All language subtitles for m.g.o.s06e01.1080p.hdtv.h264-cbfm_track3_[eng]

Well, I can't believe
we're already into Series 6.

And this year
we're travelling

to the Central Cycladic,

the most popular
islands in Greece.

And if we're lucky,

we'll see some of
these beasts

that have been hibernating
for the winter.

These guys, they can't get
into the nooks and crannies

that we can get to.

So, Mia Zoi is going to take us
right into those lovely islands

and we'll see the famous one,
Mykonos,

but also the tiny ones that
you know nothing about.

I'm really looking forward to this.

I'm about to jump out of my skin.

PETER VOICEOVER: As always,

it's easy to see
the excitement I have

for my Greek Odyssey.

It's a lifelong dream
that's now a reality.

And even after several years
exploring the islands

and showing them to you guys,

I'm probably more passionate
and enthusiastic

than I've ever been,

even for places that I've spent
plenty of time in before.

Like this series first stop, Naxos.

When you first come into Naxos,
it's pretty underwhelming.

The port or the Chora
has been developed

in such a way that it's not
necessarily sympathetic

to the culture and history
of the island.

And that might be partly
because it's the largest island

in the Cyclades Group.

But Naxos is an outlier amongst
the Cycladic islands.

It's well watered,
it's well forested,

and it has an animal husbandry

unparalleled in any Greek island
that I know of.

And for the adventurous,
exploring traveller,

you just can't get bored on Naxos,
there's just too much to do.

By Greek standards,

Naxos is a massive island
covering some 430sqkm.

At the heart of it lies Mount Zeus,

where in mythology,

it's said that the young god Zeus
was brought up in a cave.

It's an island loaded
with ancient history

told through the ruins,
dotted all over.

Another thing Naxos
isn't short of is tourists,

particularly through the summer.

It's perhaps one
of the busiest ports in Greece,

most certainly in the Cyclades,

with boats
constantly coming and going.

It's a major hub for travellers
and ferries alike.

and ferries alike.

If you can't find a boat
to bring you here,

then there's always flights arriving
from Athens and other major centres.

Personally, I love to travel by sea.

It might take a lot longer,

but you see a lot more
and the slower movement

helps you settle into the equally
relaxed pace of island life.

If you do find yourself by the port,

you'll see a towering archaeological
site on the peninsula.

Being the inquisitive type,

it was the first place
I was drawn to.

And to learn more about it,

I caught up
with my old friend Vassilis,

one of the country's
most renowned professors.

Professor, the Portara, which means
big door in Greek, right?

Big door.

What is the significance

of this big door frame,
you know?

Well, it was the entrance

of a temple of the 6th century
before Christ...

which was built by the tyrant
of the island at that time,

that is Lygdamis.

He controlled also Paros
and to other islands.

He was very powerful.

So, he thought he should
build a temple for Apollo.

For Apollo of Delos,

that's why this temple
looks at Delos.

It was named Delian.

That is the temple
of the Delian Apollo.

But he never finished it.

He never finished it

because he was overthrown
by the Democrats

at 527 BC.

And so, this temple
was left unfinished.

They had already built the cellar
of the temple,

and this was the entrance
to the cellar.

It is huge.

I could just
look at it like this.

You see, it is made out
of four elements

and they are not bound
with dowels or clamps.

No, they stand there just...

On its own?
..their weight.

For 2,500 years.
Yes.

It's amazing.

Standing 59m high and 28m wide,

each structural element
weighs in at 20 tonnes.

You can only imagine how massive
this temple would've been

had the Spartans
not overthrown Lygdamis

before he was allowed
to finish his work.

Although incomplete, the Portara
has become a symbol of the island

and a landmark
that represents the gateway

for tourists visiting Naxos.

Like I mentioned earlier,
there's a huge depth

to the archaeological history
found here.

And thankfully,
the professor made himself

available over the next few days
to show much of it to me.

But before getting
too far into the heavy stuff,

I wanted to spend some time inland

to get to know the people
and geography a little more.

So, my next stop
was the village of Filoti.

Throughout the years,

Helen and I have been
to Naxos several times,

more so for the beaches.

