Visions of Greece (2004)

• 70%
• 2004

Using the same high-definition photography and smooth, airborne camerawork that yielded popular aerial tours of British Columbia and Ireland on PBS, Visions of Greece is a gorgeous and haunting overview of mainland Greece and, more exotically, the Greek Isles. Between the two programs on this disc, the title show and its sequel, Visions of Greece: Off the Beaten Path, it's easy to find this Cradle of Civilization--birthplace of democracy, classical arts, and the jury system--not only inspiring but staggeringly beautiful. Take in a gull's eye view of the startling Temple of Poseidon, high above the blue-blue Aegean Sea. Swoop over the white beaches and famous windmills on Mikonos island, see the marble lions overlooking the site of Apollo's mythic birth on Delos, and be amazed by the First Circle of the Royal Tombs, the reputed home (and possible tomb) of Agamemnon and his family from hell.