Ithaka, Greece
“When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon –
do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty,
as long as a rare emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon –
you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you . . .”
-- Constantine P Cavafy
Ithaka, home and kingdom of Odysseus, and his goal and destination throughout Homer’s Odyssey. It’s hard to believe that such an important island over 3000 years ago that has endured through 2,800 years of Western literature can be such a tranquil and forgotten island in today’s modern world. With most of the houses and buildings leveled by the massive earthquake of 1953, Ithaka is now a quiet retreat for people who want to get away from crowds and immerse themselves in nature and spectacular scenery.
And that it was. We had to borrow busses and guides from the much larger neighboring island of Kephalonia, and we drove around Ithaka marveling at the views on a gorgeous day. We had a little time for some quiet waterfront shopping before we moved around to the next bay for an afternoon of swimming and kayaking, and a little bit of contemplation of our own personal Ithakas.
“When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon –
do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty,
as long as a rare emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon –
you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you . . .”
-- Constantine P Cavafy
Ithaka, home and kingdom of Odysseus, and his goal and destination throughout Homer’s Odyssey. It’s hard to believe that such an important island over 3000 years ago that has endured through 2,800 years of Western literature can be such a tranquil and forgotten island in today’s modern world. With most of the houses and buildings leveled by the massive earthquake of 1953, Ithaka is now a quiet retreat for people who want to get away from crowds and immerse themselves in nature and spectacular scenery.
And that it was. We had to borrow busses and guides from the much larger neighboring island of Kephalonia, and we drove around Ithaka marveling at the views on a gorgeous day. We had a little time for some quiet waterfront shopping before we moved around to the next bay for an afternoon of swimming and kayaking, and a little bit of contemplation of our own personal Ithakas.
