Is there any greater joy than cruising between Greek islands, the gentle plink of the rigging in the wind providing the soundtrack to your stitches? At home aboard the Aegeotissa II, a beautiful wooden ship with secret knitting spots and relaxation areas aplenty, it’s your choice whether you want to socialise or relax as we travel along. In the wake of the Odyssey, now is the time to chase some of the locations tied to the man and the legend. We will follow the threads that link us to the past as we chat over our knitting, taking in Corfu, Ithaki (Ithaca), Lefkada, Paxi, and Kefalonia on the way. We’ll track down some of the suggested locations for Odysseus’ Ithaca and make the most of the swimming opportunities as we go. The islands we are traveling through still have a strong textile tradition, and we will head off the beaten track to explore folk museums showcasing local handicrafts and chat to local makers. 

If you are interested in booking both this and the A Greek Knitting Odyssey: Boatside Walks & History Talks tour consecutively, please contact us at info@rowantreetravel.com to discuss a discounted combined rate.

This trip needs at least 10 participants in order to proceed (i.e. the trip is "guaranteed"). We strongly advise you to wait to purchase your flights until the trip is guaranteed by us to go forward. Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations.

Please Note

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

Accommodation on the Aegeotissa II requires going up and down ship ladders (very steep stairs), walking across a gangplank to get on and off the boat, and being able to keep your balance while we are underway. 

As with many of our tour accommodations at Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft, the Aegeotissa II is family-owned and operated. This is a 100 foot motorsailer. This is NOT a cruise ship (you will feel the movement of the boat, holding onto rails at times if you’re moving about while we are underway), a fancy yacht, or a sailing ship. The cabins are small, with portholes, not windows, and they are not cleaned every day.

The real luxury of the Aegeotissa II is not in the accommodation but in the experience  – having the boat to ourselves with lots of spots to either gather together or find some privacy, jumping off of it into the turquoise waters of secluded coves, becoming part of the crew’s family, and eating the amazing family-style Greek food that comes out of the galley!

Rowan Tree Travel does not take responsibility for injuries caused by personal mobility issues. If you are unsure of whether you will be able to get around on the boat, please contact us at info@rowantreetravel.com

While our Tour Activity Level describes what to expect on a tour, our Mobility Comfort Level is personal to each traveler.

We would describe this trip as a Retreat with a mobility comfort level of 3️⃣+.

(All cabins on the ship will require going up and down steep stairs; in addition, expect walks around archaeological sites with uneven terrain.)

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight here or through your own provider.  

*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and/or missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. 

This tour will start on Corfu and end on Kefalonia. Flight details will be provided upon registration and confirmed once the tour has been declared a go.

Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

Welcome to the island of Homer's Phaeacians!

Experience a Greek island with a cricket pitch, distinctly Italian cuisine, and the largest square in Greece. Corfu (or Kerkyra) has long been a political big-hitter: it had an impressive fleet in antiquity, and the first governor of Modern Greece, Ioannis Capodistrias, was a Corfiot. 

We’ll meet up in the afternoon to head together to the Aegeotissa II (the Lady of the Aegean) to drop off our bags. We’ll assign rooms and have a safety briefing before a pre-prandial wander around Corfu’s old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Old Town Glory

We’ll spend the morning exploring Corfu town’s stunning architecture and taking in its unique blend of Venetian charm and Greek elegance. We’ll stop in at the archaeological museum, meander to a traditional soap factory (with one soap that’s perfect for washing wool!), and take our time getting deliciously lost in the old town’s atmospheric streets. Then we’ll leave Corfu town to head north up the coast to explore beyond the main resort.

Off to the wine-dark sea

Today we’re heading towards the quieter island of Paxi (confusingly also spelt Paxoi and Paxos!), where the Greek Netflix series Maestro (or Maestro in Blue) was filmed. This is a day of geological wonders, a time to drink in the deep, saturated colors of the water as the light plays off the caves and white cliffs of Erimitis beach. 

With a swim stop definitely on the cards, we’ll also make time to cast on our exclusive TréLiz pattern for our cruise KAL. Designer and dyer Lise Condis will talk us through the inspiration behind the design and yarn colorways as we motor along. 

