Original subtitles

(THEME MUSIC)

PETER MANEAS: In the first four series of My Greek Odyssey,

We visited islands of the Saronic,

the Ionian, the Dodecanese,

the Western Cycladic and the Northern Aegean.

In series five, we're seeing the Southern and Central Cycladic.

Islands you've never heard of like Levitha, Anafi, Donoussa,

and ones you know well,

like Santorini and the big one, Crete.

In the final episode of the series,

I'll be finishing my time on Sikinos,

an island few tourists have heard of.

Last stop is a visit

to one of the most remarkable monasteries I've ever been to,

before upping anchor and heading west to Folegandros.

It's a bit like a smaller, quieter version of Santorini,

with epic sunsets, beautiful architecture

and more remote parts of the island

that your average traveller never explores.

We've saved some of the best bits of Greece for last

and I can't wait to show you.

This is the peaceful island of Sikinos.

If you missed last episode, here's a quick recap.

It's a small landmass between Folegandros and Ios.

Most people bypass it

and head for the bigger, more populous places.

But it's definitely worth making the detour

and spending a few days here.

It's a sleepy island with a strong sense of community.

It's not a place you come to for parties and shopping.

Instead, it's a destination for people that like to relax

and find their own entertainment.

If you do come, you may end up like some of the locals we met,

who visited on a holiday, fell in love with Sikinos,

and now call it home.

Before leaving there was one last landmark I had to see.

More importantly, there was a person who lives there

that I just had to meet.

Now, we cheated and drove in from the east.

Specifically, so that you could see the different colours of the ensant,

or the fortress and the monastery.

But in the old days,

three or 400 years ago,

they would come from down there at Chora and the Castro,

and they would walk up here,

or run up here when they heard the bells.

Because the pirates were in the bay

and the nuns were saying, "Come up, come up."

So, they would come up this path

and they would run up this path and hide in the monastery.

But we've seen lots of monasteries.

What's so special about this one?

What's special about this one is the nuns.

Religion would not allow them to kill.

They had no guns, no knives.

So, they came up with these ingenious ways

to defend themselves.

The monastery has been occupied by a single nun for the last decade.

Romanian-born, she's preached the Greek Orthodox gospel

for most of her life.

Coming to a remote island as a young person

would take dedication and courage.

I couldn't leave Sikinos

without visiting this fortress-like monastery,

if only to experience some time with this exceptional woman.

Actually, the nuns from up there,

they would notice if a dangerous ship is coming.

And if so, they could ring the bells

so everyone on the island could hear that the dangerous ship is coming.

So, the people would go to the village,

the village was also a castle, and close the doors.

And also the nuns would come here

and also the villagers, they were here doing some works

and it'll be closer to come here.

They'll close the door and wait, but not doing nothing,

but putting water and oil to be heated.

So, they'd boil water and olive oil... And oil?

Yes. Olive oil, yes. Right.

And what were they using that for?

Well, when the pirates would arrive here,

and would start to climb the walls or break the door,

the nuns would throw hot water or hot oil in their heads.

Right.

Not to kill them, because they don't kill people.

Yes, yes. But to scare them.

And just get them to go away. Yes.

The first line of defence was the hot water and oil.

But if the pirates managed to get through,

the nuns had an escape route which defies belief.

They would retreat into the back of the monastery

to a tiny room perched on the edge of the cliff,

beyond which, or should I say below, was a hidden way out.

It was an ingenious design,

albeit requiring some serious courage.

Mind you, if it was a matter of life and death,

you'd take the getaway route,

even if it too, had a decent chance of killing you.

The pirates will see the nuns going in this room

and close the door.

And they said, "OK, we will find them inside."

But when they opened the door, nobody was inside

because there is a hole here... Right.

..and the nuns could escape with the rope.

Abseil down. Right. Yes. Abseil down, yes.

Ah, so there was a hidden floor there

where they go in, the pirates would've...

"They've gone. Where have they gone?"

