written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Saturday 22 September 2018

That Greek Cottage!

This is the story of the  cottage  that got away! It was the late summer of 1974, the year ABBA won Eurovision, Nixon resigned as US President, Harold Wilson's Labour Party came back to power and blockbusters from John le Carre ('Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy') and Robert Pirsig ('Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance') hit the bookshops. Bob Dylan was touring for the first time since his motorcycle accident of eight years previous, the Moody Blues had just disbanded, Cat Stevens released 'Buddha and the Chocolate Box' and everyone seemed to be 'Kung Fu Fighting'.

It also happened that in July of that year, the military junta which had been ruling Greece since a coup d'état in 1967 was finally replaced by an interim civilian government. For some of us who had been longing to visit Greece, but felt it unethical to do so while the Generals were in power, the timing was almost perfect - three months of summer vacation from university stretched ahead. The only problems were the cost of getting there and the small matter of a war in the region: Turkish troops had recently invaded Cyprus and Greeks and Turks had resumed their age-old hostilities in the eastern Mediterranean.

The first problem was solved fairly easily. I got a holiday job with some fellow students from Warwick university as part of a contract team going in to steam-clean industrial plant in Birmingham factories during their two-week annual shut-down. It was a filthy job hosing down rolling mills and heavy machinery but it paid fantastically well, enough to cover a couple of months back-packing around Greece. The second problem actually played into our hands, for the Cyprus war put off thousands of would-be holiday-makers to the region, flights emptied and ticket prices fell.

My girlfriend and I decided that Crete would be our destination, well out of trouble's way; and so armed with tent, drachmas, books that we had to read in advance of the next university term, a camera and some light clothing, off we jetted, courtesy of Dan-Air (anyone remember them?). The flight was delayed by several hours but it meant that we flew down across the long string of Greek islands just as the sky was turning from black to rose and we landed in Irakleion at sunrise. Magical.

To say that it was like a coming home would be an exaggeration - but I certainly felt an extraordinary affinity with the place that has abided down the years.  It is why I've been to Greece more times than any other country and why I did once seriously contemplate retiring to live there (before austerity and Brexit reared their complicating heads).

As I've said, there were almost no tourists visiting Greece that year because of the war and we were welcomed with open arms wherever we went as soon as it was established that we were English and not American. (The Greeks blamed most things at the time on the Americans. They thought US foreign policy was behind the rise of the Generals. They didn't like the fact that Turkey was armed with American weapons and warplanes and that American forces were stationed on Turkish soil.)

Greek people are so friendly and generous. We were given - literally gifted - so much food everywhere we went, especially fresh fruit and vegetables grown for the summer tourists who never materialised; figs, oranges, tomatoes and watermelon to die for! I could enthuse at length about that holiday - Knossos, Aghios Nikolaos, Vai (close to heaven on earth) but I must cut to the chase.

We made a leisurely tour along the north coast of dusty Crete and in one place we decided to stay in a pension for a few days as a break from rough camping - a proper bed with clean sheets, hot shower, luxury. It was in the coastal town of Siteia, quite small in 1974 - now a centre of the island's wine industry and a bustling tourist resort with its own international airport. There we met some young Americans. They were quite pleased to find non-Americans who didn't treat them disdainfully. Most of them were just hanging out there for the summer but one of them, a young woman, was - or had been - working in Siteia as a teacher.

Unfortunately for her, she was in the process of being expelled from the country for having told her pupils that the returning prime minister, Konstantinous Karamanlis, was a shit of the first order. Such a fervently expressed opinion was unlikely to go unreported and it found no favour with her employers or the new Greek government with its anti-American bias. It was probably the excuse they had been looking for to move her on.

She was devastated to be leaving and was desperate to recoup the $1,000 dollars (or its drachma equivalent) she had spent on buying her little cottage in Siteia. We were asked if we were interested.

$1,000 or near offer in 1974!
The cottage was small, simple, sturdy and beautiful; cool inside in the summer because the walls were thick, warm in the winter for the same reason. There was a grapevine in the tiny yard.

