Download Greeks of the Sea - Episodics Synopsis

GREEKS OF THE SEA - SERIES ONE
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
EPISODE SUMMARIES
EPISODE 1
Nikos arrives in Athens and meets his mentor, Captain Makis. Makis teaches him to contextualise
Greece’s current economic woes and encourages him to travel to Kythera and Salamis. There Nikos
learns more about the historic and social basis of Greece’s maritime mastery. He also learns some
family history which reveals why the Greeks have such a profound respect for the sea and their
seamen. Next, Nikos boards a Greek superferry meeting the captain and crew. Arriving in Syros,
Nikos goes to work with the Port Police and local shipbuilders – the latter, he learns, are struggling
in the current economic crisis. He then travels to Paros and meets one of the island’s hero
fisherman responsible for saving hundreds of lives after a recent ferry crash.
----Nikos arrives in Athens, meeting one of Greece’s master mariners, Captain Makis Daskalkis. Nikos
learns there’s more to Greece than the current economic crisis, and begins to understand the reasons
behind the Greeks’ continued maritime mastery.
Travelling to Kythera, the island where his great-great grandfather was a fishermen a century ago,
Nikos meets some of the modern seafaring families and learns about their exciting but often dangerous
and difficult lives on the sea. He learns that one thing they all have in common is their respect for the
sea.
Our young adventurer then travels to Salamis, the site of Greece’s most famous and important maritime
encounter. He meets a learned professor and naval engineer who explains how the Greek fleet managed
to overcome the naval might of the Persians in 480BC. Nikos begins to appreciate that the people here
have a well-founded respect for the sea – because, historically, they have much to owe to it.
After leaving Salamis, Nikos arrives at the bustling Port of Piraeus, ready to travel further afield on one
of Greece’s famed super ferries. On board, he meets the captain and crew, learning about the
challenges of manoeuvring such a ship, and spending weeks at sea away from their families. He meets
a young apprentice crew-member who says, despite it being a tough job for a woman, she would one
day like to be captain.
Upon arrival in Syros, Nikos is mesmerised by the work of the Port Police officers – and goes to find
out more about their important role coordinating the arrival and departure of dozens of ships a day.
From there, our young adventurer learns about the island’s rich seafaring history from the long time
Port Pilot. Later that day, Nikos is saddened to see that today, the mariners of Syros – especially
workers at the local shipyard - are struggling in the current economic crisis.
Finally, our host travels to the island of Paros, meeting a local fisherman who was instrumental in
saving hundreds of lives after a passenger ferry crashed off the island in 2000. His is a story of great
courage, bravery and heroism in the face of immense tragedy. Nikos ends his visit to Paros by enjoying
some famous Greek hospitality at the island’s annual Festival of the Sea.
GREEKS OF THE SEA - SERIES ONE
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
EPISODE SUMMARIES
EPISODE 2
In Naxos, Nikos meets the flamboyant local harbour master and a billionaire property tycoon with a
magnificent cruiser. He tries his hand at windsurfing and spends a crazy 24-hours on the party
island of Ios. From there he travels to stunning Amorgos to dive for pirate treasure and learns why
the seamen of Greece have a special spirituality. Our host then arrives on the island of Fournoi, and
is welcomed into an endearing fishing family. Nikos sees first-hand the results of overfishing in The
Aegean. He then confronts the captain of a supposedly-illegal super trawler. From there, Nikos
travels to Samos to meet the renowned wooden boat builders, and learns of their struggle to survive.
He caps off his stay with the most memorable of day-cruises around the island, captained by the
most memorable of sea dogs!
----Nikos has travelled to the largest Cycladic island Naxos to meet the local harbour master. The man
with the biggest of voices and hairiest of chests takes our host under his wing. Wearing his heart of his
sleeve, he speaks about his love for The Aegean and the island, and tells Nikos he would eventually
like to “die in the sea”. From there, Nikos jumps aboard a luxury cruiser owned by a larger-than-life
Greek-Australian billionaire property developer. Our host’s tour aboard “The Ouzo Palace” is a rare
look inside the secret seafaring world of the rich and famous!
After a quick (and somewhat unsuccessful) windsurfing lesson, Nikos travels to the party mecca island
of Ios. There’s no sign of the crisis here. But it’s an eye-opening experience for our young adventurer
about the importance of tourism for the mariners of these islands.
Following a night of partying in Ios, Nikos travels to Amorgos. There he dives deep below the
Aegean’s surface, looking for buried pirate treasure. He learns, that for the divers of Amorgos, the sea
is spiritual. And when Nikos travels to the island’s spectacular Byzantine monastery, one of the
Church’s most prominent priests, who was himself once a seaman, tells Nikos it’s a spirituality that’s
shared among all Greek seafarers.
Nikos leaves Amorgos and travels north east – getting closer to the Turkish mainland. He is welcomed
into the Kondila fishing family - who live in Chrysomilia, a tiny village on the island of Fournoi. Nikos
spends three days with the family, laying fishing nets and helping in the local taverna. Sadly though,
for fishing families like the Kondila’s, life is tough. Overfishing in the Aegean has meant fish stocks
have been almost depleted. Despite their struggles, our host is overwhelmed by the positivity, humour
and hospitality of the village’s people.