Yes. And they abseiled down the cliff?

Yes. And where would they go from there?

They would go in some caves. In some caves.

And they would hide in the caves? They would have there,

because the pirates would not know the way to reach there.

Yes. And they would leave them alone.

Yeah.

And then after a few hours or a few days, or a few weeks,

when the pirates would go away from the monastery...

They'd come back again. They come back again.

Amazing.

It was a period in history when much of the Mediterranean

had some level of lawlessness,

where pirates sailed the seas

and the Ottoman Turks had desires to conquer this part of the world.

To live in the heart of it,

with little protection and an unwavering belief in peace,

meant the nuns had to be incredibly brave.

Much of their strength was drawn from their faith

and the bond they shared.

If you're an architect

that specialises in the design of Greek Orthodox churches,

well, I'm afraid to say,

you're not going to get much work in Greece,

'cause they've all been built.

However, there is the occasional exception,

this being one of them,

and it's a beautiful modern Greek church too.

It's been built to commemorate Odysseas Elytis in 2011.

He was a famous poet

and he was just proud to be Greek

and be part of 25 centuries of classical Greek literature.

He's got a great story.

I personally love his poetry.

When he received the Noble prize for literature in 1979,

he said, "I'd like to think I'm receiving this

"on behalf of all Greek poetry

"that's gone back all the way to Homer."

He was a selfless man.

He loved the blue, the white and the light

and the landscapes of the Aegean.

He wrote about it a lot and he loved Sikinos.

I mean, seriously,

how could you not want to write about this place?

It is just so beautiful.

Odysseas, may you rest in peace.

This was my last stop on Sikinos

and a beautiful place to end my time here.

It gave me a moment of respite,

to reflect on what I'd seen

and ponder on what the next part of my journey might hold.

During that time of contemplation,

I came to the conclusion

that what makes Sikinos such a special island

and a place that everyone should visit, is the people.

It's not the pretty beaches and mountain scenery,

but something far deeper.

Those that call this little paradise home

epitomise the Greek term, philoxenia,

which means love of the foreign or friend of the stranger.

It's far more than just simple hospitality.

People like the Mayor, Vassilis, welcomed me to their island.

Making me feel as though I too was a local,

which is why before departing,

I just had to see him and his family one last time.

It was this culture of embracing outsiders

as though they were long-time friends

that has seen travellers from the corners of the world

come to Sikinos

and then decide that this would be their new home.

For me, it will always hold special memories

as a place that captures the essence of Greece I knew as a child.

As you can see, we're arriving at a relatively small port,

but don't let that give you the impression

we're visiting an island that's lacking things to see and do.

To be honest, Folegandros isn't a tough place to find enjoyment in.

I like to think of it as being the Santorini of 50 years ago.

It has similar architecture, clifftop views, beautiful beaches,

and every day ends with an incredible sunset.

But it doesn't have that commercialisation or crowds

that can make Santorini feel a bit excessive

or impersonal at times.

Right near the port, there's a stunning pebble beach

with clear water and plenty of shade.

It's a popular spot, particularly for families,

as it's near the taverns and accommodation.

But if you prefer something a bit more peaceful,

then you just walk to the other side of the village

and you'll find another beautiful beach,

away from the crowds.

Folegandros is an island

made for those who like an unstructured holiday,

where you don't necessarily plan every minute of your time.

Instead, you just see where the days take you.

You can laze around the beach all day,

splitting your time between the water and sitting at a cafe.

Or if you're feeling energised, then there are plenty of hikes.

And for those times when you want some mental stimulation,

then a visit to an historic site will no doubt scratch your itch.

First off for me was up the hill,

as soon as we arrived,

I was drawn to explore the clifftops.

(SIGHS)

Well, that's a 200m drop directly down

and we are facing north, which is the prevailing weather.

This coastline gets absolutely hammered,

but at the same time,

those terraces where they plant their crops are getting moist.

And that's why they're facing north.

