Every year, three million of us head to the Greek islands
for our holidays.
And it's easy to see why.
This is Greece and look at that.
I have a strong affinity with the islands.
My mum is Greek.
But I've only holidayed here.
Here we go.
Until now.
I'm going to see the hidden side.
Look, there's nobody here.
Hello, everybody. Oh, you're good.
From their breath-taking natural wonders...
Let me show you our real mother.
.. to the colourful customs and the architectural splendour.
That is a miracle of loveliness.
That makes me proud to be just that little bit Greek.
This is a voyage of discovery.
And I'm taking you with me.
I've reached the Sporades, "the scattered ones".
Along my travels, I have heard lots of folklore stories
about kings, queens and gods who fight
and then end up chucking huge bits of land at one another,
which end in the creation of a new place.
The Sporades are one such archipelago.
Legend has it that two Greek titans had a barney,
got into a slinging match, and this was born.
Ironic that out of such a violent encounter,
somewhere so peaceful was created.
Known as the Paradise Islands,
the Sporades are famed
for their lush pine forests and exotic beaches.
Located a few miles off the coast of mainland Greece,
the Sporades are a cluster of 24 islands
that stretch out into the Aegean Sea.
And I'm going to be exploring two of those four inhabited islands.
I'll visit Skopelos.
A sleepy, little place
whose charms are largely undiscovered by tourists,
despite it being the backdrop for the movie Mamma Mia.
But I'm starting on the island of Skiathos.
With an international airport,
it's the most popular island in the Sporades.
Which may have something to do with the 60 beaches
strung along its 45km of coastline.
But I want to discover the Skiathos that only the locals know.
And I think the best way to do that
is on a boat.
That little boat there, that's what I'm going on today.
And those boys
are going to show me the secret Skiathos.
They are called Yannis and Kostas.
They are all called Yannis and Kostas!
THEY SPEAK GREEK
Welcome to Skiathos. Thank you.
Yannis or Kostas? Yannis.
Hello, Yannis. How are you? Fine. And you?
Kalimera. Good morning. Kalimera.
Hi, Kostas. What a gorgeous boat.
This is our boat.
The boat is the last boat made in Skiathos.
It's traditional Greek fishing boat style.
We are gonna show you our Skiathos. And we try to make it very nice
so you have an amazing day and good memories.
Julia, are you ready?
I'm ready. Let's go.
We are leaving from Koukounaries beach.
Let's go, Kostas.
And with its pine-fringed swathe of golden sand,
you'd be hard pushed to find a lovelier beach
in the whole of Greece.
But in a few hours, it'll be full of sun-seekers.
And I want to find the hidden paradise beaches of Skiathos.
Already I feel like I'm escaping the rat race.
This is my laptop.
It's better than a laptop.
One of Skiathos's main incomes historically was fishing.
But as fish stocks dwindle in the Mediterranean,
so do the livelihoods of Greek fishermen like Yannis and Kostas.
Little baby ones, so...
we throw back these ones. Bye-bye.
To supplement their incomes, they've diversified,
and they offer guided tours of the island's coastline
for around 70 euros a day.
But these boys are fishermen first and foremost.
It's in their DNA.
You're doing what your grandfather did
and your father before you.
You're a family of fishermen.
Yes. Fishermen for generations.
And now in Skiathos,
we are one of the last ones.
How many do you think are left? Hmm.
Five, six. That's it? Maybe, yeah.
It's scary, but it's how it is now.
How long do you think you can carry on doing this, then,
the way things are? The bad days,
they are more than the good days in the sea.
But we never know,
because the sea is full of surprises.
You have to think positive and positive things happen to you.
Hallelujah to that.
The Mamma Mia boat. Oh, hello, there we go.
POUNDING DISCO MUSIC This area
is famous because of a film,
Mamma Mia.
So there's quite a lot of this going on.
I can't hear whether it's ABBA that they are dancing to,
but take a look at that cruise.
