Original subtitles

(guitar music)

Series four of "My Greek Odyssey" sees us traveling

through the Southern islands of the Dodecanese.

From Kos to Symi and Rhodes,

all the way down to Kastellorizo.

It's a region of Greece with significant influence from

Asia minor, and landscapes

quite unlike other parts of the Mediterranean.

The history is as dramatic as the scenery.

And of course the cuisine is unforgettable.

There's the cliche beaches and wonderful people.

Plus unique cultural elements that give

each destination its own personality.

In this episode, I'm arriving on the island of Kos.

It's the third largest island in the Dodecanese,

and the second most populous.

So apart from there being plenty of land mass to explore

there's also loads of interesting people

to chat to along the way.

(upbeat music)

The planning of every season

of "My Greek Odyssey" is incredibly involved.

It's not just about what we see, do, eat and who we'll meet,

but it can also be up to 15 degrees in temperature

difference from north to south.

So we try to leave the warmer islands for the autumn.

We've come down halfway through the Dodecanese islands.

We're here in Kos.

This is the island that's known for the package tour.

As you can see behind me,

there are 30,000 people that live here all year round,

but there's 1.2 million tourists.

This island is, I call it the beginner's Greek island,

because it caters for everybody.

There are thousands of hotel rooms.

There's wonderful sandy beaches.

And there's lots of history for

you buffs out there that love your history.

What I love about this island,

that what draws me to Kos is Hippocrates.

And you know what your doctor probably swears by him because

every single doctor in the world has sworn an oath,

the Hippocratic Oath.

I'm going to find out about Kos.

I'm really looking forward to coming here again.

Any visit to Kos starts in the capital

with a look around the ancient harbor.

Here you'll gain an understanding of the island as a whole.

With an abundance of historical sites

and landmarks that when explored with a guide book in hand,

you get an overview of the past,

present, and culture of the island.

And I strongly advise you to grab a tourist map

or travel guide because you could easily walk by some

of the treasures and be oblivious to the stories they tell.

I love to get off the boat and get on my bike, occasionally.

And here in Greece it's fantastic to do that.

But in Kos, they've got a bit of a tradition

because it's such a flat island.

They've built bike tracks all over.

I'm going to meet Christos whose a local banker

and he's part of a bike club that's here.

So I'm looking forward to a bit of a bike ride today.

So Christos How long have you been riding bikes?

About five years.

Yeah.

Yes.

So what made you start riding bikes?

A doctor,

a doctor.

Yes.

Suddenly he told me that I have a problem with blood

pressure and he told me that I have to take a pill.

So I decided to change things.

Fantastic.

And you're on the bike now?

Yes, yes now, with a bike, I changed my life.

Christos has an all too familiar story.

High blood pressure is a leading risk factor in heart attack

and stroke, causing cardiovascular disease,

which can lead to premature death.

Nowadays doctors are quick to prescribe medication,

but healthy eating and physical activity is the option

Christos took.

So I'm going to have a crash here now you know that.

I'm going to have a crash cause I'm trying

to work this thing and talk to you at the same time.

Be careful.

I will, I will, I'll try, I'll try.

There's a lot of people bike, riding bikes here.

That's the meaning, to leave your car and take a ride,

take a ride, ay?

Everybody rides bikes in Kos.

Yes, of course.

Yeah.

Wow.

When Christos visited his doctor for an annual checkup,

he discovered he had extremely high blood pressure.

He was prescribed a pill that he'd have to take daily for

the rest of his life.

But instead of taking the prescribed medication,

he decided to change his diet and lifestyle.

Introducing exercise to bring down

his weight and improve his overall health.

Yeah, forget it.

You have to take the pill.

Everybody take this pill.

Wow

Give me an alternative.

Something different.

There is no nothing.

You have to lose 10 kilos.

You have to cut the salt and

you have to practice, do one sport.

After two months, I started immediately right.

I cut the salt.

I lose five kilos not 10 in two months.

And suddenly I take my son to the doctor because he was ill.

He checked the boy and then he tells me, let's

check the blood pressure.

And the doctor said, did you see, one pill?

Not something different.

You take the pill and now you're okay.

He thought you took the pill.

Yes.

I told him, no, I didn't take any pill.

I do all the other things that you do.

He didn't believe me.

Choosing exercise and healthy eating

as an alternative to his doctor's prescription

may have been a risk.

And by no means, do I suggest you do the same.

Personally, I like what Christos has done,

largely because I can relate to it.

