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(Upbeat Greek music)
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- [Peter] 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 holidaying masses.
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So far this series,
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I've been back aboard my
beautiful boat, Mia Zoi,
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and travelled through a region of Greece
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I haven't spent much time in.
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We've skipped between the islands,
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taking in the sights
of the Northern Aegean.
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It's been a journey of discovery,
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where I've dug deeper into the fabric
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that makes Greece so unique,
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And immersed myself in
a centuries-old culture,
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unlike anywhere else on earth.
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We're now at the second
leg of the journey,
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which sees me heading
south into the Cyclades,
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and in this episode I'm exploring Serifos.
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It's an arid and mountainous landscape,
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well away from the usual tourist haunts.
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(upbeat music)
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Neighbouring Serifos,
are Kithnos to the north,
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and Sifnos to the south.
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Lying on the Western Cycladic,
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it's bathed in the beautiful
warm waters of the Aegean.
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People have lived on this island
for well over 2,000 years,
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and you'd think in that time
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the population would have blossomed.
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I mean, look at the place, it's gorgeous,
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but today there's only about
1,500 permanent residents,
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which makes for a peaceful place,
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seemingly lost in time.
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The picturesque setting
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rivals that of any island in the region.
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White-washed buildings, cobbled lane ways,
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and splashes of blue,
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make it feel like you're
walking through a postcard.
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A word of warning though,
it's a hilly island,
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so most walks are more like hikes!
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It's a long way up, I
hope I'm almost there!
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But the return is
generally worth the effort.
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If it's not amazing views
you're rewarded with,
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you'll find a landmark worth exploring,
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or a quaint cafe to grab a
coffee and a bite to eat.
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At the top of the hill in the town centre,
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is a square with several
restaurants, and a church.
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But that's not why I hauled
my rig up all those stairs.
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(speaks in foreign language)
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I came to meet Robert
De Niro's love child,
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or at least that's what
I think he might just be.
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Wait until you see the young
baker I'm about to show you.
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There's nothing like the smell
of a baker in the morning!
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(speaks in foreign language)
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Look at him, Robert De Niro man!
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He looks awesome!
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He makes the best pastelli, sesame snap,
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and it's got cinnamon in
it, and it's got tumeric.
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It's actually something,
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Ah! Awesome!
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Beautiful!
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And look at this, the oven.
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(speaks in foreign language)
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The oven's from 1850.
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So when you come to Serifos,
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you must come and see
Yianni and his bakery.
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He's up at midnight,
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all the way through to
six in the afternoon,
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I don't know when he,
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- He doesn't sleep, unbelievable.
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Anyway,
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Take it easy.
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Thank goodness for Yianni and his bakery.
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I needed a short break and some fuel
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to get me through what lay ahead.
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The long climb up to the town
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was just a warm up for my next hike.
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From here, my path was taking
me higher into the hills.
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(upbeat piano music)
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The white buildings sparkle
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against the brown of the landscape.
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The colour scheme is
unique to the Cyclades,
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some say it's to reflect
the heat of the sun,
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while others believe
things are white and blue
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to echo the colours of the Greek flag.
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Whatever the reason, it
creates a stunning effect.
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After walking the 424 steps
to get to the top of Chora,
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and then another 100 steps
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to get up to the top of the church there,
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you'd think you're at the
highest point of the island.
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Well you aren't.
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We're going to meet a local, Makis,
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who's going to take us to the
highest point of the island
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and it's a short stroll,
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and I'm told it's a wonderful hike.
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So off we go.
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The walk up the mountain
is a great opportunity
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to take in not only the
typical architecture
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of this part of the world,
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but views across the entire region.
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On a clear day, they
say you can see several
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of the Cycladic islands.
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Makis, this track has
a lot of significance
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for your family I understand?
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- Yes, actually, this is the
path where my grandmother,
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when she was young,
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she had to do every day from
Chora, to go to Koutalas
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where the old mines was.
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So she had to bring food to her father.
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And she was doing that everyday.
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- Every day?
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- Every single--
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- How many kilometres was that?
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- It's about seven, eight kilometres.
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- Wow, how long did she live for?
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- 87 years.
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- 87 years, wow, seven kilometres a day,
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you'd expect it wouldn't you?
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The Mediterranean diet is said to be
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one of the healthiest on the planet.
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Combine the healthy eating
with the island lifestyle
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and you've got the perfect
recipe for a long life.
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Here they don't follow any eating fads
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or exercise regimes,
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and the life expectancy
on some of the islands
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is greater than almost anywhere else.
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Makis, did you get to meet
your great-grandfather?
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- Yes, I was lucky, I did met him.
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- He must have had some amazing stories.
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- Yeah sure, stories about the mines,
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about the hard working life.
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About the strike, about everything, yeah.
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- Wow, and I must say, I look at this,
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and it's amazing.
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It looks like the rock here,
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has been quarried from this mountain.
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- Yeah, actually this was the
main highway of the island.
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It was the main road
that was connecting Chora
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with the small villages of
Panagia, Pirgos, Galani,
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and then also with the mines,
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where it was the fisherman's
village Koutalas,
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and Mega Livadi.
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- So this must be ancient, from antiquity?
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- Yes, actually, yes, 'til the 2000,
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that they start to construct the new roads
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to go to the villages, yeah,
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it was the main road always, this.
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- [Peter] So for 2,500 years,
up until almost 20 years ago,
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this was main street, the highway?
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- Yes, exactly.
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- [Peter] Wow, but look at it.
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It looks like it was built yesterday.
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I've got to say, Greek builders,
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they're pretty good, mate, I tell ya.
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They're fantastic.
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Makis, this is absolutely awesome.
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I love this track,
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I think it's probably one
of the best walks I've done,
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and do you know what's special?
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I think you can see so many
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of the other Cycladic islands here.
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What are we looking at here?
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- Actually the closest island is Sifnos.
