Greece

Greece

Friday, 4 October, 2024

Comprised of more than 2000 islands on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece is bounded by bluer-than-blue water. Ionian Sea! Aegean Sea! Mediterranean Sea! Go anywhere in the country, and you’re never more than 85 miles/137km from the ocean. And there are more than 250 sunny days every year.

The daydreamy visions you have of golden sun and turquoise blue water and soothing white-washed houses on hillsides that seem to drop directly into the sea? Yeah, those are pretty accurate.

Greece also boasts mountainous national parks, monasteries perched on dramatic mountaintops, and ancient temple ruins from about 2000 years ago. Plus, a capital city that’s known as the cradle of Western civilization.

Add rousing folk music, intoxicating spirits (Ouzo! Retsina! Metaxa!), and Greek food — olives and olive oil, the freshest of fish, layers of phyllo dough, pillowy pita, meat on skewers — and you’ve got the makings of a great escape.

our podcast

In this episode, we briefly discuss Greece’s influential history and wax lyrical about all the country offers as a travel destination. Then we recommend five books that transported us there on the page: a graphic novel that celebrates rebetiko music, a gripping family saga, a gorgeous retelling of Greek mythology, a literary novel about living in a liminal space, and an over-the-top (in just the right way) mystery-romance. Opa!

(show notes / transcript)

recommended books

The House on Paradise Street

buy | read review

Middlesex

buy | read review

Circe

buy | read review

Circe

buy | read review

Rebetiko

buy | read review

This Rough Magic

buy | read review

This Rough Magic

buy | read review

Top image courtesy of Sven Hansche/Shutterstock.

Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!

featured posts

There's almost too much to love about Greece. Fascinating history that changed Western civilization? Yes. Enchanting beaches and crystal blue water? Check. Amazing food, music, and art, to feed your soul? Definitely.
A white-washed patio warmed by the sun, a chilled bottle of retsina, a block of feta with olives and bread fresh from the oven, all enveloped in a light sea breeze. These brilliant Instagrammers will take you there.
The phrase meat-and-potatoes is basically code for comfort food. Add a touch of sunshine (a.k.a., lemon) and Greek herbs to the mix, and you've got an instant trip to the Greek islands embarking from your kitchen.
One of the treats of travel is browsing the shelves of a bookstore in a far-flung locale. It feels both completely foreign and blessedly familiar all at once. Add Atlantis Books on Santorini to your must-visit list.

sharing is caring!

Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter

Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
Sign up for our free Substack!
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.