Pretty special.

We're walking through the main town.

This is actually the Kastro, the castle of the main town.

Chora is just next door.

What you see here

is a network of houses that are next to each other

and they call that an ensant.

On the other side of these houses,

it's just a straight drop down, 335m.

This is a castle,

but it's a defensive castle built in sort of 13th century AD.

And we're going to get a chance to actually go in

and have a look at one of these

because, on the other side, it's just an amazing view.

Bit scary.

Very similar to Kimolos and Sifnos, same sort of structure.

This place is a bit of a maze.

And I really feel sorry for the postman.

This Kastro and this ensant, it's so close together,

you can feel the community here,

even today, 800 years after it's been built.

And I don't know,

I just feel like these people are really enjoying living here.

Not like the first ones that were here in fear of God.

Not too sure how much thought there was in this

when they were building,

but I got to tell you,

got to watch your head, I've already hit my head once.

I'm always interested in seeing how people live

in these island villages.

The homes are centuries old

and built in amongst the limited space

on hilltops with narrow lanes.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Tila,

who resides in a tiny house that was recently renovated.

Finding it was the first test.

The next challenge

was dragging myself away from the spectacular view.

It might be small, but man, what an amazing place to call home.

Let's go out. Shall we go outside? Yeah.

Straight out, straight out, straight out.

So, how do you like it? Tila.

I don't think I've seen anything like this ever in my life.

This is amazing.

Breathtaking, isn't it?

It is just unbelievable.

There wouldn't be many of these. How many of these are there?

Because when we're looking at it from the water,

it's a small ensant, isn't it?

Yeah. I wouldn't say there's more than like 15.

15. Top. Maximum.

Because it wasn't a big Castro from that width point of view.

No, no, no.

And these, they weren't white at the time, were they?

No, of course not because otherwise they would be seen from the sea.

From the sea.

So, they were the same stone as the...

Yeah. Yeah.

The point was to be hidden as much as they could.

You've refurbished this, right?

You've... Yeah. Yeah, we've refurbished this.

This front part was in ruins at some point,

but the inside part, the kitchen and everything was...

Was OK. Was OK.

So, you must have got all sorts of permission from the ministries?

Yes. Yes.

It's very strictly controlled

by the archaeological service of course,

because this settlement is very, very old,

dates back... 800 years.

800 years. Yeah.

Wow.

Let's go and have a look at the rest of it,

it's fantastic. OK.

Wow.

The renovation has turned a centuries-old basic home

into a modern and very comfortable place to live.

It's a fantastic makeover

that still retains much of the character

of the original house.

However, I was keen to see a more authentic residence.

So, Tila, took me across the ways to look at her aunt's home,

which is still as it was some 100 years ago.

And this is my aunt's house

and this is a really old place.

Right, it hasn't been renovated. This has stayed the same?

Yes. And this has been in her family for?

Forever. I think. I mean for ages.

Wow.

This is traditional Cycladic architecture,

with all the features you expect

from a turn-of-the-century island home.

It's narrow, has just a few rooms,

and makes use of every inch of space.

This clifftop village is a great example

of how people have been able to adapt century-old buildings

to present-day living conditions.

They may not have all the luxuries with five bedrooms, three bathrooms,

skylights and ducted air conditioning.

But what they lack in extravagance,

they more than make up for in character, old-world charm

and in some cases, incredible views.

Travelling to the central northwest of the island,

you'll come across the town of Ano Meria, meaning upper side.

This region is basically the bread basket of Folegandros.

For generations across the Cycladic,

families have lived in small, self-sustainable estates,

known as themonies.

They're essentially tiny communities

designed to cater for all their needs

and are unique to this part of Greece.

With the shifting of populations to more urbanised areas,

themonies have all but disappeared.

But here in Ano Meria, there are a few that still exist

in the same way they have for centuries.

One lady that lives and works her own traditional themonia,

is Flora, who I was excited to meet.

(SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(DISTANT VOICE) Yeah.