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- This one here?
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- On the right side,
you can see Folegandros.
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- That's Folegandros there, right?
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And behind it?
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- Poliegos.
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- Poliegos is there--
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- And Kimolos,
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a small corner--
- And Kimolos.
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- That you can see from Kimolos.
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From the other side, on the
left side you can see Sikinos.
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- Just behind there?
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- Ios, the island of Ios.
- Ios!
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- Antiparos.
- Antiparos!
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- Paros, and a small part of Naxos.
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- Paros and...
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So many islands.
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And they're so close together!
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- Yeah.
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- But you know what?
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After that walk, I forgot my Kyriakou bar
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so let's get walking--
- Okay.
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- 'cause I'm starved mate.
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(ethereal music)
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Didn't I tell you?
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The views are well and
truly worth the effort.
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It's almost like Serifos
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is a viewing platform for the Cycladic.
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It's a jewel in the middle of the Aegean.
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Surrounded by other islands
begging to be explored.
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So Makis, this is the
top of the island, eh?
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- Exactly, 601 metres.
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- Only 2 and a half
kilometres, from the port.
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You don't have to walk
all the way up here,
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just a K up the top you see everything,
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but this is absolutely magnificent.
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Makis, thank you very much.
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I really appreciate it.
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He's the only Makis on the island too,
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so if you want to do this
walk, just ask for Makis!
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- Thank you.
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- Awesome, look at that.
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It's beautiful isn't it?
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What I loved about this
walk wasn't just the views.
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For me, it was the feeling of
being away from the crowds.
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Here I was, atop a mountain,
just a short hike from town,
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and there wasn't a soul around.
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Serifos isn't exactly a sleepy island,
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it's just at rest, awakening,
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and on the cusp of being discovered
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by the tourist wave that
frequent it's big brothers
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like Paros, Naxos, and Mykonos.
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(Upbeat Greek music)
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An early start saw me
headed around the island.
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The plan for the morning
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was to just take the road and explore.
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It didn't take long
before I just had to stop.
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There's only about 72 square
kilometres of Serifos,
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and as a result, the
ring road is a short run.
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It's a beautiful road,
it's about 45 minutes.
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But right here, you can see
everything about Serifos.
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Look down there,
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you can see that black
iron ore, that seam.
231
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And just above it, you can
see that big cavern there.
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That's actually a collapse,
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because the whole mountain is hollow,
234
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because they exploited the iron ore.
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Further over there you see a ridge.
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That ridge shows you the
combing, the terracing,
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that has happened from antiquity,
238
00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,400
this was basically a farming island
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before the farmers turned to the mining.
240
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Now there's no farming,
and there's no mining.
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They are coming back though.
242
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There's a little bit happening here.
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Beneath the hills,
Serifos is like honeycomb,
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much of the underground
has been mined away.
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Above are the terraced
fields of antiquity,
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this was once used for
growing grain and other crops
247
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that can handle the dry climate.
248
00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,080
Today though, there's little
in the way of agriculture,
249
00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,640
instead, much of the food
is brought in by ferry,
250
00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,640
with small amounts of farming and fishing
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00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,200
providing the rest.
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Other remnants of the
mining and agricultural past
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00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,360
can be found strewn about the place.
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00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,320
Old mine shafts and piles of rubble
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00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,120
are dotted on the hillsides.
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00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:07,600
Pieces of abandoned machinery
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00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,560
and rusted out trucks can be found,
258
00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:11,400
overgrown with weeds.
259
00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,760
There are collapsed
buildings by the roadsides,
260
00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,120
and signs of quite
significant infrastructure,
261
00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,560
that once served what must have
been a thriving little hub.
262
00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:22,240
The mining boom lasted much
of the early 20th century,
263
00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,360
ending with the closure
of the mines in the 1960s.
264
00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,640
Throughout that time, it provided
employment for the locals,
265
00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,400
which in turn meant services were built
266
00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,280
and the population grew.
267
00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,960
It's quite the contrast to
what Serifos is like now.
268
00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:36,840
Today tourism is the growth industry,
269
00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,800
that will likely bring some
new life to the island.
270
00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:45,760
Looks like any old iron ore
mine, but in August of 1916,
271
00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,360
something happened that
would profoundly change
272
00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,200
the cultural and working environment
273
00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:51,720
of Greeks forever.
274
00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:56,160
This was basically the start
of the eight hour week,
275
00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:57,800
after a massive strike.
276
00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,520
Four miners got killed,
277
00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,680
gendarmes were lynched
and stoned to death.
278
00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,600
It all happened here.
279
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,160
The mountain behind me is basically empty,
280
00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,480
as a result of 160,000 tonnes
a year of iron ore coming out
281
00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,040
from that slave labour, wow.
282
00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,160
(solemn piano music)
283
00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:25,080
The landscape now looks
a bit like a battlefield.
284
00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:26,920
In some ways, it once was.
285
00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:27,800
As the workers fought
286
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,080
for better working conditions and wages.
287
00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,680
The 1916 strike was organised by a local,
288
00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:34,360
Konstantinos Speras.
289
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,640
He rallied the miners to form a union,
290
00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,760
and protest against the low
pay, long working hours,
291
00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:41,480
terrible safety conditions,
292
00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,720
and the company's refusal to rehire people
293
00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:45,520
who were drafted into the Greek army,
294
00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,360
and recently discharged.
295
00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:48,200
After the incident,
296
00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,840
the miners essentially
took control of the island.
297
00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,520
It was a brief foray into independence,
298
00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,040
that ended when the Greek
navy sent in a warship.
299
00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:56,800
Though they did get their
better working conditions,
300
00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,320
and shorter hours.
301
00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:03,720
There wasn't a part of the
island that wasn't hollowed out.
302
00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:08,360
So much so, that sections
like this one collapsed down,
303
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,160
as a result of the
caverns that were created.
