- 🌀The Greek Talk
- Posts
- 🌀Ithaki's Secrets, Odysseus and the Art of Taking the Long Way Home
🌀Ithaki's Secrets, Odysseus and the Art of Taking the Long Way Home
The Greek Talk: Hotter than August in Athens, and more organized than your cousin’s wedding 💃 💒
In partnership with
Hi Greek Talkers!
First off, shoutout to Panayiota S. and Michalis N. Panayiota, we hear you — you want more mainland destinations (we promise, the mainland isn’t ghosting you). And Michalis, noted: you want more on Greek painters — we’ll work on that!
This week we’re off to Ithaki, Odysseus’s mythical home and real‑life masterclass in taking the scenic route. We also have cosmic breakthroughs, new tax homes for billionaires (for real) and diaspora news from Boston lecture halls to Melbourne football pitches.
Let’s dive in. ☕🤿🇬🇷
**Got a story, photo, or memory we should share? Send it our way — we’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
100 Genius Side Hustle Ideas
Don't wait. Sign up for The Hustle to unlock our side hustle database. Unlike generic "start a blog" advice, we've curated 100 actual business ideas with real earning potential, startup costs, and time requirements. Join 1.5M professionals getting smarter about business daily and launch your next money-making venture.
🇬🇷 WHAT’S NEW IN GREECE
🔭 ESA applauds Greece for optical link to space — proving Greeks can call extraterrestrials, just not any professional in August.
The Ground Laser Transmitter at the Kryoneri Observatory. [ESA]/ ekathimerini
🪨 Greece polishes up Ancient Corinth’s Roman gems — “ruins chic” just got an upgrade.
View of the storage buildings in relation to the archaeological remains within the accessible site (southern view of the structures). Photo source: Culture Ministry
More news from Greece
☀️ Heat takes 1.1% off Greek GDP — and knocks productivity to “let’s talk in September” levels.
🙋♀️ Greece a top pick for solo female travelers — sunsets optional, unsolicited advice guaranteed.
💰 Greece sweetens tax perks for family offices — somewhere a shipping magnate just popped champagne.
📚 From Aristotle to Aperol: Thessaloniki carves a spot in Italy’s academic getaway map.
🌊 Sikinos completes Cycladic heritage projects - still no Starbucks and that’s the point!
🌎️ WHAT’S NEW OUTSIDE OF GREECE
📚 Award‑winning Greek memoirist Nikos Papastergiadis proves diaspora stories deserve shelf space — and maybe Netflix deals.
ekathimerini
More news from outside of Greece
🎓 Dr. Polyvia Parara brings Greek brilliance to Boston — just in time for fall leaves and freddos.
🏔️ Epirus diaspora gathers to plan the future — expect equal parts strategy, history, and klarína.
⚡️ Sofia Sakalis brings her Greek fire to Australia’s ASEAN campaign.
🎦 Greece wants more films, stronger diaspora ties - popcorn optional, souvlaki mandatory.
🌍 W.H.I.A. meets in Athens — the only political summit where baklava is a policy tool.
💎 CULTURAL GEMS
the collector.com
🏛️ The Palace of Odysseus: Fact, Fable, or Just Really Old Rocks?
Before we set sail for Ithaki, a quick stop in the hills to visit its most famous — and most argued‑over — landmark. Some say it’s where Odysseus ruled, others say it’s just really old rocks.
High in the hills near the village of Agios Athanasios sits a cluster of ancient stone walls, terraces, and cisterns that locals proudly call the Palace of Odysseus. The view sweeps across Ithaki’s rugged coastline, the kind of vantage point you’d expect from a king who needed to spot suitors and enemies from a distance. Archaeologists have found evidence of a significant Mycenaean settlement here, dating back to the era when Homer’s Odyssey was set — enough to keep the legend alive, but not enough to stop scholars from debating whether this was truly the home of the wandering king.
Recent excavations led by Professor Thanasis Papadopoulos, with support from Greece’s archaeological authorities and the local community, have revealed Hellenistic‑era structures, ceramics, and votive offerings that point to a hero cult — possibly dedicated to Odysseus himself. Among the finds is a monumental building with features of a temple or sanctuary, matching ancient descriptions of the fabled “Odysseion.” Whether or not it was truly the king’s palace, the site offers the strongest archaeological link yet between Ithaki and its legendary hero, deepening both the island’s history and its claim to Homer’s most enduring homecoming.