It would be the worst day in your life.
There. He's not a fan.
Hollywood invaded the Sporades back in 2007.
Ever since, Mamma Mia fans
have been coming in their droves.
But, unlike a lot of tourist operators in Skiathos,
the brothers don't trade on Mamma Mia.
They refuse to.
Instead, they trade on the beauty of their island
and its hidden bays.
Look at this beautiful cove.
It's paradise and there's nobody here.
This is the kind of place
you can come and discover in Skiathos.
And hiding in these coves are a Greek delicacy.
Sea urchins.
Known as "achinoo" in Greece.
Sea urchins are the black, spiky things you see,
that you don't ever want to step on.
They are down here in the seaweed.
They are around the rocks.
There are females and males, so I'll show you which ones.
The males are completely black. Females have a colour.
They're a little bit purple, a little bit red.
Because it's female, it's like the circle of a woman,
so every month, it's full of caviar. Double, you know.
Isn't that extraordinary?
Two days before the full moon, two days after the full moon.
After this, they will be more relaxed again.
You know when they say "inviting waters",
this is what they are talking about.
Yannis fishes for sea urchins
in the traditional way,
using a sharp knife to help him pry them from their resting place
in the shallow waters.
Oh, my God, it's so crystal clear.
It's beautiful.
Sea urchins are most commonly found in rocky coves like this
and have small tube feet
that allow them to cling to the rocks.
And only licensed fishermen like Yannis can harvest them
during certain months of the year.
Achinoo!
If a sea urchin is bejewelled with a piece of seaweed,
or a shell or a rock,
it means they are alive and therefore edible.
So, we have some sea urchins here.
Female. Male.
They are such gorgeous creatures, aren't they?
With our lunch secured,
Yannis wants to let me in on a local secret.
Tsougrias beach.
A short boat ride from Koukounaries, it couldn't be more different.
This is real Robinson Crusoe stuff.
This is my favourite beach.
Because it's completely quiet. Not many people visit the beach.
Only little boats. Locals.
So, all the tourists are around the corner.
And here, nobody.
Have you ever left Skiathos?
Yes, I used to live in Copenhagen, Denmark,
for a couple of years.
I can't picture you in Copenhagen.
I can't picture you anywhere else other than here.
It's important to know who you are
and where you come from.
You know. Look my nose.
Look my nose.
THEY CHUCKLE
It's a Greek thing.
All that remains is lunch
and a Greek fishermen's feast.
Yannis is cooking up some mullet
he caught first thing this morning.
This is our little floating restaurant.
Yes, it is a floating... And you are in paradise.
Paradise. Paradeisos.
Delicately done.
Fresh fried fish,
Greek salad and sea urchin.
Look at this. What a spread.
How utterly delicious
and amazing does it look?
You eat the sea urchin raw,
kind of like an oyster.
Nice? Mmm.
Actually not that fishy.
Try the fish. Oh, wow.
Bon appetit. Oh. Thank you.
Efcharisto. Heaven on a plate.
Although it's a Greek tragedy that fish stocks have crashed
because of pollution and overfishing,
Skiathos's coastline has absolutely lived up to
its reputation as the Paradise Island.
But it's not just the coast.
I've heard hidden away in the hills
is one of the most idyllic places on the island.
The ultimate place to seek peace is a monastery.
And Greece has lots of them.
In fact, this is one of the most religious places
in Europe.
There are 10,000 churches and monasteries in Greece
and over 50 in Skiathos alone.
But there's one here that's got real significance.
I've always known from family stories
that the struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire
was a key moment in Greek history.
When it finally happened in 1821,
it was here in the Monastery of Evangelistria
that the country's blue and white flag
was raised for the very first time.
Father Joseph, hello. Hello, Miss Julia.
Lovely to see you. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you in such a beautiful place.
Although off the beaten track,
the monks sustain their livelihood
by selling their home-made produce and liqueurs.
Can you show me some of the monastery?
