WHY I LOVE Greece
Author Victoria Hislop on the country that inspires her writing, and why she returns year after year
IVISITED Greece for the first time when I was 17, and it was love at first sight. I had only left the UK once before, so the bright Aegean light and the heat from the sun seemed magical.
From that year onwards, I visited every year, and now, under normal circumstances, I spend a few months a year there researching, writing and travelling. And, of course, swimming, eating and spending time with friends, too.
All my writing is inspired by Greece. It seems to provide an endless source of ideas for me, largely from 20th century history. My latest novel, Those Who Are Loved, is about a civil war that took place in the 1940s, which intrigued me so much it became the focal part of the story.
I make lots of Greek recipes even in the UK, and when I am in Crete for the summer, I cook every day. My signature is a pie made with spinach and feta. There is a phrase that I use a lot: ‘Everything’s better with feta’, and it’s true! The other vital ingredient in everything I cook is olive oil. Cretan oil is the best in the world – very peppery, and life-giving, too.
Crete is my favourite island, with its amazingly contrasted landscapes; mountains, plateaux and lakes, as well as the sea. I love many of the smaller islands, too. Perhaps my favourites are Folegandros and Serifos, because they are so wild and unspoiled, with tiny populations and feel untouched by tourism.
There is something for everyone in Greece.
Victoria Hislop’s latest novel, Those Who Are Loved, is published by Headline, and is out now in hardback and paperback.