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 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.
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!
Read the full transcript of Greece: Gyros, Heroes, Philosophy, and Phyllo.
The Visit Greece website has everything you need for Greek travel inspiration. They’re also on Instagram and Twitter.
In case you need an encyclopedia of Greek Olympians, Titans, Gods, myths, plays, and more: GreekMythology.com.
Can we interest you in a pretty photo of Athens?
What to see and do in Athens, according to Rick Steves.
A primer on Greek booziness and 30 traditional dishes you must try in Greece. Opa!
Statement 1: There’s a peninsula in Greece where women are banned. Learn more about Mount Athos and its fascinating history from Condé Nast Traveler, Wikipedia, and The Guardian.
Statement 2: There are two churches in Greece that fire rockets at each other during service. The BBC News has the scoop. You definitely, definitely want to play this video, and
Sofka Zinovieff is the author of The House on Paradise Street; visit her official website. She’s also the host of the podcast Athens Unpacked, a show that ‘explores Athens in a quest to understand this complex, seductive city.’
Jeffrey Eugenides is the author of Middlesex. Here’s the review Dave referenced in the podcast — and in this video, the author talks about writing, Detroit, and more.
Here’s that pesky Comics Code Authority that put the kibosh on adult themes in comics from 1954 until the 2000s.
Mary Stewart is the author of This Rough Magic and dozens of other mystery-romance novels. She was pretty awesome. Here’s her obituary from The Guardian and her Wikipedia entry. This post features photos of her home Loch Awe in the Scottish Highlands.
Do you enjoy our show and website? Please consider supporting our work on Patreon! You’ll get access to bonus content and input on which destinations we cover each season. Every little bit of financial helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Get all the info you need right here.
Subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a must-read book or thrilling destination!
If we're not available on your favorite podcast-listening platform, send us an email!
Top image courtesy of Heidi Kaden/Unsplash.
Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!
Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