$1,000 was about £450 at 1974 exchange rates. That was about triple what our holiday to dusty Crete cost (and was comparable to the price of a new Mini Cooper)! I should have gone straight to the main post office in Siteia and wired my parents to lend me the funds. I didn't do so. To a poor student, it seemed like a lot of money at the time. We said our goodbyes and continued on our tour. With the benefit of hindsight, it was an absolute bargain. Of course we laughed ruefully afterwards and I harbour a mild regret about it to this day.

Quite by coincidence, the song 'If I Laugh' by Cat Stevens (born Steven Demetre Georgiou to a Greek Cypriot father and Swedish mother) from his album 'Teaser And The Firecat'  seems remarkably apposite in its sentiments, given the story of the cottage that got away...

If I Laugh
If I laugh just a little bit
maybe I can forget the chance
that I didn't have to know you
and live in peace, in peace

If I laugh just a little bit
maybe I can forget the plans that
I didn't use to get you
at home - with me - alone

If I laugh just a little bit
maybe I can recall the way
that I used to be , before you
and sleep at night - and dream
If I laugh, baby if I laugh
just a little bit...
                                      Cat Stevens (1971)

If you'd like to listen to it, for it is very beautiful, I've included a hyperlink here: Cat Stevens playing If I Laugh live

I'll sign off this week with a new poem of my own. I hope it pleases.

Idyll
Late September Grecian sun,
given latitude, still strikes me
as warming to the bones,
to the sleepy spirits
that invest these olive groves,
to the white-washed
stone-wall cottage clusters
with their fragrant, dark interiors
of homely mystery
and cats the colour of molasses
rolling lazy in the dust,
quite unprovoked
by dancing end-of-season butterflies.

Before me, the epic story
of Odysseus lies open to the page
where Hermes bids divine Calypso
let our captive hero go, but I,
fuelled by a lunch
of cool retsina and dolmades,
cease reading and allow my gaze
to fold to Homeric sightlessness.

Sunlight licks my eyelids
like the charming snake of old,
cicadas drone, a hint of oregano
spices up this timeless afternoon
and I drowse
happy to the very soul, thinking
that unlike our bold adventurer
I might prove fickle and be tempted
not to risk another sinking
in the wine-dark sea.
I might elect to stay a while
on this idyllic isle...
but then I never knew Penelope!


Thanks for reading. Have a good week, S ;-)

238 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   1 – 200 of 238   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

Reads beautifully.

Boz said...

Shades of Lotus Eating, la? Still a great blog.

Lynne Carter said...

Loved the blog & poem Steve & great to hear Cat Stevens again - but those trousers?

Anonymous said...

Never mind the cottage that got away, that is one seriously lovely poem. Well done.

Anonymous said...

£450 for your own Greek cottage? No wonder you had regrets. Another fascinating blog. Thank you.

AB said...

Love this!

Anonymous said...

Cracking blog Steve and another great poem. Cat Stevens a bonus. He was never really my bag but this was a good shot of nostalgia.

Anonymous said...

This is fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Most entertaining as always Steve. I love your new poem. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Great poem that :-)

Rochelle said...

Fabulous blog. Loved it all.

The Existentialist said...

Another great read.

TJ said...

I really enjoy your blogs and poetry. This was great Steve.

Lorna E said...

Glad to know you liked Rhodes. Very happy to see you are still blogging and communicating your thoughts and ideas so brilliantly. Stay happy in spite of the state of the world.

Anonymous said...

A most entertaining narrative and a truly lovely poem to boot. Well done Saturday Blogger :-)

Anonymous said...

Always the romantic, my friend!

Anonymous said...

What a tremendous blog. I really enjoyed reading it.

Matt West said...

Top notch buddy. I've never read any Greek but you must be right wigged about that cottage.

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog and poem Steve. Keep them coming :-)

Anonymous said...

I've just recently got back from a holiday on mainland Greece, so this made fabulous Sunday morning reading. Thank you, a great blog and a reminder how good Cat Stevens was back in the day.

Anonymous said...

Great blog.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written, all of it.

Steve Rowland said...

