Original subtitles

(Greek music playing)

Series 4 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.

In the last couple of weeks, I've been

to Kos and Nisyros

and now I find myself headed

to the tiny island of Tilos.

It's one of those

off the beaten path destinations

that remains relatively

untouched by mass tourism.

From there, I'm making my way

to the picture perfect island of Symi.

Both islands have their charm

and unique stories and I'll do my best

to bring them to life for you.

I always get excited visiting

an island for the first time.

Generally I read about it

and if I'm lucky I'll find someone

who comes from there to talk to.

This type of homework is fundamental

to maximizing the experience.

But regardless of how much preparation I do,

I still get little surprises along the way.

And the island of Tilos

had plenty of them.

To begin with, there are few ports in Greece

where you'll also find the island's

most popular beach.

Here you can drop anchor at Livadia,

which is the main harbor

and probably the best place

for a swim on the island.

Research tells me that Tilos is a popular place

for those into camping and nudism.

Neither of those are my idea of fun.

so assuming you can do

without seeing me in my birthday suit,

I'll skip those parts and focus

on stuff you'd probably rather see.

First stop was a walk with Stathis.

I fell in love.

You fell in love?

What with the island?

With the island then with my wife.

What you hadn't met your wife?

No, no.

You met her here?

I met her here.

I didn't know her.

This is a true Greek love story then, is it?

Yes.

I saw her and I was a,

like a stone hit me in the head.

Really?

I was like, oh my God.

Wow.

Tilos has a magic.

Tilos is the island

that when you come,

you fall in love with Tilos.

You fall in love with the people.

You fall in love with the food.

You fall in love with the environment,

the mentality.

I can tell you a thousand things

that you can fall in love with Tilos.

We have also a very big environmental project

they call TILOS.

Right.

With renewable energy,

it's a very innovative project.

Yes.

And the thing is that we produce power

from wind turbine and solar panels.

We also storage it.

You store it as well?

Yes, yes, we have batteries

that we can store it.

On this little island?

In this little island.

And the thing is

that we produce more power

than we can consume.

Wow.

That is absolutely fantastic.

And they did it in Tilos.

Wow.

I understand this is the first island

in all of Greece that does that.

Yes.

This is an energy conscious society

at every level.

The entire community is

behind the drive to be self-reliant

through environmentally friendly solutions.

From free electric car charging points

and bike hire to waste recycling and solar power.

When it comes to sustainability,

the people of Tilos are way ahead

of almost every other island in Greece.

I had to see it all

with my own two eyes because frankly,

I didn't think anyone would ever believe me

unless I had the footage to prove it.

So Stathis, there's only one wind turbine.

I was expecting to see half a dozen, you know.

No, it's enough.

One turbine and one small solar system.

So how much power is

that one turbine producing?

0.8 Megawatts.

0.8 Megawatts.

And with the solar cells, it's enough?

It's enough.

With the solar cells about 1.1 Megawatts.

And you're actually feeding the grid?

Yes.

You're selling power back to the grid?

Yes.

I understand you sell power

to the grid for less,

a lot less than you buy it for?

Exactly.

And why is that?

Because it's the law.

The law.

That's the European law?

European law, the Greek law, every law.

Everybody in the world.

At the end of the day,

you're actually paying for the power?

Yes, we're paying.

But if you were off the grid,

you wouldn't pay a cent?

No.

Well maybe they gotta change the rules here.

I don't know.

It's just weird, isn't it?

It's weird.

It's weird.

I cannot explain it.

Okay.

Let's just live with it.

It's not up to me to say that.

The important thing is you're producing

more power here.

It works.

Can I get a closer look?

Yes, of course. Let's go.

Let's go have a look.

Tilos could be comfortably

off the grid and pay nothing

for its power consumption

but the political and commercial complexity

of having big business support,

sustainable energy means no one will invest

if there aren't a few dollars to be made.

So each one of these is a battery?

Yes.

Each one is a battery.

We have 30 on this side,

30 on the other,

and 30 on this side.

That's 120.

120 batteries.

Yes.

I'm told they're 260 kilos each.

Yes.

