Classics

The closest I came to Classics at school was O Level Latin which I have to admit was a bit of a struggle. It is therefore always a pleasant surprise to discover how easily I can talk to Joe Millington the classics teacher at the grammar school.
It was an end of term party and we started chatting about holidays. Joe and Julie go regularly to to Greece but more often to Crete. Last year they couldn't leave for a week because of the problems with volcanic ash and earlier this year they had problems with riots in Athens. However nothing will stop them going back.
We talked about books and I mentioned Captain Correlli somewhat tentatively because such popular books are often frowned upon by people with real knowledge of the background. However Joe loves it as much as I do and we both feel the same about the prequel 'Birds Without Wings'. I don't know how many people have read this book but it describes the history of Turkey in the early years of the 20th century which is a period that neither Joe nor I knew much. The key is the harmonious state in which Greeks, Turks and Jews lived at the beginning of the story and the way that it was destroyed when the Greeks were forcibly repatriated. Key characters in Captain Corelli were among those moved from Turkey. We were both horrified by this discovery.
We also talked about the Durrells and their different books about the Greek Islands and discovered a joint interest in the travel books of Patrick Leigh Fermor.
Although individuality is attractive it is also satisfying to know that you are not completely alone.