Boz - there was a tv series called The Lotus Eaters filmed and set in Crete, a spy thriller starring Ian Hendry. (I had the pleasure of teaching his daughter English O-level back in the late '70s).

Of course there were Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey as well (book IX) but that was a separate set-back from the Calypso bewitchment.

One other thing to add, I believe I met John le Carre in Crete in 1974 - but that's a story for another time.

I'm pleased the blog has met with such a positive response.

Anonymous said...

This was a great read. A shame the cottage got away but would you have wanted to go back to the same place over an again? I thought the poem was excellent by the way. Great to listen to some Cat Stevens again. It's been a while.

Anonymous said...

Most entertaining & I love your poem.

Anonymous said...

Man I love reading your stuff every week. Just catching up - been on tour. Keep them coming buddy. Your poem is ace btw.

Anonymous said...

Epic :-) Seriously, a great read.

Anonymous said...

φανταστικός - ευχαριστώ πολύ!

Rick Shaw said...

Very entertaining blog and what a great poem.

Anonymous said...

Love this.

Anonymous said...

A great tale, a lovely poem and I'm quite nostalgic hearing Cat Stevens again after all these years. He was really quite good, wasn't he. Thank you for this.

Νίκος said...

καταπληκτικός ιστολόγιο!

Anonymous said...

Great post and loved your poem.

Anonymous said...

This was such a good read. You're quite a poet. Are you published?

Niall said...

A great story Steve and what a fantastic poem. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Do you know what? I want dolmades and retsina now! (LOL) Great blogging.

Anonymous said...

Love this blog Steve - a tale told with style plus an excellent poem and I'd forgotten that Cat Stevens was quite good. Top marks all round then.

Anonymous said...

Αγαπώ Την Κρήτη!

Angelos Messaris said...

Thank you for very interesting blog about your times in my country. You make fine poetry.

Anonymous said...

This was just a delight to read (and to listen to). Idyll is a beautifully studied poem with a clever pay-off. Kudos to you.

Anonymous said...

Great writing. Loved it.

Anonymous said...

Genius poetry, so beautifully constructed. Well done.

Anonymous said...

What a great read. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I don't as a rule post comments on articles that I read but this was forwarded to me by a Greek friend and I found it so entertaining - the cottage tale, the Cat Stevens link and your lovely poem - that I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed it and thank you. A fellow poet and lover of all things Hellene.

Anonymous said...

You are a talented writer. Why not get a proper publishing deal? Is it that difficult? Isidore.

Anonymous said...

Well this warmed me up on a snowy evening. Excellent blogging and a beautifully constructed poem. Roll on sunny days again.

Anonymous said...

Most interesting. Think of what could have been!

Ελένη said...

όμορφα γραμμένο :)

Helen Maitland said...

Oh Steve! This is fabulous. It took me back over 30 years in an instant. I still love Cat Stevens. Do you remember dancing on the roof in the rain? I don't suppose you've still got that Afghan coat... Happy memories, Hel x

Anonymous said...

This reads like sunshine into the soul. Thank you =O=

Anonymous said...

Wonderful poetry - shame about your cottage.

CI66Y said...

I looked up Idyll in the dictionary - "a short description in verse or prose of a picturesque scene or incident, especially in rustic life, frequently a love-story". I'm impressed. I think you've nailed it - one of your best poems in my humble opinion. I vaguely remember you telling me about that cottage. As for Cat Stevens, he's much better than I remembered him. Well done Steve.

Yanis said...

Σας ευχαριστώ για την υπέροχη ποίησή σας :)

Tina Lewis said...

I've come to this blog as a Cat Stevens fan. Loved the video clip btw. But I just had to post a comment: what a fabulous piece of writing and a truly lovely poem. It's made my day.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this, an intriguing memoir and quite wonderful poem.

F O'Jay said...

I loved reading this.

Anonymous said...

That's a story well-told and a beautifully constructed poem.

David Cornwell said...

I was there! Great blog Steve ;-

Theo Makridis said...

Very good.

Anonymous said...

What a great read. You must have been cursing. Fabulous poetry too and I'll go back and listen to Cat Stevens again.

