation.
888
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:18,920
- Let's do that now.
889
00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:19,960
- Okay.
- Fantastic.
890
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,560
In days gone by, ouzo distilling
was a backyard operation.
891
00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,960
People would have stills
in their farmhouse
892
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:28,040
and make their own.
893
00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:29,240
Or there would be someone in town
894
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:30,840
that kept the locals in supply.
895
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,880
This factory takes that
to a whole new level.
896
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,600
- Here is where everything happens.
897
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:41,280
We have 18 olympics.
898
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,360
Olympic is the distillation pot.
899
00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:47,120
So we have 18 small distillation pot
900
00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,320
because the olympic, the distillation pot,
901
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:50,600
is part of the process.
902
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:52,080
It's part of the recipe.
903
00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,720
And it's really important to keep,
904
00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:56,840
when our volumes were growing,
905
00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,200
to keep the recipe the same as it was.
906
00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,880
It's original, it's traditional recipe.
907
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:07,880
So we didn't make bigger olympics,
908
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,160
but we were just adding another one
909
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:13,800
and another one in our distillery.
910
00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,800
So here in Ouzo Plomari
we are 100% distilled
911
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:19,400
and double distilled.
912
00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,760
So what is happening,
really, in distillation,
913
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,440
once the distillate starts running,
914
00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:26,920
we separate the distillate in three parts,
915
00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:30,640
the head, the heart, and the tail.
916
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,760
The heart is the part that we keep.
917
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,560
So we have our first distillations.
918
00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,040
It lasts nine hours.
919
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:42,040
We get the heart, and
this heart we put it again
920
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:45,920
in the olympic with other
seeds and spices of the recipe,
921
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:48,360
and we redistill it.
922
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:49,800
- To be honest, I lost Marqussa
923
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:51,920
on the head, heart, and tail bit
924
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:53,760
but kept nodding so she wouldn't think
925
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,240
I was the slow intellectual
midget that I am.
926
00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:59,040
Mind you, I feared the
tasting of ouzo again.
927
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,600
The night before filled my
bloodstream with so much,
928
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,000
I was all ouzoed out.
929
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,160
I've gotta tell you, I'm an ouzo fan,
930
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:07,440
and I've tasted ouzo.
931
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:08,520
I've been drinking it all my life
932
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:11,200
so if I was tasting it now, I
wouldn't be Greek, you know?
933
00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:13,880
But what I do wanna taste
is what you've created.
934
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:15,720
You're a scientist and
you've created a new recipe
935
00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:16,920
that I've heard of.
936
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,880
It's a version of mastiha.
937
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:20,040
Can I try that?
938
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:20,920
- Yes, of course.
939
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,680
(speaks in foreign language)
940
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:24,480
- Awesome.
941
00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:25,680
(speaks in foreign language)
942
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,480
- So this is the first dry mastiha.
943
00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,760
Traditionally, mastiha in Greece
was produced as a liqueur,
944
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,040
which is very high in sugar.
945
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:39,480
And this is the very first
spirit drink of mastiha.
946
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,560
Try it and tell me how--
947
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,360
- Ah, that is absolutely,
948
00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:49,920
I love mastiha, but it's a
very sweet and sugary thing.
949
00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:50,760
And it's a nice little cure,
950
00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:52,320
but this is a spirit?
951
00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:54,200
- Yes, this is a spirit.
- Fantastic.
952
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,880
- It smells very nice of mastiha.
953
00:41:57,880 --> 00:41:59,760
- And you're the originator of this?
954
00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:00,600
- Yes.
955
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:01,840
(speaks in foreign language)
956
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:02,680
- Thank you very much.
957
00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:03,760
- You're welcome.
958
00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:04,600
- This is awesome.
959
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:05,440
You've gotta try it.
960
00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:10,120
That's awesome.
961
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:11,600
That is so different.
962
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:13,320
It's a spirit, isn't it?
963
00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:14,480
- Yes, it is a spirit.
964
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:16,400
- That's fantastic.
965
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:22,280
- It contains much, much
less sugar than the usual,
966
00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:26,080
the traditional recipe, which
is about 400, 300 grammes--
967
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:28,400
- Of sugar?
968
00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:29,960
- Of sugar per litre.
969
00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,160
(laughs)
970
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:34,560
- With Ouzo Fest over, it
was time to leave Plomari.
971
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:36,520
We weighed anchor and
left the pretty port,
972
00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:39,920
trekking northeast towards
Mitilini, the capital of Lesvos.
973
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,840
Along the way, captain
suggested a stop for a swim.
974
00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,280
He knows almost every inch
of Greece's coastline,
975
00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,520
and once again, he nailed it.
976
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:49,400
Another awesome beach.
977
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:53,400
How he remembers all these
places, I have no idea.
978
00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,760
We're in the south of Lesvos,
and there are two gulfs here.
979
00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,400
We're in the smaller of
the two, the Gulf of Gera.
980
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:07,400
And behind me is the beautiful
beach of Agios Ermogenis,
981
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,040
considered one of the best
beaches in all of Lesvos.
982
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:12,480
I don't know how they can say that
983
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:14,400
because there are so many
beautiful beaches here,
984
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:15,840
but I'm looking at that water,
985
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:17,440
and I just wanna jump in.
986
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:18,800
I'm gonna do that right now.
987
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:21,360
(upbeat music)
988
00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:27,800
(water splashes)
989
00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:32,640
No two beaches in Greece
are ever the same.
990
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:36,360
They've each got their own
quirks and points of interest.
991
00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:39,560
Some have fine white sand
while others are pebbled.
992
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,040
There's long, open expanses of seashore
993
00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:44,120
and then you'll find tiny alcoves
994
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,240
flanked by towering cliffs.
995
00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:48,320
The one thing they all have in common
996
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:51,080
is the warm, clear water.
997
00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:53,880
In the next episode of "My Greek Odyssey",
998
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:56,680
I'm making my way to
the capital, Mitilini.
999
00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,160
It's quite the contrast
to the rest of Lesvos,
1000
00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:01,800
with loads of people and
the noise and excitement
1001
00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:02,760
that come with it.
1002
00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:04,400
From there I'm headed south,
1003
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,000
where I'll briefly visit
the remote island of Psara,
1004
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:10,480
before making my way to Chios,
the birthplace of Homer.
1005
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,640
But before leaving, there's
still plenty of time
1006
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:14,760
to enjoy this beautiful little beach.
1007
00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:16,720
We may even grab some lunch at the tavern.
1008
00:44:16,720 --> 00:44:19,000
Nah, I better not
1009
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,680
because then we might end
up spending the night here.
1010
00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:25,240
Hmm, that actually doesn't
sound like a bad idea.
1011
00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:27,800
(upbeat music)
1012
00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:04,240
(air swooshing)
77505
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