Flora's been living on her own here the past few years,

after her husband sadly passed away.

I arrived as she was in the middle of cooking

and didn't want to disturb her.

But as soon as we talked, she made me feel at home.

This is the Greek philoxenia that I love about the islands.

While she was busy in the kitchen,

I had a look around the garden,

which has the key features that make these themonies

such efficient little communities.

At one stage, this terraced hill

would've been full of barley and vineyards.

And you can see some of the grape vines down here.

Just behind me is the threshing floor for the barley,

below me is the grape press.

You can see the hole

where the grape juice would come out.

In front of me, there's all sorts of things.

We've got two cisterns.

One that was fed from the pathway here,

another from the roof of the house.

There's a pig pen in front of me.

There's another little garden

for something special, might be herbs.

In front of that is the famous lemon tree house.

Every single themonia had a lemon tree house

because the lemons were very, very important

in all our cooking

and they needed to protect it from the wind.

In front of me here, is the house,

and they would live above

and some of the animals would live below.

It hasn't changed in all that time.

And Flora still lives the same way.

(SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Life for people in these rural hamlets was tough,

but they knew little else.

Many of the things that we perceive as being challenges

were considered normal, everyday living.

It's a simple way of life where the rewards are intrinsic

and come in the form of a sense of community

and strong family bonds.

So, while some may look at Flora and feel for her,

having to be isolated and leading a basic existence.

I, on the other hand, see a strong, independent woman,

an octogenarian, living as she chooses.

Heading back to Mia Zoi, I had mixed emotions.

On one hand, I was even more grateful

for living a life that has so much choice.

But on the other,

I felt that perhaps I was missing out

on the independence and tranquillity of a simple life,

by leading such an intense and complicated existence.

However, these feelings quickly faded,

not because they're trivial and worth little consideration,

but because in an instant,

after seeing who was on the back of my boat,

I became a little nervous,

because my next adventure was going to really test my claustrophobia.

So, today we will visit the cave of Georgitsi.

Right.

It's a really amazing spot for diving.

It's really unique because it's very safe

and very easy to enter

because of the saddles inside the cave.

So, let's have a look at this map that you've drawn.

The cave is 12m wide. Yes, it is.

And...

And it goes straight inside the rock...

For 25m. For 25m. Yes.

And this is the important thing,

because it goes straight inside and we have natural sunlight.

So, Dimitri, you've dived before, haven't you?

Yes, 100s of time. This one here?

100 times. Yes, yes.

But every time it's fantastic.

It's safe? It's fully safe? Yeah, yeah , yeah.

It's fully safe. Are you an instructor?

Yes, I am. Good.

'Cause, you know, we've got to make sure everything's OK.

I want to come back from this dive, right?

Of course.

You've had no problems on this dive before?

We'll return to enjoy the nice Folegandros.

Fantastic, man.

My director Alexander Begetis,

is an expert at convincing me to do things I don't want to do.

Pushing my boundaries of fear.

And over the years, Alex has become a good mate as well.

So, I feel like I'm letting him down

if we don't attempt these regular challenges.

For some, confined diving is like a walk in the park.

For me, it's like swimming into your future burial chamber.

It's an alien environment for a human to be in.

We have limited control over things.

And anyone that knows me,

will tell you that I'm a bit of a control freak.

Even though I've completed plenty of dives over the years

and several in caves, I'm always a bit nervous.

But one positive about this dive

is that there's a gradual progression from being in the open,

then going into the above-water part of the cave,

where you still have plenty of fresh air and sunlight,

before taking the plunge.

Once in the water,

I usually take a brief moment to settle the nerves

and make sure the dive gear is all in order.

Then, it's time for business.

When you're down there, the mood starts to change.

The fear is still tangible.

Although it progressively moves to the back of your mind.

As the sheer beauty starts to fill your head,

the nightmare drifts to a daydream

and you become totally absorbed in the moment.

