Two Roving Englishwomen in Greece

An engaging 1893 account of adventures in late nineteenth-century Greece by one of the ever-increasing cohort of intrepid female travellers.

Isabel J. Armstrong (Author)

9781108057516, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 May 2013

322 pages, 23 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm, 0.41 kg

Isabel J. Armstrong (born c.1848) and her travelling companion Edith Payne were part of an increasing cohort of determined women entering territory deemed unsuitable for ladies: travel. Women such as Isabella Bird (whose work is also available in this series) and Mary Kingsley had defied social convention in order to explore the world around them. Their independence of spirit and thirst for knowledge made them inspirational role models. Little is known of Armstrong and Payne other than what is recorded in this engaging account of their Greek adventures, about which 'the general opinion seemed to be that we were going out to be murdered'. First published in 1893, the book depicts a country whose traditions and way of life were in danger of being swept away by the advance of modern technology. Incorporating vivid descriptions of Piraeus, Olympia, Thessaly and the monasteries of Meteora, the narrative is charmingly illustrated with Armstrong's own sketches.

1. About the Greek - facts and thoughts
2. Land at Patras - railway to Olympia
3. Beautiful scenery between Olympia and Andrítsaena
4. Give up Phigaleia on account of the rain
5. From Patras to Athens, Corinth and Marathon
6. Huckleberries on the Parthenon
7. Nauplia to Athens by sea
8. Start for Thessaly
9. The Vale of Tempe
10. The monasteries of Meteora
11. Arrive at the Monastery of St. Stephen's
12. Leave Kalabáka
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: European history [HBJD]