Henry fell in love with the Peloponnese on his pre-war trip to meet his friend Gerald Durrell on Corfu. He sailed around and then travelled through the peninsula, particularly falling in love with Epidavros and nearby Poros island. Such a brilliant writer, reading this immediately immerses you in Greece and its simple life. Available via Amazon

“Paradise found. In a remote corner of Greece's Peloponnese region sits a beautiful slice of mountainous land, surrounded by sparkling seas and held in high regard by those lucky enough to discover it.

One really needs to pedal out here to understand why this place is so special, preferably repeating that process three, four or better still, ten times over.” Read feature.

“The grandeur of the Taigetos ridge is far beyond my expectations. At the top, we indulge in pastries dripping with honey and handfuls of freshly roasted nuts before dropping into the descent. The road leading down from the mountain pass is smooth open tarmac with wide switchbacks taking you all the way to the impossibly clear seawater.

The diversity of the Greek terrain and its unparalleled heritage adds a deep sense of culture to your cycling experience.” Read full feature.

“It’s a wonder this part of the world isn’t better known to cyclists. With the considerable mountains, stunning landscapes and smooth roads Greece could easily warrant a place among the foremost cycling destinations. Had history played out differently and a major race been staged here, these slopes may well have had the same sense of romance and history as a climb like Mont Ventoux.” Read feature.

Canadian singer / songwriter Leonard Cohen arrived and bought a house on Hydra in 1960 - becoming part of a creative bohemium community of ex-pats and Greeks. Read more and see some of the amazing pictures from that time here. You can visit his former house on one of our trips.

Next door to Villa Rosa lives Arthur Krupenin. Former Russian TV presenter, Arthur and his wife Irina bought their house confident that just a few small, cosmetic touches will transform it into their dream home. What Arthur didn’t bank on was spending five and a half years quarreling with contractors, making friends with his neighbours, adopting a multitude of homeless cats, mastering local customs, publishing three books, and surviving a staggering number of extraordinary adventures. You can read an extract and buy the ebook here.

Epidavros is the cultural centre of Greece, much of that is due to New York opera star Maria Callas. Prior to 1960 the 2,000 year old amphitheatre had only hosted performances of Greek works but in 1960 Maria Callas performed in front of a packed 15,000 audience, paving the way for decades of performances by some of the worlds top cultural stars. Read her story

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, born 1749 and the greatest German literary figure of the modern era, was captivated by Greece. Read more here.

Melina Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer, socialist, activist and politician. She received an Academy Award nomination and won a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for her performance in the film Never on Sunday. After retiring from acting in 1981 she became the first female and longest-lived Minister of Culture in Greece - serving till her death in 1994. During this time she built a home in Epidavros, after which all Culture Ministers have based themselves here. Read more.

A favourite cookbook in our kitchen. Georgina grew up above her grandparents' Greek Cypriot taverna in Tufnell Park, she developed a love of cooking from the recipes passed down to her. She went on to join Jamie Oliver's food team where she worked for 12 years. Amazon.

Vefa's Kitchen is a truly comprehensive bible of Greek food - simple to prepare, healthy and delicious, and, more than most other cuisines, bears all the hallmarks of the rich cultural history of the land and sea from which it is drawn. It is the original Mediterranean cuisine, where olive oil, bread, wine, figs, grapes and cheese have been staples since the beginnings of Western civilization. Buy via Amazon.