The visibility was so clear

that I felt like an astronaut, hovering weightless in space,

with only the bubbles from Dimitri's regulator

bringing me back to reality.

It's times like this, that you realise

a little push, although uncomfortable at first,

can bring so much joy.

So, don't let fear hold you back.

Take a few calculated risks in life and you won't regret it.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

We got some goat milk here from Folegandros

and we thought, let's make some dessert.

So, we're gonna make rizogalo.

Rizogalo. Rice pudding,

Greek rice pudding.

Let's do it. Let's do it.

We got some rice.

We put the rice in there.

We're gonna boil it.

Put it on the boil

while I talk about what's happening here.

We got a bit of sugar, which is unusual for Kyriako,

to have sugar in something. We've got one litre of milk.

We have some vanilla essence.

We have some, a little pinch of salt and some cinnamon for the finish.

And this is cornflour.

15 minutes on the boil.

And then we leave it for another 15 minutes.

So it can...

..OK.

You can go to translate, Google translate for that.

Now, I love my rice pudding.

My mother, God rest her soul,

used to make the best rice pudding, it's so good.

Helen, it's so easy to make.

You got to start making it for me.

I love this stuff. You're gonna see it at the end.

I'm gonna just engulf the whole bowl.

I probably won't even use a spoon.

This recipe is so simple.

Maybe I'll even make it for Helen when I'm home.

So, we pour the rest of the milk in.

We put the sugar in now?

OK. We put the sugar in, here it goes.

Sugar goes in.

The corn flour.

And a little bit of salt.

That's not a little bit of salt, but anyway.

And the vanilla essence.

Oh, yeah.

Now, the actual...

..keep going, you want me to do that?

Oh, OK. We're just gonna put it on the boil.

Now, the actual recipe itself, you can go to our website,

mygreekodyssey.com, to see it.

We're not gonna tell you the exact measures right now,

just takes too long.

And I can't remember them, to be honest with you.

Oh, that looks good.

So, how long are we putting it on here for, Kyriako?

As soon as it's boiled, it's done.

That's it, it's finished. So, that's all we're gonna do.

It's that simple.

Even the camera man can do that.

This is all about patience,

which is not something I'm known for.

You have to keep stirring until you see it start to boil.

If you stop too soon, the milk will burn

and you'll have to start all over again.

You'll notice that it starts to thicken up

as it gets closer to boiling point.

The exact translation of rizogalo is rice milk.

That's what it is.

But the Anglo Saxon way of saying it is rice pudding.

Don't look like pudding to me at all.

But anyway, someone translated it to rice pudding.

Then maybe we should change that we should call it milky rice.

I don't, it looks good though.

I can't stick my finger in there. It's too hot.

So, how will you be sure it's ready?

Well, as it starts to boil,

you'll notice it's become a thick bubbling emulsion.

Ooh, that looks good. Righto.

Bowls.

It will. It will stiffen up.

OK.

That's enough for the cameraman.

Not too much. Only a little bit for the cameraman.

Only a little bit. Fill the other bowls.

OK.

He's been a naughty boy.

Can we put the cinnamon on now, no? No.

We're gonna let it cool down a little bit. A little bit.

So, what we've got to do now

is we're gonna let it cool down for about an hour or so

before it's ready.

And then you can actually put it in the fridge

and eat it any time.

But a lot of people like it while it's warm.

You can't eat it straight away, obviously,

'cause it's gonna burn you.

So, I've just got to keep sticking my finger in it,

sticking a spoon in it until it's ready to go.

And the top layer creates a crust, like a meniscus on top.

So, you got to penetrate that meniscus

so that you know

that when you're penetrating that layer,

it's basically ready to go.

The final step is sprinkling the cinnamon on top.

Every Greek knows that this dusting means only one thing,

rizogalo.

As simple as this dish is, it's always a favourite.

Now's the big taste test.

We're gonna take the cameraman's and have half his right now.

Alright.

You try to put your...

..see, see, see the crust on the top.