15 years ago, my father in his nineties

looked at my 145 kilos mass and

told me I'm going to outlive you.

It was a pivotal moment in my life.

I stopped smoking, started exercising

and completely changed my diet.

Two years later and 50 kilograms lighter,

the old Peter was gone forever.

But I keep a photo of him on my desk

to remind me of a place I never want to go again.

Despite eating mostly healthy meals,

there are times when I indulge a little, after all,

I love my sweets, and other rich or fatty foods.

So sometimes I treat myself.

In this instance, I was combining my passion

for delicious food, with my desire to eat healthy.

It was also a chance to dine as the ancients did.

Here we have the ancient breakfast

for me is the best breakfast.

Believe me,

It looks good.

It is, it's right.

We have the goat cheese, honey with walnut and sesame,

barley rusk dried fruit with apricot, plums.

Figs

Figs

There's also sultanas.

There's all sorts of stuff there.

What else have we got?

Exactly, pasteli.

Which is Sesame seed with honey,

Exactly.

Fresh Fruit, Greek yogurt, and varvara.

Varvara, this is the one that I know about.

It has lentils in it.

Walnuts, chickpea,

Chickpea

Chickpea, um

Everything from the ground.

Beans, exactly.

I'm looking forward to that.

I really want to try that, okay.

It's perfect.

Yep.

Believe me.

And red wine.

Red wine for breakfast?

Yep.

And pancakes, but here we say tiganites.

Tiganites?

Tiganites with honey and cinnamon.

All right-o, that looks a bit weird, but anyway,

so let's start 'cause I'm hungry.

I haven't had breakfast so I'm hungry.

Mm you gotta try this.

Perfect.

It's got pomegranate, all sort

of grains in it, barley, almond.

Oh, it's good.

And tahini as well.

Exactly.

It's special here they don't

make this varvara anywhere else in Greece.

This is a special varvara isn't it?

Only in Kos, yeah.

Only in Kos, and only you guys make it.

Anyone else make it here?

Does anyone else?

I think only in the small village,

south of the coast we make

It is really good.

This tastes good.

It's sweet.

If you're stuffed we can too stop

but it's really, it's really good.

Varvara is made in various similar forms in other parts of

Greece, as well as Turkey.

There's subtle differences wherever you try it.

This particular recipe they claim to be Kos' own.

And as you'll see later,

there's quite a process involved in making it.

So Vicki, thank you very much.

This has been wonderful.

Thank you also.

I'm going to actually eat everything

on this table because I'm hungry.

I haven't had breakfast.

And I se the cameraman over there,

he's ready to come here and rumble the table as well.

So you know what I might get.

I'm going to see if Kyriako my chef can make this for me

because that tastes so good.

It's really, really good.

I know, I know

It's so good.

Anyway, fantastic.

Helen will love this.

She's far more health conscious than I am,

but after asking Kyriako to make it, he said,

it's actually quite complicated.

So if you want now how it's done

stick around till later in the episode.

(upbeat music)

Kos has its own identity, from Ottoman influence

that's apparent in the architecture and hammams

right back to ancient times.

It's the Roman era of classical Greek history that I was

really keen to learn more about.

As during that time Hippocrates was on the island.

This was his birthplace.

He's known as the father of medicine,

one of the great minds in history,

and I wanted to learn more about him.

And then he told me,

30 years you've been guiding here in Kos.

What brings you to Kos?

I think Hippocrates is brought me

to Kos because Kos was not in my plans.

When I finished the studies to become a guide in Athens,

I was ready to start my career at the island Sandrine.

Right

And I think something happened

and I had to change my plans then to come to Kos.

And I thought maybe I would stay two, three years

to change islands to get some more experience and so on.

But I stayed on here.

Yeah

It is amazing

And Hippocrates has kept you here?

I think so.

When it comes to Hippocrates,

Eleni is the top guide in Kos.

So a stroll around town is a great way to see the sites and

learn about the island's history.

Because of this amazing tree,

which is a Platanus connected with Hippocrates.

He used to teach his pupils medicine

in the shade of this tree.

Is that right?

Yes, it is the symbol of Kos.

How old is this tree?

It is about 700 years old

and it must be an offspring of the

real Hippocrates tree,

which stood here when Hippocrates was alive.

What is specifically important about Hippocrates?

And why is he so important?

Hippocrates founded what we call holistic medicine,

which means he took into consideration the whole being,

which means soul, body, and spirit.