So, we've never really explored
the whole island.

We were always
a little indifferent about it.

But hop in a car and go for a drive,
with or without a guidebook,

and you can get off the beaten path
to discover the wonderful people

and idiosyncrasies that give
the place its unique personality.

The real Naxos is only found
when you leave the tourist haunts

and head for the hills.

There's only one better thing

than walking through an island
to see it well,

and that's having a drive,

especially through
a big island like Naxos

because it's like 1.5 hours
to get from one end of the island

to the other end of the island,
driving at a reasonable speed

because there's so many curves
and mountains and stuff.

And Naxos
has some wonderful countryside.

I'm beginning to love Naxos for...

Hang on a second.

What is going on here?

There's a guy with two kids walking
along the side of the road

with a sheep
and the sheep's following him.

We're going to stop and say g'day.

So, this is your pet?

Yeah, one of my pets.
One of your pets.

One of my pets.
A sheep.

A sheep.
And he just follows you around?

they know they can do the same.

The shepherds they say,
they know they can do the same.

But...

the only thing they can't do
is they don't know how, when I stop,

it stops next to me.

So, if you walk across there
and come back, it'll do that?

Yeah. Of course. No problem.
Can you do that now for me?

Walk to there and come back,
I want to see this.

This is amazing.

It's windy up here,
but it's amazing.

A pet sheep.

Look at this thing. Look at this.

How long have you had the sheep for?

It's three years,
three, four years now.

Yeah.

I had many animals before,

but now, I have no money
to feed them, etcetera, etcetera.

And you're local
from the island?

Yeah, I'm from here.
Your English is very good.

Thank you very much.
Yeah, your English is excellent.

Thank you. Thank you very much.
And what's the name of the sheep?

It's Eve.

Eve. Eve.
Eve.

I have many other creatures before,

like other goats and sheep and dogs
and turkeys,

all kinds of animals.

Well, it's good to meet you.

Nice to meet you.
Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.
Enjoy the rest of your time.

Kids, see you later, aye.
Bye-bye.

Enjoy your time.
Bye.

Wow.

Anywhere else,
except maybe New Zealand,

a family out walking their
pet sheep would be strange.

But in Greece,
it seems relatively normal.

Here you can be yourself,

however odd it might seem
to the rest of the world.

(THEME MUSIC)

The Cycladic architecture

that we're normally used to

is framed by that brown and beige,

dry, arid mountainy landscape.

But here in Naxos, here at Filoti,

you put 1,000 or 2,000 century
old olive trees

around Filoti and you get this
wonderful luscious personality

that we don't see
anywhere else in the Cyclades.

And the landscape of Naxos
is absolutely magnificent.

I haven't seen anything
like it in Greece.

You must go for a drive
when you come here.

It is just so heartwarming to see
something completely different.

We're going to go up there and meet
a really special personality

that plays and makes this instrument
that is just unbelievable.

Filoti is one of the rare towns
that's stuck in time.

Despite this, it still sustains
a thriving community

with an economy centred
on livestock,

agriculture, and tourism.

The middle of town is almost
unrecognisable to generation Z.

I guarantee you

that a walk through Filoti

will be eye-opening
for those curious souls

that want to experience life
from a century gone by.

It's a place that brings back
fond memories of my childhood

visits to Greece.

The thing I love about villages like
Filoti, that are stuck in time,

is that...

so are the people, their culture
and the things they do,

the way they work.

It's just fantastic to be there.

For instance, I'm looking
at the fruit and veggies over there,

that would all be local stuff.

It looks so good.
I just want to grab some of it.

Now, look at those cherries, wow.

Mmm, mmm...

beautiful.

These tomatoes,
they're all different sizes.

It proves
that this is from their gardens.

I can go wild here.

Almost all the produce you see here

has been grown
in the nearby countryside

and what wasn't cultivated locally

hasn't travelled very
far to find its way to town.

There's a richness of colour,
flavour and aromas

that only comes about
when things are fresh

and it's almost guaranteed

that a lot of what you're seeing
is organic and free of chemicals.

Before I head up, I had
to look in this shop, wow.