And how much power from the solar

and the wind turbine is this storing?

Three Megawatts.

Three Megawatts?

Megawatts, yes.

Three Megawatts.

Man.

And so how much power

is the island using?

The whole island

in the full season is 1.1 Megawatts.

So you're producing heaps

from one of these turbines.

And a smaller solar panel.

Unbelievable, mate.

I love this.

I reckon it's fantastic.

Now this is new technology, isn't it?

Yes, yes.

This is not just normal lithium

or hydrogen.

No, no.

These are new.

Very new technology

because they store enough in it.

Wow, they're pretty impressive.

I'm told that out

of all energy sources,

wind power produces the

least amount of greenhouse gases.

Amazingly the first one was built

around 2000 years ago

by the great mathematician

and engineer, Hero of Alexandria.

And guess what?

I think he was Greek.

Over the last 20 or 30 years,

wind turbines have popped

up all over the planet.

You see huge expanses of them

in countries like Germany and France.

A lot of people don't like the humming sounds

or the look of the big wind farms

that spread across the landscape.

I suppose you have to weigh up the alternatives

and make a judgment for differing locations.

Here in Tilos, they're more

than happy with their solution.

It's simple but effective.

Tilos draws people of all types

from across the world.

There are the young outdoor adventurers

that use the free beach campgrounds

and the artists, poets,

writers, and other professionals

that have settled here

seeking tranquility and inspiration.

Susan and her husband Alain are typical

of the type of people

that have made Tilos their home.

They're both from successful backgrounds

and have traveled the globe.

And when it came

to choosing a place to settle,

Tilos is where their hearts felt at peace.

What amazes me about Tilos is

that there are 500 people living here

and over 100 of them are coming

from other nations around the world,

not one specific nation,

but Canada, Belgium, Italy.

Everywhere.

What has Tilos got that is drawing

these people to live here

on this tiny little island?

Well, there's something I don't like to use.

I don't want to use the word mystical

but there's something that is,

there's a lot of energy here.

There's something that you

just can't physically see.

When you arrive,

you either capture it or you don't.

But those of us that are here

know what I'm saying.

There's a lot of,

just a lot of serenity here.

And I know that when we're here,

life has a different angle to it.

Yeah.

You know, I could tell you

if I died tomorrow,

I don't feel so bad about it

thinking about it here

as when I'm back in the city.

Of course we've been to Rhodes.

That's obvious.

And we've been to Syros.

We've been to Nisyros.

Mykonos.

But they don't have what this has?

No, no.

Nowhere near it?

I mean Syros is beautiful.

You said no sharply.

Symi is beautiful.

No. No chance?

No, no.

Wow.

We love these other places.

Yes.

It's not about loving.

It's like a need.

And when we would finally arrive

and people would say, oh,

what are you doing?

You know, we're going to Tilos.

Yes we live here.

And we'd say we're not coming

because we want to.

We're coming because we need to.

Wow.

It's a need.

It's like food.

Yes, it's a fix.

You're getting a fix?

Exactly.

Everywhere I went

and everyone I spoke to

sang from the same hymn sheet.

It's as though the island's populous

got together before I turned up

and memorized the identical one-liner.

We are in love with Tilos.

What blew me away was despite

being a diverse hodgepodge

of people, including writers,

academics, board directors,

and even a retired adult movie star,

each one of them had the same opinion.

And yes, you heard it right,

I met a retired adult movie star

and he was an absolute gentleman.

The following morning,

fresh from a good night's sleep,

I was up early

for my usual fitness routine

only this time

I had a training partner, Zafiris.

Go up first.

Okay.

Let's go.

With only 45 minutes a day set

aside for exercise I don't think

I'll ever have a body like his

but for me it's not

about how you look.

It's more about how you feel.

Well, that's what I've convinced myself of anyway.

To be honest, right about now,

I felt pretty damn exhausted.

Good job man.

You've been training all your life.

You're one of the most recognized

and well-known personal trainers

in all of Greece.

You had a great gym,

outdoor gym in Athens,

and you chose to come back to Tilos.

Why would you come back to Tilos?

Because this is my place.