And he treated the patients respectively.

He was the one who said that the disease are psychosomatic

two Greek words, meaning soul and body.

Psychosomatic.

He wasn't big on pharmaceuticals was he?

He didn't believe in giving people medicine?

No, no.

He believed in the power of nature

and his treating methods were natural.

So he sat here and taught his students here.

2,400 years ago.

So what 500 BC, around that time?

Yeah, 500 BC.

Wow, what a spot.

Amazing.

So this is the center of the island really when you think

Yes, it is, of course.

and this is the center of medicine,

when you think about it.

of course.

Wow.

Yeah.

(Guitar music)

So Lenny, this is the ancient agora

The ancient Greek or Roman agora

where the people socialized,

they pray to gods, they listened to their politicians,

they got informed about the new laws.

It was the very heart of the town of Kos, founded right

after the foundation of Kos town,

the capital in the year 366.

But, what's amazing is the town's still there.

So that was used by the ancient Greeks,

by the Romans and the town's still here.

Yeah

Fantastic.

That's right.

This is a massive site

where three temples have been excavated.

The two larger ones were for the worship of Aphrodite

and the smaller of them was for Hercules.

It reminds me a little of the size difference

between Helen's and my wardrobes.

I understand there's some myth or fable

about Cleopatra here, what's the story?

There is rumor which goes that Cleopatra had hidden

her treasury, her jewels in the treasury of one of the

temples of the asclepeion.

Right, okay.

So if we dig around here at the asclepeion we might,

we might find them.

Yes, we have to go to the asclepeion to dig.

Well, I think that's where we should go right now.

Let's go, let's go and dig up the asclepeion.

What do you think?

But don't tell Helen because she'll want to dig as well

if there's jewels involved.

Yes, yes

So there's two columns standing there.

Doric columns aren't they?

Yes, yeah they are.

What's the significance of the two columns?

They are two columns of many,

which stood there belonging to a portico,

which was 160 meters long and 18 meters wide.

What for?

To protect the people from the sun in summer and.

From the sun?

Wow, that's the best sunshade isn't it?

Yes

They built columns like that as a sunshade.

Wow.

Of course.

This was a period of transition

from the worship of mythological gods

to an understanding of science driven by

advanced visionary minds like Hippocrates.

Hippocrates lived in the fifth century.

So what we're saying is that this was actually carved less

than a hundred years after his life.

Yes, he was

That's how significant he was.

Very significant

This is the man that every doctor swears by before he

starts his, his business, basically.

The Hippocratic oath you mean

After strolling through the agora

and seeing the tree of Hippocrates a visit to the museum

completes the picture of this wonderful time in Greek

or for that matter world history.

It's incredible to think that

two and a half thousand years ago,

without the aid of modern equipment and just a handful of

freethinking minds, enough to theorize

beyond the doctrine of religious restraint,

there were such vast leaps forward.

The great thinkers and leaders

of this time have been immortalized

in the statues and mosaics housed inside the museum.

They were discovered in the odeon,

which is basically a covered auditorium

built in the second century AD.

It's constructed entirely of marble.

And it's an impressive monument.

It was a Roman theater.

And to underline the fact that the doctors of course became

very famous also in the Roman period,

because we know that many Roman emperors had doctors from

the medical school, of Kos.

Of Kos?

Yeah

Wow

So famous was the medical school

of Kos founded by Hippocrates.

I love that many of the monuments

and sites you see on Kos

are connected to health and wellbeing.

And in most instances, Hippocrates.

But no landmark is more significant

or grand than the asclepeion.

It's scale and location at the highest point,

give it presence.

But its role in the transition from people being pagan

worshipers to following scientific practices, gives it

significance well beyond its grandeur.

You don't have to be a scholar to appreciate how important

this place must have been at the time.

The magnitude of everything was out of this world.

That's enough for me Eleni.

I think we've walked far enough.

We'll walk up there.

Let's have a bit of a rest here.

We can see it all from here anyway.

Yes, yes.

This is one of the most important

asclepeion isn't it?

Yes, it was one of the three most important

asclepeion of Greece

when they asclepeion altogether, were more than 300.

Tell me what asclepeion means.

We, we all hear about asclepeion,

but what does it actually mean?

Give me the English translation.

It is a hospital, a spa, a sanatorium,

a healing center and a sanctuary.

It's everything.

Everything, dedicated to the god Asclepius.

So this is somewhere where people came not only

to heal themselves, but to possibly prevent disease.