This brings back memories.

I got a cousin that's got a shop
exactly like this in Kythira.

Fantastic. Look at this.

(LANGUAGE UNKNOWN TO CAPTIONER)

Yeah, look at this.
Look at what he's got.

He's got the bells.

Got the knives.

Wow, look at this.

Look at this, clay pots.
You name it.

It's the general store
that hasn't changed in 200 years.

Look at this, we've got bottles
and all sorts of stuff.

It's amazing how your senses
can conjure up memories

from the depths of your mind.

The organised chaos of the shelves,
the sounds of clanging pots

as I rustled
through the piles of stock

and even the smells brought back

fond memories of the general store
in Kythira

that I'd spent
so much time in as a boy.

Wow, so good,

brings about lots of memories.

Anyway, we better go and see
Nikola because he's waiting for us.

Yeah.

The town was built
when there were no cars

and in the decades since
there have been little

or no infrastructure improvements.

So, the walkways are narrow
and full of stairs

and they still use
mules and donkeys.

Everything from groceries
and the luggage of tourists

to building supplies and people
have been transported up the hill

the same way for centuries.

Without these beautiful animals,
the town would come to a halt.

Now, it's a bit of a walk up

to see Nikola's shop,

but I'm telling you,
it's well worth it.

Very few places in Greece
you're going to see this.

Well, I finally made,
it's a bit of a walk,

but have a look at this, it's just
like I'm going back in time.

Nikola.

(PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT)

Nikola is a master craftsman
and part of a dying breed.

The knives and musical instruments
are fashioned with age-old tools

and thanks to the bespoke intricacy,

they're yet to have made it
to the production lines of industry.

To make them properly requires
a human touch

and skills that are passed down
through generations.

Every piece is one of a kind,

made with love and attention
to detail that few possess.

And yes, that furry mass
he has wrapped his arms around

was once a wild boar.

The instrument known
as that tsabouna

is essentially a Greek bagpipe.

I've seen them played in festivals
on the islands of Ikaria and Crete,

but they're popular
in many other parts of Greece.

One thing you'll notice
is that this double chanted bagpipe

doesn't have that ambient
continuous droning sound

that you would hear
when playing a Scottish bagpipe.

They're traditionally made
from goat hide.

So, Nikola and his wild boar
tsabouna are a rare,

one-time experience for me.

I'm sure that this unique cultural
sound would ignite emotion

and inspire dance
at any Greek festival.

We sat on the stairs
for quite some time,

not just enjoying
these unique sounds

but also talking about
what life was like on Naxos

and in particular,
his village of Filoti.

Nikola is as passionate about
his home as he is about his craft.

It's an island that has provided him
with a fantastic life,

full of the simple pleasures
that hold far more meaning and joy

than you can find amidst
the stress, noise,

and competitive culture
of the bigger cities.

It inspired me to dig a little
deeper into the fabric of Naxos,

to unearth more of what life
for the locals is like.

(PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT)

(THEME MUSIC)

When I first got into Filoti,

I realised

that we were in a village
that was stuck in time...

but I didn't realise they were doing
absolutely everything the old way.

And here we're in a field of barley

and they're threshing and harvesting

and processing the barley
the old-fashioned way.

I'm going to go down
there and give them a hand.

This is a very labour-intensive
process.

There's a gang of ten people here
threshing the barley by hand.

Today, a machine with one operator

would replace
several of these groups.

You can see
why the industrial revolution

pushed millions from the country
and into the cities.

With the advent of machinery,

many of these
small mountainous Greek islands

could no longer compete
with the vast plains of the mainland

where automation allowed for cheaper
and more efficient cropping

on a much greater scale.

So, populations diminished

and once thriving villages
became ghost towns.

Here, the topography
makes it difficult

for tractors
and the like to be used.

So, they're reliant
on traditional methods.

I learned something today.

The key here is you got to use
the knife first and then grab it.

You don't grab
and then put the knife in.

So, let's do that again.

Knife first and then grab.

Knife first and then grab.

I'll tell you what,

if this was Australia...

you wouldn't be doing this.

There'd be snakes everywhere.