Yes, of course. Thank you.
The centrepiece of the monastery is this tranquil chapel.
Locals and visitors come here to pray
and take a moment.
Everywhere around you, wherever you look,
it's very ornate.
And look at the light coming through that window.
Look at that. HE CHUCKLES
It's quite magical, isn't it?
People visit the chapel to make offerings to the Virgin Mary.
There she is.
These rectangular pieces of metal are called tamata.
They sell them in shops all over Greece.
When you have a problem,
come here and you put...
'The images of the tamata
'symbolise what you're meant to be praying for. '
What does this mean, the eyes?
The eyes, who have a problem with the eyes.
Oh, with vision, with sight. A lot of babies.
A lot of babies. This one?
Married. They want to get married?
I know a few people who might have put a few of those in there.
You have a lot of efcharisto. Ah, efcharisto.
'In Greek, "efcharisto" means "thank you".'
Well, Father Joseph, efcharisto.
Thank you. Very special experience.
When you leave a tamata,
you first light a candle.
Then you make your offering to the Virgin Mary.
And mine simply says thank you.
It doesn't matter what religion you are,
you should always be grateful.
And being here, I've a lot to be grateful for.
Next, I'm off to Skopelos.
known as the Mamma Mia island.
I'm exploring the Sporades,
a peaceful archipelago of 24 islands
located to the east of mainland Greece.
I'm leaving behind the paradise beaches of Skiathos
and heading to its bigger sister,
Skopelos.
Despite being the main location for the movie Mamma Mia,
not that many tourists make the trip over from Skiathos.
I've heard that it's sleepier and more laidback
than its glitzier neighbour.
So, hopefully, the perfect place
to discover a slice of real, authentic Greek life.
Skopelos doesn't have an airport
so you can only get there by boat.
My ferry has dropped me off in Skopelos town.
I'm here to meet a man called Bill.
You must be Bill. I am.
Cos it says so on your t-shirt.
Bill is actually Greek and he runs a water taxi around Skopelos.
You're Greek, but your name is Bill.
I know... And you sound English.
I can sound Greek if you like me to.
My Greek name is Willielmus, so what can I say?
Willielmus. Willielmus.
I've jumped over here from Skiathos.
What's the main difference between Skiathos and Skopelos?
People do things outside tourism.
Very traditional things
that are still ingrained in the culture.
'Bill is going to introduce me to one of those traditional things
'ingrained in the culture - the Greek wedding. '
In here? Yeah, in here.
'He's taking me to see a local lady called Katherina,
'who's going to fit me out in a traditional Skopelos wedding dress. '
So, why is this so important to Skopelos, this dress?
This tradition?
SPEAKS GREEK
And this is what prompted them to come and film Mamma Mia in Skopelos.
SPEAKS GREEK
THEY LAUGH
I heard "Meryl Streep".
She was part of the team that made the dresses for the film.
So she's touched Meryl? She has.
Yes. HE SPEAKS GREEK
Wow. Lovely. Let's try it on.
'Now, I'm not a lady averse to dressing up from time to time. '
Can't wait to put seven layers on in this heat.
'But I have to admit, dressing as a Greek bride,
'this is a first. '
So far, it doesn't feel very sexy
as far as wedding frocks go.
'Everything is handmade
'and it belonged to Katherina's grandmother, her yaya.
'It's over 130 years old. '
Look at that. That's very beautiful.
Another layer and this one is black. This is layer number six.
I'm feeling more Greek by the minute.
Bravo, Julia.
Efcharisto, Katherina.
Thank you. Parakalo, Julia.
I feel...
very Greek. And very hot.
Beautiful.
'Apparently, the amount of detail and embroidery on a wedding dress
'reflected the social standing of the lady wearing it.
'I was very wealthy, darling. '
I'm very hot.
Some brides still get betrothed in all of this garb today.
Remind me not to get married in Skopelos.
Although my "mamma mou" would be very proud.