This is the place where I will grow up.

And I love my island.

And the most important is

that it's an island very touristic

but for people they like

to do a healthy lifestyle.

So most of the people,

most of the foreigners

are coming on Tilos,

they are people they like

to do a lot of swimming,

to do hiking up in the mountains,

to do some exercises,

to do some yoga,

because there are a lot of groups

that come for sessions here on Tilos.

So they choose to come

in a beautiful island like Tilos

and have a relaxing holiday.

And at the same time,

they can do also some nice exercises

and have a very healthy, eh, lifestyle.

So tell me.

You're married now with a little baby.

Are you gonna raise your baby

on this small island?

Yeah, of course.

This is a perfect place for a baby.

Yeah?

If you see, if you see on Tilos,

there are a lot of kids

and they are enjoying very much

the life here because it's a very spacious island

and the kids can go

and play all around with,

eh, very secure because there's no traffic.

They can be outside

on the beach all day.

That's how I grew up here on Tilos.

Fantastic.

I was going out in the morning

and going back in the evening at home.

My mother was very secure

because I liked to be outside

play, workout, do some stuff.

And then I was,

This is a lifestyle.

This is a nice,

eh, healthy lifestyle.

And I'm very happy

that my kid can grow up also

in a beautiful place like Tilos.

You're a legend, man,

Because in the cities, you know,

how is the life.

It is very difficult

to move from the one place

to the other, you need the ages,

you need the hours.

Yeah.

Here you just go outside from your house,

you have the beach,

just five minutes from there,

you can go for swimming.

You can go for climbing up in the mountains.

You can do some, some games

in the playground in the square.

You can do a lot of stuff.

So mate, listen I've got

to tell ya I loved our session today.

It was awesome.

I really enjoyed training

and I'm absolutely buggered

as we say in Australia.

Thank you very much.

I really enjoyed it.

Hang on, man.

We still have 15 minutes of workout.

We haven't finished yet.

Come on.

Let's go.

We still have some work to do.

Watching the sun come up

on the beaches as I trained

that morning was unforgettable.

Zafiris was a genuinely hospitable soul

and a great guy to talk to.

If you're a gym junkie

and find yourself in Tilos,

walk up the beach promenade

from the port and look him up.

I'm sure you won't regret it.

Just on 4,000 years ago,

the last known European elephant colony

to die off was here in Tilos.

There are species of dwarf elephant,

remnants of which have been found

in a grotto known as the Charkadio Cave.

While I was here,

they were moving the museum to its new premises,

a stone's throw from the cave

where the paleontological team

were excavating bones.

These investigations tell us so much

about what happened here

all those years ago.

And meeting with the chief paleontologist

was an honor and a privilege.

And quite honestly,

when I read about the dwarf elephants of Tilos,

I thought it would be a bit underwhelming,

but that all changed

when I met Professor George.

He explained how these unique animals

were probably wiped out by one

of the largest volcanic eruptions

in Earth's recorded history.

It was a catastrophic event

known as the Minoan eruption of Thera

or the Santorini eruption.

It occurred sometime in the middle

of the second millennium BC.

So there's no recorded history

of what happened other

than the possible links to events mentioned

in the Chinese Bamboo Annals

and Egyptian Tempest Stele.

The resulting ash cloud

and tsunamis transformed the region

and decimated entire animal and human populations.

Professor, what are we looking at right now?

Right now, we are looking

at an endemic elephant skull,

the upper part, the maxilla.

It belongs to the Elephas tiliensis.

Elephas tiliensis was the last elephant

that lived in Europe.

It became extinct

about 3,500 year or 4,000 year.

And the oldest findings in this cave

at about 40,000 years.

Right.

Of elephant.

This elephant came on the island swimming.

Swimming?

Swimming.

The same phenomena has occurred

in many Mediterranean islands,

Cyprus, Rhodes, Tilos,

Naxos, Siciliy.

So they went swimming everywhere?

They could swim everywhere.

Here we have documented bones

from more than 95 elephants.

On this island?

On this cave.

In this cave?

Is there a chance

that they came in here to hide?

Possibly to hide from what?