304
00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,240
And guess what, we're
heading through that hole!
305
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,760
Bit dangerous, having second thoughts now.
306
00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,120
From a distance, the caverns
didn't look quite so imposing.
307
00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:23,760
However, on close inspection,
308
00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,520
their magnitude became apparent.
309
00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,280
It was quite overwhelming,
310
00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:30,680
like an ant walking into a rabbit warren.
311
00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,160
You wouldn't want to go
traipsing around in here
312
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,800
without a bit of experience,
313
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,720
it's the sort of place
you might wander into
314
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,640
and never find your way out.
315
00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,160
A bit like the Jules Verne novel
316
00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,160
"Journey to the Centre of the Earth".
317
00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,040
Who knows what you might encounter?
318
00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,000
Well this guy here, Dimitris,
319
00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000
has a good idea of what's inside.
320
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,320
Decades ago, his father and grandfather
321
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,280
worked in these iron ore mines.
322
00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:58,120
It's quite a significant place for him,
323
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,560
and the connection he has shines through,
324
00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:03,000
in his emotional
descriptions of what happened
325
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,680
all those years ago.
326
00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,480
As you can hear on my mic,
327
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,160
I'm breathing a little bit deeply,
328
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,760
because I'm a little claustrophobic,
329
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,000
and we've just walked 100
metres through this tunnel
330
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,760
that I could barely get through.
331
00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,200
Thank God I've got Dimitris with me,
332
00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,240
Dimitris is from the municipality,
333
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,520
and there was no way I was
going to go in here on my own,
334
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:52,520
and he's been through these
tunnels many, many times.
335
00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,120
And we've come to this massive cavern.
336
00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,080
Dimitris, this is huge.
337
00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,640
Tell me something, how
many of these are there,
338
00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:01,480
like this?
339
00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,600
So he's saying he's been
into 10 of these at least,
340
00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,520
but there are many more,
341
00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,280
and as you can see, there
are holes, everywhere,
342
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,720
where they've just followed
the vein and dug through.
343
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,320
My understanding, from what
Dimitris was saying to me,
344
00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,920
is that they actually had
brothers and cousins and relatives
345
00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:06,160
mining different areas,
346
00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:07,560
at least so that they,
347
00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,800
if there was a collapse, that
the whole family wouldn't go
348
00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:10,640
but really, I mean,
349
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:11,960
what does that mean at the end of the day?
350
00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:13,120
It's just the...
351
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,160
You know, these men,
worked in these mines,
352
00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:18,040
just following the veins,
353
00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,080
they were told to follow those veins.
354
00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,440
Life didn't matter,
355
00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,000
up until the rebellion,
356
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,120
the union strike, when
things changed at least,
357
00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,440
and they went down to an 8 hour day.
358
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,280
But the safety still wasn't up there,
359
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,080
and you, you know,
360
00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,880
it just didn't happen
in Serifos, in Greece,
361
00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,720
this happened all over the world.
362
00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,520
These, rebellions to ensure
363
00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,160
that people had a safe
working environment,
364
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,760
so lives weren't lost.
365
00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:50,720
What amazes me still is that,
366
00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,120
this one cavern, one of many,
367
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,160
was dug by hand.
368
00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,960
Lives were lost, in
this cavern, guaranteed.
369
00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:03,920
It's amazing.
370
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,200
The period when these
mines were first operating,
371
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,480
was a time when workers
didn't have rights.
372
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,000
They were treated almost like slaves.
373
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,240
The miners endured long and hard days,
374
00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,160
in an environment that's not
only incredibly dangerous,
375
00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:21,680
but oppressive.
376
00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,880
The management had little
regard for their wellbeing,
377
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,080
placing profits ahead of
the lives of the workers.
378
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,760
Thankfully, things changed,
379
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,000
but it took an uprising
that cost even more lives.
380
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,320
(stirring guitar music)
381
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:38,680
This mentality of having no care
382
00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,480
for the wellbeing of their employees
383
00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:41,640
still occurs in mining,
384
00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,600
and other labour intensive
sectors in developing countries.
385
00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,600
As well as those where
laws aren't in place
386
00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:48,800
to protect the workers.
387
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:50,960
Capitalism has a lot to answer for,
388
00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:52,880
and often it's those at the coal face
389
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,400
that end up making the
corporate monsters accountable.
390
00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,760
(Upbeat Greek music)
391
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,600
Greeks are known for their
hospitality and traditions.
392
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,240
One cultural practise that
embodies this generosity,
393
00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,480
is the celebration of your saint's day.
394
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,080
Alternatively known as your name day.
395
00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,760
So today, is a very special day,
396
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,120
it's Kyriakos's name day.
397
00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:31,880
In Greece we don't only
celebrate birthdays,
398
00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,160
we celebrate name days, which
is the saint of your name.
399
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,600
And it's Saint Kyriakos
today, is that right Kyri?
400
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,080
And the good thing about name days,
401
00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:44,280
is that you share, as
we say, he treats today,
402
00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:45,680
he's paying for all of this today,
403
00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:46,800
you're paying for all of us,
404
00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:48,320
no chance you're going to
pay for all of us today.
405
00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:49,480
I'm gonna pay.
406
00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:53,440
- Okay, oh you're a gun!
407
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,480
He's a gun, he's a gun!
408
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:56,320
And the wonderful thing is
409
00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,160
your house is open on your name day,
410
00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:00,840
and it doesn't matter what happens,
411
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,720
whoever comes, eats at your house.
412
00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:03,720
So you could know 1,000 people,
413
00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:08,120
they could come to your
house, and eat is that right?
414
00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:17,880
- And to all the Kyriakos out there!
415
00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,120
(speaking in foreign language)
416
00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:22,400
- The best chef in the Mediterranean,
417
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:23,360
possibly the world,
418
00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:24,560
maybe the universe.