📆 BEST OF GREEK CALENDAR
🎤 August 8, 2025, Taxido sto fos Stavros Xarhakos, Odeio Irodou Attikou, Athens
🧵 August 7-9, 2025. Weaving Festival, Ierapetra, Crete.
🧳 TRAVEL NEWS
🏝️ Ithaki (or Ithaca): Home is where the Odyssey ends
Homer’s Odysseus spent ten years trying to get back here — not because Ithaki is hard to find, but because it’s hard to leave. This Ionian beauty trades mega‑resorts for turquoise coves, pine‑draped hills, and quiet fishing villages that seem allergic to stress.
Ithaki’s story is stitched into the fabric of Greek legend, but its real history is just as compelling. Archaeological finds show it was inhabited as early as 3000 BC and flourished during the Mycenaean period, when the Trojan War — and Odysseus’s epic homecoming — supposedly took place. Over the centuries, the island shifted hands like a well‑traveled coin: a Corinthian outpost in classical times, an overlooked annex of Kefalonia under Byzantium, a Venetian stronghold from the 1500s, and later a prize briefly held by the French and British. By the time it joined the modern Greek state in 1864, Ithaki had weathered invasions, shifting rulers, and centuries of obscurity — only to emerge as the quiet yet enduring jewel we know today.
Spend a morning wandering Vathy’s pastel‑lined harbor, kayak to the sheltered Filiatro Beach, or hike the trails to Anogi’s ancient monastery with views that make even Instagram feel inadequate. Taverna lunches are unhurried affairs — grilled fish, local wine, and the occasional unsolicited story from your waiter about his uncle’s boat.
Ithaki is an island for seekers, not show‑offs: those who come here are rewarded with quiet coves, history etched into the landscape, and the sense that the journey really does matter as much as the destination.
🌅 Kioni at Sunrise — This tiny harbor village is all pastel houses, bobbing sailboats, and fishermen sipping coffee before the tourists wake up. Bonus: the bakery here sells the kind of tiropita you’ll think about for weeks.
💧Aethousa Spring — Said to be where Odysseus met the swineherd Eumaeus, this shaded spring is a cool, myth‑soaked escape. The trek there is half the fun.
⛵️ Skinos Bay — Reachable by a quiet footpath, this crystal‑clear cove is the place to anchor your rented boat and pretend you own the island.
🏘️ Exogi Village — Perched high on Ithaki’s northern slopes, this hamlet offers jaw‑dropping views and not much else — exactly why you’ll love it
Greeka.gr
Small Budget, Big Impact: Outsmart Your Larger Competitors
Being outspent doesn't mean being outmarketed. Our latest resource showcases 15 small businesses that leveraged creativity instead of cash to achieve remarkable marketing wins against much larger competitors.
Proven techniques for standing out in crowded markets without massive budgets
Tactical approaches that turn resource constraints into competitive advantages
Real-world examples of small teams creating outsized market impact
Ready to level the playing field? Download now to discover the exact frameworks these brands used to compete and win.
🆕 OBSESSIONS
travel.gr
✨ TRENDING GREEK SOCIAL MEDIA
@ariannapapalexopoulos A right of passage… 📿🇬🇷 @papaki #fyp #foryou #greek #agent #comedy #greece #summer #travel #jokes #ikaria #crete #american #tourist #greek... See more
💡 INSPIRATION
Oh yes. Life, children, wife, home. The full catastrophe.
😎 GREEK FYI
🇬🇷 “Zorba the Greek”, a film starring Anthony Quinn, showed the world how much Greeks love to dance and have a good time.
😂 MYTHIC MEMES
📌 RECS
Why don’t you read:
✅ Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis – A celebration of chaos, dance, and soul.
✅ Dinner with Persephone by Patricia Storace – A lyrical American’s love letter to Greece, full of nuance.
That’s it for now. May you always find your way home… preferably without taking ten years like a certain someone we know. Catch you next week for more news, drama and deep dives. 🧿 Stay Greek. [email protected]
What did you think of today's newsletter? |