The volcano, the ash?

From the volcano, from the ash?

Yes.

It's interesting.

We have about 35% young animals,

so it's not a place

where old animals came to die.

We have young animals.

So you've got juveniles coming here

as well as old ones?

It's not a burial place for the elephants.

It's not a burial.

Obviously, some animals died here.

Yeah.

But we have some other ones

that were living there.

Maybe they were trapped.

So there's a possibility

that there was an event.

These animals 'cause there's juveniles coming

in here as well,

came in here to protect themselves

because of pyroclastic cloud

or volcanic rock flying through the air

as a result of the Santorini eruption.

This is the last time

that it became extinct

before they were always

coming in the cave and going out.

Once they came in,

were trapped, I believe.

Professor George has spent

almost half a century in this cave,

studying the dwarf elephant

With very little support,

he and his team work long hours

in the field, labs, and university.

With frugal budgets, they rely on volunteers,

always chasing donations and grants.

Between the countless hours spent researching,

the professor finds a time to teach

and inspire new students in his field.

What a legend.

Another of the interesting people I met

in Tilos was Adrien.

He's a mix of Vietnamese, French, and Greek.

His parents settled here many years ago

and he's now a leading guide on the island.

So Adrien, this is Megalo Chorio,

big town in Greek.

Yes.

How many towns are there

in all of Tilos?

Actually Megalo Chorio is the main village

It's the capital.

There is the harbor which is Livadia.

And these are the two main settlements

on the island.

Right.

And then there is a little fishing harbor,

which is called San Antonio

close to Megalo Chorio.

And there is also Eristos

which is the main beach,

two kilometers south of Megalo Chorio

with some houses close to the shore.

Wow, Adrien, amazing.

Ah, that's the Castle of the Knights Hospitalles

that was protecting the village

for all medieval times,

about 200 years against the pirates.

Wow.

You grew up in Tilos?

Yes.

And it's precisely the place

where I grew up exactly in this neighborhood

because this is where our first house was

when we came and rented this first place.

What's a French family doing in Tilos?

It's a French family looking for quietness,

contact with nature, but also with the advantages

that can give a Greek island without inconvenience.

Wow.

Like Tilos has a lot of water,

has fertile land, and not so much tourism.

And my parents wanted really quietness

and to be far away of the hustle

and bustle of urban life

and find some place

of quietness and contact with nature.

Like Adrien's family,

many people have moved to Tilos

from abroad buying and renovating old homes.

It's not unusual to walk through a town,

hearing different awkward dialects

of Greek being spoken by the French,

German, English, and countless others

from around the world that have settled here.

It's truly a multicultural island.

Beautiful.

That's my favorite church.

Wow, Adrien.

How impressive is this?

You see that's something like,

I can say my village,

we were something

like the very first non-Greeks

to live in Tilos,

more or less at that time.

It was early nineties still,

an Italian moved in Megalo Chorio

so he became our neighbor

and then an English came

and now there are many

other non-Greeks living in Tilos.

I understand there's like 100

of them living here,

almost 1/5 of the population

and they're all artisans

and you know, almost philosophers,

they're all very educated people.

Your father was a painter?

Yes, because Tilos is making something

like natural selection.

You come here for specific reasons.

So my father as a painter,

he came here for just calmness

to have plenty of time,

and for the light and the colors

that you get here.

So now he has a workshop in the house

and he's eventually teaching those

who want painting in the garden.

Wow.

So this is your village?

Absolutely.

But if you look now high,

you can see the outskirts

of the ancient village,

which was a medieval village.

The walls.

Yes and that was the only inhabited area

until beginning 19th century

because there used to be pirates.

And for security they had to be

on the slopes of the mountain

and close to a fortress.

Wow.

We should walk it.

Let's go. Definitely.

Tilos is a mountainous little island

with the highest point reaching 650 meters.

It might not seem

all that elevated

but when you're starting from sea level

and it's only a handful of kilometers

to the top, you know,

it's a steep climb.

So Adrien, this is something

that you definitely do

early morning or late afternoon.

Not like in the middle of the day

for our time constraints

that we're doing now.

Yes, exactly.