Rod Downey said...

Idyll - just a brilliant poem. Best thing I've read on here.

Nigella D said...

Great blog & sublime poetry. Very good.

Anonymous said...

Agree wholeheartedly with above comments - really very good.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful words.

Σοφία said...

όμορφο γράψιμο - αγαπούν το blog σας

Anonymous said...

A great read and a ravishing poem.

Anonymous said...

This is the one! I listened to you read this beautiful poem at Damson Poets tonight. I didn't realise there was such an entertaining blog to go with it. Absolutely fantastic Steve. And you like Cat Stevens too. Tremendous, thank you.

Anonymous said...

What an entertaining blog and a stunning poem.

Anonymous said...

Magical poetry! 🌿

Danae said...

This is so lovely.

Mitch Carragher said...

I love Greece too (very sad what they've suffered as a result of the financial crisis). Your poem is fabulous and you've rekindled my interest in Cat Stevens to whom I've not listened in oh 20 years. Great blog, thank you.

GV (Vance) said...

I've read this blog a couple of times before but have never commented, because plenty of readers have already done so. However, Idyll is one of my favourite poems of yours, so let me add to the plaudits.

Nicci Haralambous said...

Just wonderful to read 👍👍👍

Anonymous said...

Loved your blog and will read more of them. What a fabulous poem, what a pretty Greek cottage, what a pity it got away!

Anonymous said...

Brilliant, that.

Trace said...

How fascinating. I love Greece too. Your poem is enchanting and the link to Cat Stevens most nostalgic. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

That's quite something, a fascinating blog and a beautiful poem.❤️

Anonymous said...

I loved this, thanks a bunch 🍇

Lizzie Fentiman said...

Ouch. You must have cursed not having the dollars at the time. But would you have gone back to the same place year after year? Love your poem and the Cat Stevens song. Great blog Steve.

Anonymous said...

Quality!

Anonymous said...

Another Cat Stevens fan. Fabulous blog and poem and thanks for the youtube link which i wasn't aware of. There's more out there as well. My favourite album is still Teaser & the Firecat btw.

Jen McDonagh said...

What a fabulous read. I love your poem and reading this on a wet August Saturday makes me want to go on holiday to the sun.

Yianni Aspradakis said...

So very fine. Greeting from Kriti.

Anonymous said...

Sparkling writing and truly fine poetry.

Χλόη said...

αυτό είναι ένα υπέροχο ποίημα - this is a wonderful poetry.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the poem. You have such a way with words.

Charlotte Mullins said...

Superb blogging. I loved your account of the cottage that got away and as for the poem, one of the best I've read in a long time. Are you published? I googled but couldn't find any mention. I'd love to read more and will certainly dip into your other blogs.

Brian Cassell said...

I begin to understand your long-term affection for all things Greek! I enjoyed this account and your excellent poem. As for Cat Stevens - much better than I remembered him.

Lina Gulhane said...

Beautiful poetry. You have a talent.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous.

Bruce Paley said...

Great blog.

Mel MacColl said...

"Bittersweet" - need I say more?

Dani Merakli said...

Such a beautifully crafted blog. I've linked it on to all my Grecophile friends. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Dani. Beautiful I agree ❤️

Alice Pearson said...

Charming, thanks for sharing.

Samina Lew-Gor said...

I loved it!

Stella Mason said...

My husband and I nearly bought a villa on Crete but along came the recession. It's a shame how Greece has suffered. I loved the blog and poem.

Gary Blackstone said...

Dani, thanks for sharing. Steve Rowland - a fascinating account and a really fine poem.

Βέρα Κλαρέβα said...

Λατρεύω το ποίημά σας ❤️

Grant Trescothick said...

Idyll - what a very fine poem, so beautifully crafted and I love the 'pay-off' last line. Tremendous stuff. Where can I read more of your writing? What publications?

Mary Jane Evans said...

As many others have observed (for I found the comments quite entertaining as well) a fascinating blog and a fabulous poem. I love it!

Anonymous said...

An excellent blog. Wonderful poetry and an entertaining read about your lost cottage. Cat Stevens was never on my radar but I'll give him a listen on the basis of your recommendation. Thank you.