Knife first, then grab.

Once they've cleared the field,

the next step
is to separate the seed.

Now, what you're about to see

was done purely
as a demonstration for me.

It's a technique that was employed
right up until the 1980s.

However, today more labour saving
and effective methods are used.

So, we've collected our barley

and we've put it
on our threshing floor.

The actual threshing floor

has been prepared like it has been
for the last few hundred years.

They've actually
put some cow manure down

and crushed it down.

The reason they do that is
because they don't want the barley

that's crushed
to be mixed in with the dirt.

It's OK if it's mixed
in with a bit of cow manure

that's been compressed.

Now, we're going to spread
the barley out

over this cow manure pressed base
and start crushing it.

Today they use concrete,
so they don't need the cow manure,

but this is really traditional.

Barley was one of the first
cultivated grains,

with records of it being grown
over 10,000 years ago.

It's found all around the world

and most of it goes
into animal fodder.

Another common use
is in the manufacture of beer.

Mechanisation has made the husk
removal process very simple,

but in the past, they used
animals to perform the task.

I'm going to get out of this.
I just don't.

I'm just going to...

In the modern era, life as a farmer
on these remote islands

has its challenges,

let alone 50 years ago
before mechanisation.

Back then, human and animal labour
were the only options.

And growing food
was not only a full-time job

but an absolute necessity.

If you took a holiday, it could mean
that you didn't have enough

to get through the harsh winter
months.

This meant it was a constant battle
for survival.

And when droughts hit
or storms damaged crops,

life became even more of a struggle.

One way the people found solace
was through their faith in the gods.

In ancient times, they built
monuments and places of worship

dedicated to the deity
that serve their needs.

In this case,
the inland inhabitants of Naxos

built a temple dedicated to Demeter,
the goddess of agriculture.

Once again, I had
the company of Professor Vassilis

to explore this remarkable site.

So, what we've got here is,
this is what, 6th century?

Yes.
Sixth century.

And then you've got...

Around 530.

530. And then you've got
the Basilica.

Yes.
At the 4th century after Christ.

AD.
Yeah.

And then you've got
the Byzantine church.

Yes.
Wow.

And the monastery.

And the monastery as well.
Yes.

Four buildings.
Four buildings.

Four buildings. Wow.

This small area features
architecture spanning

well over 2,000 years
and four civilisations.

The structures represent key periods
in Greece's past,

each with its own story to tell.

For centuries, the Temple
of Demeter was lost to history.

It was partly demolished
so the marble could be used

for other buildings and the remnants
were converted to a Basilica.

Professor, I look at this,

it's similar
to the Portara, isn't it?

Yes.
The same thing.

A little smaller,
but it is the same.

You know, the idea
to monumentalise a building

through a big portal
was born here in Naxos.

At the end of the 8th century
before Christ,

we have the first building

which created this portal
in a small size,

but it developed little by little
to the portals, those big portals.

The architects use this element
in order to monumentalise

the whole building.

They use the entrance

where they get the first impression
of the building

and they put these big blocks
in order to show

that the building was strong
and had a very, very good structure.

You see it everywhere today
on the big buildings.

There was a lot to see
in a limited time,

and the Professor had
so much knowledge about the site

that we could spend days here.

But of all that we managed
to take in,

there was a special statue
that had the greatest impact on me.

Professor, I look at this

and I've seen
a lot of statues in museums

that aren't as good-looking as this.

Why don't we just grab some ropes,
put it around it,

take it up with a helicopter
and take it to a museum?

These are the ethics of archaeology.

That is...
This statue was unfinished.

It never was mounted on a base,
and so upright,

it was always left like that.

So, it is a monument

and it tells the history
of the statue as it is.

We have to keep it like that
and see it like that

in order to leave the statue
to tell us the story of the statue.

Right.

Otherwise, we're telling
a false story if we stand it up.

Yes.

Now, I understand.
I really appreciate that.

They never mounted
unfinished statues.

(LAUGHTER)

But he's a beauty, you know.

