Ithaka, Greece
“When you set out for Ithaka, ask that your way be long, full of adventure, full of instruction . . . “
So begins the great Greek poet Constantine Cavafy’s philosophical poem about Odysseus’s legendary return home from the Trojan War, with the timeless message that life is not the destination but the journey. It is one of the great themes of history and literature, and a fitting mantra for expedition travel, so it was an appropriate theme for our visit to this famous but ironically overlooked Ionian island.
Scholars still debate whether today’s Ithaka is indeed the Ithaka of homer’s Odyssey, though most Greek Islands hold steadfast to their ancient names. Perhaps Odysseus’s kingdom included the much larger neighbor of Cephalonia, and perhaps he ruled from this smaller of islands. What is known is that the island’s geography matches many details of Homer’s description, and our port of call at Vathi (“deep”) bay is perhaps the most protected deepwater harbor in Greece.
We set out after breakfast with open minds and hearts to wind and twist through this stunningly rugged and precipitous landscape that was a far better home for goats, olive trees and myrtle bushes than to people. The Monastery of Our Blessed Virgin atop the highest peak was a small jewel of Greek Orthodoxy, as was the tiny unassuming Byzantine Church in the hamlet down the road. The views of the port of Vathi and the bay below were amazing, as was the clarity and color of the Ionian Sea and coastline. Dizzy with the scenery, we returned to Vathi for a short stroll and some shopping before moving the ship to a nearby anchorage for the afternoon.
It was hot, and we were eager to get in the water. We took Zodiacs ashore to a sheltered beach and before long we were a group of happy bobbleheads, bobbing in the warm and buoyant Mediterranean Sea. Many of us took kayaks around the bay and quite a few swam from the beach to the ship. We finished our day in Ithaka with a special Greek buffet feast, starting with the obligatory ouzo and grilled octopus, finishing with baklava, and watching the moon’s reflection on our own Ithaka journey.
