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As many of you know, I spend a lot of time on Hydra in Greece. With no cars, no traffic noise, its tranquillity cannot be overstated. When you step off the boat from Athens, it is easy to smile as all stresses ease from your shoulders.

The island was put on the map in the 1960s when the likes of Leonard Cohen and other artists lived, worked and sometimes found fame while working here. There have been many books written about the time and now a mini-series is being made on the island focusing on Cohen's romance with his then muse, Marianne Ihlen. 

Personally, I think their story is less than romantic: boy meets girl, boy finds success in the big world, boy leaves girl, they both move on. It's not quite the impetuous passion of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Cohen's legacy of  music and poetry bring tourists to the island, and this helps the islanders prosper. For this I am happy.

However, a better Hydra story that could be fictionalised, is the one of Niko Ghika, a leading Greek artist, who attracted writers such as Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell, Patrick Leigh Fermor and artists and dancers to his mansion on the island. When the mansion was destroyed mysteriously by fire in 1961, Ghika left the island and never returned. This story brings together strong characters, great mystery, and high drama - the perfect recipe for any good story. What is not to like? 

Ghika mansion in ruins: 



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