It was prevention, it was a spa

Yes

and a hospital.

It was everything.

Yes, everything.

Wow, so what are we looking at?

That looks like a Roman bath over there.

Yes.

And the Romans where here what after 100 AD?

Late first century BC, they were here.

So how long did this whole asclepeion last for?

It stands to be built from the fourth century BC

till the fourth century AD.

800 years

About yes.

I always say that every island

has its own identity.

In the case of Kos, there's no other place

that has a history that's so intrinsically connected

to health, wellbeing, and medicine.

This place is a must-see for any health professional,

whether you're a surgeon, dietician,

personal trainer or psychologist,

you have to come here to experience

the beginnings of your chosen field.

This is ground zero.

(upbeat music)

At the entrance to the main port stands the castle of

the Knights of St. John also known Nerantzia as castle.

It was built in the 14th and 15th centuries

and creates a grand arrival.

Beyond the medieval ruins and into town,

you enter a patchwork of architecture with buildings from

throughout the island's history and due to tourism being the

main source of income for Kos, there are plenty of shops,

cafes, taverns, and bars, where you can spend your days

eating, drinking, and people watching.

You'll also notice that some of the older structures bear

the scars of huge earthquake that shook the Aegean in 2017.

They were quick to rebuild.

Although a little of the devastation

that occurred still remains today.

If you were none the wiser you'd probably

think the buildings were just crumbling with age.

Leaving town, you'll have a plethora of beaches nearby.

You don't have to drive or catch a water taxi.

Just go for a stroll on the coastal paths

and you'll spot the choice.

Flanking the water's edge are lots of restaurants,

as well as beach-side bars with deck chairs and umbrellas.

They're the kinds of beaches popular with European tourists

who want to bask in the sun, cold drink in hand.

And despite the choice, there's one particular

stretch of beach that I keep coming back to.

It has possibly the strangest slapstick

comedy performance you'll ever come across.

I'll level with you.

I don't really know what to make of it all.

I guess it's just simple, fun and laughs

to give the place a bit of a personality and

a point of difference from all the other bars.

There's two things for certain it's unique,

and most importantly, brings a smile

to the face of anyone that watches.

I think he's a bit bananas.

Some of you may wonder why we included this in the show.

It's a little bit out there and different

from what we normally feature.

But the reality is, Tarzan has become a local legend

and tourists know all about him.

We've lost Tarzan.

I don't know where Tarzan is.

That's supposed to be Jane over there,

being cooked.

(men chanting)

(Tarzan yell)

I've come across countless weird and wonderful characters

As I've traveled through Greece.

The unique people are what give the place

a bit more color and personality.

And when you think that there are thousands of beaches

throughout the country,

it takes something special to set one apart from the others.

So here in Kos it's Tarzan that makes this otherwise

relatively uninspiring beach something to remember.

I mean, how could you forget this performance?

(fast music)

So you've been doing it since 1996

From 1996 as the name of the place Tarzan.

Yeah.

I work like Tarzan.

We have Tarzan and Jane's yeah.

Today the Jane is not here, you have to get to the school.

She had a beard, Jane had a beard today.

We do a little drag show for people to have fun.

Yes.

Are you going to keep doing this when you're an old man.

I'm trying to keep my body in good condition.

I can do it how many years possible more.

How old are you now?

48 to 49.

48 to 49.

11 October I'm 49.

Congratulations.

Almost 50.

What are you going to do when you can't do it anymore?

Who's going to take over,

who's going to be Tarzan at Tarzan beach?

And they called it after you.

It's difficult to do what I'm doing.

Yeah, I can see that.

You have to be happy every day.

Yep

For all the tourists, you know.

Yep

It's not the everyday the same, you know,

sometimes you're tired, you're sick maybe,

you are not in good mood.

You have to be always nice.

You do this every day in summer, every day

Yes, for seven months.

For seven months.

Every day I worked from nine thirty in the morning

to five in the afternoon.

Yep.

And then from seven to 12.

And I have to train also.

Five to seven between ah

And you train as well, well to keep up the muscle

a little of the, you're a strong bloke, right?

I'm not trained enough.

(upbeat music)

Clearly they're all having a great time.

It's kind of refreshing to see such uninhibited joy.

The show turns the quiet, peaceful beach

into a noisy, but fun commotion.

For five or so minute, all eyes

are on this one section of sand and deck chairs.

But as soon as the chaos ends,

it returns to being a place of rest

with little more than the sounds of lapping water.