419
00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:26,640
(laughs)
420
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,640
In Greece with good food
often comes good wine.
421
00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,000
Earlier I mentioned that farming
422
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,480
was no longer a major
industry for the island.
423
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,640
But there was a little something going on,
424
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,000
and that something is wine production.
425
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,080
However, the environment here
426
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,240
means that not only is
the work backbreaking,
427
00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:47,960
it's also dangerous.
428
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,000
I'd heard about a small family-run winery
429
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,000
that's been in operation for centuries.
430
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,560
They grow their vines on the
side of a steep mountain,
431
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,200
using the terraces from antiquity.
432
00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,160
To show me around I met with Evgenia,
433
00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,200
a school teacher who married
a Serifiot wine maker
434
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:02,320
named Christos,
435
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,880
and now helps him run the business.
436
00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,760
- [Evgenia] So due to the
morphology of the ground,
437
00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,840
it's very difficult to
get machines work inside,
438
00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,720
so we have to do everything by hand.
439
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,480
The only helper, let's say,
are some donkeys, sometimes.
440
00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:16,960
- But it's you two?
441
00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,440
- No, during the harvest
time we get some workers
442
00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,920
to help up carry and pick the grapes.
443
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,200
But basically, yes.
444
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,760
The family used to own
some of the vineyards,
445
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:32,000
for a very long time, almost 300 years.
446
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,880
The oldest in the yard is somewhere there.
447
00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:35,720
- Wow!
448
00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,400
In a very difficult to reach place,
449
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,960
behind the slope, the first
slope, down near the sea.
450
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,400
- That's a very difficult to reach place.
451
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:44,240
- Yeah!
452
00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:45,640
- This is a difficult place to reach,
453
00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:47,560
you need a 4-wheel drive to come here!
454
00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:48,800
- This one is the most difficult of all.
455
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:50,280
- So there's a more difficult place,
456
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,000
so if you wanna buy wine from
here, I've gotta tell you.
457
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,000
It's not easy to get to you.
- It's not easy at all.
458
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,080
- As we say in Greek
(speaks foreign language)
459
00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,760
You know, but I can't say that in English.
460
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,480
(laughs)
461
00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,000
It's hard enough producing wine
462
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,160
in vineyards on small islands
with very steep terrain,
463
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,080
but thanks to the EU's
strict policies and controls
464
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,200
these little operators can't
compete with the big guys.
465
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:12,920
The thing is, the rules that apply
466
00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,760
to the mass producers in mainland Europe
467
00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:19,040
also apply to the farmers in
rural towns in faraway islands.
468
00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,520
It's hardly a fair and equitable system.
469
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:23,880
I can see why,
470
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,760
looking at all this
stainless steel stuff here,
471
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,640
that it's hard for other wine makers,
472
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:31,840
the traditional wine makers,
473
00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,480
to do what you're doing here,
474
00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:35,440
it's amazing.
475
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,000
- It is because you need a lot of funding
476
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,880
to buy all these things,
477
00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,520
and you need to blend the traditional way
478
00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,040
with the modern technology.
479
00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,360
And this is what we try to do, to blend.
480
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,920
- [Peter] So not only are you
doing it professional way,
481
00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,080
but you're also doing it
traditionally as well?
482
00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:52,520
- [Evgenia] Yes, and
that's the difficult stuff,
483
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,600
because we want to have
control over everything
484
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,440
to look at every tank, to see how it goes,
485
00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,040
so we need to be over
the wine all the time.
486
00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,280
- [Peter] So how much wine
do you make a year here?
487
00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:03,920
- About 10 tonnes a year.
488
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,320
- 10 tonnes, just the two of you!
489
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:06,960
(laughs)
490
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:08,920
But before you know it, little
Panayotis will be there,
491
00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:10,600
he'll be making 15, 20 tonnes a year.
492
00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,600
- Oh of course! Much more than--
493
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:13,480
- Yes, yes.
494
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,520
But Panayotis needs another
brother and a sister
495
00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:16,560
I think, you know?
496
00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:17,400
- At some point.
497
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,720
(laughs)
498
00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:20,560
- [Peter] The wine they produce
499
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,120
is neither white, red or rose.
500
00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:24,920
It's actually orange in colour.
501
00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,320
It's from a grape variety
called Serfiotiko,
502
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:28,600
which is endemic to here.
503
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,520
Technically, I think it's a white,
504
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:32,680
but it has a beautiful orange colour,
505
00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,680
so who's going to argue?
506
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:37,880
- So, what do you think?
507
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,000
- I've never had anything like it,
508
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,640
and I tell you, it's not too
heavy and it's not too light,
509
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:44,960
but it's something you can eat with.
510
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,440
This is what the locals eat.
511
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:47,440
- Exactly.
512
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,440
- Well you don't produce
enough wine really
513
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,160
to export do you?
514
00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,120
- No, we don't export, for the time being
515
00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,560
because our production is not so big,
516
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,040
but we try to keep the
local market satisfied,
517
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,640
because they are the
people who support us,
518
00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,680
and supported us from the beginning,
519
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,760
so we have it here on the island,
520
00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,000
and we giving some neighbouring islands.
521
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:11,680
- Well the world is
unlucky not to taste it
522
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,040
You need to come here
- You have to come here!
523
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:13,840
- With your 4-wheel drive.
524
00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:14,680
- Of course, you have to come here.
525
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:15,760
(speaking in foreign language)
526
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,080
- Awesome stuff.
527
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:21,200
Ah that's...
528
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:22,280
And with the little
(speaks foreign language)
529
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,400
It makes a big difference!
- At the taste of one.
530
00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:27,760
- Wow.
531
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:28,680
There are small wineries
532
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,920
on just about every island in Greece.
533
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,640
Most produce just enough
for the local community,
534
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,880
but some are slowly up scaling.
535
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:37,800
These guys are doing exactly that,
536
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,200
making a fantastic product that
not only earns them a living
537
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,200
but gives a little back to
their local economy too.
