I have decided I might play around with my chilling corners this year. Sometimes it will be about books I have enjoyed and want to share, sometimes about authors I have come across, particularly indie authors. However, I may also do something like this post and have a random topic. In actual fact, not so random, at least for this month. You see, my female lead is Greek, an Australian Greek to be precise and I wanted to share a little of her heritage with a virtual tour of Greece for January’s Chilling Corner.
So, I went looking on YouTube for something visual. I wanted to look at the country, hear a little of the music, not modern music but something that could evoke that warmth, southern Europeans are famed for. There were so many clips to choose from. Consequently, it took me a long time to look through and settle on a particular video clip. I’m not sure this was the best one, but it has colour, and it has music that reminds us of the history of this unique country.
I love the idea of sharing this for its own sake and not just my book and my character Alexia. Do you have things and places that stick in your mind? For me, it has been Greece for most of my life. It goes without saying Italy comes in ahead a tiny bit because it is my heritage, but I had Greek friends and still do so the appeal has remained. I also admit to being heavily influenced by my Greek friend Helen’s mother. This delightful lady would come knocking at our door asking for vine leaves and the resulting dolmades, well what can I tell you? I can still taste them today.
From food to Greek mythology was a small step, and then as I grew older, I discovered the philosophers and thanks to a new Greek friend I met in high school I discovered Greek music. I wanted so badly to go and see the country for myself. Around the age of fourteen I drew up a small version of a bucket list and going to Greece was at the top. A well-defined list is inspiring. It makes us work harder to achieve our goals.
As a result, I found myself walking the paths of the Ancients and revelling in the diverse beauty of the landscape. In some place it is almost barren and yet in others we marvel at the creations of columns, of an architecture able to stand the test of time. And the food…there is one word – delicious. I remember tomatoes grown in lava ash, mixed with kalamata olives and fetta served with roast lamb and crisp potatoes in garlic and rosemary. I remember sampling seafood cooked to perfection.
The smells, the marketplaces, the people, and the warmth never leave you. From Athens, to Kythera, Crete, Rhodes to Mykonos and Santorini the sheer panorama when combined with the blue of the ocean is something that demands we find a way to return.
I hope you enjoy the tour. More about my novel Unexpected Passion (Book 2 in The Unexpected Series) in the coming months.
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This is really interesting! My daughter will be studying ancient Greece soon and I think I’m looking forward to it more than her. LOL
It’s the kind of place where you can feel the history especially the Acropolis. My Italian relatives were horrified, thought I was crazy because of course they are not biased, much. LOL
Wow, I have just added Greece to the top of my bucket list! It has always seemed an incredible, beautiful and exotic place, and now I can taste the dolmades too after reading this!
I hope you get there, it’s really worth it but throw in Italy as well while you’re over there. I’m Italian so had to throw that in. Thanks for stopping by.
I would love to visit Greece sometime. When I was very young, I used to walk to our small town library and spend hours reading Greek Mythology. Later, I would see pictures of those deep blue waters. Nice post !
In some ways there is a starkness to the islands that transports us back in time. I think from your blog posts you would see this and enjoy.