- HOME
- Greece Book Reviews
- Wild Abandon
Wild Abandon
A Journey to the Deserted Places of the Dodecanese
Wild Abandon by Jennifer Barclay and published by Bradt Guides is A Journey to Deserted Places of the Dodecanese islands in Greece, including Rhodes and Kos.
Bradt Guides publishes excellent guidebooks but they also publish travel narrative books, and Wild Abandon by Jennifer Barclay is one of those.
Jennifer Barclay
Jennifer Barclay is the perfect author for a book like this, as she has made her home on Tilos in the Dodecanese, has lived in Athens, and has travelled widely throughout the Greek islands. She’s also an adventurous traveller and a lover of deserted places, and has written two other books about Greece: Falling in Honey and An Octopus in my Ouzo.
Wild Abandon
In Wild Abandon she decides to focus not on the main sites in the Dodecanese, like the Old Town of Rhodes, but visits places few visitors are likely to discover for themselves. Some require some energetic trekking and camping out, and for most of the trips she’s accompanied only by her faithful dog, Lisa.
The Dodecanese
In Wild Abandon she visits eleven of the islands in the group, and as I’ve visited seven of them myself it was a fascinating read… making me now want to visit the four I’ve not been to so far. She includes the main islands, known for their busy tourist areas, like Rhodes and Kos, but you’ll see sides of these islands you probably didn’t know existed. Each island gets a chapter to itself, and the others are Tilos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Astypalea, Kastellorizo, Karpathos, Kasos, Halki, and Arki.
Tilos
The book starts and ends on Tilos, where the author lives and which naturally she knows intimately. Here, among many places, she talks about the Harkadio Cave, which she can see across the valley from her office desk and is ‘where the last elephants in Europe died four thousand years ago.’ Elephants in Europe only four thousand years ago? This is the kind of entertaining and unexpected fact the author loves to dig out and entertain the reader with.
Nisyros
On Nisyros she uncovers the Pantelidis Baths, a grand therapeutic spa built in 1910, once visited by thousands coming in shiploads from all over the Mediterranean, but now lying in ruins. Who knew this was on Nisyros? Certainly not me. The Nisyros chapter is typical of the author’s detailed and descriptive writing.
‘As I stand outside the taverna to get a signal on my phone, I watch a little black cat sitting in a hole in the wall. Lisa sees it and growls, and it jumps away. Yiannis, appearing from the kitchen, points to the hole. “Put your hand inside.” I feel warm steam. It’s a geothermal apiria, or blowhole of the volcano.’
Kos
I realise as I read through Wild Abandon that I could quote from every chapter to give a feel for the book, for the contents and the author’s style. Here, from the chapter on Kos, called ‘Faith in Water’, she discovers the village of Pyli, where not all the houses are inhabited:
‘Others are obviously long abandoned, broken glass in the windows and rubbish in the garden. I tread carefully through tall grass to peek through an open window. There are black-and-white photographs on the mildewed wall. An old black travelling trunk sits open with a New York address painted by hand on the side.’
Don’t you immediately want to know about the trunk, the photographs and the New York address?
Kalymnos
‘Even in August, it felt excitingly wild and empty. The land was dramatic, fearsome even, with craggy grey cliffs, rust-streaked, dropping down steep inclines almost five hundred metres to the sea. Waves surged relentlessly from the northwest into the narrow inlet where aquamarine water almost glowed. I saw a diver in a wetsuit swimming close to the black rocks, then I watched it moving and realised it was a seal.’
Every chapter has gems of lovely, lyrical writing in it, along with detailed descriptions that make you feel you’re standing there alongside the author seeing what she’s seeing.
Advice
One piece of advice – if you’re reading the book then have
this website open alongside you:
https://wild-abandon-dodecanese.blogspot.com/
The author has put it together to enhance the book, and it’s full of her colour photographs of the islands covered. You can see some of them on this page. Unfortunately I only looked it up after finishing the book and it’s clear that lots of the photos are of places referred to in the text. It will bring the book even more to life if you can see the photos at the same time.
If you’re planning a trip to any of the islands covered in the book, buy a copy of Wild Abandon to sit alongside a conventional guidebook. If you like reading good travel books about Greece, or about anywhere for that matter, then put Wild Abandon on the shopping list or in your Amazon basket. It’s excellent. Or, as Victoria Hislop said: "A vivid and intoxicating account of these beautiful islands".
Buying Wild Abandon
You can buy Wild Abandon in print or as an ebook on the
Bradt Guides website. You can also find it on Amazon, including a Kindle version.
Other Dodecanese pages
Patmos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Patmos in the Dodecanese islands is famous for the monasteries of St John and the Apocalypse and on this page you can also read about flights and ferries
Culture Trails
Greece Travel Secrets reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Artistic Athens and 51 other perfect weekends for culture lovers.
Arki
Arki is a small island in the Dodecanese close to Lipsi, with beaches and tavernas with rooms to rent and ferry connections with Patmos, Samos and Marathi.
Margarita’s Olive Press
Margarita’s Olive Press is a modern gem of a book of Greek travel writing, in which the author falls in love with and renovates a property on Zakynthos.