538
00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:46,400
Judging by the quality
of what I've just tasted
539
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,360
this may well be the
beginning of a family dynasty.
540
00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:50,960
Who knows, with any luck,
541
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,760
soon you might find them on wine lists
542
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,600
at your favourite
restaurants around the world.
543
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,040
(Upbeat Greek music)
544
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:14,920
You know there's nothing more Greek
545
00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,760
than eating directly from the sea.
546
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,720
And one of my favourite meals
547
00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,320
is grilled or barbecued octopus.
548
00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,520
And this is what Kyriakou's
preparing for us right now,
549
00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,560
I love this stuff, it's
absolutely magnificent,
550
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,120
and it just melts in the mouth,
551
00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:31,360
I'm actually salivating as I talk.
552
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:32,800
And we've got the
ingredients in front of us,
553
00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,600
there's oregano, capers,
olive oil, and ouzo,
554
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,680
for afterwards obviously.
555
00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,280
(laughs)
556
00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:45,520
- So a bit of lemon, right,
557
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,000
bit of capers.
558
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,840
Now this guy, he's not
just any old octopus.
559
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,280
He's a special octopus.
560
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:55,840
- He's...
561
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:57,240
Very significant.
562
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,520
Because of where he comes from.
563
00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:03,360
Oh!
564
00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,080
It doesn't get any fresher than this.
565
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,000
That tasty octopus was given
to us by a local fisherman
566
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,320
who passed by early this morning.
567
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,360
Now if you think you just
grab one from the sea
568
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:16,840
and pop it on the barbie, you're wrong.
569
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:17,880
To tenderise it,
570
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,480
you've got to whack it
a minimum of 100 times.
571
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,160
It's a tiring and time consuming process.
572
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,280
(octopus squelching)
573
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,120
Now, obviously this
looks a little violent,
574
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:38,080
but you've got to remember
575
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,160
that the octopus has been humanely killed,
576
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,680
and this is the way they've been doing it
577
00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,040
for 2,000 years, maybe
longer, I don't know.
578
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:47,520
But, it's the only way.
579
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,560
I mean, you can't take
an octopus from the sea
580
00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,800
and just eat it, 'cause
it's just too hard.
581
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,640
You need to tenderise the octopus.
582
00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:57,680
Now you've got to appreciate,
583
00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,480
every octopus you buy at the
shop has been tenderised.
584
00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,080
Obviously they haven't
bashed every single one,
585
00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,200
a method that they use today is they
586
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:06,800
put them in a washing machine and...
587
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,120
They, is that right, a washing machine?
588
00:26:08,120 --> 00:26:10,760
And they, like a tumble
dryer thing, you know?
589
00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,040
We're doing it the traditional way.
590
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,600
I love the way the Greeks
live by the sea and the land
591
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,080
and they live off it.
592
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,320
And they, protect what they've got there.
593
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,240
They don't actually go out
and fish for everything.
594
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,640
They don't out-fish the sea,
595
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,040
there's still plenty of octopus in there,
596
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,600
they only take what they need.
597
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,680
(traditional Greek guitar music)
598
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:38,640
- We're about 55, he wants me to go now.
599
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:39,560
Yeah, sure.
600
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:44,240
- Oh no.
601
00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,360
I'm going to give it a shot now.
602
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,400
There's obviously an art to this.
603
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:06,480
- Poor little guy.
604
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,840
(laughs loudly)
605
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:23,200
We all love a nice piece of fish
606
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:24,920
or some calamari and octopus,
607
00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:26,360
but you're not always going to be able
608
00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:27,720
to get your hands on them.
609
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,640
Sometimes you have to make do
with what the ocean provides,
610
00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:32,480
but as Captain Yianni has taught me,
611
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,440
there's an abundance of tasty seafood
612
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,240
that may not be as popular, or well known.
613
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,360
However it tastes just as delicious,
614
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:42,920
you just have to know
where to look for it.
615
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,560
Captain is giving Eirenaios
a lesson on the sea
616
00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,400
and getting sea urchins and
mollusks and crustaceans
617
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,880
from the sea, so they,
618
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,360
looks like they caught something.
619
00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:55,680
Here Eire, I've got it mate.
620
00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:02,840
There we go.
621
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,080
Sea urchins, are they sea urchins Eire?
622
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:09,640
- [Eirenaios] Yeah.
623
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:15,520
- [Peter] Mate, there's a
little guy living in there.
624
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,040
- [Yianni] Yeah they live, two--
625
00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,120
- [Peter] Two little guys, what are they?
626
00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:19,080
- [Yianni] And they clean it.
627
00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:20,680
- [Peter] Ah they're cleaning the...
628
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,720
- [Yianni] Without that, it
doesn't live, this thing.
629
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:23,560
- [Peter] Is that right?
630
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,320
Can you see the little
guy swimming in there?
631
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,240
And this is how the
Greeks have been living
632
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,400
for 2,000 years, just doing
what we're doing here.
633
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,160
And Yianni, how long were
you in the water for?
634
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:35,440
- [Yianni] Half an hour, 40 minutes?
635
00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:36,680
- [Peter] This half an hour!
636
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,120
I mean, there's enough
food here for these guys
637
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,240
for the whole day.
638
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,920
We've got the oregano,
we've got our octopus,
639
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:45,800
what else do you need!
640
00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,400
(upbeat music)
641
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:51,600
Is that good?
642
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,680
(laughs)
643
00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:26,720
- Crocodile Dundee junior, definitely.
644
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,400
Some of these morsels
are considered delicacies
645
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:31,960
all over the world,
646
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,520
sea urchins are a favourite
in places like Japan,
647
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:36,760
Chile, and across the Mediterranean.
648
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,040
Oysters, scallops and abalone
649
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,920
are some of the most expensive
shellfish you can buy.
