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"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Greek in charge of a kingdom must be in want of an island. " (Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice) Many versions abound regarding Odysseus’ birthplace. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Ithaca know a good story when they see one, and even if Odysseus was born elsewhere, that hasn’t stopped the Ithacans adopting him as their own. Saatchi and Saatchi could not have improved the branding and merchandising. We have seen Odysseus S

Proof that Odysseus lived in Vathi, Ithaca? Well, we have seen the statue and found the street name in Vathi, so that must be definitive proof that Odysseus came from Ithaca. Alix with Odysseus in Vathi The locals would certainly have you believe that, because it’s terribly good for business. But I’m not convinced, as I explained last season in “ The Voyage of Odysseus ”. Not only does the theory not make sense from a sailor’s geographical perspective, but should Homer’s epic

Our first evening at anchor, in Ormos Vlikho, was slightly spoiled by one thing. The pump on one of our Jabsco marine heads (loo!) had developed a very slight leak. Richard discovered it at 18:45 and was already lining up screwdrivers, hammers [ Ed – really? ], his trusty Leatherman, and calling for containers into which to place screws, bolts, bits of loo etc. Forget the fact it would soon be dark, forget the fact we were swinging on the hook, he was going to take it apart a

Fiskardo, Cephalonia Spring wildflowers are ubiquitous Simple architectural form with pastel shades and red-tile rooves Fiskardo is a simply beautiful Cephalonian village, especially in early spring, well before the tourist hordes arrive. It is tiny with only 189 residents per the last census. It is peaceful and quiet now, with all but one of the tavernas closed. The sea water temperature is still only 17 degrees, so it’s still too cold for a swim, but the air temperature is

Introduction [by Richard] If you were asked to name to top 10 most famous canals in the world, no doubt the Lefkas Canal would not make your list. And I’m talking about canals that allow boats to pass, not irrigation channels. Yet the Lefkas Canal is one of the oldest canals in the world. Not as old as Egyptian ones, but still constructed as early about 650 BC. The first version was built by the new Corinthian colony of Lefkas town, and it turned this promontory of north-west