For very many years, two 'expats' blew bubbles of romantic scholarship, humour, a love of the Middle East, Greece, the Classical world, bohemian adventure, travel and fun, both ardent philhellenes and friends of Greek poets [Seferis, etc. see blog entry of June 25, 2012], Lawrence Durrell, famous for his Alexandria Quartet, and Patrick Leigh Fermor, a war hero, venerated by Cretans. An excellent biography has just been published by Artemis Cooper whose 'Cairo in the War' captured the prevalent mood of that time so brilliantly.
Patrick Leigh Fermor [always known as Paddy] had a prodigious memory for poetry and song, a life-enhancer if ever there was one. His wonderful house in Kardamyli in The Mani, Peloponnese was bequeathed to the Benaki Museum, Athens, I hope they make good use of it despite the disastrous economic circumstances now prevailing.
No comments:
Post a Comment