Greece on My Wheels

Kliatt, Nov, 2004 by Rozelle Overmire

GREECE ON MY WHEELS. Edward Enfield. 2003. Read by the author. 7 tapes. 9.5 hrs. Clipper Audio UK, Recorded Books. 1-84197-964-3. $61.75. Vinyl; content notes. A The very British Enfield set out alone at the age of 70 to journey through Greece on a bicycle. He took two routes, one through the Peloponnesus and a second from Corfu to northern Greece near Albania. Along the way he quotes other travelers, such as Benjamin Disraeli, Edward Lear, and Lord Byron, on Greek history. Enfield is a lively and humorous narrator and gives the traveler a clear picture of the possibilities of cycling along the route and whom one might meet along the way. He carefully notes where one can find lodging, the condition of roads, and the mileage.

This is valuable information in a country whose people measure distances casually. Enfield took the time to learn Greek to the point of being able to talk to locals; of course, this led to many adventures that help to give the reader a true picture of the country and its people.

Full of wonderful stories that are well narrated. The appendix gives fuller details of the historical figures mentioned. The appealing packaging features a cover drawing of a man with bike in hand looking at a bust in a Greek village. Rozelle Overmire, San Francisco, CA