From the Aegean to the Atlantic: Books for a Stormy Sea
I'm writing this from Cornwall, where I've been walking part of the South West Coast Path around the Lizard peninsula. It's raining, the wind is blowing, the sea is wild and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. And I can't help thinking how very different it all is from Naxos.
In Naxos, we're used to blue skies, little whitewashed villages, long sandy beaches and that wonderful turquoise sea. Here, the Atlantic is a completely different beast. Enormous waves crash against the rocks, the cliffs are rugged and dramatic, and the wind makes you feel as though you've really earned your supper. I love it.
I've been staying in Coverack, a lovely little fishing village, although at this time of year much of it has closed for the season. Most of the cafés are shut, but thankfully I've found a lovely place that's still open in the coastal village of Coverack. The cafe offers delicious coffee and the village shop sells artisan local food including cheeses from the area and an eclectic mixture of Cornish crafts. It's a reminder of just how seasonal life is in these coastal communities. Naxos is much the same, of course. Once our October retreats have finished, the sunbeds disappear, restaurants close their doors and the island gradually settles into its quieter winter rhythm.
The walking has been glorious, if rather wet and muddy. There are still plenty of fallen trees from the storms earlier in the year, and in places the paths feel quite wild. I've been very tempted to get into the sea, as I would in Naxos, but one look at those enormous waves has persuaded me otherwise. I think I'll stick to admiring it from the shore. Naturally, all this walking and wild weather has got me thinking about books.
There's something about a stormy sea that makes you want to read. Perhaps it's the drama, or the thought of getting back somewhere warm and dry, making a cup of tea and opening a book.
If you're coming to Cornwall, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is an obvious choice. It's full of atmosphere, secrets and that wonderful sense of the landscape becoming part of the story. Her Frenchman's Creek is another favourite, particularly appropriate here on the Lizard, with its hidden waterways, romance and adventure.
But the book I'd particularly recommend to anyone walking this coastline is 500 Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington. First published in 1986, it's the hilarious account of Wallington setting off along the South West Coast Path with Boogie, a streetwise mongrel from London who is perhaps not the most enthusiastic walking companion. It's funny, affectionate and wonderfully unpretentious, full of the mishaps and absurdities of travelling with a dog. I read it years ago and absolutely loved it. If you're planning to walk even a little of this path, do try to find a copy.
For something altogether different, there's The Sea by John Banville, a beautiful, reflective novel about memory, love and loss, and one that feels particularly appropriate when you're looking out over a restless ocean.
And I couldn't write about Cornwall without mentioning Patrick Gale, who will be joining us on Naxos in 2027. His Notes from an Exhibition is a wonderful novel about family, art and the complicated ways we love one another, much of it set against the Cornish landscape.
One of the things I love about travelling is how much a place can change the way you experience a book. Reading beside the Aegean, with the sun on your face and the sound of gentle waves, is quite different from reading beside the Atlantic while the rain lashes against the windows. But both have their magic.
At Naxos Creative, we talk a great deal about the joy of slowing down, finding time to read and discovering new places. And that's exactly what I've been doing here, even if my walking boots are permanently wet and my waterproofs are getting rather more use than they ever do in Greece. I shall be very happy to get back to the sunshine of Naxos next year, but for now I'm rather enjoying this wild, windswept corner of Cornwall.
And I might just have to dig out my old copy of 500 Mile Walkies when I get home.
Ros
Naxos Creative