From the green, terracotta and ochre of the Ionian Islands in the west, to the brilliant blue and white of the Aegean, the villages of Greece and its islands present a picture of incomparable beauty.The variety of village life and building springs from a multitude of histories and influences, often accompanied by foreign occupation.Yet this variety cannot disguise the fact that these villages are all, in their separate ways, an expression of Greekness, one of the most durable ideals in history.Captured here are the most beautiful villages created by that indomitable spirit.Complete with appendices of useful information for the traveller and now available in a new compact format, The Most Beautiful Villages of Greece and the Greek Islands presents a fabulous picture of a village culture largely lost to other countries of Europe, but loved by many visitors each year.