Ithaca
After sailing all night we woke up in the morning in Ithaca, Greece, and a beautiful little bay served as our shelter for the morning. The sea had a bright blue color and all the hills around us were green.
After breakfast, our small boats, kayaks, fins and snorkels were ready for us and inviting us to enjoy the water. Was once perhaps Odysseus swimming in these waters? Maybe, who knows? It was a warm morning and everybody had a chance to relax.
At around noon, Linda, our naturalist, had her presentation on Mediterranean plants. There is such a variety of species that it is impossible not to learn something new. It was very interesting. The only thing that shocked me was that the wasps lay their eggs into the figs. This was something I did not want to know!
In the afternoon, our buses came and the exploration of Ithaca started. Soon after we left the main town of Vathy we saw a nice small beach which is supposed to be the one where Odysseus was left by the Phaiaceans. This is where he saw goddess Athena who gave him instructions.
We followed a narrow winding road that brought us on top of a hill next to a monastery. The view was spectacular. After a short introduction to Byzantine art we visited a small church. The frescoes were not old so we continued our scenic drive to the next village in order to see original byzantine frescoes from the 12th Century. It took us some time to find the old man that had the key to the church but finally we spotted him and the frescoes were great so it was worth the wait.
Our next stop was at Stavros, a village overlooking the sea where some antiquities have been discovered. We could not see them, but they have given hope that the palace of Odysseus might be the next place to be excavated. We have to wait and see. A bust of the Homeric hero was standing in the middle of the town square to remind visitors of the strong legend of Ithaca.
On the way back we followed another road from where we could see the island of Cephallonia. A narrow channel divides the two islands. The views were breathtaking. Could Cephallonia be the place where Odysseus had his palace? It is a possibility. We know now that the kingdom of Odysseus included all the islands around Ithaca.
The Odyssey and the adventurous travels of its protagonist will always inspire people to try the impossible, to make the journey worth living, to reach your destination wiser, more mature and happier!