A-Z Travel Guide to Kos
The 2022 edition of the A-Z Travel Guide to Kos is the 15th edition of the best and most comprehensive guidebook to Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece.
Agathonisi in the Dodecanese islands of Greece
Agathonisi is a small island in the Dodecanese with quiet beaches, a few hotels, pensions and rooms to rent.
Ikaria Book Review
Ikaria by Meni Valle, brings together the best and healthiest Greek recipes with an evocative travelogue about Ikaria, one of the world’s Blue Zone places.
Kos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece has good beaches and night-life, and archaeological remains.
Mermaid Singing: Kalymnos Travel Writing
Mermaid Singing by Charmian Clift is a fine example of 1950s travel writing about the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese.
Great Greek Poets: Cavafy, Sappho, George Seferis, Odysseus Elytis
There are many great Greek poets, with two authors winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and names include Sappho, Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.
Kasos
Travel information on Kasos in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
A Thing of Beauty
A Thing of Beauty by Peter Fiennes describes ‘Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece’ and places the Greek Gods in the context of modern-day Greece.
Dodecanese
Travel and vacation information about the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Patmos, Halki, Tilos, Karpathos, Leros, Lipsi, Astipalea.
Karpathos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Karpathos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece is noted for its traditions, its music, and mountain villages like Olympos.
Tilos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Tilos is a small island in the Dodecanese between Rhodes and Kos with regular ferry connections, hotels, rooms to rent, beaches, tavernas and ancient remains.
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earth is a collection of 19 travel pieces about Greece by Mike Gerrard.
Taverna by the Sea
Taverna by the Sea is an account by Jennifer Barclay of her summer spent working in a taverna on Karpathos and a welcome new book of Greek travel writing.
Halki
Travel information on Halki in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Monemvasia Book Review
Greece Travel Secrets reviews the photography book Monemvasia with extracts from works by Yiannis Ritsos and Nikos Kazantzakis.
The Summer of My Greek Taverna
The Summer of My Greek Taverna by Tom Stone is a memoir of his time on the Greek island of Patmos in the Dodecanese, running a restaurant.
Kastellorizo
Travel information on Kastellorizo in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
A-Z Guide to Santorini
The very thorough A-Z Guide to Santorini by Tony Oswin is now in its 15th edition, a sure sign that the guidebook is both popular and kept up-to-date.
Hydra Travel Writing Classic
Peel Me a Lotus by Charmian Clift is a Hydra travel writing classic, describing her family’s life on this tiny Greek island near Athens in the 1950s.
Fire on the Island
Fire on the Island is a romantic thriller novel by Timothy Jay Smith set on a fictionalised version of the town of Molyvos on the island of Lesbos.
Latest Posts
-
Explore Vikos Gorge: Hiking, Rafting, and Food in Zagori
One of the most impressive canyons in Europe and one of Greece’s favorite mountain destinations, Vikos Gorge invites hikers and food lovers alike. -
Lefkada: The First Ancient Theater of the Ionian Islands Comes to Light
The first ancient theater ever discovered in the Ionian Islands is located in the heart of the ancient city of Lefkada, established before the end of the 7th century BC. -
5 Epic Island Hikes in Greece for Spring Explorers
This spring, five majestic peaks across Greece’s islands invite us to lace up our boots and discover a wilder side of island life. -
Greek Ferry Services to Halt on May 1 Due to Labor Strike
Ferries in Greece will remain docked for 24 hours on Thursday, May 1, as the Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) joins Labor Day mobilizations announced by the General Confederation of Greek Labor… -
Sifnos: Greece’s Hidden Culinary Star on the Rise
Sifnos, a Cycladic island, is gaining fame for its rich culinary heritage, especially the beloved melopita honey-cheese tart. -
Easter in the Mystical Castle of Monemvasia
In the castle town of Monemvasia, with its dramatic medieval backdrop and sea views, Easter is a deeply spiritual and atmospheric experience. -
Easter in Leonidio: A Tapestry of Light, Culture and Cliffs
In Leonidio, Easter comes alive with handmade hot air balloons in the sky and lanterns made from bitter oranges in the streets. -
The Lesser-Known Traditions of Greek Easter
Step off the beaten path this spring and discover the enchanting — and often surprising — Easter traditions found across Greece. -
April 9 Strike in Greece to Impact Public Transport, Ferries and Air Travel
Transportation and travel across Greece will face disruptions on Wednesday, April 9, as public transport, ferry and aviation workers join a nationwide strike called by Greek labor unions. -
Ancient Theater of Lefkada Brought Fully to Light Following Systematic Excavation
The Greek Culture Ministry has announced that the first ancient theater ever identified in the Ionian Islands has recently been brought fully to light on Lefkada, revealing an impressive monument that…
Why not sign up for our Greece Travel Secrets newsletter? Each week you'll get emailed our regular Greece Travel Secrets Magazine for news, information, and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece.
As a welcome gift you'll also get a free e-book, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, but at no cost to you.
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
LEARN A LITTLE GREEK BEFORE YOU GO!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