650
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:43,760
However, with a little bit of effort,
651
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:48,440
you can harvest the sea and
make a meal fit for a king.
652
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:49,520
A fresh seafood feast
653
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,400
was the perfect way to
end our time on Serifos.
654
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,040
Coming here took me back to my youth,
655
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,280
when more of the islands were far quieter,
656
00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,720
and the life much
simpler than it is today.
657
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,080
In Serifos, they've managed
658
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:01,880
to keep a hold on their traditions,
659
00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,040
and for the time being, fly
under the tourist radar.
660
00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:07,520
It's a quiet island,
with a strong community,
661
00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,440
the kind of place I can certainly
see myself coming back to,
662
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,120
time and time again.
663
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,960
(Upbeat Greek music)
664
00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,920
Welcome to Sifnos, a 74 square
kilometre mountainous island,
665
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,120
that's home to around 3,000 people.
666
00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,280
We've travelled all of
about 30 kilometres,
667
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,720
and found yet another peaceful enclave,
668
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,120
where dry mountains run down
669
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,880
to the blue waters of the Aegean.
670
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,440
Sifnos is recognisable by it's
white Cycladic architecture.,
671
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:55,520
but it's actually quite different
672
00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,360
to the other Cycladic islands.
673
00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:02,080
It's surrounded by 76 round
towers on the coastline,
674
00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,800
they were build around the
6th to the 3rd century BC,
675
00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:05,640
and they were put there
676
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,280
to protect the island from invaders,
677
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,640
because they had gold
and silver mines here.
678
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,920
Some of the best gold and
silver mines in all of Greece.
679
00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,320
It made it one of the wealthiest islands,
680
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,280
right through this whole region.
681
00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,400
It's also known for this stuff, clay.
682
00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:23,800
Really awesome clay,
683
00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:28,040
and the coastline was once
a menagerie of potters,
684
00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,000
hundreds of them, but
probably more importantly,
685
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,800
as my mother said, it's
known for Tselementes,
686
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,000
The first great Greek chef.
687
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,080
A man that changed the way that
Greek housewives cook today.
688
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:42,560
But, have look at that.
689
00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:47,320
I've got to get moving, but
I could look at that all day.
690
00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:50,120
It seems I wasn't the only one
691
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,480
who appreciated the view up here.
692
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:53,840
No matter where you are in Greece,
693
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,160
there's always one thing you
can be sure to find, goats!
694
00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:58,840
They're like sheep in New Zealand,
695
00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:01,080
and kangaroos in Australia.
696
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,480
As much as Sifnos is a
touristy destination,
697
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,560
it's not like the more
established holiday spots,
698
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:14,480
with people from across the globe.
699
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:15,320
Your average visitor here
700
00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,800
is likely to be from
another part of Greece.
701
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:19,720
For few international
tourists that come over
702
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,760
are generally the ones
who have already seen
703
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,560
the cliched parts of the country,
704
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,880
and now make this smaller, quieter island
705
00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,040
the place they return to.
706
00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:29,320
While it has all the creature comforts
707
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:31,240
that you want in a vacation destination,
708
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,680
there's still plenty of
that old world charm,
709
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,960
only found in the lesser known islands.
710
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:43,760
You know right now I've noticed,
711
00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,800
with the island of
Sifnos, and your villages,
712
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:48,400
they're all very clean.
713
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,880
- It's one of the cleanest
destinations in Greece.
714
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:51,720
- Yeah?
715
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,640
- It's the municipality of course,
716
00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:57,480
but it's also the people are like that.
717
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,960
If your doorway is dirty,
then it's your problem.
718
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:03,120
You should be ashamed.
719
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,600
Everybody feels that,
their responsibility,
720
00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,960
that you have to keep your place clean.
721
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,880
- [Peter] But Ronia, it's
not just the cleanliness,
722
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,800
it's the flowers, it's the
fauna, everything is in--
723
00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:14,920
- If things are tidy and clean,
724
00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,480
then beauty is easier to be seen.
725
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,320
- That's the beauty of Sifnos, eh!
726
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:27,520
- I wanna show you something,
very special there.
727
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:29,600
- Oh this is the clay chimney things?
728
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:30,880
- The clay chimney things, yeah.
729
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:31,680
- What do you call them?
730
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:33,720
- Flaros.
- Flaros?
731
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:34,840
- Flaros, is the word.
732
00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,680
It's only in Sifnos, and nowhere else.
733
00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,120
This one is not a chimney, this is a lamp
734
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,120
and this is the modern
use of the old chimney.
735
00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,760
We make all these holes, decorative one,
736
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,600
and we put a lamp inside.
737
00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,280
Traditionally there are no holes here,
738
00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,880
but there are these three or four,
739
00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,520
which help the smoke of
the fireplace coming up,
740
00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,680
and prevent the air from coming in.
741
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,720
They are still in use, we
still use them as chimneys.
742
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:02,560
- [Peter] Wow!
743
00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,120
- And this is the nice modern use.
744
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,760
Over there, is another
one you see, a small one.
745
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,240
But we will find more on our way.
746
00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:10,520
- Let's go have a look!
747
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,360
All this white in my eyes,
748
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,840
you need sunglasses here
don't you, you know?
749
00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:16,200
- It reflects sunshine.
750
00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:17,600
- But that brings me to the issue
751
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,080
of the blue and white of the Cyclades,
752
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,240
someone told me that it was law,
753
00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:25,240
that they've got to have white houses,
754
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:27,400
with blue windows, and blue domes,
755
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:28,480
or brown doors,
756
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:29,640
- [Ronia] Okay, okay,
757
00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,520
the white outside
buildings is the tradition,
758
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,080
and it's also the law.
759
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,000
The tradition says that this
material is calcium carbonate,
760
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,640
which is antiseptic, so it
keeps bugs and insects away,
761
00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:46,640
reflection shine better, and
also allows walls breathe.