Memories of the Venetians

Today is a super relaxing day. We’ll have a free morning to explore Paxi, a swim stop to take in the impressive Tripitos rock arch, and time to really settle into our knitting. Then we’ll pop over to the mainland to the historic town of Parga. Depending on time and energy levels, we might climb up to the ruined Venetian castle…

"Here the world's forces came together..." (Propertius)

On the anniversary of the Battle of Actium (September 2, 31 BCE) – the decisive East meets West naval showdown between the forces of Julius Caesar’s heir, Octavian, and those of Marc Antony and Cleopatra – we’ll be heading into the very waters where the battle took place! Lise and Semele will discuss ancient dyeing techniques in comparison with modern ones (spoiler alert: modern dyes involve fewer boiled mollusks…). We’ll head to nearby Preveza for dinner.

Nikopolis

Preveza is the gateway to Zagori and near the promontory of Actium (modern Aktio). We’ll head to Nikopolis, the ancient victory city (in Greek nikē = victory and polis = city) founded by Octavian after he had triumphed over Antony and Cleopatra. From Preveza, we will then head away from the mainland over to the island of Lefkada.

Traditional craft

Lefkada (also known as Lefkas) is home to one of the textile highlights of our trip: the Folklore Museum of Karya. Karya is famous for its lace embroidery, known as karsaniko, a one-handed embroidery technique developed by Maria Stavraka in the late 1800s. We’ll stop by the Folklore Museum of Lefkadian Embroidery to see its collection.

"When you set out for Ithaki, pray that the road is long, full of excitement..." (C. P. Cavafy)

In this Odyssey year of all years, Ithaki (or Ithaca in its Anglicized form) needs no introduction! And the legendary island home of Odysseus has much to offer even if you’re not a hungry suitor. Rest assured, we’ll have plenty of time to knit on this sleepy island. We will visit the so-called Palace of Odysseus with a local guide in the late afternoon, and enjoy a quiet evening on the boat afterwards to recover from all the epic excitement.

From Ithaki, we’ll head on to Kefalonia. In addition to being the picturesque setting for Louis de Bernières’ novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (and the 2001 film of the same name), Kefalonia is also home to the athanatos (immortal) agave plant, the fibers of which have long been used as embroidery thread. We’ll visit a workshop which preserves this ancient skill and visit a shop selling the handicrafts.

Our last full day is action-packed with wonders. First, a visit to the Melissani Caves with their bewitching blues, then maybe a monastery and a fortress before a visit to a winery. We’ll have our last dinner on the boat, perhaps with a swim stop beforehand.

Departure is Wednesday, September 8 from Argostoli in the morning.

Born in Switzerland and raised in Greece, Lise was influenced from an early age by different cultures, ideas and mentalities. Growing up, she would battle between Science and Arts, and destiny made her an Optometrist when she decided not to pursue an artistic career after passing the entry examinations of the Beaux Arts.

When she began to knit and crochet, she discovered a new fiber-y world and later, after a head injury, learned that she could dye and spin her own yarn. It was an epiphany: Science and Color made peace in her mind and TréLiz was born. Lise is interested in creating unique colorways in a limited quantity, and specializes in luxurious hand dyed yarns and fibers.

Semele's background is in Classics and Modern Greek. She has lived and worked in both Greece and Italy, and has traveled extensively in both countries (exploring the knitting opportunities as she goes!). Her love of warm weather means that she is usually trying to knit a shawl or jumper to replicate the Mediterranean summer in the Welsh countryside, where she is currently based. When not knitting, she is probably reading, swimming, or attempting to track down the perfect coffee and cake. 

She has both a professional interest in and a passion for textile history and women's writing – and to this end regularly writes for travel, well-being, and crafting magazines, including The Knitter, Countryfile, Italia!, and Breathe. She is currently writing a novel. 

⛵"II had the best time. Absolutely no regrets about my impulsive decision to travel to Greece with a bunch of knitters." -Tammy B

⛵"It was a magical trip, the boat, setting and crew were amazing. I feel rejuvenated and rested, ready to conquer the world!! The ability to put together a group of like minded individuals, balanced by culture, knitting and adventure was incredible! I didn't want it to end!" -Sara L

⛵ "Magical! Rowan Tree Travel curated an incredibly personal adventure, allowing us to experience Greece like locals. Truly a gift!!" -Jeannie B

The word ‘clever’ in its original meaning meant good with your hands or dextrous, not intellectually nimble. Ithaca’s most famous female resident, Penelope (wife of Odysseus) encapsulated the word in both senses in stringing out the manufacture of her father-in-law Laertes’ shroud to buy herself time (an act of piety, not passive aggression!) before remarrying. So, while Odysseus was off in Troy and then headed back home, indulging in the odd, let’s say, side quest on the way (seven years with the attractive Calypso, anyone…?), back home on Ithaca, Penelope carried on, determinedly weaving and unweaving. Little pleasure to be had there, then, as unweaving is a lot more physically demanding, time-consuming, and decidedly less satisfying than ripping back knitting. Not to mention that the poor woman had to deal with a palace full of suitors royally outstaying their welcome all the time. As the modern Greek poet Seferis wrote, ‘happy is he who has made the voyage of Odysseus.’ Indeed. 

