Early this morning, Sea Cloud sailed into the deepest harbor of the Ionian Sea, on the island of Ithaka. It is named Vathi, which means deep, and indeed it is not only the deepest, but also one of the most beautiful places! 

We used Zodiacs to land at the picturesque town of Vathi, where we started a tour of the island. The scenery was stunning, even with the overcast sky and rain. We gazed at small narrow roads, alongside the beautiful coastal area, dotted with olive trees and cypress trees and leading down to tiny beaches with turquoise water. 

As we listened to the narration of our Greek guides, we realized that this was once the home of Odysseus, the famous king of Ithaka and hero of Homer’s The Odyssey. It was incredible to think that we were here, on an island we knew from the Homeric epics! Odysseus fought in Troy for 10 years, then traveled for another 10 years to reach his homeland, while his wife Penelope faithfully waited for his return. The story is still well-known today, after surviving for thousands of years, first through word of mouth and later through the written word. 

As we drove around one of the high mountains of Ithaka, gazing down into the port of Vathi, we had an incredible view of the sea and the mountains of mainland Greece. We visited a 17th century monastery filled with Byzantine icons and frescoes. The drizzle continued, but when we stepped outside of the church, we saw that the rain had stopped and the sun was glowing over the whole island. From the bell tower, we enjoyed a glorious view over the harbor, mainland Greece, and the nearby island of Cephalonia. 

From here, we drove to the village of Stavros, where we were able to view the three coves of Ithaka as mentioned in the Odyssey. We saw a model of a building associated with the ancient history of the island, and a modern bust of the famous Odysseus! Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice Greek coffee and ice cream while gazing at the view.      

We drove back to the capital town of Vathi, where we wandered around the narrow streets and stores. It was all so charming—like a postcard city! Finally, we returned to the Sea Cloud for another great lunch. We looked back at the island of Ithaka, which was once again overcast and rainy (our timing here had been great!). 

As the famous Greek poet said, Ithaka is not about the destination, but about the journey of our life that we must enjoy in every way!