Greece

My grandchildren (ages 5, 7, and 9) were arranged in a disheveled tangle around me on the leather sectional, fresh popcorn, pillows and stuffies spilling about. In my best melodramatic voice, I slowly read the chilling description of the Cyclops holding our hero and his men captive in the back of a dark, dank cave, “. . . broad and ugly, with a jutting nose and a thick, heavy brow.” Their rapt faces testified to the enduring power storytelling holds in our lives. I marveled as Homer’s tale of Odysseus’ struggles with sirens, sea monsters, and witches held this newest generation spellbound nearly 3,000 years after it was first recorded in the 8^th century, BCE. I have to admit that the story still holds me spellbound! And so it was, with this sweet scene still in my heart, that we set off for the magical islands of the Ionian Sea, home to Odysseus, where Greek gods and legends lurk around every rock. And, of course, another rendevous with Mark and Shannon.

According to the internet, there have been 33 movie adaptations of the Odyssey with number 34 (a Christopher Nolan epic) set for release next year. The story of Oddesseus’ 10-year journey home from the Trojan War has been retold countless times yet retains its hold on our imaginations. There is some speculation that the Greek island of Kefalonia, our primary destination, was the actual site of Odysseus’ kingdom rather than its neighbor, modern day Ithaca. We decided on an itinerary that included both, just to be sure we’d cover all the bases. Also, you know, more beaches.

Our host on Ithaca has her own remarkable story. Angela is a daughter of Kefalonia. Her ancestors were Normans who first settled here sometime in the 11^th century, were brutally massacred by a rival clan in the 15^th century, then returned to start again a couple hundred years later, reestablishing the family estate under the Venetian rulers of that era. In the 20^th century, Angela’s family migrated to the U.S. where she was raised and became a high-school English teacher in the Bay Area. It was a summer visit at age 17 that planted the seed. The family estate at the heart of the Paliki peninsula, now 250 years-old, neglected and uninhabitable, began to tug at her consciousness.

One of my favorite moments of Homer’s tale about Odysseus comes near the very end. Odysseus has finally returned home, and his beloved wife, Penelope, who has been chaste and steadfast for all the years of his absence, fears the gods may be playing tricks on her and is having trouble accepting that this is really her long lost husband returned. That she is a very cunning woman is clear from the machinations she conceived to survive two decades of her husband’s absence. So, as a test, she casually tells her maid to move the couple’s bed to another room. Odysseus immediately intervenes, protesting that the bed cannot be moved. He knew, having built the bed himself, that one of the bed posts was actually a rooted, living, olive tree! Having passed her sly test, Penelope falls into his arms at last.

Angela, it seems, may have a similar connection to these islands.

The legacy and stories were too much to resist, and she began rebuilding her ancient family home more than 20 years-ago, exploring its history, reestablishing relationships with local families, hiring local craftsmen, and learning the ways of the island’s agriculture. Slowly, one summer at a time, she has transformed 40 acres of neglected olive trees and vineyards into an estate, and herself from schoolteacher into mistress of the Delaporta legacy. We formally declared her the Duchess of Delaportata. Her hospitality and generosity were extraordinary and made our time on the island a profound experience.

How privileged we are to have had such an inside view of Greek island life! The best tavernas, beaches, shops, wineries, villages and viewpoints were all ours. While Kefalonia receives a significant number of visitors, this is not the tourist mecca that so many of the Greek islands have become with cruise ships inundating the ports, and people jamming the narrow village lanes. It is a rugged landscape of rocks, mountains, chaparral, and forest that is circumscribed by the stunning blue of the Ionian Sea. It was also the place I was required to observe my &#%th birthday. So, to celebrate, we embarked on a day in pursuit of myths and legends on Kefalonia’s famous neighbor – Ithaca.

It has become clear to Bonnie and I that nothing the Mediterranean has to offer is better than sailing into a small, secluded cove, dropping anchor, and sliding into the welcoming sea. It’s like a narcotic – the more times you experience the euphoria, the more times you want to repeat it. Our charter captain promised us the finest Ionian swimming spots, but first, we would have to track Odysseus across Ithaka. We found Lilly, the 36-foot sailboat that would be ours for the day, tied to the quay in Agia Effimina, a small fishing village on the east side of the island. (Ask Bonnie, sometime, about walking the single plank across to the stern of the boat.) Our itinerary began with a quick trip across Steno Ithacis (the Straight of Ithaca) where we met our tour guide for a half-day trip through history and myth.

Our timing was somewhat unique. The week of our visit, the Greek Ministry of Culture released the news of a major new discovery at one of the most important archaeological sites on Ithaca, known as the “School of Homer”, and the primary destination of our little expedition.