Maybe it’s time to right those ancestral wrongs. Why did Odysseus get to have all the fun island-hopping and having holiday romances? Because as knitters, if there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s surely multi-tasking: audiobook and knitting? No problem. Netflix and fair isle? Sure. Subtitles and intarsia. Hold my beer. 

Now it’s our turn. Instead of spending the journey time dallying with nymphs or princesses (not to mention monsters), we’ll be knitting rather than weaving – after all, space is at a premium on the boat – and thinking about the long history of the Ionian islands. We’ll start on Corfu and head to Kefalonia, and what better way is there to travel around the Greek islands than through the tried-and-tested Rowan Tree Travel swim, knit, eat, repeat formula?

Our home for the 11 days will be the Aegeotissa II, a beautiful wooden ship, a vessel unlike any other, with secret knitting spots and relaxation areas aplenty. Is there any greater joy than scudding across the waves, the gentle plink of the wind in the rigging providing the soundtrack to your stitches? You choose whether you want to socialise or just chill as we travel along. 

With knitter and classicist Semele Assinder on board, we’ll have plenty of time to think and talk about Greek mythology and history (women’s and otherwise) as we head from port to port, occasionally hopping over to the mainland as weather or whim dictates. As we go, we’ll enjoy a cruise KAL of an exclusive pattern inspired by traditional textiles, designed by our resident indie dyer, Lise Condis of TréLiz, who will be on hand to explain her inspiration. We’ll have a workshop to cover the techniques required by the pattern too.  The islands we’re traveling through still have a strong textile tradition, and we’ll head off the beaten track to explore folk museums showcasing local handicrafts and chat to local makers. 

The Ionian islands are no stranger to Odyssey fever. Corfu has long been suggested as Homer’s Scheria or Phaeacia, home to Alcinous and Nausicaa (characters in an entertaining episode featuring a naked, salt-encrusted Odysseus washed up on shore, which was left out of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, though very much part of Homer’s!). The precise location of Ithaca itself is harder to pin down: over the years, academics have held different theories tying geographical features to sections of the poem, with the islands of Kefalonia and Lefkada also thrown into the mix. Luckily for us, Odysseus had a convenient habit of being washed ashore on the most picturesque of beaches, so we’ll explore some of the likely contenders, making the most of the swimming opportunities as we go. On land, we’ll visit sites that legend tells us were connected to the man himself. Fortunately, this means taking in some of Greece’s bluest waters (or wine-dark seas) and venturing off the tourist trail to islands like Paxi, Lefkada, and Ithaki, as well as big hitters like Corfu and Kefalonia.

We’ll avoid whirlpools and Sirens; we definitely won’t be eating the Sun god’s cattle, and we’ll do our best to sit out unfavorable winds. On the other hand, we hope we will see seals, sea turtles, and dolphins. We’ll discuss what an odyssey has come to mean, which is a curious one, given that Odysseus (eventually) arrived home having lost 12 ships and their crews. So not exactly what a captain should chart up as a success then…

As we motor around, we’ll have time to think about why these places have come to occupy such a presence in the literary imagination too: from Greece’s own Ionian School of writers (one of whom wrote the poem used as the lyrics to the ‘Hymn to Liberty’, Greece’s National Anthem) to British expat Lawrence Durrell and his younger brother, naturalist Gerald, these islands have played a part in Greece as well as internationally. Readers of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin will remember that Kefalonia was as much a character of Louis de Bernières’ novel as the Captain and Pelagia themselves. The islands have featured on the big screen too: Paxi most recently in the Netflix series Maestro in Blue and Corfu in The Durrells, although you might also remember it as the playground of James Bond in For Your Eyes Only. 

If you like your holidays with a side order of literary and historical curiosity and a healthy dose of main character energy, then this is the trip for you. We’ll have the time to follow the threads that link us to the ancient past as we chat over our knitting, because Greek history and myth didn’t start and end with Homer. As we try to pin down this nebulous sense of place, traveling from one Ithaca to another, we’ll think about what homecoming really means, as well as what riches we take away from traveling together. To paraphrase one of modern Greece’s most famous poets, C.P. Cavafy, perhaps by the end of our journey we’ll have understood what these Ithacas mean…