Book excerpt: An amusing and erudite account of Harry Bucknall's 183-day journey through the Greek islands from Venice, in the West, to Istanbul, in the East In the summer of 2006, Harry Bucknall traveled from Venice to Istanbul—a journey across the Aegean of more than 5,500 miles that included the glories of Mount Athos, 36 islands, and every island chain in the Greek Archipelago. It also involved 57 sea passages on 35 ferries, four landing craft, three hydrofoils, a fishing caique, a sea plane, 11 buses, two trains, an open-top Land Rover, and a duck egg blue 1961 Morris Oxford. Recounted with humor, pathos, and at times drama, this is not only a journey through the Greek islands but also a journey through Greek history, mythology, custom, and folklore—a Greek island companion loaded with adventure, mishap, and laughter offering a contemporary image of Aegean life today.