The site’s significance grows exponentially with the confirmation of a sanctuary dedicated to Odysseus, evidenced by two newly discovered inscriptions from the late Hellenistic period: ΟΔΥCCEOC (Odysseus, genitive) and ΟΔΥCCEI (Odysseus, dative). These epigraphic findings align with a 1930s discovery in the Polis Bay cave, which bore the inscription “ΕΥΧΗΝ ΟΔΥCCΕΙ” (“Thanks, Odysseus”), and support the longstanding theory of hero cult worship centered on the island’s most famous son.

A miniature bronze bust of Odysseus and multiple ritual artifacts—including 34 fragments of clay votives, loom weights, gold and bronze jewelry, and over 100 coins from various city-states—underscore the site’s religious and social significance during the Hellenistic and early Roman periods (3rd century BCE – 2nd century CE).

 . . . This discovery brings us closer than ever to verifying the physical roots of Homer’s epic legacy. Whether one views Odysseus as a myth, a man, or both, the sanctuary in northwestern Ithaca offers compelling evidence of his heroic cult and cultural importance across millennia.

As excavation and conservation efforts continue, the School of Homer stands not only as an archaeological treasure but also as a symbolic link between myth and historical memory—a place where Odysseus, king and wanderer, is honored in stone, inscription, and enduring human fascination.

Greek Ministry of Culture – June 9, 2025

When we arrived at the site, the guide took us immediately to the location of the find described above, an underground cistern that had just recently been uncovered. There we stood, staring into a spring, lined with stone more than 3,000 years-ago, which may have served as the water source for Penelope and her household while Odysseus battled sea monsters to return home. “ . . . Loom weights, gold and bronze jewelry . . .” The words sent my mind spinning, Homer whispering in my ear tales of a wife, working at her loom, spinning scheme after scheme, holding her community together, buying time for her beloved husband to return to her here, on these terraces of rock, overlooking the sea on which he had disappeared.

We wound our way down from the site, breathtaking views of the island and water around every bend, toward the village of Kioni for a seaside taverna lunch before reembarking on the Lilly for an afternoon of sailing and swimming. The day was giving way to sunset as the last of the breeze faded and we were forced to take down the sails and motor back into port back on Kefalonia. In my mind, I heard the creek of wood, the zing of rope, and the collapse of canvas, as the call went up to man the oars for home – Odysseus’ gaze searching the horizon.

What a birthday!

Sea, Sand, & Sun

By Bonnie Noble

What is it about water? Especially sea water? How can it be inspiring and intimidating at the same time? How does it create both a sense of peace and awe? What is it about the sea that calls to us? It was our great good fortune, on our latest travel adventure to the Greek Islands, to have time for pondering these questions while surrounded by the sea.

Oh So Blue

The crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea range from the deepest blue to sparkling turquoise. It’s hard to believe how blue the water is. It’s impossible to stop staring at it.

It turns out, there are mental health benefits to staring at the ocean. The color blue seems to be associated with calm and peace and we often find our selves in a relaxed, meditative state. Being near the sea is a remedy for stress and anxiety and we feel more connected to nature. 

…our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, an even heal what’s broken.  Wallace J. Nichols, Marine Biologist

Wading & Jumping

Whether it’s wading into the water from a beautiful sandy beach or jumping in from the side of a boat, there’s no better feeling than being in sea water. We were fortunate to have almost daily opportunities to wade, dive, and swim during our time in Crete, Santorini, and Paros. 

Numerous health benefits are attributed to salt water (and the Mediterranean is salty!). Breathing in salty water clears your throat and airways, heals cuts and scrapes, and soothes muscles and joint pains. It’s wonderful to feel supported, buoyed, and gently rocked by the sea.

A Favorite Beach?

Catering to tourists, most hotels and resorts in Greece include beautiful pools and Jacuzzi hot tubs. But the Greeks can’t understand why many of us prefer this artificial water that we can find in every other part of the planet, even our own backyards. For us, the natural beauty, the movement and sound of the surf, the warm sand make beaches a clear winner in the pool vs. beach debate.

Last May, anticipating our return to Greece to explore a few islands, we asked every Greek we met, “What is your favorite island?” The response was always the same – the name of a favorite beach. As we drove around the island of Paros one day, we drove past many beaches. After a while, Ed stopped the car, we changed to our suits (behind the car) and went for a swim. There were just a few locals nearby doing the same. No umbrellas lined up on the sand, no one to bring a cold drink, no frills…just sand and sea. The sea was calling. 

Greeks love the sea. It is the very essence of their being, their culture, and their legacy. They treasure the feel of the cool, salty water on their skin, let their feet touch the soft wet sand, and lie on the beach basking in the joy of the sun drying their body. Is it possible we could be at least part Greek?