And this is considered to be one

of the best spots for the sunset

because it's toward the west.

All right.

Yes.

And as the sun goes behind the mountain,

so you get shadow in this part

after five o'clock in the afternoon,

it's the right moment to do it.

Okay.

Oh, look, this is one

of the signs of spring coming.

What do you mean spring?

We're in September.

June, July, August is summer.

September, October, November is autumn.

Here we have a part clarity

in south Aegean because

when it starts raining in October,

the sun is still shining every day.

So until beginning December,

it's like second spring time.

Because especially in this part of Greece,

south Aegean, you can plant

and crop twice a year.

Wow.

Yes.

I learn something new every day.

Second spring.

Wow.

Yes just starting.

So watch your step, Peter.

This is where we enter the village,

the medieval village,

because the Knights of St. John

were here as well.

There are those responsible

of the fortress.

You can see it,

but the settlement dates

back to the fifth century BC

even further back.

Wow.

Because this was always the best spot

to live on the island.

So you see these walls here?

This one and the other one further.

These walls, they are

like 2,500 years old about.

And a bit further,

you can see the houses

of the medieval settlements.

There's many houses there.

I think I can see a chapel as well.

There are several chapels and some

of them keeps on frescoes.

Let's go and check 'em out.

The amount of work involved

in constructing the fortifications is impressive

to say the least.

To build something of this magnitude

would have taken countless hours of hard labor.

It was tough enough

just walking up the hill,

let alone lugging massive stones.

Here's a medieval chapel.

Right.

So this is one

of the very last preserved frescoes.

And you can see here is Archangel Michael.

You can recognize it's him

by the wings, the sword.

And it's an occasion to remember

that Archangel Michael is one

of the main protectors

of the Knights Hospitalles

along with St. George,

not only St. John, and St. Catherine,

it's also Archangel Michael.

And here's a representation

of Virgin Maria at her Dormition

That's the difference between Catholics and Orthodox.

Right.

Catholics Assumption.

And you can see when he's cutting the hand

of an unbeliever that wanted to touch her.

Wow.

So this is what 700, 800 years old?

Precisely, yes.

The times of the Knights Hospitalles.

Yes.

Okay, we better get to the top.

How much longer we've got to go?

Oh like 10, 15 minutes more.

Oops.

Mind your head.

I seem to be forever walking

up hills and mountains in Greece,

but I never get sick of it,

be it an amazing view,

an historic landmark, or a natural wonder,

there's always a worthy reward for the effort.

The added bonus is

that I don't feel guilty eating

all that tasty food Kyriako cooks up

because there's no doubt I'm burning

all those extra calories.

We made it. (laughing)

So now we are in the fortress.

I'm going to show you one

of the most impressive things here,

except the view of course.

Well, it better be good, mate

because my legs are jelly.

I say it's always worth the effort.

You'll see.

Here we enter the chapel

of the Archangels Michael and Gabrielle

that was in use

until the beginning of 19th century.

But these frescoes

that you see now

dated back to the 15th, 14th century about.

You can see Jesus Christ, Pantocrator

what's left from him.

And here was the altar

so the ancient core.

And if you look on this side,

you can see the resurrection of Lazarus

and he's has a lot of marks on

because you see it was covered

because of the Ottoman rule, obviously.

And on this side,

you can see the transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

Wow.

It's all covered with stucco.

Yes, yes, but you can see how well,

the colors are maintained

because the stucco protected

it from the humidity

and it would eventually become destroyed otherwise.

Where does that stucco come from

and why did they cover it?

Because Ottomans, they are not allowed

to have any figurative representation,

no man, no animal.

So whenever they see this,

they have to cover it.

That's impressive, man.

It's impressive.

Let's go back out and look at that view.

It's awesome.

Okay, yes.

Awesome church, awesome.

So we're at the top, Adrien.

I understand this place,

this fortress was never conquered.

Yes, absolutely.

And this is the result

of a very successful cooperation

between local inhabitants

who were actually Orthodox

with the Catholics' Knights Hospitallers.

And it's one of the very few cases

they could cooperate because

in all the rest of the Christian world

at that time, Orthodox and Catholics

are not getting very well along.