I think one of the best ways to see the true side of a place
is to get walking and explore on foot.
No surprise there.
Well, I should be wearing my walking gear.
I didn't anticipate all of this.
I'm heading to the north of the island
to the town of Glossa.
SHE SPEAKS GREEK
And I'm just following my big, fat Greek nose.
Life moves at a different pace here.
Even by Greek island standards.
Hello, my friend, how are you?
Unless you happen to come across a local celebration.
What's going on over there?
Hello, everybody!
Fiestas are two a penny in Greece,
and I appear to have stumbled upon
the annual Skopelos wine harvest festival.
SPEAKS GREEK
The Greeks love a bit of grape crushing.
When in Rome... or Glossa in this case...
I've got a very small head. There we go.
What's this all about, Tom?
We are going to make moustalevria. What's that?
Custard made from grape juice.
Oh, it is custardy. Shall I taste it?
You can add a few walnuts or almonds to it.
Mm, that's lovely. Really nice.
The idea seems to be that Tom
loads up an old hessian bag with black grapes
and a volunteer then enters the vat
and crushes them with their bare feet.
I'm going in.
OK.
'I can only say it's very squelchy. '
It's a lovely sensation on your feet.
Yes!
I'm a big fan of Greek wine.
But this vintage is not looking quite so appealing, I must admit
I haven't had a chance to do any exercise today, so...
I feel like I'm on the treadmill. I'm on the grape mill.
There we go.
Just a six-kilometre walk from Glossa
is one of the most famous sights in Greece.
And the only place I could end my Sporades island adventure.
The beautiful chapel
of Agios loannis, St John.
We started with a legend,
we're gonna finish with a legend. The story goes that a fisherman
came across this beautiful outcrop of rock
and had some sort of apparition.
When he came back the next day, there was a candle lit
in exactly the same place.
So he and the villagers decided that this must be
a special place. And they built the church
right at the very top.
You might well recognise this location.
It was the setting for the final scene of Mamma Mia.
And pilgrims of the movie come here
to recreate Meryl Streep's rapid ascent to the chapel.
There are over 100 steps to negotiate.
At least you can stop and enjoy the views on the way.
The thing that vexes me slightly, apart from 106 steps,
is that not only should the church
not be known as the Mamma Mia church...
The whole film shouldn't be called Mamma Mia
and set in Greece. It should be called Mamma Mou!
That would be the literal Greek translation. Mamma Mou.
SHE SIGHS
SHE GASPS
Oh, look at that.
PANTING
That is just amazing.
And magical.
This isn't Indonesia. This isn't Thailand.
This isn't somewhere far, far, far away from us.
This is Greece.
And look at that.
Oh, it makes me proud...
to be just that little bit Greek.
SHE EXHALES
Isn't it pretty?
But if you've watched Mamma Mia,
you will know that they couldn't possibly
have filmed the wedding sequence inside this church.
Because there are about 50 people in that scene.
And you can fit about six people in here.
And if you do want to get married in here,
I'm afraid you need to be Greek Orthodox.
And you need to wear one of those dresses.
Probably.
An olive tree. Of course there's an olive tree up here.
Why wouldn't there be? An olive tree with a bell.
You're probably not meant to do this, but...
RINGS BELL
WHOOPS
I made it!
This chapel marks the end of my trip to the Paradise Islands.
And I for one can definitely see why they call them that.
They're wild, they're peaceful. And they're stunning.
I've tried on a Greek wedding dress. I've visited an Orthodox chapel.
But sadly for my Mamma Mou,
there's no big, fat Greek wedding yet.
Maybe next year.
Next time, my journey takes me to the Dodecanese.
It's dripping in historical treasures.
Just look at it.
Crossroads of the ancient world.
I'll be uncovering the rich, multicultural history
of Rodos.
500 years and it's still here, it survived.
And immersing myself in the architectural splendour of Simi.
Have you ever seen anywhere so beautiful?