Time Out on Tilos

• Book: Falling in Honey
• Location: Tilos
• Author: Jennifer Barclay

Review Author: tripfiction

“Tilos is a walkers’ paradise. So many of its beaches are reached only by restored mule paths or goat tracks or goat tracks through untouched countryside, passing tiny Byzantine chapels. The islanders, though they may not walk much themselves, encourage visitors from all over Europe who enjoy walking and nature – with the protection of wildlife, rare bird species found here include Eleonora’s Falcons and Bonelli’s Eagles and Long-Legged Buzzards” (extract from Falling in Honey)

So, pack the guidebook AND pack these excellent memoirs of settling on Tilos, which brings this tiny island off Rhodes to incredible life. Follow author Jennifer Barclay as she discovers the little coves and bays, the tiny villages, and meets the locals who really take her under their wing. So much information oozes out of the book, as Jennifer settles down to a plate of kolokithakia tiganita (fried courgette) or follows the interesting fikopsari fish as she snorkels her way around the island.

Jennifer is like a breath of fresh air with her belief that it is possible to ‘take action to make life better’. And she herself does this by embracing the culture of this little island for a month after a failed romance. Once back in England she falls for enigmatic Matt, who is also bowled over by the charm of Greece. Do they set sail for a happy ever after ending on their Greek Island? Click on the cover to buy the book and find out!

The book is a total delight from the history of the island when the Knights of St John used it as a base in 1309, through Ottoman rule and to the hardships of Italian and German occupation.Tilos was once renowned for its healing plants and herbs, and in the period of Classical Greece it was famous for producing perfume. It was ahead of its time in presiding over the first same sex marriage in Greece in 2008. Greece literally jumps off the pages and introduces you to the island in a more intimate way than perhaps a guidebook can.

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