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My love affair with Greece

Emma Cowell

Ancient Messene

How I found Greece, or did Greece find me?

A decade ago, a very dear friend, Nick Burnell, invited us to join him and his family on their annual Greek holiday. Having heard about it over the years from them, we eventually wrenched ourselves away from Italy and France and took the plunge. It was love at first sight. I can't put my finger on why, but I immediately felt a heightened sense of connection to the country, the landscape, food and culture. Whether it's my childhood obsession with the myths and legends of Ancient Greece or not, there is something tangible in the air that resonates with me.

So many people think of the islands when it comes to Greece, but the mainland is as rich in spectacular scenery and white sandy beaches, plus there are the mountain micro climates providing a welcome respite from the scorching summer heat.

In 2013, the year after my mother died, I found an incredible peace and healing, perhaps a spiritual alignment by being there, having the space to process what life looked like without her. Greece gave me what I needed when I needed it, even before I knew what I was looking for. That very difficult time has certainly inspired my debut novel, 'One Last Letter from Greece'. The protagonist, Sophie, travels to mainland Greece, to Methoni in the southern Peloponnese to uncover a family secret. She finds much more than she was expecting......

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My First Two Months As An Author....

By Emma Cowell • 20 Aug, 2022

My first 2 months as an author

Greek food and recipes

By Emma Cowell • 25 May, 2022

As my love affair with Greece continued, I wanted to recreate the tastes and smells of the country that captured my heart when back at home. The best place to do that is the kitchen, since so much of Greek life and culture centres around food. In the recipe section of my site you will find some of the dishes referred to in 'One last Letter from Greece' and I hope you have fun re-creating them to bring a bit of Methoni onto your dining table. Tag me on social and share your pics of the dishes! Italian and French cuisines are much lauded, but Greek is oft forgotten. It's much more than Moussaka. The challenge of course with re-creating any cuisine back at home is the year round growing climate of Greece, that makes the fruit and vegetables so tasty. If you can get local or organic produce and where I live in Cornwall has an abundance of local food suppliers, it will pay off as it will make your simple Greek dishes sing with flavour. Click here for Greek recipes featured in 'One Last Letter from Greece'