762
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:47,800
- [Peter] Ah, yes.
763
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,880
- [Ronia] So it helps the
temperature inside the building.
764
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,960
Today, it's also the law,
765
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,320
which says in traditional
places like Sifnos,
766
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,560
you have to whiten your
buildings every year.
767
00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,920
There is no law about the
colour of doors and windows.
768
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:01,760
- Okay.
769
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,280
- And blue, since you mentioned,
is not a traditional colour.
770
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:06,200
- No?
- No.
771
00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,960
- Where did it come from?
772
00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,240
Didn't Metaxas in 1936,
the Prime Minister,
773
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:13,240
he said, "I want all the houses"--
774
00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:14,720
- Okay, okay Metaxas--
775
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:16,480
- Let me finish! (speaks
in foreign language)
776
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:17,360
- Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.
777
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:18,240
(laughs)
778
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:19,720
- Metaxas said--
- You know, I'm...
779
00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:20,640
(slaps hands)
780
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,720
- (Speaks in foreign language)
This is Sifnian women, man.
781
00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:23,720
They are strong! You know--
782
00:35:23,720 --> 00:35:24,920
- I know what you're going to say!
783
00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:26,480
(laughs)
784
00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:30,720
- He said, "I want all the
houses white, and the domes blue,
785
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:32,680
"the blue for the sky,
the white for the waves."
786
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:33,600
Now you tell me your story,
787
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,680
'cause you're dying to tell
me, right, go on, yeah.
788
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:41,160
- Traditional colours were
colours that people could make,
789
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,040
so blue was never a traditional colour,
790
00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,040
because they couldn't make themselves.
791
00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:46,440
Today, there is no law about it,
792
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,920
you can have your doors and
windows any colour you want.
793
00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:50,040
And many, many Greeks
794
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,360
believe that blue is a traditional colour.
795
00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:54,720
- Ah well, it is the way it is.
796
00:35:54,720 --> 00:35:55,600
- So, yeah.
797
00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,000
Would you like to make friends again?
798
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,120
- Mint?
- Bravo!
799
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,080
- I'm friends, I'm friends, I'm
friends darling, I'm friends
800
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,200
- It's mint
- I'm friends!
801
00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,120
(Uplifting guitar music)
802
00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:08,280
I'm a big eater,
803
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:10,960
and all this walking and
talking leads to one thing,
804
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:12,320
me getting hungry.
805
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,320
So a quick stop to try a local delicacy,
806
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,320
called revithada was perfect.
807
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:18,440
Its made from chickpeas,
808
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,040
baked for six hours in a ceramic pot.
809
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,480
It was made as a traditional Sunday meal,
810
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:28,360
and being a Sunday, it was
only fitting I gave it a try.
811
00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:32,400
- The reason is, that
way, on Sunday morning,
812
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:37,400
after church, people, women,
had the meal of the day ready,
813
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,280
so they didn't have to cook on Sundays.
814
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:40,240
- Right, okay.
815
00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:42,240
Because Sifnian women are a bit different
816
00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:44,160
to the other islands, aren't they?
817
00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:45,000
- Ahh...
818
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:46,720
- They've got more power.
819
00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:47,760
- They have a power.
820
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:48,640
- They have a power, in the family.
821
00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:49,880
- If this is what you want.
822
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,040
- From tradition, from the
times of gold and silver.
823
00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:53,840
- From the very ancient times,
824
00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:58,200
but in recent history, even
more, and today as well.
825
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:00,320
- They control the money in the family?
826
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,760
- They have the financial
control of the money.
827
00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,200
And men are very proud of this.
828
00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:05,760
- Yes, the men are proud?
829
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:07,600
- Yes, I was just sure
830
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,400
that you are going to comment on that.
831
00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:10,480
(laughs)
832
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:14,760
Men are very proud to have a
very clever woman next to them,
833
00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,440
who can handle situations.
834
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,080
- Well it's good to have
a clever woman next to me.
835
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:19,920
Thank you very much.
836
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:20,880
- Thanks a lot.
837
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:21,840
- I'm lucky in that way too,
838
00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:23,120
I have a clever woman next to me as well.
839
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:24,040
- Do you like your chickpea soup?
840
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:25,360
- Fantastic, fantastic.
841
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,560
(Speaks in foreign language)
842
00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:30,160
And with a bit of white wine.
843
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,440
(Speaks in foreign language) as we say.
844
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,840
- And the chickpea soup is
very thick, as you can see
845
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:36,240
it's not, very watery.
846
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:41,240
- This is not soup man, have
a look at that, awesome, eh?
847
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,440
And do you dip bread in
it? Do you put bread?
848
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:45,600
- Bread, there are many Greeks
who cannot sit on the table
849
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:46,640
if there is no bread.
- Without bread,
850
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:47,640
that's right.
851
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,040
- You know. And some others who cannot sit
852
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:50,320
if there is no feta cheese.
853
00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:52,800
- [Peter] No feta cheese, that's right.
854
00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:53,600
Yes!
855
00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:58,560
I love this revithada man.
856
00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:00,000
They are so good.
857
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,920
Eat up! Eat up!
858
00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,000
(laughs)
859
00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,200
(Upbeat Greek music)
860
00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,200
(Speaks in foreign language)
861
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:29,920
Sifnos is known for its clay.
862
00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:33,040
For over 2,000 years it's
been exported across Europe.
863
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,720
One of the last remaining
potters on the island is Antonis
864
00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:39,920
He's the third generation
running the family kiln.
865
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:47,760
Good quality, Sifnian clay.
866
00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:51,080
It's everywhere here.
867
00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:53,600
I don't think he's ever
going to run out of material,
868
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,600
that's for sure.
869
00:38:55,600 --> 00:39:00,080
And the good thing is, they
just dump it here for him.