Beautiful.

Oh, man.

You know.

But it brings back...

..you know, the taste,

it brings back memories of my mother.

You know, I'm about to cry.

Mm.

Oh, it's so good.

Kyriako.

Listen, you started speaking English five episodes ago.

Now you're going straight into Greek.

I want English from you, OK.

OK, sorry.

They don't understand what's going on.

Mm.

Mm. That's so good.

Kyriako, it's fantastic. Such an easy recipe.

And the captain looks like he's happy

because it's traditional.

Because it's traditional. That's right.

But you can put mango in it at the end.

But if I start to put Saffron

because sometimes you use or mango or something.

That's right. He doesn't like it.

Start to go crazy and the shouting again.

Captain is a traditionalist...

..mm...

..and we need tradition too.

But you're a modern chef.

You going...

..it's fantastic.

You're gonna have some more? Yeah, come on.

We'll leave a bit for the camera man. OK?

So, when it cools down, it's even better.

But I like it cold.

I'm sorry, cameraman. Sorry buddy.

Sorry, mate.

Mm. Beautiful.

That's a hug. Come on.

That's a hug because it's easy.

Yeah!

That's what...

..oh, you're a legend.

I've been fighting the weight battle all my life

and Kyriako doesn't make it easy for me

to keep the kilos off.

So, like all beautiful, sweet things,

I try to limit my exposure to him to a maximum of four weeks,

with intensive exercise

and a strict diet in between visits.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

ZOJA: To prayer, exhale, diving down.

Inhale, long spine, lift your head.

Step back, jump back, plank.

Turn around.

Upward dog,

exhale, downward facing dog.

Whoo!

Walk or jump towards your feet.

Inhale, long spine.

Lift your head.

Exhale.

Inhale, lets come all the way up.

Hands to prayer.

Exhale, hands to heart.

(EXHALING)

OK, Peter, are you ready for the rest of the day?

You bet.

OK. Well, thank you so much for practising with me.

Namaste.

Namaste.

(AMBIENT MUSIC)

Thank you.

There are few better ways to start the day.

The stillness of the dawn,

with the coast softly lit by the gold of the rising sun.

Wow!

In Greece, I try my best

to follow this type of routine as much as I can.

If not a yoga session, it's a walk

or some other form of exercise and a bit of stretching.

It opens my mind and makes me feel energised.

The days I don't manage to stick to this routine,

I generally feel lethargic

and of all the days to be tired, this wasn't the one.

Ahead was a long walk through the hinterland,

followed by a swim.

Along the way with some fantastic conversation

about the why of choosing to live in Folegandros.

Zoja, there's over a 100 islands you could pick from,

why do you do your retreats and your yoga here in Folegandros?

Yeah, it's a really good question.

I've been to many islands.

I've spent many Summers on different islands,

but this island, for some reason, stole my heart.

I came here in 2005

and I didn't start doing yoga then.

I was actually working with a visual artists then.

And we were making dance films here.

She has a house here, Athena.

And then I decided,

"Oh, I wanna share not only this beauty,

"but this incredible capacity of transformation

"that this island has." Right.

When you walk the rock and swim in the seas.

There are no other beaches

that I've discovered in Greece like this, I have to say...

Right. ..that are this raw.

And you know, you're not allowed to build anything on these beaches.

Right. Which is very rare.

So, yeah, Folegandros stole my heart.

Zoja, that all sounds good, but...

..there's no meat in the sandwich there.

I mean, is there something else about the island, in detail,

that keeps you here or brought you here?

Well, yeah, my grandfather was an exile here.

He was a journalist during World War II.

Yeah. And, but honestly, I didn't even find that out

until I got to the island.

You know, like, I've known my grandfather,

I've known many stories about him,

but I didn't know that he was an exile

on the rock in Folegandros.

So, was he a good guy?

I mean, he was amazing guy.

I would say he was a revolutionary man.

Right. He helped a lot of people

and he spoke his truth.