Sahra Carezel said...

I absolutely love this poem. You must have a beautiful soul. x

Max Page said...

What a fine blog: fascinating racontuer piece, clever link into Cat Stevens (hugely under-rated IMO) and then a remarkably good poem. Top class 👍

Θανάσης said...

Αυτο ηταν καταπληκτικο 👍

André Martins said...

Truly fine writing.

Anonymous said...

Tremendous. What a great read.

Ali Phillips said...

Really enjoyed the read (we loved Vai years back - scene of the Bounty ad) - and your evocative poem.

May Ling said...

A very interesting account and a really lovely poem. 👍

Anonymous said...

Very accomplished 🌿

Ρούλα K. said...

Χάρηκα που το διάβασα. Ευχαριστώ!

Georgia Steele said...

Absolutely fabulous blogging, really really engaged me and that poem - love it! Do you have any publications? I'd like to read more.

Anonymous said...

Wow! ❤️

Miriam Fife said...

I enjoyed your account of the cottage that got away, but then I read your poem. What can I say? It's a beautiful work, just brilliant!

Anonymous said...

What a great read and a terrific poem.

Lois Marinoglou said...

As many have said, and I can merely echo their words, what a truly lovely poem that is. 🌿

Zoe Nikolopoulou said...

Warm greetings from one poet to another. I think your poem is beautiful.

Romy Lowenthal said...

I loved this blog and wondeful poetry and I bookmark your site to read more.

Σοφία B. said...

Αυτό είναι υπέροχο ποίηση :)

Darby said...

I love it Steve.

Fotini Spanoudis said...

Thank you for writing about my beautiful Greece. I love your poem ❤️

Lesley Harrison said...

Stunningly lovely poetry Steve. I know you like Joni Mitchell, but are you familiar with her poem 'Penelope' (which I'm assuming she wrote while on Crete in 1970)?
"Penelope wants to fuck the sea
Tired of waiting
Tired of the stitches
In her tapestry..." etc

Steve Rowland said...

Hi Lesley. Yes, I know that Joni poem. I believe she wrote it in Matala partly about the myth and partly about her travelling companion (also called Penelope) with whom she flew out to Greece/Crete in 1970. I think she also wrote one about the Matala caves - and of course a couple of songs on 'Blue' reference her adventures on Crete.

Kelly Cipriani said...

The internet is a bizarre and serendipitous place! I was googling for Greek holiday cottages and what turned up on the search list was this fantastic blog. It's an entertaining read and the poem is brilliant. If I can figure how to follow you online I will. Efkharisto!

Θανάσης Σπηλιάς said...

αστραφτερές λέξεις!

Anonymous said...

A fascinating account and a lovely poem. I was never a Cat Stevens fan (too young I suppose) but enjoyed listening to the clip.

Eva Weber said...

Beautiful poetry ❤️

Francesca Marrone said...

I should be working but that was most interesting account and a really lovely poem. 👍

Will Powers III said...

That was most interesting - bet you've kicked yourself a few times about letting that one slip through. Thanks for the refresh on Cat Stevens. I'd not listened to him since all that jive about him siding with the fatwah (?) on Salman Rushdie. Finally, what an absolutely fabulous poem. I'm signing up to read more!

Anonymous said...

Just fabulous writing.

Nicos Melanitis said...

Thank you for writing so well about my country.

Miriam Fife said...

I've just read this again - still one of my favourite blogs.

Malcolm Drysdale said...

Brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Great tie-in to Cat Stevens (always liked his records) and what a fabulous poem. Well done from another Graecophile. 👍

Lindi Schnaubell said...

Ok, just like a fellow Yank to speak her mind :) What a great read and a fab poem.

Kylie Davenport said...

Idyll is a wonderful poem. I love it and your blog. I think I'll be reading a few more in the days to come.

Anonymous said...

Your poetry casts a lovely spell :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you. I was transported by this - the lost cottage story, the poetry, the clip of Cat Stevens. Bless you.

Caleb Green said...