And tonight it all happens again as Tarzan sets about

rescuing Jane, or should I say John,

from those pesky savages.

(fast music)

(Tarzan yell)

(ocean sounds)

30 minutes out of town in an isolated area is the little

hamlet of the Hippocrates garden cultural center.

It's a reconstruction of a 5th century BC Greek settlement

and the type of town Hippocrates would have likely lived in.

Surrounding the buildings is a beautiful garden

filled with fruit trees, herbs, and a vineyard.

First impressions of the regular visitors is that you're

taking a trip back in time to the seventies.

To the uneducated, they seem like hippies.

But when you understand the history of Kos,

you come to see these people as outliers and visionaries,

much like Hippocrates would have been in his time.

This is a space of relaxation,

mental wellbeing, and physical health.

It's a non-judgemental, spiritually aware community

where the people lead a simple life

based on the teachings of Hippocrates

(guitar music)

(singing in foreign language)

To share their knowledge,

they regularly run seminars and retreats centered on the

practices of ancient Greek medical philosophy.

The heart and soul of it all is Julie,

a former school teacher who has also studied the environment

and teachings of Hippocrates.

It went from being a passion, to a way of life.

What is this place about?

You built this cultural center devoted to Hippocrates.

Is this for tourists or what is it for?

No, I didn't do that for tourism.

I did it first of all, for education, for the children,

because this was, this is my profession.

I'm a, I'm a teacher.

So I started with this idea and then people start coming

from all around Europe and from all around the planet,

but basically it's education and culture.

You're educating the world on Hippocrates

and his teachings.

You are, he, he talked about his students.

You're one of his students

only two and a half thousand years later.

I am I think.

And you're doing a great job

I love it.

Thank you.

I come here, it's peaceful.

There's serenity.

The Hippocratic oath, if you had to take

the Hippocratic oath, which is, you know,

a page of, of writings that the doctors swear to now.

What are the important little bits that you think are in the

Hippocratic oath that you see as,

as the teachings that you love?

Especially is that Hippocrates in this document,

he's speaking directly to the gods because for them,

it was very important spirituality in that, in that times.

So he's speaking to the gods and he's explaining to the

gods that he will do the best for the benefit of the people.

He will keep the privacy of the people.

He will never give poison to anyone

to die or aborting poisons.

All these are forbidden in the Hippocratic oath.

In the end of his oath, he speaks up also about diets,

the right way of living and eating.

In the end, this is very important for me.

Yeah.

In the end of the document he said, if I do, as I say,

and never fail then to have respect

from all the people forever.

Yes.

And now we are 2,500 years after he died.

And when we speak in the schools around the planet about

Hippocratic oath, we have a good feeling, a respect for him

Yes

because what he did, he did it for us.

Yeah

At the core of the Hippocratic way of life is a minimalist

approach to consumption and ownership.

To remind them of this and to show visitors of how Greeks

once lived, Julie and her family

built a replica of the type of home Hippocrates

would have resided in.

Beyond that, the next key element in this lifestyle is diet.

What visitors the center consume is similar to that,

which was eaten in ancient Greece with much of it

grown on-site, free from chemicals and harvested by hand.

When we take something from nature,

we always ask for permission for the plant.

When you go in a Greek Taverna,

you see that all of us we eat Greek salad,

but when you see the plate, you see the oregano they put

I'm sorry

Yeah

is just a little bit,

a little bit,

a little bit.

If you put a lot, you are going to create a poison.

a poison.

Everything has to do with doses in the nature.

So it goes from becoming a medicine to a poison,

To a poison

if you use too much.

Exactly

Julie treats every plant

and the cutting she takes it very delicately.

It's a level of care, rarely extended to plants,

but she views all living things with equal respect.

Watching her gave me a different perspective

and new-found appreciation for all things that we live

alongside, touch, ingest, and generally take for granted.

Perhaps the most powerful moment I witnessed was how she

apologized to the Rosemary Bush for clipping too much off.

It was very quiet and heartfelt

coming from a place of genuine sincerity.

Everyone needs to experience a Julie in their life.

It opens your mind and makes you dig deeper into your soul.

Giving your journey a dip

beyond the boundaries of normality.

Sophia, there's no signs.

How do you know which way to go?

You go up.

Yeah

You get somewhere.

I don't know if it's where you want to get a go.

If you want to go to the castle,

this is the way

This is the way.

But of course, some people don't know it

and will go the other way.

