Discovering Greek Mythology with Natalie Haynes: Why the Travelgems Cultural Retreat is a Global Must-Attend
The annual Travelgems Cultural Retreat has become a global phenomenon, attracting attendees from the US, UK, Australia, and everywhere in between. Having hosted the 2022 retreat in Crete, ‘rockstar mythologist’ Natalie Haynes is teaming up with us again to host two Cultural retreats across Athens and Cyprus this autumn. Here she tells us about how she first encountered Travelgems and what makes the Cultural retreat a must-attend for Greek mythology enthusiasts.
“I first encountered Travelgems when [founder] Niki emailed my agent to ask if I would be interested in doing a retreat. She’d run one in 2019 with Song Of Achilles and Circe author, Madeline Miller, and was looking for someone to do another. A young British journalist called Jack recommended me to her and I’m just lucky Niki reached out when she did. There was just something about Niki’s email that really spoke to me. She was just so passionate and determined. I’ve always been drawn to people like that. We didn’t actually meet in person until I landed in Crete and I wasn’t disappointed. Niki and her team are just such balls of energy; they lift everyone up.
“When I hosted the first retreat in Crete, I had no idea what to expect. I’m a bit of a glass-half-empty person so part of me thought no one would be interested. But I was just met with this absolutely lovely bunch of people. In my head, I’d planned to do a bit of creative writing, give a few talks, but as we got to know each other, we ended up just chatting about mythology for hours. On the first day, I felt a bit like I was delivering lectures, but after a while it became a dialogue. I was learning just as much as I was teaching.
“The people who attend the Travelgems Cultural retreat are those who are just absolutely delighted to learn. Everyone is curious about the world around them, which I think is a fantastic way to live. We had teenagers right up to retirees. There’s a sense that no matter where you come from or what your background is, you’ve found your tribe. We all get together and become a gang so quickly. It’s just a lovely bunch of well-meaning people. I think sometimes a retreat can seem a bit intimidating: you’re basically on holiday with people you don’t know. But Travelgems has a way of bonding people really quickly, it’s fun straight away.
“On top of that, you get to go to some amazing classical locations. We’ve been to ancient temples, theatres, and some of the best museums in the world. Then you have Ioanna Kalypso Glypti, our brilliant tour guide who is not only incredibly knowledgeable but hugely passionate about Greece. She provides a really unique way to encounter the ancient world. In 2022 we visited Knossos, the famous palace which, in mythology, was built on top of the labyrinth which the minotaur lived in. I’d read about it but I’d never been myself. It has this numinous quality which gave me slight shivers. Then Ioanna took us around the Heraklion archaeological museum which was incredibly special. Every time we turned a corner, my jaw dropped. It was one of the best museums I’ve ever been to.
“Then you have me trailing around, looking slightly disheveled, after her. You can talk to me about whatever you want. I’ll talk about my favorite ancient pots for as long as you want… maybe longer!
“I’m very humbled to be hosting two retreats this year. They’re the same so it doesn’t matter which one you’re booked on. When Niki called me to tell me the first one was full up, I was convinced she was about to tell me no one was coming so we’d have to cancel. It’s a huge honor to be doing two. This year we’re going to be exploring the goddesses of Greek mythology and what psychological roles they might have filled, as well as the way they interact with the geography of Athens and Cyprus. We’ll also have a think about why the goddesses meant so much to the people, and especially the women, of ancient Greece. We’ll be exploring some plays – I’d like to look at Hippolytus by Euripides and The Eumenides by Aeschylus, if anyone would like to do any reading in advance (you definitely don’t have to, by the way!). Perhaps we’ll do some performances or perhaps we’ll do a bit of writing ourselves.
“One of the most wonderful parts of a Travelgems retreat is that it is all about what you want to do as much as what I want to do. If you’d like to sit under an olive tree and listen to me talk about Greek goddesses, I can do that for three hours. If you’d like to perform some plays or meditate on some thoughts or write a short story about Artemis and Athena, then we can do that. I just want to make sure everyone has a wonderful time.
“To those who are thinking about booking, I would definitely recommend it. You’ll make friends, you’ll learn loads, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s a great opportunity to soak up some of that beautiful Greek and Cypriot sun. I have plenty more ideas about what kind of retreats. I’d like to do with Travelgems in the future, if they’ll have me back. Maybe we could do something about the monsters and visit the brand new museum in Thebes to learn about Oedipus and the sphinx, and maybe we could go island hopping and see where the gorgons live. I also have this idea that maybe one day Niki should do a huge retreat following the path of Jason and the Argonauts from Colchis in modern Georgia, round Italy, to Corinth and Athens. We might have to spend a few years planning that…”
Natalie Haynes hosts Goddesses In Greek Myth, the 2024 Travelgems Cultural Retreat on 18-23 October and 24-29 October.
Spaces are available for the earlier retreat and can be booked here.