My highlight of 2023: Ithaki
“Ithaki” is always my answer to any question about the best part of my five months abroad. So here’s what led me to Ithaca and what made my month stay on the island so special.
I always look forward to this time of year. Having the time to take a step back, reflect on the year that’s been, and set some new intentions for the year to come can sometimes be overwhelming, but usually more so exciting. I recently had a good laugh reflecting back on my 2023 New Year’s Resolutions - now knowing how very different my year turned out to be.
I ended 2022 feeling stagnant, both creatively and career-wise. Work felt like a never-ending hamster wheel where my energy was zapped, leaving nothing in the tank to put towards projects that really fill my cup. I was ready to make a move but couldn’t quite work out what the right next step would be. So 2023 was going to be different. I set my intention to find clarity and be more purposeful in what I do, which was going to be actioned through finding a new job. But as always, life has this funny way of twisting and turning the path you think lies ahead of you.
Come May, I was on a one way flight to Europe to live out a dream I’d spent too long thinking about; Greece for a good few months. All that was on my bucket list was to spend one whole month on one island because bouncing around - doing 3 days here and 3 days there - is not for me. I wanted to spend my time on a low-key island living the village life; spending everyday in the ocean, cooking my Yiayia’s recipes and getting to know some of the locals.
I landed on Ithaki for no particular reason other than I have a few Ithacacian family friends and it seemed to be one of the more quiet Ionian islands. And after 5 months of travelling through Greece, “Ithaki” is still the answer when I’m asked what the best part of my trip was. I know many of you are starting to plan your travel for this year, so I wanted to write about this special place that exceeded all of my expectations.
Where we stayed
If you’ve been following me since I started Gee’s House, you would’ve seen many photos of our little island home. From brushing my teeth to the view of bougainvillaeas, to eating dinner overlooking Afales Bay every night, our accommodation is what made our stay. I intended to spend a lot of time at home, so finding the perfect place to stay was very important to me. I wanted to feel inspired by my surroundings and also have a kitchen that was equipped just enough for me to cook a big tray of spanakopita. Priorities.
A family friend of mine introduced me to the fabulous Melanie from MV Properties, who’s an incredible go-to contact for everything real estate related in Ithaki. I scrolled through her listings and set my sight on Helidoni House the second I spotted the pergola in the backyard. Oh, and there was also the breathtaking views of Afales Bay in the front yard too. I still look at that photo and can’t believe that view was real.
Nestled amongst olive trees, rosemary bushes, a lemon tree, and a fully blossomed apricot tree, Helidoni House really was the most idyllic village home.
When we went
We unintentionally timed our stay impeccably. As a tourist loathing tourist, arriving just before peak season kicked off (in late May) was such a great move. We had the beaches mainly to ourselves, the weather was nice, but not unbearable, and it just so happened to be apricot season too!
Where we ate
Good food was plentiful but I’m only going to touch on my three favourites as their hospitality and authenticity was unrivalled.
Margarita Cafe
Our mornings were religiously spent at the family-run Margarita Cafe sipping on Greek coffees and gearing up for a big day of beaching with cheese and tomato toasties (the secret = add pepper!). We initially came to Margarita for the coffee, but stayed for the hospitality. Maria and Makis are the beautiful owners who, despite waking up in the wee hours of the morning and not closing until midnight, are some of the most welcoming people you’ll meet on the island. Every morning Maria would welcome us with a hug and a kiss, remember Justin’s challenging English name (Tzaztin), and would always return my plates of cooked food with some of her traditional sweets. The definition of philotimo.
Kanenas Taverna
Across the road from Margarita, sits this unassuming taverna that’s a must-visit for authentic local dishes. On our very first night the owner, Aphrodite, recited the menu by heart and introduced us to one of the best meals we ate - Savoro; a traditional Ithacacian dish where they marinate the fish in vinegar, garlic, rosemary and raisins for days. Flavours that I still dream about to this day.
Myrtia
I’m a big planner when it comes to eating out. Usually I’ll have investigated almost every restaurant on the island when I go somewhere new. But before arriving in Ithaki, I hadn’t researched a thing. So when we pulled up to the vision that is Myrtia, I was quite gobsmacked.
On top of incredible views, the owner, Poppy, exudes immense pride and passion in what she does. And rightly so. All the food and drinks are influenced by traditional dishes and local ingredients - like the myrtleberry negroni; inspired by the myrtleberry bushes that occupied the property before Myrtia was brought to life.
Poppy was kind enough to share the recipe to her out-of-this-world mushroom campanelli; a dish I still am yet to muster up the courage to even try and replicate. If anyone in Melbourne knows where I can find cave matured goats cheese, do let me know!
Where we swam
Ithaki is home to some of the best unorganised beaches you’ll find in Greece. My favourites were -
Afales - our local and one of the most picturesque bays I’ve ever seen
Kourvoulia - an intimate beach tucked inside the bend of a cliff
Kaminia - the most colourful beach from the surrounding lush greenery. Well worth nearly popping a tyre on the way down!
Gidaki - a long stretch of beach with umbrellas you can rent. The neighbouring beaches are also worth a trip by boat.
Tip: download the Windy app to see which way the wind is blowing before trekking to a beach!
It would be rude not to mention Polis beach and the Beach Manager, Takis Defteros; a lifesaver, masseuse, pilates instructor and above all, a big character.
What we did
There’s a reason why lots of yachts venture to Ithaki. In contrast to the arid Cyclades islands, the Ionian islands have a diverse coastline made up of beautiful blues, rugged rock and super lush vegetation. There’s many beaches that you can’t get to by car, so hiring a boat from Kioni Boat Hire was one of the best things we did. So much so that we did it twice. Kioni itself is arguably the most picturesque village on the island so you’ll definitely want to stay for a sunset dinner after a full day of boating.
Another activity that was a highlight was our sunrise hike through the oldest village on the island, Anoghi. We parked in the centre of the village and planned to hike to the Monastery of Panagia Kathariotissa but of course it wasn’t open at 6am. Instead, we had the most magical morning walking through sunrise, just us and all the local goats, winding our way back to the local kafeneio for a morning coffee.
I could chew both your ears off raving about Ithaca, but I’ll leave the rest up to you to discover.
Now onto 2024. My theme for this year is to create; to keep writing, drawing and bringing my ideas to life. To test what works and what doesn’t work. To fail and keep going. So in other words, you’ll be hearing a bit more from me.
Speak soon x
Gee