Ah, they might get lost.

Sophia has lived in Kos for 15 years

and teaches at a local high school.

She's an amateur photographer.

Hence the camera that rarely leaves her side.

Plus an avid blogger.

She started a hiking club on the island

and every Sunday, up to 70 people will meet

for jaunt into the mountains.

This has been walked for a thousand years.

It's on these hikes Sophia captures

many of the great images you'll find on her blog.

Kos might be known for its pristine beaches,

but partly thanks to Sophia's efforts,

the scenic trails are starting

to become a popular draw card too.

Wow.

Okay, this is the St. Michael.

It is one of the three Byzantine churches in the area.

One is Kastrianon church

and St. Antonio's, and they were all

built by Ossios Christodoulos, who was the monk

who he built the St. John in monastery in Patmos.

Wow.

Yep.

Hello.

Hi

So what's up here, this is the?

The Byzantine gate of the castle

Okay, so we're at the castle?

Yes we are.

Fantastic.

We are entering the castle,

in a few minutes at last.

Yeah.

I'm happy to admit that the castle of Palaio Pyli is not

one of the most aesthetically appealing or

awe-inspiring fortresses you'll come across.

It's a crumbling ruin, barely a shadow of what it once was.

However, the views from the top

and the 15 minute hike are well-worth it.

Well Sophia, this is a small castle.

A small castle yes.

11Th century, aye, wow.

11th century.

Once you've been to the castle,

you gotta pop across the ravine

to the small Tavern on the opposite side.

They serve nice meals and homemade drinks.

People rave about their yogurt and honey,

but I can't attest to its quality as I'm probably the only

Greek on the planet that doesn't like yogurt.

For those who aren't so fit,

be prepared for a hard slog up the stairs.

There's a lot of them, and they're not exactly well-made.

Here we are

Wow.

You can see why they built the castle up here.

You can see how big the island is from here.

While the fort might not be so impressive

in its scale or condition, there's one

interesting statistic about it that's certainly notable.

And that's the fact that it was never penetrated by the

invading Ottoman Turks.

Being positioned high on a remote

mountain, with views across to Turkey, Pserimos

and Kalimnos, they would have been able

to see any approaching forces.

It was probably the safest place on the island.

In the galley aboard Mia Zoi

Kyriako and I were about to attempt cooking varvara,

which I tried earlier at the Aegli cafe.

A word of warning, there's quite a lot to it.

So you'll not only need plenty of time, but patience too.

It's worth the effort though.

The process actually started the night before.

I'm going to run through something very, very quickly

so you can understand it.

We've got honey, we've got tahini,

we've got a liter and a half of water.

We've got cranberries.

You can use raisins, any sort of dried fruits.

We've got apricot's we got pomegranate, we've got almonds,

we've got cinnamon, we've got barley,

sesame, and we've got legumes.

Look at all those different legumes in there,

all the different colors.

There's black eyed beans, there's little kidney beans.

There's orange legumes.

There's lentils.

There's everything.

We've got walnuts.

It's fantastic.

Now there's a lot of preparation here.

The night before we take the barley,

and we soak it and this is what comes out the next day.

We take the sesame and we, we grill it in the oven

Yeah

for at 150 grades for how long?

(speaking in foreign language)

half an hour.

For sure.

We take the legumes and we have to soak them as well.

We'll soak them in water overnight.

And what do they look like afterwards?

Those colors are basically gone and it's a bit dull.

That's the preparation.

And then it just all goes together.

What happens now Kyriako, what do we do?

(speaking in foreign language)

All right, we've boiled them for two hours.

(speaking foreign language)

Okay, the barley gets boiled.

(upbeat music)

And what's really, really important

is once it's been soaking overnight,

you need to watch it maybe 10 times.

(speaking foreign language)

To just get all the (speaking foreign language),

whatever that means in English.

Constantly stir it while on the boil,

adding the almonds and legumes, as you go.

At this point, the smells are amazing.

(upbeat music)

This needs five minutes to boil again

with the almond and the legume mix that's gone in.

And I'll tell you what, the aroma is awesome.

It looks fantastic.

Now this is like a porridge.

It looks like a porridge

Yes

doesn't it you know?

A warm porridge.

Next we place the honey and tahini into the food processor,

followed by the grilled sesame, some of the liquid from

the pot and a little bit of the barley and legume mixture.

This is done to help bind everything.

Once it's all in the blender,

you mix it well for a couple of minutes.