Once you realise

that this statue is actually
an unfinished kouros,

images start running
through your mind

of how they cut it
out of the mountain

using the simplest of hand tools,

then there would've been a massive
operation to move it down

without causing damage.

It's a testament to their faith.

(THEME MUSIC)

Continuing my time on Naxos,

I was now keenly exploring

under my own steam,

searching for things

that I'd read about over the years.

Around every corner,

I was met with stunning views

and a landscape quite different
to what I expected.

Are we sure
that we're on a Cycladic island?

Because this is supposed
to be barren

and this is just so green.

It has its own little microclimate
and there are lots of mountains,

high mountains, and it's big.

As a result, it gets rain
because of these mountains.

If anyone ever says to you

that Naxos is just like
any other Greek island,

you tell them
it has its own personality.

It's green, it's got cows...

it grows potatoes,
special potatoes too,

and it's just very, very different.

You're probably thinking
what's so special about greenery,

cows and potatoes?

Well, in Greece,
particularly in the Cyclades,

these things are unheard of.

But being the largest and most
fertile of the island group,

Naxos has long been the breadbasket
of the region.

It was also fame for its marble
and stone masons.

and stone masons.

And if you explore the island,

you'll come across the hidden gems
they've left behind.

If you head to the extreme,
most northern part

of the island on the coast,

you get to the village of Apollonas
and 300m before the actual village,

you'll find a sign that says Kouros,
Ancient Kouros.

And it leads to this little guy here
well, this big guy here.

Now, that sign is not right

is not really a Kouros.

because this guy
is not really a Kouros.

A Kouros is a young, male statue,

young boy basically.

This guy's got a beard

and Professor Vassilis
tells me he's also clothed,

and it looks like he's clothed.

We actually think that...

he may be the God of Wine,
Dionysus,

but I'll tell you what,

it's well worth a visit
to come up and see him

because he's 10.5 odd metres long

and 130 tonnes
and pretty exceptional.

This guy's been sort of finished to
about 80% before he gets transported

to his final destination
for final sculpting.

But unfortunately,

as he was coming down
this ramp from the quarry,

which is just behind you,

a few cracks occurred
and they just left him here.

It's sad because...

he's sitting here

and he was destined
for some sort of temple,

possibly on this island.

Now, he sits here on his own.

Sorry, buddy.

One of the possible reasons

he has survived for so long
is the remote location he lies in.

Had this statue stood
in a temple somewhere,

it probably would've been destroyed

by one of the different invading
powers that have occupied Greece

over the last few thousand years.

Instead,
he sleeps on the mountainside,

gazing at the stars as the world
around him continues to evolve,

all the while he remains
largely unchanged.

As the day was starting
to wind down,

I made my way back to Mia Zoi.

I arrived just in the nick of time
to help Kiriako with making dinner.

I tell myself I'm helping,

but in reality,
I'm probably more of a nuisance.

We're in Naxos

and we're going to have something
that is specifically Naxian,

and it's kalogeros,
which means monk in Greek.

And it's basically stuffing
these little guys,

melitzanas,
the aubergine or the eggplant,

cutting them in half
and stuffing them with meat.

And they look like a monk,
don't they?

I suppose they do.

What are we going to do?

We'll talk about the recipe
in a second,

but let's start with what?

The veal, we get
the chopped-up veal

and we start browning it.

That's the first thing
we're going to do.

There's nothing going in with it.
No oil, no nothing at this stage.

Once the veal is lightly browned,

we add in the olive oil
while continuously stirring,

before mixing
in the diced Spanish onion.

Let's throw in the red wine.

Can I do that?

Thank you, Kiriako.

Oops.

Hang on. Let me just taste
and make sure it's OK.

I think it's fine.
I think it's fine.

The bay leaf and the cinnamon stick
go in now.

Wow, we're stuffing
lots of stuff in there.

lots of stuff in there.

So, the alcohol has got a...

Right.

Now, what happens?
What are we going to do now?

It's going to boil for an hour.
What do we do here?

Let's keep going while we're doing
this because we're on TV.

this because we're on TV.

Let's not waste time.

No worries.

Sometimes it needs a bit longer

if the meat is not that good.

But because it's from Naxos,
it's good meat.

