Zorba's Taverna: The Trouble With Goats and Mayors

Zorba's Taverna: The Trouble With Goats and Mayors

Welcome back to Telios, the Greek village where bureaucracy meets baklava and the goats have more political sense than the mayors. When a new wave of regulations threatens to close Zorba’s beloved seaside taverna once again, Peter and his formidable wife Alex rally the villagers to defend their tables, their traditions, and their right to argue loudly over dinner. What begins as a local skirmish soon spirals into full-blown municipal mayhem, complete with spoon-wielding grandmothers, a goat with diplomatic immunity, and a mayoral election that nobody actually wants to win. Between the gossip-mongering Maria, philosopher-bench-dweller Spiros, saintly Father Evangelos, and the ever-present Theodora guarding her kitchen with divine wrath, the taverna becomes Greece in miniature: passionate, chaotic, generous, and gloriously alive. Part memoir, part comic fiction, Zorba’s Taverna: The Trouble with Goats & Mayors is Peter Barber at his funniest and most affectionate. A warm, witty celebration of island life, friendship, food, and the beautiful absurdity of trying to organise anything in Greece. If it didn’t happen exactly this way… it absolutely should have. Peter Barber is an award-winning author with a passion for Greece and a gift for capturing its humour, heart, and glorious chaos. A British native who traded England's grey drizzle for Greece's sun-soaked unpredictability, Peter has built a devoted readership through his warm, funny, and sharply observed storytelling. His books include A Parthenon on Our Roof, A Parthenon in Pefki, The Parthenon Paradox, and the hit new Zorba series-Zorba's Parthenon, Zorba's Taverna, and the soon-to-be-released Zorba's Embrace. Peter's Greek journey began when he married Alex, his fiery and fiercely independent Greek wife, who took it upon herself to transform him from a polite, rule-driven Englishman into a more heroic (and far less composed) version of himself. Immersed in Alex's warm, loud, and wonderfully expressive family, Peter discovered a world where emotions are lived out loud, laughter is plentiful, and nothing happens quietly. Inspired by the charm and everyday madness of Greek life, Peter began writing to capture his experiences before they blended into routine. His first memoir quickly won readers over with its humour and honesty, proving that while cultures differ, the things that connect us-love, laughter, family-are universal. Peter's books continue to serve as affectionate love letters to Greece. Whether navigating village bureaucracy, surviving passionate family debates, or observing the unpredictable rhythm of life in a small seaside village, his stories celebrate resilience, community, and the art of finding humour in life's surprises. His latest memoir, The Parthenon Paradox, is his most personal yet, chronicling the aftermath of a devastating flood that destroyed his home and the journey to rebuild with humour and hope. Meanwhile, his fast-growing Zorba series introduces readers to the fictional village of Pefki, blending truth and storytelling in the spirit of "if it didn't happen this way, it should have. Peter divides his time between Greece and the UK, continually inspired by the beauty and absurdity of both worlds. Through his books, he invites readers to experience the warmth, comedy, and irresistible spirit of Greece-no passport required.