Now I have no idea how they did it in ancient times.

(blender noise)

(speaking foreign language)

Okay, that's it.

So, now we try and get it off the hopper.

(speaking foreign language)

Oh wow, and we don't want

to stick the blade in as well.

It's not a good idea, but that's just to prove that

no, one's perfect here.

Kyriako's very, very close to perfect.

I think I bumped him, it's my fault.

I'm the one that's way away from perfect.

Look at it, look, have a look see, go back down there.

So we stir on the heat for a couple of minutes

to let it fill a bit.

And it's looking fantastic.

Look at that, wow.

Now, if you're making this for breakfast,

you'd probably have to get up about

an hour and a half early to get this done.

So I don't know how the ancients did it.

I don't know what they did.

They had nothing to do, obviously.

And the fruits going in, the dried fruits are going.

They look good (speaking foreign language)

This guy's coming in as well.

He's gonna let me do it.

Yeah, wow.

This is one of those time consuming,

complicated recipes that you don't just

whip up every morning for the kids to have before school.

It's a special occasion type of dish,

that you make a big batch of, or prepare the night before.

Okay, what happens now Kyriako?

We've still got this stuff to put in, right?

So what do we do?

(speaking foreign language)

So we take a little bit of the pomegranate

and stick it on top.

And we stick a few walnuts on top as well.

(speaking foreign language)

Okay.

And

(speaking foreign language)

And a little bit of cinnamon.

Not too much cinnamon, okay.

Awesome.

So now we're going to taste it.

Now, the reason there's two bowls here

is because I'm going to taste one and Kyriako

and Captain are gonna taste the other one.

Captain come around because people think

I'm a little bit, one sided.

There's three people tasting this, right?

So you grab one and let's try it, okay?

Quality test

Quality test captain and see what you think, right?

I'll tell you mate that's fantastic.

Kyriako (speaking foreign language)

What do you think, what do you think Yianni?

(speaking foreign language)

Yeah, oh, well there you go.

I love it too.

(speaking foreign language)

Does your wife make it better,

he's saying does your wife make it better?

Yeah, yeah

Now come on.

Clearly Captain didn't want to hurt his wife's feelings

because even though I've not tried her version,

it's hard to imagine a better one than Kyriako's.

I really want to experience the asclepeion way of life.

But unfortunately it closed 1500 years ago.

And the closest thing to it

is the hammam, the Turkish baths that are here in Kos.

Last time we came here, Helen took the stewardesses.

It's my turn now.

And I'm taking Captain and Kyriako

and they waiting for me right now.

The hammam is closely associated

with the Ottoman empire where they've had

a long tradition of public bathing.

Because of its proximity to Turkey

and cultural connection with Asia minor,

Kos too has this as part of their culture.

And it's one of the only hammams

of this type in all of Greece.

(speaking foreign language)

Let's go.

(relaxing music)

It's a very involved and quite theatrical process,

at least for those performing the bathing.

For us, it's incredibly relaxing.

You can see why it's so popular.

I could easily go for one of these every week.

Kyriako had to wait his turn.

Lying on the warm slab of marble was so calming,

that he almost fell asleep.

It's such a soothing atmosphere,

even if I was talking the whole time.

To finish things off you go

from being scrubbed then bathed in hot water

to a final dowsing and freezing cold.

It's a shock to the system, but it seems so invigorating.

Kyriako was happy to wait.

He was probably content just with having a sauna.

Captain Yianni on the other hand was making the most of it.

And when it finally came time for Kyriako to have a turn.

Well, let's just say Captain

made the most of that opportunity too.

Kyriako later admitted, he genuinely thought

it was one of the women giving him the back scrub.

These two spend so much time together

they're practically brothers.

The hammam isn't just a place for a scrub.

For example, the captain was desperate for a pedicure

and Kyriako was excited about having a manicure,

but to prevent them being teased the shipyard,

we left it out of the show.

(dramatic music)

Upping anchor, we headed south along the Western coast.

Throughout this stretch there are lots of beaches

protected from the prevailing winds.

As a result along the shoreline,

they've built resorts and other attractions

for holiday makers.

I normally avoid the busy tourist centers,

but one beach in this part of Kos is well worth a visit.

And despite the resorts being right in front of you,

it doesn't seem overcrowded.

The Southern part of Kos

has an abundance of sandy beaches.

This one right here is Agios Stefanos and it's called

Agios Stefanos because of this Basilica that sits here.