But Knights Hospitallers,

they offered a very good logistic organization

and the inhabitants were fighting for the land.

Wow.

And they succeeded together over 200 years.

Wow.

That's impressive, man.

Anyway, we're at the top.

Time to go down

but mate, you have been absolutely awesome.

This has been such a wonderful day.

I'm gonna remember this

for a long time.

Let's go, buddy.

All pleasure mine.

Let's go this way.

As the walls of the fort

have crumbled and fallen,

so too have empires come and gone.

Centuries pass and a lot changes.

But one thing that remains the same

is the power of religion to move people

to achieve great feats

for good and bad.

Here I'm contemplating

because I don't think

I've come to an island

like Tilos ever before.

Everybody on this island absolutely loves it.

but they can't explain

to me the detail of that love.

And I'm gonna try and understand it

and explain it to you now.

It's the people, the tight community,

their vision to make their island better.

The mix of locals and people

that have come from abroad.

For me, this is the Hydra

of the 21st century.

There are writers, there are artists,

painters that have come here

to settle in the zenith of their life.

I can't explain much more.

Anyway, time for that swim.

It's not too often I'm lost for words

but in trying to encapsulate all

that makes Tilos such a wonderful island,

I find myself wanting to truly appreciate

all it has to offer.

You have to come

and see it yourself.

And don't just make it a shortstop over,

spend a couple of weeks here

and really embrace the people and lifestyle.

You won't regret it.

This was my first visit to Tilos

but it certainly won't be my last.

I had a great time

and made some new friends

that I'll definitely stay in touch with.

But we're on a tight schedule

and headed east to another small island

that despite being nearby

bears no resemblance to its neighbor.

The place I'm talking about is Symi.

Amongst the Greek community,

it's a very famous island

and has a rich history evident

in the layered density of the port.

It's like no other island in Greece.

And from the moment

that you cruise into the harbor,

you're awestruck by its beauty.

The steep slopes are packed

with row upon row of stunning houses,

reflecting the former wealth of the inhabitants.

There's still plenty of money here,

but it's nothing compared

to when Symi was at its prime.

This beautiful amphitheater like port of Symi

has a lot of history.

It's survived through the Ottoman dominion

as almost an independent state

because it supplied high quality sponges

to the Sultan's harem.

Back in those times,

there was a population

of over 20,000 people

and it was a busy port.

And in looking at it now,

it doesn't look that busy,

but in a couple of hours,

there'll be lots of tourists coming

from Rhodes to just flood this place.

Don't get put off by the volume

of tourists that visit here.

They come in waves

and leave as quickly as they arrive.

They also get lost as they disperse

through the multitude of back streets

that lace the port town.

The vast majority are daytrippers.

So the mornings are serene

and in the late afternoons,

it's mostly locals only.

So if you can bear the occasional surge of people,

the peace and quiet

in between makes it worthwhile.

Realistically, there are few islands

that have as much

to offer as Symi

that don't get hoards of sightseers.

It might not be the case

with every tourist haunt,

but here, the number of visitors is indicative

of how good a place it is.

One thing Symi is

not short of is stairs.

They're all over the place

so if you're a stair junkie,

this is the place to come.

This one's only a short stair.

I think it's about 100 steps

but there's one around the corner

that's got 660 steps.

Here (speaking in Greek)

is where they signed the armistice

in World War II for all

of the Dodecanese Islands, May, 1945.

And I'll tell ya,

it's an awesome view from up here.

Wow.

With the exception of the street level shops,

Symi seems like it's been stuck

in some sort of time warp,

the neoclassical architecture

and it's three or four base colors haven't changed

in the last few hundred years.

You could literally sit

at any one of the waterside cafes

and bask in the kaleidoscope

of portside buildings for hours.

Your eyes won't get bored

of the stunning scene that graces you.

The harder you look,

the more detail you start to see.

Buildings from different periods emerge

from the tapestry and the story

of the island unfolds before your eyes.

I was intrigued by

how it all came to be

and how they managed

to maintain the heritage of the place.

