Monday 19 September 2016

Crete - the island
This week we returned from a wonderful two week holiday in Crete. It's the first time we've ever returned to the same resort, never mind the same hotel, and everything was just as good. When I was there two years ago, I was introduced to the writing of Victoria Hislop and read 'The Island' which she set in Crete and I mentioned it in my blog when I returned. The story is set both in the present day  and in the 1930s and is about the leper colony on the island of Spinalonga where all Greek lepers were housed until it closed in 1957. It's a tragic tale of four generations of Petrakis women whose lives are affected by leprosy. I can remember how the book came alive as I was actually on the island when I was reading it. The landscape, the food and drink in the tavernas and observing the local people all added to my experience when reading it.



This time, we visited Spinalonga and learned more about the leper community that lived there. The first view we had of the island with its Venetian fort was from the boat after leaving Elounda. Its pale stone walls stood in stark contrast to the vivid turquoise of the sea. 

What occurred to me was how close it seemed to the village of Plaka where the Petrakis family lived in Victoria Hislop's novel. As we walked up from the jetty, I was struck by the solemnity of the place as we entered the tunnel described in 'The Island'. 'Just about head height...it was a tiny opening in the pale expanse of stonework...the way into a long tunnel which curved away to block the view of what lay ahead at its far end.' 


The scene confronting us when we came out the other side was just how Hislop had described the now semi-derelict streets and buildings, once typical of any Cretan village. As we walked around Spinalonga, it was as if we were re-reading the pages of the novel. 

Our guide, Johanna, was very knowledgeable and gave us so much information about the island. She did mention the novel but almost dismissed it as 'just a romance', what ever that meant. But for me, the setting of the book is an essential part of the story and as I was listening to Johanna telling us the facts it was obvious that the author had done her research thoroughly before writing 'The Island'.




Another place we visited was the Chromonastiri Military Museum, up in the hills above Rethymnon. The interesting exhibits chart the whole range of the island's military history, especially the World War II Battle of Crete. I was struck by the sense of calm there and the way the horrors suffered by the brave Cretan people were depicted in a non-sensational manner. 


As I read about the strong resistance movement in Crete, I was reminded of Leah Fleming's excellent book, 'The Girl Under the Olive Tree'. Although a work of fiction, she has captured so well Crete in 1941, its landscape and why the Cretans fought for their land the way they did. We travelled to the museum through stunning scenery and I was conscious of how those hills hold so much history. The Cretan people would rather have hidden in freezing caves and risk death by cold and starvation than surrender. When Penelope, the main character, returns to the island for the sixtieth anniversary of the battle, she knows she will have to face her past and the extraordinary life she led on the island during that time.

The setting in both these books plays a very important part and visiting the places mentioned has added an extra dimension to my reading.

Have you enjoyed a book recently where the setting has played a vital role and enhanced your enjoyment? I'd love it if you left a comment and recommend some good reads. :-)

Thank you for reading . You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page. 

13 comments:

  1. Not recently, Jan although years ago I went to Kefalonia - the setting for Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. I agree 100% - being there enhanced my enjoyment of the book hugely.
    Lovely post - fabulous pictures! So pleased you enjoyed yourself! xXx

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    1. I've only seen the Captain Corelli film and haven't read the book, Carol, but the scenery was amazing so I can imagine how your visit made the book come alive. Thank you for commenting. See you on Saturday in Tenby! :-)

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  2. Welcome home Jan, and you've written some pretty good stories yourself with a setting that I know you've experienced. I've recently finished reading 'Death of a Celebrity' by M.C. Beaton. Set in the Highlands of Scotland. She describes it perfectly, and you can almost touch the purple heather and smell the salty sea. Apart from that, the story is good as well.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. The setting of 'Death of a Celebrity' sounds lovely. As child, I spent holidays in Scotland so your comment certainly evokes memories for me. Thank you for popping by. :-)

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  3. What a wonderful place to visit. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. Being familiar with a novel can indeed enhance a visit. Don't we all love Lyme Regis because of Persuasion? I enjoy the settings in Alexandra Raife's novels - she is so skilled at describing the scenery of Scotland. And as for The Italian House by Teresa Crane - it will make you want to sell everything you own in order to move to Tuscany.

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    1. Thank you, Sue, for your kind words. Thank you, too, for sharing the names of those authors and books. I agree that the settings in favourite books can make you want to visit or move there.

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    2. I have now looked for the novels of Alexandra Raife as I wasn't familiar with them and even the covers suggest Scotland, don't they?

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  4. I visited Spinalonga a couple of years ago and felt exactly the same. It must have been terrible to be so close to the mainland, seeing life carrying on there while knowing you could never go back.
    I only discovered Mary Stewart's books last year, but in all the ones I've read, her use of setting has been fantastic. x

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  5. Yes, it was the proximity of Placa on the mainland that struck me, too, Kate. Thank you for recommending Mary Stewart's books. Thanks for popping by and leaving a comment. 🙂

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  6. Your trip sounds wonderful, Jan, and the pictures are great!

    I love reading books set in the area where I'm staying but even when I can't travel, a book's setting is really important to me and if done well, it's a living breathing thing as much as the other characters.

    I've just finished reading Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney (which is out in November) and To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, set in the Arctic circle and Alaska respectively and they were so well written, it made me want to go there... despite still craving the warmth of summer here in the real world!

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    1. I agree, Kath. When done well, the reader is transported to the setting through the descriptions of sights, sounds, smells and atmosphere. They all make the story come alive. Thanks for popping by to leave a comment. 🙂

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  7. Absolutely! I set up TripFiction because I could never find books that were set in my chosen destination. I for one love to travel as an actual and/or armchair traveller. I did just as you, read Victoria Hislop's The Island when visiting Crete. And have just enjoyed "Literary London" whilst visiting London. Victoria also has a new book out Cartes Postales of Greece which is just a wonderful book of Greece. Enjoy!

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    1. Thank you. Interesting to hear about Victoria's new book. I love books set in Greece. Thank you for your comments. 🙂

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