In the first episode, Julia visits the picturesque, rustic and rugged island of Crete, a favourite island with British holiday-goers, but Julia steps away from tourist trail and heads deep into the heart of the island to explore the Dikti mountains and its striking plateau of windmills. She meets goat shepherd Giannis, who shows her how he makes cheese using age-old traditional methods. Back on the coast in the town of Rethymno, Julia tries the delicacy baklava, meeting filo pastry expert Giorgos, who has been producing it for 75 years. She also meets master artisan Nico, who expertly makes the Cretan lyra, a stringed instrument said to be the ‘soundtrack to Crete'.

Her journey ends with a visit to the stunning but poignant neighbouring island of Spinalonga - once an exiled leper colony.