Magic

And then, there’s the sunrises and sunsets with vibrant colors reflecting off of the water creating a magical atmosphere. I especially love sunsets!

It’s All Here

With an amazing combination of natural beauty and historical significance, the Aegean is an incredible place. Besides the beaches and the ultra blue water, there are stunning coastlines, ancient ruins, charming villages, vibrant cities – it’s all here to see and experience.

The sea is “a trigger telling your brain you’re in the right place.”  Wallace J. Nichols

The Ancient Stones

By Ed Noble

As an American, with our limited education in the history and cultures of the world, tags like “the cradle of western civilization” just roll right over us without any real comprehension. Bonnie and I have spent a total of four weeks wandering about Greece this year, and it is slowly dawning on us just how profound that label is when describing the glories of Greek history and culture.

The Great Minoan Civilization

In Greece, you cannot escape the past. Thousands of archaeological sites testify to 5,000 years of human achievement in the development and organization of societies and cultures. The more you see and learn, the more astonishing they become. Consider, for example, our most recent foray into antiquity – a site in Crete known as the Knossos Palace.

This archaeological site was unknown just 150 years ago. It was an olive grove. Lying silently beneath that grove of trees lay a complex stone masterpiece of engineering and construction comprising some 1,300 rooms that had once been the center of a magnificent seafaring civilization buried and forgotten for several millenia. While its discovery and excavation is an interesting story, what is breathtaking for me is to contemplate the sophistication and intelligence of the society that had to have existed to make it possible.

Indoor Plumbing

We have named these people the Minoans – a name drawn from mythology referencing a King Minos, he of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. In fact, this association is pure speculation and there is much more evidence that Knossos was, in fact, an amazing civilization based on regional trade that existed for a thousand years, peacefully, without wars – developing art, music, dance, and a sophistication that is astonishing to contemplate when compared to what we consider to be modern society. For example, recent excavations of the area around the palace, where the community at large made their homes, has revealed that literally every home had indoor plumbing: fresh running water, waste water piping, and a separate toilet room. Every home! American homes were not guaranteed to include these features as recently as in my grandparents lifetime!

One intriguing theory of what made this culture unique is that it may have been matriarchal – organized and run by women. This might help explain the absence of violence and warriors. Imagine a wealthy and sophisticated society where war and domination of its neighbors was not a feature.

“At the dawn of civilization . . . there was Crete and Sumeria, and Crete had a peaceful trading culture, run by women and filled with art and beauty—a utopia in fact, where the men were acrobats who jumped bulls all day, and women all night, and got the women pregnant and worshipped them . . . While Sumeria on the other hand was ruled by men, who invented war and conquered everything in sight and started all the slave empires that have come since . . . what might have happened if these two civilizations had had a chance to contest the rule of the world, because a volcano blew Crete to kingdom come, and the world passed into Sumeria’s hands . . . If only that volcano had been in Sumeria,”

Kim Stanley Robinson, The Mars Trilogy

Modern Art

Yes, sometime around 1,750 years before Christ, a volcano exploded at the place we know today as Santorini forever changing history. For me, of course, it’s the art, architecture, and construction technology that fascinates. This palace is only one of at least a dozen on the island of Crete accompanied in each case by a surrounding community of homes and villas. The term “palace” is a misnomer as these projects were much more than a home of the elites. They included administration, workshops, storage, and religious spaces. It seems evident that they were key to the economic and cultural success of this society.

That success allowed the development of an amazing range of artistic achievements including sculpture, wall paintings, pottery, and jewelry, all of which evidence a refined and sophisticated sense of design. In fact, the art of the Minoans feels entirely contemporary with an emphasis on composition, simplicity of form, and refined execution that would be equally at home in MOMA or the Met.

So here we have a civilization that was literally unknown to us just a few generations ago with a sophistication and capability that was also unimagined. It begs the question, of course, what else has been lost to human knowledge and understanding? How many other amazing places exist beneath the blanketing silt of history? I’m humbled.

We often miss our seaside retreat on the Mendocino Coast. There are few things as magical as watching the changing ocean throughout the day and listening to the crashing waves in bed each evening and morning. It seems we’ve fallen in love with Greece. We’re already talking about an annual trip and trying to decide which islands (beaches) to explore next. 

“Greece is a haven. I’ve been around the world, to beautiful places in the world, none of them tops Greece. The land, the sky, the water, it’s good for the soul; it’s a healing place. Particularly if you get into that fabulous, fabulous Greek schedule of sleeping until noon, staying up until 3 o’clock in the morning, and arguing in a taverna until 3 am. It’s just the best life one can have.”

Tom Hanks