Well, journalists, I mean, they write the truth

and that's what governments don't like most of the time.

That's true. Yeah, yeah.

That's true. Shall we keep going?

Let's go. Shall I take you to the beach?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

I reckon, good start to the day, yoga and a hike.

Yoga and a hike is the secret.

It is. It's a secret to longevity.

To keeping fit, but also yeah,

vibrant, vital energy.

I start yoga...

..in a day a lot and I do a lot of hiking.

You wouldn't believe it, but I'm 80 years old.

Wow. Wow.

You definitely fooled me.

Are you OK, old man? I'm OK.

80-year-old, what do you expect?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Every beach in Greece has its own personality.

Some are popular for their soft, white sand and gentle sea.

Others for their ease of access

or for having a multitude of deckchairs and bars.

This one, on the other hand, is special

because of the raw beauty and remoteness.

It's surrounded by a rugged landscape

far from the crowds, almost hidden from the world.

It makes you feel like you're in a wild corner of Greece,

where few have been before.

I love that there are hidden little coves like this

throughout the Greek islands,

allowing you to escape to your own private paradise.

The day was still only young,

but I was feeling like I had achieved so much.

Some yoga, a hike,

a meaningful conversation and a swim,

all before breakfast.

Cruising along the coast,

we were blessed with ideal conditions.

The scenery was typical of this part of the world,

with scorched, rocky hills,

giving the impression it's an arid, weather beaten place.

But with the rain in the cooler months,

the dry, brown hills quickly turn green.

Though one thing that remains the same

throughout the seasons,

is the depth of experiences you can have here.

Many of the islands can provide you

with just as good a time in the off season.

Oh, that didn't sound too good. Thanks, Giorgios.

Folegandros is not known for its beaches,

but Agali is pretty cool and there's plenty of others,

but this is the most protected beach in all of Folegandros.

Being a sheltered bay means yachts and cruise boats

often come here to escape rough seas.

Tourists, looking for a quiet patch of sand

also make their way over.

But it's not this beach that brings me here.

I was keen to go for a bit of a walk

to see the sleepier side of Folegandros

and check out a place

that I've been told about by a friend.

It's a secluded area that attracts the type of traveller

that likes to get away from not only the crowds,

but the all encompassing technology that clutters our lives.

I occasionally yearn for the same.

Which to an extent, I get while I'm in Greece,

but it's only when I actively make the decision

to switch off my phone and laptop,

disconnecting from the world, that I truly get some respite.

But most of the time that only lasts half a day at best.

The walk, winds it way along the coast,

slowly taking you away from the noise

and movement of the town

and gradually to increasingly quiet alcoves

and tiny pebbled beaches.

If you didn't do your research,

you'd probably never come across this place.

If you did stumble on it,

you might be a little shocked

by the free spirited nature of the people here.

I think it's a nudist beach.

Not for me.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Might have a look at these eco-friendly houses,

no power.

If you're after a digital detox, then this is the place for you.

There's no power, phone or internet.

Just a gas stove, lamp, a small bathroom

and quite a minimalist interior.

It's all very basic, but you don't come here for luxury.

This is a place

for those longing for the simple life

and attracts young business people,

who need a break from the constant barrage

of emails and calls.

I can only imagine that after a few days here,

you'd be totally refreshed

and ready to get back to the grindstone.

Or maybe it would leave you longing for a sea change

and ready to walk away from your old life.

Personally, a day or two away from the computer

usually stresses me out more than it relaxes me.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Walking through town in the late afternoon

and early evening is a Greek tradition.

You grab a bite to eat,

mingle with the locals and share some gossip.

All while you watch the sunset.

This is the Greek island life.

You move with the pace the weather allows.

When it's hot and sunny, you relax at the beach,

sit in the shade or have a siesta.

As the shadows grow longer and the temperature drops,

you head out for a stroll and some time in a taverna or cafe.