There's actually two that date from the fifth century AD.

Below them are some pagan temples from fifth century BC.

It's an absolutely wonderful beach,

but over there is Kastri.

And that little church over there is St. Nicholas.

And I'm about to swim and light a candle.

(reverent music)

I absolutely love this spot.

For me there are few beaches

in the world that compare to this one.

It's not too crowded, nor is it barren.

For the adventurous, there's a swim across

to the tiny island of Kastri, and for the lazy,

there's a fine sandy shore with the cliche turquoise water

you expect from the best Greek beaches.

And where else can you also walk through the ruins

of not one, but two historic buildings

built a millennia apart.

There are no fences or guards keeping you out.

You're free to explore, touch, and immerse yourself

in thousands of years of history.

We're in the port town of Kardamena

with its beautiful beaches.

And you can see everybody's having a wonderful time here,

but is that the real Kos?

The beaches, the five-star hotels, the package tours?

No it isn't.

You need to meet the locals and understand Hippocrates.

You need to meet Eleni, Christos, Viki, and Julie

to see what's behind Kos and see its history.

And I can tell you, these guys are having a good time.

Go

(crowd shouting)

Anyway, I'm going to work my diet

and see if my way of life changes now.

See you later.

(crowd cheering)

What a spot.

It's no wonder there are so many tourists here.

The holiday makers keep the island alive,

fueling the economy with their summer spending.

The locals make enough from the peak season to

survive in winter, when the place is almost abandoned.

A short distance from Kos and halfway to Nisyros,

is this tiny island of Gyali.

Gyali because gyali in Greek means glass.

And you can see from the obsidian,

the glassy obsidian back there, why it gets its name.

Obsidian, pearlite and pumice,

that's what this place is mined for.

In prehistory it was obsidian for the tools,

but today they're pulling out

a million tons of pumice a year.

But people come in for a swim because it's pretty remote.

They come from Mandraki.

And I'm going to go out for a swim,

and then I'm going to head up to the pumice.

It's a huge operation visible from miles away,

but they're pretty relaxed in these parts.

So you can pop over to the island

and have a look around the shoreline.

Ah, thank you Yianni.

Oh, have a look at it.

There's product everywhere.

Have a look here.

This is pumice.

This is the stuff they're mining.

And this is the obsidian from prehistory

that they used for tools.

Awesome stuff.

Look at, look at how light it is.

Awesome.

Now the thing I love about the Dodecanese islands is

that you can come here, get the pumice, exfoliate,

and then got to Kalymnos and get the sponge

so you can wash down.

Awesome place.

Let's go up and see the, the mine.

Mining for material like pumice is controversial.

It carries with it ugly issues like debris,

tailings and the degradation of nature,

but in a world where we all seek the niceties and

convenience, there needs to be a balance.

In this instance, I was amazed by how clean the beach was.

To me, it demonstrated the respect

the company that runs this operation

has for the environment.

How awesome is this?

I can see why people want to come for a swim here.

And you're allowed to swim here, but you can't go further.

It's unsafe up there, but you can swim down here.

But just check this place out.

There's pumice everywhere, but 160,000 years ago,

it wasn't here, it was all sea.

There was this massive volcanic eruption below the surface.

240 billion tons of material rocketed into the air,

went 300 kilometers that way, and 300 kilometers that way.

And that's how this island was created.

This pumice was volcanic rock that was coming to the

surface and being super cooled,

de-pressurized the air inside, formed

this light pumice rock that they're mining today.

Awesome stuff.

I love it.

This island sits under the prefecture of Nisyros.

And as a result of the royalties the mine generates

the municipality is one of the wealthiest in Greece.

That money then goes back into infrastructure, healthcare,

and other things that benefit everyone in the region.

So it might be a destructive industry,

but there are some positives being gained.

Most importantly, they work hard

to minimize polluting the surrounding sea.

With series four well and truly underway, I head to

several weeks of island hopping throughout the islands of

the Southern Dodecanese.

The next stop is Nisyros, an island

that's free of resorts and tourist crowds.

It's a landscape dominated by a volcanic heart

where quaint towns and quiet beaches

provide an experience very different to Kos.

I then make my way to Tilos, an island

that, until now, I'd never stepped foot on.

Speaking of feet, Captain Yianni loved his pedicure.

To see more of "My Greek Odyssey", head to our

website at mygreekodyssey.com.

There you'll find plenty to keep you entertained,

including Kyriako's awesome recipes.

(relaxing music)