A Greek Odyssey

 

What I love about Greece is the tradition of xenia – you should always welcome strangers and make them feel like your guests. It’s why it’s such an amazing place to visit as a tourist, and this culture of friendliness to strangers goes right the way back to Odysseus’s story – it’s how he survives.”

 

 

In her new Channel 5 series, Hughes tries to retrace the journey of Homer’s epic hero, who may not be entirely mythical. “Odysseus could well be based on a real person. We go to the Peloponnese on the Greek mainland where a helmet made out of the tusks of wild boar has turned up that’s identical to one described in the story. So we know there are moments of history, but the myths and legends are also universal stories telling us how to live, and talking about things that we’re finding are incredibly important to us now – like resilience and facing unexpected dangers and loving home.”

 

It took ten years for Odysseus to sail from Troy back to his homeland in Ithaca. Hughes began her six-month shoot on the island of Chios off the Turkish coast, and ended on Ithaca, which is west of  continental Greece. “Chios has a reputation, going way back back to ancient history, for having some of the best sailors in the Mediterranean.  I went on a beautiful yacht called Nemesis, which means fate or retribution. It didn’t seem like a very good name, but loads of dolphins played with the boat, and in ancient legend they’re messengers from the sea god Poseidon. If they sail with you, it’s supposed to be a really good omen, so we felt blessed as we set off. Exploring by boat is one of the most beautiful ways to see Greece, and you’re travelling as the ancients would have travelled – you’re seeing it through their eyes.”

 

In the interests of historical and mythical veracity, she relived her student days and travelled on less glamorous vessels, too.  “We know Odysseus used lots of different kinds of craft, so I sailed on 27 boats. We travelled during the winter because we wanted to experience the beauty of the sea, but also its roughness – just as he did – and ended up getting caught up in two incredible storms, where the waves were between six and nine metres high. Once we were out on a little sailing boat in the middle of the night and it was scary. I came away from the series with even more respect for those ancient sailors in their tiny wooden boats.”

 

Hughes’s 1,700 mile-long voyage took her to lesser-known islands as well as perennially popular destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos and Crete.  “Santorini is one big volcano where a huge eruption went off around 3,600 years ago and buried a whole prehistoric civilisation. Among the remains of Akrotiri – the Pompeii of the Aegean – are threestorey-high buildings with beautiful windows and frescoes that were covered by lava, pumice and ash.  “People think of Mykonos as a party island, but there’s an incredible Stone Age site on a beach that’s believed to be the tomb of Ajax, one of the heroes of Troy. And from there I took a speedboat to tiny Delos, one of the most sacred islands in the ancient world. It’s absolutely covered in extraordinary remains: temples, mosaics and streets. I went at dawn, so I had it to myself apart from the cats – Greek cats are always your companion!”

 

When she finally reached Ithaca, she was shaken awake on the first night by an earthquake, which felt like a fitting end to her epic trip. “Poseidon, who chased Odysseus down and made his journey very difficult, was the god of earthquakes as well, so we were being pursued right to the end.”

 

Bad-tempered gods weren’t the only hindrance; the coronavirus pandemic nearly cut her odyssey short. “We finished filming on the day that archaeological sites were closed in Greece and we got back [to the UK] just in time. This was a real journey of a lifetime, and I felt so lucky to manage to do it just before Covid-19 hit.” 

 

A Greek Odyssey

Channel June 2020