They've got the best meat here.

There's 8,000 cows on Naxos,

unlike any other Greek island,

you'd be lucky to find one cow
on a Greek island.

So, we're going to cut up
our eggplant here

and we're going to take
the centre of the eggplant out,

which we're going to use as part
of the stuffing, apparently.

The eggplants are halved

and their insides removed
and set aside for later.

The hulled out shells
are then placed into an oil tray,

seasoned with salt and given
a healthy drizzle of olive oil.

And now you're going to put
in the oven, how long?

20 minutes.

Grilled for 20 minutes.

Grilled, righto.

While the outsides are cooking,

we cut the insides of the eggplants
into 1cm cubes.

So, it's been an hour.

We're ready to go.

We drop the tomato in.

And now we put the chopped up
aubergine in.

And you might add a little
bit of water at this stage

because it might be a bit dry

as a result of
the aubergine being so dry.

You want to keep
it cooking all around

and that will eventually
evaporate anyway.

A little bit of salt,

pepper and the famous stuff,
the sugar.

Only a little bit for the tomato

because you want
to sweeten the tomato up obviously,

we've heard that before.

Once the meat is cooked
and formed a stew light consistency,

it's then ladled
into the eggplant shells.

Right, right. It looks good.

Make sure it is reduced down
and become relatively thick.

And according to Kiriako,

be really generous with the amount
of cheese you add on top.

And, Kiriako, how long is this going
to go in there once we're finished?

How long does it go in for?

A little bit more.

15 minutes we're going to put it
in the oven for, just so it melts.

A little bit more, bit more.

You're like the producer,
it's never enough, is it?

The producer pushes me
all the time.

Geez, the cheese's nice, man.

OK, let's put it in.

OK.

My lunch.

Well, everybody's lunch anyway.

It might not be
the prettiest of dishes,

but looks can be deceiving
because it tastes awesome.

There you go.

I've never had this before,

so...

it's a new taste...

and I need to try a bit more
just to get it in there

and make a proper assessment.

This is a real meal, yeah.

Mmm.

Oh, it is good. That was good.

I haven't had
this combination before.

That's really fantastic.

Kalogeros.

Monk...

wow, fantastic.

Let's keep going.

Just like there are seemingly
countless Greek islands,

there's also no end
to the variety of Greek recipes.

Kiriako is always introducing me
to new ones.

And this is sure to become
a Maneas household favourite.

(THEME MUSIC)

They've been quarrying
marble on Naxos

since ancient times.

Some say
that this was where Greek marble

first started being extracted

and used in buildings
and sculpture.

Back then and still today,

it was regarded as being
some of the best in the world

with a near pure white colour.

This gave birth to an industry

highly skilled craftsmen

that included
highly skilled craftsmen

with the sculptures
from this island being in demand

throughout the Mediterranean.

Quarrying in these parts
is a hands-on process.

There's no easy way
to extract the stone

and the methods they employ
require hard physical labour.

It's also a job
that comes with plenty of risks,

even with the technological advances

that have occurred
through the decades.

Things are done using relatively
dated equipment,

but they're techniques

that Yanni and his family
have refined over generations

and behind the simplicity lies
a wealth of experience.

Yanni, these are drill heads,
aren't they?

aren't they?

Yeah. This is the drills
we use for the vertical drills.

Right.

Yanni's family owns this mountain

and have been providing
beautiful Naxian marble to the world

for a couple of generations.

There's plenty more to be extracted.

So, the next in line
to inherit the business

will be kept busy
for some years to come.

And this is a used pillow.

Wow.

It is one use.
Wow.

So, this has gone in like this
and it's blown out that way.

Exactly. Start in
and pushing the marble out.

Look at that.

Look at that, that's amazing.

So, Yanni, how many people
work in this quarry?

At the moment,
six people.

Only six?
Only six.

But, what six people
produce today

in the '80s where 40 people
working in this quarry.

Shows what machinery.
The machinery.

The machinery.

It's about the machinery now.

Yeah, all these.
Yeah.

I love these machines, man.

Imagine that, a cut of the wire,

that takes 15 minutes.

