Ithaka

We sailed through the Corinthian Gulf and the water was as calm as oil…as the Greeks say when the sea is calm! Cruising through it we gazed at the mountains of Central Greece on one side and the ones of the Peloponnese to the south. En route we sailed past the seaside city of Naupaktos, where the naval battle of Lepanto had taken place in 1571 and crossed below the Rio – Antirio Bridge with the mast clearing the bridge by only two meters.

Ithaka is one of the most unspoiled islands of the Ionian group, situated in the western part of Greece. We sailed into the harbor of Vathi, which means deep, and indeed it is the deepest harbor in this part of the country, almost 1000 meters long. Such a quaint town unfolds by the seafront, full of character and atmosphere.

We took a wonderful bus ride up a windy road to reach one of the most stunning viewpoints of the island. The wildflowers were absolutely amazing, covering the area like carpets; Sharon was down on her knees again, photographing them and telling us about them! We visited the monastery of Katharon, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Goats were running up and down rocky cliffs, creating an exciting atmosphere. We stopped at the village of Anogi, borrowed the key to the church from a local, and visited this very old monastery, dating back to the 12th century. It was even decorated with original frescoes.

We stopped at the village of Stavros, with wonderful views overlooking the three natural harbors of the area mentioned in the Odyssey, and our course turned back the clock of time to the days of Odysseus. It is believed that this was the bases of his kingdom of islands, and excavations have brought to light the remains of a large building dating to the time that he lived….however no evidence has been found that this was indeed where his palace was. The island does carry on names from the time of Homer and the Iliad, transferring us to these same islands so many thousands of years later!

Beautiful views of the nearby Cephalonia could be seen en route: inviting beaches, olive groves, cypress trees, flowers….it was a small paradise…we had reached the island of Odysseus and it would follow us in our thoughts and memories forever! As the poem written by Kavafis says….. as you set off for Ithaka, hope that the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery….and if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Ithaka had given us this marvelous journey….. Later we went swimming in her waters and sailed north past the rest of the Ionian Islands, like Lefkas, Paxos and Corfu in order to cross over to the nearby Albania. We sailed through the Ionian Sea, it was so calm and beautiful….it was the light in its liquid form….the ancient philosophers used to say…