So to get a detailed perspective

of the town's past,

I met up with an expert on the subject,

a local architect named Leftheris.

Leftheris, this is all local marble?

Yes.

The stones, local stones.

Right.

Made by hand, all handmade.

All by hand?

Yeah.

Local planning laws mean you can't divert

from the traditional building envelopes or colors.

Reconstruction approvals of any levitated houses

require historical searches of documentation

and photographic evidence of

what once stood there.

It's a complicated and time consuming process

that ensures Symi preserves

its magnificent historical beauty.

So this is the Kali Strata

which is 550 stairs.

It's connecting the port with Chorio

and only the rich people can walk on it.

So where did the poor people walk?

Up to the other side.

On the other side.

I love some of this architecture, Leftheris.

They must've spent a lot

of money back then.

As they calculated then,

in 50 years from 850 to 900,

they spent about 4 billion.

4 billion?

4 billion, yes.

4 billion drachma then.

Now it's a lot of money.

Yes.

And there's noble houses on both sides here?

Exactly.

Underneath on the ground floor, there was shop.

Right.

And above there was the people lived any way.

Right.

Leftheris, Symi is absolutely magnificent

but I don't think I've seen this architecture,

many other places in Greece.

It's the same architect

as in Ermoupolis in Syros.

This is the neoclassic part of Symi.

Before the neoclassical style,

it was the style of the Aegean island

like the Cycladic let's say.

But this neoclassical style

came for the merchant.

They went in Europe 'cause of the merchant

they do with the sponges.

And they see the neoclassical style

in Europe and then bring it.

And there was some description

to the people they work, to the builders,

how they want the houses.

And for this,

it became the neoclassical style.

Because the Symiots were fishermen,

there were sponge divers,

and they had good boats.

So they traveled a lot, didn't they?

Exactly and they have a lot

of merchant with Europe.

Right.

The big cities then, Trieste, Nice in France,

London, and there was exchange.

They would trade a lot.

Yeah.

So they travel and they see

this new style in Europe, bring it.

And they brought it here.

It was the rich class of Symi

because the poor class,

the working class was in Chorio.

Right.

So all these houses, big houses,

three-floors houses, the noble houses,

they was in yellows.

And beside us is the Kali Strata

which was the noble connecting road

from the port to Chorio.

The town of Yialos to me is

like a canvas that is continuously being painted.

Amongst the many houses and streets

that seem to sit

on top of each other,

you'll find dilapidated ruins

and half-finished works.

There's no symmetry, but a fragmented collage

that's appealing in it's chaos.

Even to the most discerning of critics,

even the ruins have a beauty about them.

In isolation, they seem like unsightly rubble

but being surrounded by such stunning examples,

you can see the potential

and start to envisage what could be.

With just a little bit of elbow grease

and a couple of years worth of paper work,

the carcasses of the old mansions could

be given a new lease of life.

It's easy to understand

why so many outsiders come here

to live their dream

of refurbishing a seaside Greek villa.

I can see why you're fit

because you're climbing stairs all the time.

Once before the cars,

they have to walk up and down, the people.

From the early 1300's during the reign

of the Knights Hospitallers, Symi prospered.

The Knights were involved

in shipping and commerce

so the island thrived.

Even after the Ottoman empire conquered Symi,

thanks to being able

to remain trading relatively freely,

it continued to flourish.

Sponge diving and shipbuilding added

to the coffers and as the wealth grew

so did the population reaching

in excess of 22,000 people.

Today there's around 1/10

of those numbers permanently calling the island home.

And it's tourism that brings

in the bulk of the revenue.

On any given day in the peak season,

you'll have more visitors

than locals on the island.

Across the island, you'll still find people

selling sponges from the street stalls

and the small shops

but they're really just souvenirs.

As the sponge trade has long since died off.

There's also some great local art

for sale as well as jewelry,

leather goods, and the usual trinkets.

Some of the craftsmanship is incredible,

including the locally made sunglasses.

(Peter speaking Greek)

We're gonna get these guys glasses

from Greek made olive wood.

That's it.

It's gotta be done.

I went to this shop.

It's fantastic.

Let's go.