By drilling and wedges,
it would take two hours.

When did we stop
using timber wedges?

The end of the '80s.
The end of the '80s.

The beginning of the '90s,

the first diamond
wire machines came.

So, you said six now
and say 40 in the '80s.

What about 3,000 years ago,
how many people?

(CHUCKLES)

I think hundreds.
(LAUGHS) Hundreds.

And still the production
would be less.

Yeah.

Moreover, there sometimes
we produce smaller blocks.

I was recently in Vilos...
Right.

..and there was an ancient statue,

which was 12m high,

and the base was 5x4m wide.

And on the side of it

is written "Naxos did this statue

"in a solid piece,
the base and the statue."

And the archaeologist
who was doing as the tour there

actually told me this is the first
advertisement of marble

because they said, "Listen..."

It's got it on the bottom!
Yeah.

They wrote it that we in Naxos
can deliver both the statue

and the base out of one solid piece

because normally
it was another piece, the base

and another piece, the statue.

This is the first advertisement
you ever did.

5,000 years ago,

all of this would've been done
with scores of people.

The massive slabs needed
to be moved using basic tools,

beasts of burden,
and a lot of manpower.

The excavator moves tonnes at a time

achieving in seconds what would've
taken the ancients days to do.

I look at this quarry.

How long can you take marble
from this quarry?

How long...

From this specific quarry?
Yes.

Yes.

And the way we do it,

I think we have
another two generation.

So, me...
Another two generations.

..my son and my grandson.

(LAUGHS)
This is the idea.

You can do it much faster, right?
Yes.

This is a decision of the way
you see life, in my opinion.

It's not just a business decision,

it's a decision
of how you want to live.

And you want to do it properly?
Yes.

Other elements can be recycled,
metal or wood.

You can plant back the forest. OK.

Marble it goes,
it will never be back.

So, we should use it properly
and treat it properly.

Takes billions of years to create.

We cannot just use it
as an everyday object.

Yeah.

And this was...

In the 7th century,

it was the best marble in the world,
the Naxian marble.

the Naxian marble.

Yeah.

You're dealing
with a history of wonderful marble.

Moreover, the oldest part

of Naxos marble sculptured

is in the museum,

in the archaeological museum
of Naxos

is 5,300 years before Christ.

Wow.

So, we talk about the history
of 7,000 years.

We cannot treat this history
like an everyday object

like an everyday object

in a hurry, quickly,

make it, wasted, destroyed, no.

I think we need to respect this.

Of course. Of course.

Separating these blocks with an
excavator seems quite agricultural,

but it's actually a calculated
and refined process.

This crack is already
in the seam of the stone.

Separating it with an eye
to maximising

the output is a delicate exercise

carried out by an operator
with decades of experience.

So, it might be a heavy machine,

but it's being used
with the lightest of touch.

Talking to Yanni about this mountain

is like talking to some
of the shepherds

about their goats and their sheep.

They love them and it's their life.

There's no difference here.

Yanni and his father
and his grandfather

have been working on
this mountain for 60 years,

and there were thousands
of generations before them,

all the way back
to the 5th millennium BC

that have been quarrying
this mountain for the marble

that we walk on every day.

That we touch on the walls.

That we see in the columns
of our monuments.

And...

if you can be touched by a quarry,

I know I'm a bit touched by it,
if you can be touched by a quarry,

well, then I have been.

I was born in a country

where historically agriculture
was the backbone of the nation.

The farming families stood
the test of time,

and the common theme that was passed
down through the generations

was "kids, never sell the farm."

Here on Naxos, I'm pretty sure
that Yanni's father said to him,

that Yanni's father said to him,

"Son, never sell the mountain."

(THEME MUSIC)

Naxos has a population

of about 20,000 people.

And I'm pretty sure today

they're all here

at Agios Prokopios Beach.

Someone opened a tin of people.

I often say
that these busier islands

are known for their beaches
and nightlife.

It's a common theme

among the more popular
of the tourist destinations

in Greece.

Sand and sun by day,
drinking and dancing by night.

But what makes a great beach?

Well, everyone has
a different opinion.