870
00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,560
Antonis's family have been
operating this workshop
871
00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:05,920
since 1870, and what you're looking at
872
00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:09,840
is one of the last remaining
traditional kilns on Sifnos.
873
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,720
I imagine there wouldn't
be many of these found
874
00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:13,680
anywhere in Greece.
875
00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:15,400
When Antonis eventually retires,
876
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,120
his son will take over the trade,
877
00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:18,880
making him the fourth generation
878
00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:20,640
running the family business.
879
00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,120
It's Antonis's hope that it will continue
880
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:23,880
for many generations to come.
881
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,320
However, it's a legacy that
could easily become a burden,
882
00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,680
as there's likely some
temptation to leave the island
883
00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:31,640
to pursue your own career.
884
00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,560
But no doubt, the pressure
to maintain the family trade
885
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,240
is just that little bit greater.
886
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,560
Four generations of
potters, here in Vathi.
887
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,920
And we're seeing two generations here,
888
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,760
it was his father and grandfather.
889
00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:47,160
I love that!
890
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:48,200
I love that we're seeing
891
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,600
a fully vertically integrated business,
892
00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,040
Antoni, and his forefathers before him,
893
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,720
took the dirt from the mountain,
894
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,880
they mixed it here in his
own little pad over there,
895
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:02,840
this little well that he's got there,
896
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,560
they mixed it, they turned it into clay,
897
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,680
into this sort of clay,
898
00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,760
they put it on the wheel,
899
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,480
they put it in their own oven,
900
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,240
and they sold it, to
the boats that came in.
901
00:41:17,240 --> 00:41:19,280
And these boats would go right
through the Mediterranean.
902
00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,200
To Cyprus, Crete, all the islands.
903
00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:22,280
That's why they're close to the water,
904
00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,920
that's why you will see the potters
905
00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:26,360
on the coastline.
906
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,680
He's already finished,
in like, two minutes.
907
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,040
The potter's wheel is now electrified,
908
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:40,400
and a few of the other
parts of the process
909
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:41,840
have been made easier,
910
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:43,800
but the bones of it are the same.
911
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:45,120
The clay is sourced locally,
912
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:46,840
the shaping is done by hand,
913
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,480
and the kiln is as it has always been.
914
00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,240
The most significant change
has been the clientele.
915
00:41:52,240 --> 00:41:54,600
People now use stainless
steel pots for home cooking,
916
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,160
so most of what comes out of here
917
00:41:56,160 --> 00:42:00,920
ends up being sold to the
passing tourist trade.
918
00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:04,920
These are awesome, they are
Sifnos through and through.
919
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,400
On a Saturday night, what
they'll do is put water,
920
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:11,680
chickpeas, olive oil, and onions in there,
921
00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,200
they'll put 'em in the
oven, Saturday night,
922
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,520
Sunday morning after they've
come back from church,
923
00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:19,640
they'll open 'em up, and
they'll have chickpea soup.
924
00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:24,320
Now it is absolutely awesome,
and it's not a gluggy soup,
925
00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:27,600
it's actually a thick, awesome mass,
926
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,000
and I tell you what,
927
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:30,720
it makes me hungry just thinking about it.
928
00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:31,920
So I'm going to buy one of these,
929
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,960
and I'm going to get Helen
to start making revithada.
930
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:36,240
Revithada?
(speaks in foreign language)
931
00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:38,200
Chickpea soup.
- Revithada.
932
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:39,880
- Let's go.
933
00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:43,400
Before electrification, this
is how they shaped the clay.
934
00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:44,280
Man it feels awkward!
935
00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:46,840
I don't know if I could do this,
936
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:50,280
he says they work morning to evening,
937
00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:51,600
all light hours.
938
00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:53,200
I don't know if I could
be doing this all day,
939
00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:55,280
sitting in this position.
940
00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,880
Shows you the amount of work
these guys would have put in.
941
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:00,080
Unbelievable, eh?
942
00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,480
(uplifting guitar music)
943
00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:12,920
We've only just scratched
the surface of Sifnos,
944
00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,680
and if the start of my time
here is anything to go by,
945
00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:17,720
it's going to be an amazing week.
946
00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:19,560
It's an island that you
might not have heard of,
947
00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:22,560
but Sifnos has had quite
an influence on the nation.
948
00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:24,520
Not only through the
pottery that was made here,
949
00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:26,360
but more so from the food.
950
00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:29,320
This is the birthplace of
the great chef Tselementes,
951
00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,200
the father of moussaka, and
other great Greek recipes
952
00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:34,000
now eaten across the globe.
953
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:36,120
He changed how and what Greeks ate,
954
00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,920
and in the next episode,
I'm meeting his grandson,
955
00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:41,920
who like Antonis, is
carrying on a family legacy.
956
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:45,000
How's that? Have a Kyriakou bar!
957
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,040
Come on, you want a Kyriakou bar?
958
00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:52,320
Is that awesome or what?
You like the Kyriakou bar?
959
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,960
Everybody loves a Kyriakou bar!
960
00:43:58,320 --> 00:43:59,160
Is that good?
961
00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:01,640
There's a bit down there, okay?
962
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,800
All right buddy, love you.
963
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:07,920
There, you can have that,
964
00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,080
there you go.
965
00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:10,480
Next time on "My Greek Odyssey",
966
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,880
apart from getting a cooking
lesson from a master,
967
00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,680
I'll be walking from one
side of Sifnos to the other.
968
00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:17,840
I'm going to see and do as much as I can,
969
00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:20,360
on this slice of Greek Paradise.
970
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:22,120
We'll head to the ancient watchtowers,
971
00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:23,480
found around the island's perimeter,
972
00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:25,640
and visit the former capital, Kastro.
973
00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:27,840
I'm also popping across to Poliegos,
974
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,680
a tiny island that's home
to just a single shepherd
975
00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:31,600
and his flock.
976
00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,680
(Upbeat Greek music)
74296
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