Sofia Ps.
Travel in Greece through books
They say that readers live a thousand lives before they die. If you’re a reader you know that’s true. I feel very similar about travelling. These two things, reading and travelling, are very closely connected in my heart. I’ve noticed that many times they also bring similar results; travelling and reading can benefit your soul, nourish you and help you grow, improve your character in unexpected ways, broaden your horizons, increase your empathy and improve your creativity and imagination skills, cure your racism and ignorance. At the end of the day, every time you read a book or you travel to a new place is like embarking on a new adventure!
That being said, I’ve made a short list of books set in Greece or written by Greek writers to inspire you to travel in Greece through books!
The Odyssey, by Homer
(GR: Οδύσσεια, Όμηρος)
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem about the adventures of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. It’s set right after the end of the Trojan War and it follows Odysseus in his travels, as he’s trying to return home. (spoiler alert: it took him ten years!)
The Axion Esti, by Odysseus Elytis
(GR: Άξιον Εστί, Οδυσσέας Ελύτης)
What can I say about this brilliant poem? Maybe the fact that it was the main reason Elytis won the Nobel Prize in literature (1979) says it all. It’s a true masterpiece, exploring the essence of being Greek and being a human in general in this “world, the small, the great”.
Report to Greco, by Nikos Kazantzakis
(GR: Αναφορά στον Γκρέκο, Νίκος Καζαντζάκης)
An autobiographical novel by one of the most important modern Greek authors. A spiritual and physical journey of Kazantzakis, beginning and -after many adventures and travels- ending in Crete, his homeland. An authentic Cretan soul, Kazantzakis writes about his most inner thoughts and questions about life and spirituality.
Wildcat under glass, by Alki Zei
(GR: Το καπλάνι της βιτρίνας, Άλκη Ζέη)
One of my personal favourites. A wonderful story set on a Greek island, and narrated through the eyes of a young girl; it’s about a difficult time in Greece’s history, when the country was forced into a Fascist dictatorship.
My family and other animals, by Gerald Durrell
(GR: Η οικογένειά μου και άλλα ζώα, Τζέραλντ Ντάρελ)
A fun and lovely story about a British family (and their pets!) staying in Corfu. It’s an autobiographical book, narrating the childhood of the naturalist Gerald Durrell. Perhaps you’re familiar with it by its recent ITV adaptation into the series “The Durrells”.
This is the first book of the Corfu trilogy, which I especially love, since I’ve also spent my childhood in Corfu having all sorts of adventures with my pets.
The island, by Victoria Hislop
(GR: Το νησί, Βικτόρια Χίσλοπ)
A historical novel set on the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete, which used to be a leper colony. The heroine of the book is searching for her family history, only to discover that it’s full of secrets and a tragic past.
Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese, by Patrick Leigh Fermor
(GR: Μάνη, Πάτρικ Λη Φέρμορ)
Follow Leigh Fermor as he travels from Kalamata to Gytheion, exploring the land, the culture, the history, and the myths of the Mani peninsula in Greece. I really like this one, because I find that Mani, and Peloponnese in general, is a fascinating are to explore in Greece!
Do you like “travelling” through books? Have you ever travelled in Greece or elsewhere through a good book? Which are your favourite travel books of all time? Let me know in the comments bellow!
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Sofia Ps.
Sofia Ps.
Sofia Ps.
