Booklovers – which part of Greece should you visit?

I was looking at my bookshelves when I thought it would be fun to tour Greece taking in the settings of the books.  If you fancy touring the Greek Isles this summer, why not take a journey there with me through fiction?

I thought we’d start our journey by stopping off at Crete, one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean and one of my favourites. With its 4000 year history there’s plenty to see and do. More recently, it has gained fame through Victoria Hislop’s book, The Island, which tells the story of Spinalonga, a leper colony just off the coast of Crete.

The next book that jumped out at me was ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandalin’ by Louis de Bernieres. Set on Kephalonia during the early days of the Second World War, it’s both a war story and a love story.  Ever since reading the book I’ve had a desire to visit and retrace the footsteps of the main characters so it’s time to head off to the Ionian islands. Much of Kephalonia was destroyed by an earthquake in 1953 and so some of its Venetian influence has been lost. Nevertheless, with its gorgeous beaches and stunning scenery, you won’t be at a loss for something to do.

Heading next to Corfu, an island that is somehow different to all the other Greek islands, having a strong British influence. In Corfu town, for example, they still play cricket. It was, of course, the childhood home of Gerald Durrell and one of my favourite books as a child was ‘My family and other animals.’ I still remember the tales of his family’s exploits and the different coloured villas that they lived in. It was perhaps reading these stories that captured my imagination and started my love affair with Greece.

No tour would be complete without heading to the mainland, to the Albanian border and the town of Lia. This is where Nicholas Gage writes so poignantly about his mother’s life and how she was killed by communist guerillas just after the Second World War during the Greek civil war. His book ‘Eleni’ is both a testament to his mother and a lesson in the horrors of what man can do to his own kind. It also inspired me to read her granddaughter’s book about how she returned to Greece and rebuilt the family home.

Finally, you can’t visit Greece without stopping off in Athens. Anne Zouroudi has become a firm favourite of mine, skillfully recreating the magic that draws people back to this mystical place. Although her books are mainly set on Symi, a small island near Rhodes, her first book is entitled ‘The Messenger of Athens’ and is where we encounter the ‘fat man’ for the first time. Having lived in Athens in the 1980s it is well overdue for a return visit as I’m sure it will have changed, although hopefully not beyond all recognition!

There are so many place I could have mentioned but I’ll have to save those for another time. One thing about Greece is sure though – once you’ve visited you’ll want to return – again and again! What are your favourite islands and were any of your trips inspired by books you’ve read?