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Corfu and Greece

Francesco da Mosto meets David Bellamy in Corfu who tells him about the island's animal life, visits the town of Ioannina and views medieval frescoes in Meteora.

Architect and historian Francesco da Mosto embarks on a journey across the Mediterranean sea. As Francesco and the crew of the Black Swan enter Greek waters, the boat is making the fastest headway since leaving Venice on the long voyage to Istanbul. But disaster strikes as the mainsail rips and they limp into the next port, the island of Corfu. Corfu has more relics of British rule than Venetian, and Francesco is soon drawn into a game of cricket on the island's best cricket pitch.

In the romantic setting of the British Garden Cemetery there are many reminders of British occupation. And Corfu is the island setting of the hugely popular novel, My Family and Other Animals. Author Gerald Durrell is long since dead, but his good friend David Bellamy is there to point Francesco in the direction of the island's animal life. While the Black Swan puts in for repairs Francesco takes the ferry to the Greek coast and heads inland. His first stop is the surprising town of Ioannina - a little bit of Turkey in the middle of Greece. Once it was the stronghold of the evil Ali Pasha whose cruelty was the talk of Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. But peace and hope is restored as Francesco ascends the incredible mountain realm of Meteora - a sacred kingdom in the clouds. Here ancient monasteries perch perilously on the mountaintops with, seemingly, no way to get up to them. Inside are some of the least seen but most brilliant frescoes of the medieval age.

28 minutes

Credit

Role Contributor
Presenter Francesco da Mosto

Broadcasts

  • Tue 22 Jul 2008 20:30
  • Fri 25 Jul 2008 22:00
  • Thu 7 Aug 2008 03:15
  • Fri 3 Oct 2008 20:00
  • Sun 7 Jun 2009 17:35
  • Tue 13 Apr 2010 19:00
  • Thu 7 Jul 2011 22:00
  • Mon 11 Jul 2011 19:30
  • Thu 8 Dec 2011 19:00
  • Tue 28 Aug 2018 19:30
  • Mon 17 Feb 2020 19:30
  • Sat 18 Jun 2022 22:50