The good thing about Naxos
is there's something to suit

whatever your tastes are.

This is a pretty cool beach
and there's lots of people,

but if you don't like
lots of people,

there are a number of beaches
to pick from.

In fact, there's one that's, I think
about 4km or 5km long,

it's called Plaka.

And I think you'll find a bit
of peace and quiet there.

Me, I don't mind a crowd around me.

And this is a nice shallow beach.

The kids can play.

It's awesome.

But, man, have you ever seen so many
guys playing the bat and ball game?

Anyway, it's hot.

The water temperature is perfect.

It's shallow, so I can't drown.

There's only one thing to do.

The beach you're looking
at now is called Agi Anna.

It's a tad quieter.

which I mentioned a moment ago.

And this one is Plaka Beach,
which I mentioned a moment ago.

It's a busy stretch of sand,

yet somehow there's always
a spare deck chair and umbrella.

Now, if you'd rather get away
from the masses

and do something a little bit
more different,

then I've got a great option
for you.

Instead of enjoying the beach
by sitting on the sand or a chair,

why not get on a horse?

So, Linda, how long have
you been doing this for?

On Naxos, 12 years.
Right.

But I was doing it before
in the UK before I came here.

This is fantastic.

So, you must be full all the time.

Just about, yeah.

We are very busy from sort of April,
right through to October.

Wow.

How many people
do you take out at a time?

Maximum of 10.
And why is that?

Safety reasons, really.

We need three to four guides
with that.

If we've got kiddies...

Right.
..small kiddies.

Yeah.

And you take kids.
Yeah, from six years up.

Do you ever get bored of sunsets
on horses in Naxos?

(LAUGHS)

Is that a real question?
(LAUGHS)

No, of course we don't get bored.

How can you get bored of this?

Do you get a lot of people
coming back, wanting to come back?

Yes.

I have customers
that have been coming with me

for the last 10, 12 years.

And many amateurs like me?

Yeah. Loads. Loads.
Wow.

This is so easy.

Russ is a good little horse.

He's a nice boy.
He's a good boy, yeah.

This is just such
a wonderful thing.

Good.
At this time of the day, it's cool.

Oh, it's beautiful.

Yeah. Wonderful stuff.

You look pretty comfortable,
anyway.

I am, I'm very comfortable.

And it's peaceful.

Yeah, it is very peaceful,
isn't it?

You know, I can come down here
on my own

and it's me and my horse
and that's it, you know.

It's just fabulous.

So, Linda,
what brought you to Naxos?

My husband.
Yeah. Why, what happened?

Kicking and screaming, actually.

I never wanted to move to Greece,

but he loved...
Well, we both loved Greece.

We travelled extensively

and he was on about moving
and I kept saying,

"No, no, no, no, no."
Yeah.

Yeah.

And then one day
he looked on the Internet

at properties for sale
and this was right at the top.

And he said,
"Now, you've got no excuse."

And so you've been here
now for 12 years.

12 years later, I'm here.

And I don't think
you'll be going anywhere,

looking at all these,

this is the best backyard for horses
in the world, isn't it?

It is. I mean I love it.

But I am knocking on a bit now
and it gets a bit much sometimes

and I do miss my family.

But, you know, until things change,
I'm still here.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

I might be biased,

but I've often asked myself whether
I could spend the rest of my life

on an island in places like
The Bahamas or Pacific.

I always conclude
that I probably couldn't.

But when I consider
the notion of living out my days

on a Greek island like Naxos,

I feel as though
I very likely could.

Don't get me wrong,

those other places are stunning
and great in their own right.

But I find there's nowhere else

that has the same depth
of history and culture

to complement
the relaxed island lifestyle.

So, the dream of living
my twilight years on an island

is slowly
becoming a real proposition,

but which one?

Next episode,
I'm continuing my time on Naxos.

A single show just wasn't enough.

I'll be trying some
of the local produce,

meeting an artisan

that's continuing the history
of the island's famed sculptors,

and delving deeper
into the ancient past,

right back to the first inhabitants

who were here

tens of thousands
of years ago.

Captioned by Ai-Media
ai-media.tv