Wow, that's a terrific poem. Are you published? Details please. (If not, why not???)

Marguerite Johansson said...

I loved this. I used to teach in Greece back in the seventies (not in Crete) so reding this and listening to Cat Stevens again this brought back memories. It was a bit flakey out there at times but what a beautiful country. Your poem is fabulous too.

Jilly Boyd-Hennessey said...

Just beautiful poetry! Thank you from another Cat Stevens fan. x

Anonymous said...

I think your lyric poem must have the seal of Euterpe's approval ;) Great job.

Anonymous said...

I loved reading this and catching some Cat Stevens too.

Daina S said...

Wonderful. I love Greece too and just hope to be able to go back one day.

Σοφία Βασιλείου said...

Πολύ όμορφο! 💙💙💙

Anonymous said...

Very interesting. Very unlucky. Fabulous poetry.

Melanie Gough said...

I have always loved the music of Cat Stevens. Thank you for these reminders and for the lovely poetry.

Natalija Drozdova said...

That is a truly lovely poem; such an inspired meld of ancient and modern Greece.

Anonymous said...

Such a wonderful poetry.

Penny Lockhart said...

Just read your blog and had to say am blown away by that poem. Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Yes I liked that very much. Are you published (apart from online)?

Sarah Fritz said...

What an intriguing account. Also I love Cat Stevens. And your poem - wonderful.

Simon Pickford said...

What a great read. Part time-capsule history lesson, part travelogue, a fascinating account of an opportunity missed, a good dose of Cat Stevens (in dodgy triusers) and a wonderfully written poem. 👏

Chloe Barton said...

Utterly lovely poetry. We are wondering if we'd be able to go back to Greece this summer. what with Coronavirus and airline devastation.

Anonymous said...

A fascinating account.

Bridget Durkin said...

Love your poetry.

Naomi Parker said...

A lovely blog.

Melanie Strike said...

A fascinating blog and a lovely poem.

Anonymous said...

What a great read. I loved the poetry too. The Odyssey is one of my favorites.

Phillipa Sharpe said...

A fascinating account and a fabulous poem; Cat Stevens a bonus. I love it ❤️

David Wilshire said...

We thought we'd bought a house in Crete in 2006 only to discover we'd been ripped-off by a scam. Still trying to recoup the money but the FCA moves very slowly. Despite that, we still love the island but won;t be going there this summer!

Nikos Halikias said...

Thank you to write of my country so beautifully.

Anonymous said...

How lovely. This takes me back 30 years, sitting on the beach at Lindos reading the Odyssey. I would love to go back now!

Alex G Kosta said...

Intriguing blog, great poem but Cat Stevens - those pants!

Eλενα Κυριακάτη said...

εκπληκτικός!

Ludmilla Feganova said...

I love this too!

Michael Venn said...

That's a fascinating account. I have many happy memories of holidays on Greek islands. I thought your poem was brilliant.

Brett Cooper said...

An excellent read and great poem :)

Jenny Carstairs said...

Fabulous poetry. I love it. Do you have any publications?

Anonymous said...

Great writing! I love Crete too, fabulous place.

Ruzik Gardonova said...

What a fascinating account. The cottage sounds lovely. No wonder you had regrets. I really like your poem as well. A great post :)

Anonymous said...

It looks like a sweet little cottage. 👍

Anonymous said...

💙💙💙💙💙

Nigel Tetlow said...

What a great blog and a fabulous poem. At times like this you must be cursing the fact that you don't have that Greek cottage to escape to until the British pandemic is over! I read somewhere that Cat Stevens has re-recorded Tea For The Tillerman 50 years after the original. I lost touch during his Yusuf years but I'll check out the new album for old time's sake.

Steve Rowland said...

I have Tea For The Tillerman 2 and it is remarkably good, as is much of what Cat has recorded over the last few years as Yusuf - well worth checking out.

I'm astonished but very pleased at how well this particular blog and poem has been received since I first posted it two years ago - over 20,000 views is wild :-)

Gwen Basinski said...

A fascinating blog and a truly lovely poem. ❤️

Anonymous said...

Excellent! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jennifer Constantine said...

