If you’re going to Ithaki, you need to go to Exogi. It’s this tiny village that’s up high and looks down over a huge chunk of the small island and has these cool weird pyramids and near the ancient cult of Odysseus temple.
All the islands have their typical port town layout but Exogi is its own weird cool thing.
Thanks for the recommendations. I discovered Patrick O'Brian about 35 years ago and have read them all about 3 times by now. My pet theory is that they work better than C. S. Forester because where Forester tried to combine an intellectual and a man of action in one character, O'Brian had the good sense to keep them as distinct characters who become unlikely friends.
My brother-in-law got me into the Honor Harrington sci-fi series a few years back, which is basically just Horatio Hornblower In Space. capital-letters Literature it ain't but they are great vacation reads, and I just kind of laugh whenever it tries to say anything about politics.
Very nice! The title of the first book reminded me of that scene in The Honeymooners where, after the play in which Ralph Kramden portrayed a tycoon, one of the gentlemen in the audience asked Ralph “..but tell me, what is a string of palaponnies?” (polo ponies)
I happily read Mani on my trip to Greece. I also brought along Roumeli with the intent of reading it, but never cracked it. I highly recommend Dinner With Persephone Travels In Greece by Patricia Storace. Daniel Mendelsohn, whom you quoted in your post on the Odyssey last Sunday and a professor of mine in undergrad, suggested that I read it. It was a wonderful memoir about life in Greece in the early 90s.
I wanted to chip in with some Jacques Lacarrière and François Maspero recommendations but it looks like the adequate books have never been translated to english.
If you're in the mood for eastern European tales of espionage during WW2, the Alan Furst Night Soldiers novels are fantastic. There are 12 of them but you can read them in any order.
I spent some time in Athens and the Cyclades last year (see pic of me and Herodotus). I brought along Nikos Kazantzakis’s Freedom or Death which is set during the Cretan rebellion against the Ottomans. I think you’d like it!
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Thanks for the recommendation on Fermor; I'll have to give him a go. I read Gerald Durrell's book My Family and Other Animals when I was a kid about Corfu and it really made me want to go to the Greek Islands. That and various mythology books and Mary Renault's Theseus books, which I also devoured as a kid. I haven't made it yet, but life is long! Anyway, I hope you have a lovely time on those wine dark seas.
I was the executive on the project at Fox and worked with Peter. Lots of stories. Have a great journey with Fermor. His house is reputed to be situated in paradise.
You’re right: there’s probably not a better travel writer or English prose stylist out there than Fermor.
If you’re going to Ithaki, you need to go to Exogi. It’s this tiny village that’s up high and looks down over a huge chunk of the small island and has these cool weird pyramids and near the ancient cult of Odysseus temple.
All the islands have their typical port town layout but Exogi is its own weird cool thing.
Both my parents are from the Peloponnese but my uncle had a place on ithaki
Thanks for the recommendations. I discovered Patrick O'Brian about 35 years ago and have read them all about 3 times by now. My pet theory is that they work better than C. S. Forester because where Forester tried to combine an intellectual and a man of action in one character, O'Brian had the good sense to keep them as distinct characters who become unlikely friends.
Enjoy!
My brother-in-law got me into the Honor Harrington sci-fi series a few years back, which is basically just Horatio Hornblower In Space. capital-letters Literature it ain't but they are great vacation reads, and I just kind of laugh whenever it tries to say anything about politics.
Very nice! The title of the first book reminded me of that scene in The Honeymooners where, after the play in which Ralph Kramden portrayed a tycoon, one of the gentlemen in the audience asked Ralph “..but tell me, what is a string of palaponnies?” (polo ponies)
I am fascinated that in your intellectual world, Vita Sackville-West is a more well known writer than Harold Nicolson. Used to go the other way.
Oh you must read Patrick Leigh Fermor’s letters, edited by Adam Sisman (who also wrote that great John le Carré biography).
IN TEARING HASTE!
I happily read Mani on my trip to Greece. I also brought along Roumeli with the intent of reading it, but never cracked it. I highly recommend Dinner With Persephone Travels In Greece by Patricia Storace. Daniel Mendelsohn, whom you quoted in your post on the Odyssey last Sunday and a professor of mine in undergrad, suggested that I read it. It was a wonderful memoir about life in Greece in the early 90s.
I wanted to chip in with some Jacques Lacarrière and François Maspero recommendations but it looks like the adequate books have never been translated to english.
If you're in the mood for eastern European tales of espionage during WW2, the Alan Furst Night Soldiers novels are fantastic. There are 12 of them but you can read them in any order.
I spent some time in Athens and the Cyclades last year (see pic of me and Herodotus). I brought along Nikos Kazantzakis’s Freedom or Death which is set during the Cretan rebellion against the Ottomans. I think you’d like it!
Excellent taste in taking Patrick Leigh Fermor's books along. What a wonderful writer and, considering his exploits on Crete in the war, what a stud.
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Thanks for the recommendation on Fermor; I'll have to give him a go. I read Gerald Durrell's book My Family and Other Animals when I was a kid about Corfu and it really made me want to go to the Greek Islands. That and various mythology books and Mary Renault's Theseus books, which I also devoured as a kid. I haven't made it yet, but life is long! Anyway, I hope you have a lovely time on those wine dark seas.
I was the executive on the project at Fox and worked with Peter. Lots of stories. Have a great journey with Fermor. His house is reputed to be situated in paradise.