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Crete

Francesco da Mosto continues his tour of the Mediterranean. He visits the beautiful island of Spinalonga and is invited to a Cretan wedding - for which he must cook.

Francesco da Mosto continues his sea tour around the Mediterranean. The stormy seas of the Cyclades take a turn for the worse as Francesco approaches Crete, the biggest of the Greek islands. As the storm passes, his first stop is the beautiful but abandoned island of Spinalonga - just off the coast of Crete. It is an island haunted by sadness and tragedy.

Docking at Iraklion, capital of Crete, Francesco sets off for the deep underground caves where Zeus, king of the gods, is reputed to have been born. Just down the road lies the immense palace of Knossus - excavated by an Englishman - reputedly the home to King Minos and the legendary Minotaur. There, he tries his hand at the ancient Cretan art of pot-making.

At the beautiful monastery of Arkadhi he stands in the very spot Cretan independence fighters blew themselves up with gunpowder rather than be captured. Their skulls, together with the remains of their enemies, are stacked on shelves in the monastery.

Then a surprise for Francesco - an invitation to a Cretan wedding - but first he must help prepare the wedding feast. With 1,500 guests invited, the task is enormous: 150 sheep make up the main course alone. Francesco dances until dawn and the boat has left Crete before he even knows it.

29 minutes

Clip

Music Played

  • Ken Elkinson

    Ignition, Ascension

Credit

Role Contributor
Presenter Francesco da Mosto

Broadcasts

  • Wed 6 Aug 2008 20:00
  • Fri 8 Aug 2008 22:00
  • Sat 23 Aug 2008 03:05
  • Fri 31 Oct 2008 20:00
  • Sat 18 Jul 2009 17:00
  • Tue 20 Apr 2010 19:00
  • Thu 11 Aug 2011 23:30
  • Tue 13 Dec 2011 18:30
  • Wed 5 Sep 2018 19:30
  • Mon 16 Mar 2020 19:30
  • Sat 2 Jul 2022 23:00