Greece is one of my favourite places. The little cottage looks lovely, I can see the grapevive as well. I thought this was a fabulous blog and I absolutely love your Idyll poem. 🌿

Tony Sedgwick said...

Entertaining and nostalgic. I used to enjoy Cat Stevens' music but have not listened in years. I also loved Crete in the late 1970s before every little beach village became transformed by hotel complexes and holiday homes. I thought your poem was tremendous and I've bookmarked the blog site.

Steve Ecclestone said...

As tales of 'one that got away' go, that's impressive; also beautifully written. Your love of Greece shines through your poetry and your prose.

Sue Dowd said...

I liked your Blog - sounds like a very special place.

Jacq Slater said...

This was a tremendous read, the blog and the lovely poem. I watched the film the other night about Leonard Cohen and Marianne (?) living on Hydra in the early 1960s until that military junta came to power. It is a fabulous country and I understand its pull on you.

Dan Johnson said...

Great to hear Cat Stevens again. Thanks for linking that in. Seeing the comment above and knowing that LC actually bought his house on Hydra, I wonder if Cat ever did the same. Also which island did Joni Mitchell stay on? It was fascinating to read your story of missed opportunity and I absolutely loved your clever ane evocative poem.

Steve Rowland said...

Dan J: AFAIK Leonard Cohen's family still owns that house on Hydra and his children and grandchildren holiday there from time to time. As for Cat Stevens, there were rumours that he bought a house at Mylopotas Beach on Ios and that friends like David Bowie and even Bob Dylan stayed there. I've never found anything definitive. Cat did stay at Matala in Crete (as did Joni Mitchell, to answer your other question) and he used to visit with his half-brother George in Athens. I'm pleased you liked the poetry. The Greek Cottage post appears to be one of my more popular blogs (20,000+ views to date).

Noragh Montgomerie said...

I love Greece, especially some of its beautiful islands and I echo what you said about Greek people, the friendliest one could find. Ill health has meant I haven't been able to visit for some years but I live in hope that one day I will be able to go back. I loved your Idyll poem. 💙

Elise Curzon said...

What a great account and a beautiful poem.

Chris Dimitro said...

Amazing to read about my home town. I grew up in Sitia. I was 4 when you visited. My uncle Manolo ran the open air cinema and my parents had a small hotel (B&B you call it). I live now in Netherlands some years but visit home when allowed.

Lois Hayburn said...

Fascinating. That cottage looks sweet. The Idyll poem is so beautifully done.

Demi Mak said...

Very interesting. You must have kicked yourself in retrospect. Great poem too and nice to hear some Cat again - waves of nostalgia flooding over.

Nicole Barkhuizen said...

I love all things Greek. This was amazing to read. Shame about the cottage but what a fabulous poem.

James Waterhouse said...

Most interesting. We did look into buying a place in Greece (Kefalonia for choice) but then the 2008 financial crisis hit. The Odyssey is one of my favourites so of course I like how you've pitched your fine poem. Very good.

Anonymous said...

A fascinating anecdote and beautiful poetry. I love Greece and Cat Stevens, going to play Teaser now.

Jerry Miller said...

Clearly a 'rosebud' moment for you :) Cat Stevens never did it for me, I'm afraid. Your poem, however, is wonderful. Top marks there.

Bill Dexter said...

Interesting 'place in the sun' account and great poetry.

Dawn Sutcliffe said...

I read your blog, I read your beautiful poem, I listened to the Cat Stevens clip and now I have tears running down my face. I don't know what else I need to say. Thank you.

Evgenia Skuja said...

A thoroughly absorbing read and your poetry is beautiful. May we all get to go back to that 'magical' land again one day. 💙🌿 Evgenia

Marissa Delgado said...

Very well written. I love Greece and have made many holidays there. Your poem is fantastic, so beautiful.

Elli Vokali said...

Beautiful writing about my country. The little cottage looks wonderful, so no surprise you had regrets. I love your poem as well.

Edward Latham said...

An interesting and well-written blog and an excellent poem.

Kenny Watt said...

Excellent blogging. 👍

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