After seeing the effects of overfishing first hand, Nikos confronts the captain of a long-line trawler.
Despite the tense nature of the encounter, what the captain tells our host is a reminder that everyone is
struggling in Greece’s economic crisis. Nikos isn’t sure what the solution is.
From there our young adventurer travels to Samos – and island famous for being home to the most
skilled wooden boat builders in all of Europe. Nikos meets one of the few remaining of these
traditional craftsmen, and is saddened to think this millennia-old trade could soon die out. From there
our host’s spirits are lifted after jumping on board the most entertaining of day-cruises, operated by a
boatbuilder-cum-fisherman-cum-entertainer. The experience shows Nikos there’s still life for the
Greek sea dog, but that for some, reinvention is the key.
GREEKS OF THE SEA - SERIES ONE
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
EPISODE SUMMARIES
EPISODE 3
Nikos meets one of Greece’s billionaire shipowners who takes him to the island that he and other,
often reclusive, ship owning families call home. From there, Nikos travels to Agathonisi and goes on
patrol with the Hellenic Coast Guard to intercept asylum seeker boats. Next, under the guidance of a
seasoned skipper, Nikos learns to sail a 50ft yacht, visiting secluded islands and encountering the
most entertaining characters. He travels to Kalymnos and meets the island’s famous sponge divers,
learning about their perilous trade. To travel back to the mainland, Nikos hops on the spectacular
Star Clipper square-rigger sailing cruise ship, visiting the intriguing island of Patmos to learn about
the inspiration many have sought from The Aegean. When our host finally arrives back in Athens,
he reflects on his journey at the awe-inspiring Temple of Poseidon with his mentor Captain Makis.
----Nikos steps on board the imposing super yacht of Evangelos Angelakos, one of Greece’s most
successful and high profile shipowners. Along with his wife and son, Mr Angelakos and Nikos travel to
Oinousses, the island that dozens of Greek shipping tycoons call home. Mr Angelakos is also mayor of
the island. While there, our young adventurer gets to spend some rare quality time with the shipowner,
learning about the industry that is the second highest contributor to the country’s GDP. After a
compelling and at times emotionally charged interview with Mr Angelakos, Nikos leaves the island full
of confidence in Greece’s abilities in the future. His experience on Oinousses has proven there is much
hope for the seafarers of the Aegean.
From there Nikos travels to the tiny island of Agathonisi that for the past few years has faced a big
problem: the arrival of thousands of asylum seekers by sea from mainland Turkey. The island’s mayor
tells Nikos it’s too big an issue for the 200-citizens of Agathonisi to handle alone. Thankfully, in recent
years they have had the assistance of officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard. Today, these men are at the
very frontline of efforts to combat asylum arrivals. Our host goes out on patrol with these men,
learning about their difficult and emotionally challenging jobs. It’s an eye-opening experience for our
host.
In the second part of the final episode, Nikos becomes master of his own destiny – taking control of a
50ft yacht. Under the guidance of a seasoned skipper, Nikos learns first hand the responsibilities and
difficulties of working at sea. After an exhausting first day’s sail, our host and his crew arrive in the
tiny port of Marathi. This stunning place, accessible only to yachties, has made the sailing worth it.
That night Nikos joins other sailors from all around the world at a local taverna, being entertained by a
self-proclaimed pirate who is one of only three permanent residents of the island.
The crew’s next stop is Kalymnos, an island famous for its sponge divers. Nikos meets the most
famous of them all; a man nicknamed “The Pocket Poseidon”. Nikos learns about the perilous sponge
trade that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. He sees first-hand the debilitating condition, known as
“The Bends”, suffered by many of the island’s men. Despite all this, Nikos sees the people of
Kalymnos draw great spirit from their sponge men. Before leaving Kalymnos, Nikos meets one of the
island’s most famous sons, who holds the world record for deep diving.
On his last morning on the yacht, our host reflects on the thrill of sailing and what it’s taught him about
the people that spend their lives on ships. To travel back to the mainland, though, Nikos swaps sailing
for cruising – and jumps aboard the most spectacular vessel he’s seen sail the waters of the Aegean–
The Star Clipper. The impressive square-rigger sailing ship takes Nikos and his fellow passengers first
to the island of Patmos, where Nikos learns about St John’s connection to the sea. Our host reflects on
the inspiration people like St John have drawn from their time on the Aegean since the most ancient of
times.
Finally our host returns to Athens and is reunited with his mentor, Captain Makis at the Temple of
Poseidon. After Nikos reflects on his trip and his experiences, Captn Makis wishes our young
GREEKS OF THE SEA - SERIES ONE
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
EPISODE SUMMARIES
adventurer well, telling him, that like the seadogs he’s met on his journey, he too now has some “salty
blood” running through his veins.