Good reading...
Chris Stewart..
Once the drummer for the band Genesis
Fired from the band in the 70's (for poor technique says Google) he moved to a farm in Spain and began writing books and farming sheep.
'Driving Over Lemons' was published in 1999, describing his life on the small Andalusian farm.
It's a really good read and became a best seller.
It seems he's still on the farm in Spain and has written a lot more books, including the one above.
My niece Katy read the yachting book, Three Ways to Capsize a Boat, and recommended it to me.
Haven't read it yet.
But I will
I wish I still had Driving Over Lemons to re-read. Years ago I devoured books like this, starting with Peter Mayle and 'A Year in Provence'. I bought books written by expats buying and doing up old houses in Italy, Spain and France. Second hand books were cheap to buy
online back then and I could choose what I wanted to read.
I have a shelf of books written by expats living in Greece. Some are excruciatingly patronising, badly written. So many think, after a year here, they know the culture and traditions of the country and get it terribly wrong. However there are others that are a delight to read, especially when they have a little history and interaction with Greeks and not just other beer quaffing expats.
If you ever come across Chris Stewart, give him a read.
The Greek classics are by Patrick Lee Fermor, Eric Newby, Gerald and Lawrence Durrell, Collin Thubron, Peter Levi, Eleni Gage.
Welsh broadcaster John Humphreys wrote a book about building a house on the mainland, not far from us. His son was married to a Greek. Still he got a lot of things wrong and over dramatised it all. I read it a long time ago and then gave the book away.
I thought I'd see if Driving over lemons was available on kindle. It was! Even more amazing is its already on my kindle. Then I figured you probably told Rainy about it abd she probably bought it ( she reads in my account)
ReplyDeleteRainy says she's got 2 more of his books. Hopefully bringing them next year!
DeleteJust re reading driving over lemons Linda....If I finish it tonight ..I ll give you tomorrow...😊
ReplyDeleteGreat 👍👍
DeleteI think I’ll add these to my wish list on audible.
ReplyDeleteThey sound like something I’d like.
I’m Greek and I don’t know everything about the culture, it’s so varied, depending on which part of Greece your standing in, that you can never know it all.
Your dead right. Traditions differ greatly from region to region. I've got a bookshelf of these books on Greece. I don't know why I keep them. I've given away the most annoying ones.
DeleteI read Driving Over Lemons quite a few years ago now and remember enjoying it then.
ReplyDeleteThere were lots of "expats in Europe" books around then weren't there.
You should write one - your blogposts would make a great book!
I need long periods of peace and quiet to write anything. Plenty of subject matter that's for sure. Peace.......well, sometimes
DeleteI've read somewhere that it's possible to make a blog into a book. Never looked seriously though.
I remember reading Driving Over Lemons and liking it a lot, particularly his honesty about everything and having to go sheep shearing in order to earn money to make ends meet. I saw him on tv too and he was just as the book, very human. Like JayCee said, there were a lot of those books around at the time. I've read some of those you mention. I particularly liked Eric Newby's with his wife Wanda.
ReplyDeleteI love Newby and have a few of his books. My English friend was rereading Driving over Lemons and gave it to me today. I'll start reading it soon
Delete'Driving over lemons' sounds interesting - thank you for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteEntertaining reading
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