Dear Friends and Readers,
Here are some photographs of recent travels for researching Greek Winds of Fury which I hope might be of interest to you, and give you some insight into Judith Gould’s latest novel.
Acropolis View: (From right to left) That’s our host, Panos, of the Acropolis House Hotel, with his cousin Nafisa (Nafsika in Greek) on his left, Rhea, and Nafisa’s friend (yet another guy named Nick! on the extreme left). View is from the terrace of a restaurant on the top floor of a building directly opposite the Acropolis - hence the great view!
Roadside Shrine: You find these all over Europe where there’ve been deadly accidents. But this one on Poros is especially fascinating, where someone in the deceased’s family had marble engraved to make him look like... are you ready? Elvis...as in Presley!
A Typical Tiny Greek Orthodox Chapel: This is one of the simpler ones, with less glitz than most. Often, in the Greek islands, you’ll find a chapel rubbing shoulders with a café/bar - unlike in New York City where liquor can’t be served within several a hundred or more feet of a church or chapel.
All Roads Do Not Lead to Rhodes: This mosque and minaret date from when the Ottoman Empire ruled what is now modern Greece. And note the jewelry shop up front. Unfortunately, the local officials have let all sorts of hotels and houses go up in a variety of styles - not in keeping the local vernacular in mind - which came as a shock to Nick (the “Gould” Nick); even the Lindhos I fell in love with back in 1968 is no longer the same.
The Main Square at Vathi, Samos: Where the “Lion of Samos” rules in the center of the four palms. To the right (not in the picture) is the café/bar where Miranda and Big Mike watch the goings-on across the esplanade on- board the Liapsis yacht.
Delos: One of the many ancient structures which kept Miranda in Greek Winds of Fury entranced - and near where she encountered her “incident,” making her miss the boat.
Cathi: Nick’s second boss in New York City way back when. A great traveler and fan, she’s accompanied “Miss Gould” on a number of cruises (and here she’s reading Judith Gould’s The Best is Yet to Come while sailing the Saronic Gulf.
Typical Greek Fishing Vessel (though some are a lot smaller). Broad-beamed, their design has evolved over the millennia to deal with the winds and waves the unpredictable meltemi whips up. (This is the kind of fishing vessel Stelios and Manos, Eleni’s sons in Greek Winds of Fury use for fishing.
Paranga Beach, Mykonos: Which along with Kala Livadi and Ilia is where the locals gather (and probably want to keep it a secret from the masses) who head for “Paradise” and “Super Paradise.”
Showtime: The ancient Greek Theater on Delos which Miranda runs across in Greek Winds of Fury. Note that it’s not an amphitheater (like the Romans’ theaters-in-the- round), but is of a semi-circular shape; the straight end of the horseshoe is where the actors performed the plays of the Ancients.
Home Sweet Home: After returning from Greece, Rhea (left) has let his hair grow dark (rather than streaking it - and had it shorn quite a bit!) while Nick (the former “Blond Bombshell” reverted to his natural black hair...think a 50’s “ducktail” is coming up!
Well, styles do get static, y’know? Is anything as boring as staying same-o, same-o?
Just goes to show that Yours Truly is (or are) always willing to try anything once!