Travelers' Tales Greece: True Stories

by Larry Habegger (editor), Larry Habegger (Editor), Sean Patrick O'Reilly (Editor)

The land of gods and goddesses, of sunshine and myth, of glorious ruins and romantic islands, Greece has long lured the traveler in search of its splendid history and seductive Mediterranean culture. Only in Greece will one find such icons as the Parthenon, Delphi, Mount Olympus, and countless archaeological treasures. But Greece is more than a collection of ancient sites bearing memories of the glory that once was. It is breathtaking seas, rugged islands, dramatic mountains, and traditional villages offering legendary hospitality. Travelers' Tales Greece captures the country's rich past and equally rich present in a dazzling literary journey. From Corfu to Athens, Crete to Samos, in museums and bakeries and tavernas—scholars, poets, journalists, novelists, and ordinary travelers invite us along to explore this ancient and modern wonder.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2003

About the author

Larry Habegger was born in Minneapolis in 1952 and grew up in Minnesota's landlocked expanses. As a child he had three compelling dreams: to see a mountain, to see an ocean, and to play Major League Baseball. He was able to fulfill two of those dreams. He saw his first ocean and mountain when he was 14 on a family trip from Minnesota to Florida. The closest he got to the Big Leagues was when he flied out against future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield when they faced each other in their teens in American Legion Baseball.

After graduating from Dartmouth College with a degree in English, he decided to see as much of the USA as possible, gradually making his way to San Francisco. He thought he would wait until he had seen more of America before going abroad, but an off-hand comment from a friend who was leaving in a few days for Central America set a spark to the kindling. In days, he was off on a whirlwind journey that took him from Mexico City to Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Those sleepless nights on buses haunted his waking dreams, and upon returning to San Francisco he began planning his next escape.

Habegger began publishing his writing about adventure and offbeat travel in 1980. His travel stories have appeared in magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and abroad, including Outside, Travel & Leisure, and the Los Angeles Times. In the early 1980s he co-authored mystery serials for the San Francisco Examiner with James O'Reilly, his old friend from Dartmouth and former disc jockey partner. Since 1985 their safety and security column, "World Travel Watch," has been syndicated in major newspapers in five countries. In 1993 Habegger and O'Reilly founded the publishing company Travelers' Tales with James's brother Tim. Larry and James have worked on more than fifty titles, winning many awards for excellence, including the Lowell Thomas Award for best travel book of the year. For many years, Larry has been an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Bay Area Travel Writers.

Habegger has visited almost fifty countries and six of the seven continents, traveling from the frozen arctic to equatorial rain forest, the high Himalayas to the Dead Sea. He lives with his family on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco where he has served on the board of directors of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers, a neighborhood community group, and is president of a grassroots organization formed to protect and maintain Telegraph Hill's world-famous Grace Marchant Garden. He travels whenever possible, feeling that exposure to the greater world and its diverse cultures is the best way to understand yourself.

Reviews

[William Milks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of travel stories based in Greece.

Neat and eclectic mix. Some funny, some sad. Even a story so eerie, it sent chills up my spine.

If I were to recommend the book to someone headed to Greece, I’d tell her to select them based on locale and consume them slowly.

Definitely cool to read some of the stories and see the sites mentioned as I read.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for a trip to the Greek islands. Many of the tales take place on the islands, capturing the austere beauty of the sea, mountains and olive groves. A big variety of approaches to Greek culture and society include many mystical references, both pagan and Orthodox. There is a big emphasis on food--and the irrationality of rural culture, sen from the eyes of foreigners.

[Pamela Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed some tales and not others

[Brandi Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5