(Men speaking Greek)

You know that I need three pair

of glasses every summer time.

Well, we'll get three pairs.

Captain, what do you think?

What do you think for you?

Maybe this one here.

This one, this one.

You try that one.

Kyriako, I want you to try this one on.

And let's see you first.

Oh, Yianni, they look awesome.

Have a look in the mirror.

A little bit small.

You try this one, Kyriako.

Don't put this back.

No, no he wants to try them.

They're not too bad

but a little bit small for you.

(laughing)

That's for Mykonos.

That's for Mykonos.

That's for Mykonos.

Now, listen.

Let's be serious, okay?

We're gonna be serious.

Try these ones on, okay?

James Garner, Tom Cruise,

Tom Cruise.

They're for you, Yianni.

Finished.

Done. Done.

Finished.

Kyriako, have a look in the mirror.

(Kyriako speaking Greek)

You like the hearts?

You want the hearts?

(laughing)

Yianni and Kyriako are

like the brothers I never had.

They've seen me at my worst,

supported me in my grief,

and been there for me

whenever I was in need.

They're like uncles to my son, Irinaios

and make my wife, Helen,

feel like a queen

when she's with us.

In Greece, they are the epitome

of what we call Philotimo

which is a philosophy grounded

in pride, love, dignity, and honor.

For me, they're mates for life

and make my time in Greece

so much more fulfilling.

Frankly, I don't think I'd have anywhere

near as good a time in Greece

if I didn't have them there

to share the experience.

If there is a heaven up there,

I'm pretty sure they took the image

from here in Agia Marina.

It's absolutely magnificent.

And if you're Leonardo DiCaprio or George Clooney,

here's the place to come.

It's peaceful.

There's no reception.

No one's gonna bother you.

People have to get here

by water taxi or boat.

And it's one of Helen's favorite beaches

and she's not here.

I won't see her for another week,

but you know what?

I'm gonna swim on your behalf, Helen.

I'm goin' down there to enjoy it.

I know I say it all the time,

but these far away

almost hidden islands and coves

are what makes cruising the Mediterranean so special.

There's nowhere else you can find

so many spectacular beaches

free from huge crowds.

Thanks Kyriako.

I think you're better than captain, mate.

You're gonna take his job.

(Kyriako speaking Greek)

Whether it's bathing in the sea,

basking in the sun,

or sitting under an umbrella

sipping on a cocktail

while you're deep in a novel,

you could be having a bite to eat,

or even playing a friendly game

of backgammon and talking politics,

whatever you're into,

you can do it all here at Agia Marina

in absolute peace.

Without the interruption

of a cellular network

or hoards of tourists and noisy traffic,

this is a slice of heaven placed

in the middle of the Dodecanese

for those lucky enough

to know about it.

It's a good thing I've got Captain Yianni

because he finds all the best spots.

Oh, it's a real slice

of paradise, you know.

So beautiful.

I've gotta jump in.

It's criminal not to.

You're probably getting sick

of seeing me going

for swims in paradise

but the reality of any Greek island holiday is

that no day is complete without spending

a bit of time in the water.

Some days I probably spend

as much time in the sea

as I do on dry land.

It's a soothing way

to pass the time.

And it's often

when I get the most clarity in my mind.

There's been many an occasion

when I've emerged

from the water with inspiration

for something I want to film

or having worked through a problem

I might've been trying

to sort out for days.

For me, it's

as much a form of meditation

as it is recreational activity or exercise.

After a swim and some lunch,

we upped anchor and made our way back

to the main port to film the second part

of my time on the island.

In the next episode,

I continue my exploration

as there's plenty more to see

and do before making our way south

to the islands of Chalki and Alimia,

just off the coast of Rhodes.

Chalki is a tiny land mass,

said to be the smallest inhabited island

in the Dodecanese.

But there's plenty of rustic charm about it.

And Alimia would have

to be my favorite uninhabited island in the world.

Due to them being

so close to Rhodes,

they're often overshadowed.

My plan is to shine a lot on both

and show you why you should definitely

make them a port of call

when you're next in Greece.

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.

(Greek music playing)