Arrival on Ithaca’s Shore
Swimming ashore from the boat, I observe a narrow shingle beach strewn with driftwood. Logs, bamboo canes, and the sun-dried planks of an old shipwreck cover the shore. The steep ascent up the hill behind is challenging. I navigate around dense clumps of thorn and ancient, abandoned olive trees, climbing over jagged limestone outcrops. Each time I grasp a rocky crevice, I am wary of snakes. However, the only inhabitants are spiders. Their webs stretch between the trees, so thick and resilient that I take a stick to cut through them. It is evident that no one has visited this place for a long time.
Near the hilltop, I discover the ruins of a stone building. I wonder who once lived here and where they have gone. A few steps further, the land ends abruptly in a sheer white cliff that plunges into an improbably blue sea. In the distance, through the haze, a cluster of Ionian islands appears, one of which I recognize as Ithaca.
At that moment, I feel something run across my forehead and let out an involuntary scream. An arachnid adversary has come to exact revenge. I leap up, arms flailing, as the eight-legged creature heads toward the underworld of my left armpit.
Odysseus and the Narrative of Adventure
In classical epic tales of human adventure, the narrative often begins in medias res, a technique first identified by the Roman poet Horace. At this central point, the protagonist is usually in dire straits: likely lost at sea, often naked, and always alone. This prompts the audience to ask how the character arrived at this low point and what will happen next. This pattern recurs frequently. For instance, the 2002 film The Bourne Identity opens with Matt Damon’s character floating in the Mediterranean Sea, disoriented and unaware of his identity. Through the kindness of strangers and intense bouts of violence, he gradually moves toward resolution.
Now, Matt Damon reprises a similar journey, this time donning a pleated skirt and bronze helmet as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, a $250 million blockbuster scheduled for release on 17 July in the UK and US, featuring an ensemble cast of deities. However, the literary Odysseus is far more complex than a Hollywood action hero. He is a devoted husband, yet also a pathological liar, serial philanderer, murderer, carpenter, and, most notably, a traveler. Like all travelers recounting their journeys around a campfire, he faces the challenge of conveying the full visceral impact of his experiences to captivate his audience. Traditionally, storytellers choose between the full truth or the fuller truth.
Encounter with the Arachnid and the Sea
Back on the clifftop, still irritated by the spider’s assault, I dive into the improbably blue sea, only to find my attacker transformed into a six-headed monster dragging me toward a giant whirlpool. To complicate matters, I have lost my glasses.
Setting Sail for Ithaca
A few days earlier, I arrived on the Greek mainland and set sail for Ithaca. This journey is more accessible than it might seem. First, one must find a friend with the appropriate sailing credentials or obtain them independently, then assemble a crew and locate a boat. Alternatively, one can pay extra to hire a skipper. We sailed with Neilson Holidays, which operates a mainland base near Palairos on the Ionian Sea. Depending on experience and qualifications, sailors can either follow a flotilla or navigate independently. Upon arrival, we found our boat, Cafard, which my multilingual skipper friend Fabian translates as Depressed Cockroach. I wondered if this was a misspelling of Cavafy, the Greek poet who wrote:
When you set out for Ithaca
Ask that your way be long,
Full of adventure, full of instruction
We stocked provisions and set sail, hoping for adventure and instruction. My wife, Sophie, who had never sailed before, was taking seasickness tablets faster than Odysseus’s men consumed the sun god’s cattle, which famously ended badly. Could we discover a Homeric sense of wonder and novelty on our voyage to Ithaca and report back truthfully?
First Days at Sea and Island Visits
Despite the yacht’s name, the beginning of our journey was auspicious. Leaving Palairos, we sailed into a pod of dolphins that swarmed around the bows, close enough to make eye contact. That night, we anchored at Kalamos, a steep-sided wooded island with a tiny port. At the taverna, cats stretched out under chairs where old men leisurely extended their glasses of ouzo. Conversation turned to a crashed military drone found by fishermen in a sea cave north of the island. The engine was reportedly still running, and the drone carried 100kg of explosives. I wondered if the story was exaggerated or connected to the presence of unfriendly Russians on some islands, who hid behind warning signs for savage dogs. Odysseus would have disapproved; he was highly attuned to any abuse of hospitality and perhaps overly sensitive to other men flirting with his wife.
The next morning, we sailed out, stopping at Porto Leone, a village on Kalamos abandoned after the 1953 earthquake. Our plan was to stop again at the island of Atokos, where wild pigs are said to swim off the beach, but the wind picked up, and we were smashing through the waves. Fabian was exhilarated, while Sophie, amazed at not feeling seasick, expressed joy with shrieks.
Arrival at Ithaca’s Port
We headed for Vathy on Ithaca, a small settlement consisting mainly of old houses around a picturesque harbor. I was told that in August, berths fill up before lunchtime. The waterfront is charming, featuring a corner shop stocking everything, a top-quality bakery, tavernas, and some upscale boutiques, all adorned with colorful bougainvillaea. In one artistic studio, a yachtie with auburn hair and a regal demeanor was inquiring about the price of a swordfish sculpture.
“It’s €15,000,” purrs the assistant.
Not everything was expensive; we found that a good dinner with wine could be enjoyed for less than €25 per person.
Exploring Ithaca’s Heritage
The following day, I explored some of the island’s footpaths, a network in need of maintenance. In the town of Stavros, the tiny museum houses an inscription found in a nearby cave: a second-century BC pottery shard bearing the words “pray to Odysseus” and several pieces of bronze tripod cauldrons dated to the ninth century BC. Locals regard these as some of the Phaeacian gifts mentioned in The Odyssey.
About a mile further up the trail, at a site known as the School of Homer, lie the ruins of what may have been a palace. This evidence led locals to construct a model in Stavros town square and confidently identify Odysseus’s bedroom. If one listens closely, one might hear him say:
“Honestly Penelope, they both bewitched me. I was a sex slave. I couldn’t wait to get home.”
The tradition of Odyssean storytelling remains vibrant.
In the highly recommended local bakery, another tradition is on display: cakes. The island’s specialty is rovani, a delicious spicy cake served with ice cream.
Further Sailing and Final Reflections
Our voyage included stops at Kefalonia and the bustling mainland port of Sivota, but the highlight was a solitary anchorage off the enigmatic island of Meganisi. While parts of the Ionian coast are experiencing a construction boom, with glass and concrete buildings spreading across hillsides like an unwelcome rash, Meganisi offered tranquility. We snorkeled among shoals of fish, explored vast sea caves, and raised a toast to the magnificent poet Homer and the inspiration he has provided for nearly three millennia. After a week at sea, we sailed back to Palairos. Everyone enjoyed the trip, including the nervous first-time sailor. I departed with vivid memories, not least the desperate underwater struggle with the deadly spider that stole my glasses.
Travel Information
The trip was provided by Neilson Holidays: a sailing holiday from £595 per person (for four adults), including flights from Gatwick; skippered boat from £1,145 per person. Travel to London was provided by British Airways, and accommodation for a visit to the British Museum’s Greek section was arranged by the museum.