The reason why the day starts so late here,

is because most of the activity happens in the evening

and long into the night.

It's not uncommon for families to be having dinner at 10:00pm.

This is awesome.

It's families everywhere.

It's that time of the day, the heat's gone,

everybody comes out.

I'm always one to embrace the local customs,

which in this case is a favourite pastime of mine,

eating the food typical of the place I'm in.

And there were a couple of things

I was particularly interested in tracking down.

This is just so good.

I mean, they're coals, it's a local lamb.

It's the family's lamb from the shop.

We can't get anything more organic than that.

Family business.

Some of his own cheese that he makes here.

He makes it himself.

You are a gem, mate. Thank you.

There are plenty of great places to eat in town.

But before digging into dinner, I was starting with dessert,

because this island is known for its watermelon pie.

And as I'd never tried it before, I just had to give it a go.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) WOMAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

This is apparently awesome.

It's watermelon pie.

And this is what the island is known for, watermelon pie.

But they don't have their own watermelons.

I don't get it, but anyway.

It's the big test.

It doesn't taste anything like watermelon,

but it's really nice.

Oh!

So, this is watermelon ice cream.

I'm really getting looked after. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Now, that is...

..that is good.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Look how creamy it is.

Mm.

Wow, wow.

For an island that doesn't have watermelons

and they make watermelon pie and the ice cream

and they're known for it.

They're known for their pies, but it's...

..the watermelon pie is the key.

Mm.

By now you've most probably realised I love my food.

Hence why I've got the best chef in Greece, Kyriako, on Mia Zoi.

So, on every island I visit, I search for its local cuisine

or have the great Kyriako prepare it for me.

Next up was a dish called matsata, a hearty staple.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Now, one of the local dishes here in Folegandros is matsata

and it's like tagliatelle, but it's not,

because it doesn't have any egg in it.

It's just flour and water.

And they all make it locally.

And this restaurant here at Spitiko, it's freshly made.

Looks awesome.

Now...

..I'm just carbing up on the flour and water

because I've had too much meat,

but you can get this with rooster, rabbit, goat, chicken.

There's so many ways you can have it.

Anyway, I'm ready for exercise in the morning,

let me tell you that right now.

Mm, mm.

Awesome.

And this is Arsi's father's local wine.

We ate here last night.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Mm.

Awesome.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Local food and wine, you can't get any better.

I needed to have an early meal and get it down fast

because the rest of the afternoon was gonna be spent on a hill,

just above the town,

at the best spot on the island to watch a sunset.

Every afternoon,

there is a swarm of people walking up the hill

to the church of Panagia,

it's almost like a pilgrimage to the sunset.

In my life, I've enjoyed countless sunsets

and every one of them has their own unique appeal.

Just like each of the islands in Greece

has its individual personality and charm

that sets it apart from the rest.

No two are ever the same.

Yet, there's certain characteristics

that many of them share,

like the beaches, seaside taverns and pretty scenery.

But it's the many layers beneath that give each location its essence.

Folegandros has proven to be rich in substance.

Yet, I've only seen just a tiny part of what it has to offer.

Wow. That's Polyaigos in the foreground.

Kimolos behind it

and on Polyaigos is our mate, Petro the shepherd.

On his own, watching that sunset right now.

To the left is Milos,

in about five minutes, we're gonna get the afterglow.

All these people are gathered here just for that.

I've spent decades travelling around Greece

and the last five years

has seen me stepping on dozens of islands

I hadn't seen before.

However, despite all this time

visiting this part of the world,

all I've come to realise is that one lifetime

isn't enough to peel back all the layers

and truly reveal every detail of this remarkable place.

This series has seen me explore the Southern and central Cycladic.

From the massive land mass of Crete and its many surrounding islands,

to the white walls of Santorini and sands of Levitha.

It has been a memorable time

that's only served to galvanise my belief

that there is no other place

on the planet

that I could ever love more

than these beautiful Greek islands.

Captioned by Ai-Media ai-media.tv