Beauty In Ruins, Dark Myths, And Hope In Difficult Times. Greece With Peter Fiennes
Peter Fiennes talks about his search for beauty — and hope — in Greece. We discuss the different areas of the country with recommendations for ruins to visit, as well as how the ancient Greek myths still resonate in modern times, with their tales of the darker side of humanity. We consider whether generations of belief can somehow imbibe specific locations with spiritual meaning, and how a realization of our place in history can give us hope that things live on — and that life is to be celebrated, even in difficult times. Peter Fiennes is the author of four non-fiction books, including Footnotes: A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers, and A Thing of Beauty: Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece, which we’re talking about today. Show Notes * The unique and varied landscape of different areas of Greece * Finding beauty in ruins * Consulting the Oracle of Delphi * Do landscapes resonate with the belief of those who have come before us? * Why ancient myths still hold meaning in modern times * Attractions of modern Greece * What travel may look like in the future * Recommended travel books You can find Peter Fiennes at One World Publishing Transcript of the interview Joanna: Peter Fiennes is the author of four nonfiction books, including Footnotes: A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers and A Thing of Beauty: Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece, which we’re talking about today. Welcome, Peter. Peter: Hello. Joanna: Thanks for coming on the show. I’m very excited to talk about Greece because it’s getting quite wintery at the moment. So first up, why Greece? You’ve written several travel and nature books about the U.K., what drew you to Greece? Peter: I suppose I wanted to write about beauty. My book’s called A Thing of Beauty, which is a quote from Keats, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” And I suppose I was suffering from excess, like many of us, of ecological environmental angst and concern. I wanted to go to the most beautiful place I could think of. Also, because of the myths, I’ve been fascinated by the myths ever since childhood. I wanted to see if there’s anything in the myths, anything in the old Greek stories that could shed some light on our current predicament. Joanna: Do you have a history with Greece? Have you traveled there a lot? Peter: I used to go. My first family holiday was in Naxos when I was 14. So I know Greece a bit, I’ve been to Crete, I’ve been to the islands mostly, I’ve never really traveled around the mainland of Greece. Athens, I’d fly into Athens…like many people in the U.K., I would fly to Athens and get on a ferry to the islands, but kind of ignore mainland Greece. So yes, I’ve always loved Greece. I love books about Greece. The thought of Greece, its philosophy and culture, and everything fascinates me about it. But no, I can’t claim to have known Greece really well. Joanna: Let’s just talk about the geographical areas. If people haven’t been, many have that iconic picture of maybe Santorini; white houses and blue sea. But there are many different areas. Tell us a bit about each area and why they’re so different, and how they’re so different from each other. Peter: As I said, I knew the islands. I think that’s what draws everyone, the sparkling blue sea and chugging up in the ferry, and the beaches, of course, and that’s what we know. But actually, every part of Greece is so different. One of the most extraordinary things about Greece is, because of its geography,