It sure is hard to write during a pandemic, and sometimes it can even be hard to watch films that depict the world, before the planet shut down, when so much was carefree and easy—at least for some of us, some of the time. And so I choose to watch The Trip to Greece film, the latest of four in a series featuring comedic actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, with just a hint of reticence even though I very much enjoyed their first three forays into vacation-with-a-friend films (The Trip, The Trip to Italy, and The Trip to Spain).
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An Actual Trip to Greece, Pre-Pandemic
I pause before opting to watch the Trip to Greece film in particular because I happen to have been in Greece in February of this year, not too long before the global shutdown truly began. Coronavirus was just something far, far away at that point. Although I was aware that it had afflicted Wuhan, China, I had no idea it would soon be coming for all of us.
And yet—I marveled at seeing more people wearing masks than I usually would on the flight home. Touching down in Rome on the way back, I was surprised to be asked at the gate whether I’d been in China within the last two weeks. I had not. But I was even more surprised that we seemed to be going on an honor system with respect to that question. Even more interesting to me was that I was not asked that by a transportation security official but by an airline employee. No matter. We boarded. All was well—seemingly, anyway—for a few more days, at least in my world.
Why Launch The Trip to Greece?
Now, of course, with states in the United States beginning to reopen in phases, some of us will be able to pull away from our television screens in the pursuit of more frenetic activities. But should you have time for one more film in a year when it may seem like all you have done is watch films at home, I encourage you to watch The Trip to Greece even if you’ve never been to Greece and even if you have no intention of going there or anywhere anytime soon.
Why bother with The Trip to Greece? Because, ultimately, it’s the story of friendship, of good conversation, of shared meals and good times, of tiny rivalries and career disappointments. I love the banter between Coogan and Brydon, both playing some version of themselves. Part highbrow, part low, a little intellectual, always funny, the conversation rarely ceases as these two take their latest journey, this time through Greece.
Where to Go and What to Do on a Trip to Greece
As they trace the path of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca, Coogan and Brydon technically launch their own trip to Greece from Turkey, which Troy (or Tevfikiye) is now part of. Viewers get some predictable riffs as the two land on the island of Lesbos before making their way to Hydra, the oracle of Delphi, and beyond.
Who wouldn’t love a glass of wine, an ocean view, and some fresh seafood at some fantastic restaurant in Greece right now?
Although Coogan’s and Brydon’s characters lead fairly free and easy lives, I like that the filmmakers also picture kitchen staffs enduring heat and flame to provide service to their customers. It is astonishing how just a few months have made the ability to do either—relax on a restaurant terrace or prepare a sumptuous meal for clients—seem like such an exquisite luxury.
Enjoy your own virtual visit to Greece while watching this film, but remember that the real takeaway is a reminder to value friendship and family and the ritual of sitting down to a good meal.
The Trip to Greece, film, 2020
—Lori Tripoli
Lori Tripoli is the editor and publisher of Bashful Adventurer. Based in the New York City vicinity, she writes about travel for a variety of publications. Contact Lori at loritripoli @ bashfuladventurer.com.
Seeking to armchair travel during the pandemic, quarantine, stay-in-place phase of life?
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