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In the words of Captain Corelli, "something worth singing about."

  "As Greek weightlifters Pyrros Dimas and Akakios Kakiasvilis stood on the podium at the Sydney Olympics, each having won a third Olympic gold medal, all of Greece stood proudly for the singing of their national anthem 'Hymn to Liberty.'

And in one quiet corner of Greece, maybe the statue smiled too.

For there's a monument to poet Dionysios Solomos at Lofos Strani on the island of Zakynthos, where he wrote the Greek national anthem, heartfelt words from a native of the Ionian Islands where foreigners dominated for centuries.

Venetian rule had a lasting influence on Zakynthos' architecture, evident in the churches where bell towers are separate from the main buildings, in the castle, and in the square of San Marcos.

However, most holiday-makers head to Zakynthos for beautiful sandy beaches and emerald green water."

This is a destination style piece that takes an island-hopping look at the Ionian Islands, now places of beauty, peace and hearty Greek hospitality, having endured so much throughout a history under many conquerors. From the emerald green waters of Zakynthos, to Captain Corelli's Kefalonia, Ithaca the home of Ulysses, Lefkada's traditons and cosmopolitan Corfu, these islands have much to offer.   

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For the leg-weary visitors, it was time to eat.

"The hill that is the Acropolis commands magnificent views over Athens, and its imposing Parthenon still draws a huge crowd, but for the leg-weary visitors coming down from those heights there was a realization that man cannot live on famous ruins alone.

It was time to eat. And throughout Greece, eating is one of the great pleasures of life.

Near the Acropolis, we chose the Restaurant Bairactaris at Monastiraki Square for its relaxed ambience, and by our time-honoured method of reading the menu in the window. Considering that its walls were adorned with photographs of the rich and famous who had eaten there, from ambassadors and mayors to actresses and soccer players, the prices were indeed moderate. We were to find in Greece that it was easy to eat well for a modest sum."

This article takes readers on a journey through Greece, its ruins, its people and its food, for eating in Greece is one of the great pleasures of life. From mousaka and lamb kebabs in the shadow of the Acropolis to char-grilled octopus and stuffed red peppers in the Peloponnese, from quiet corner tavernas to the sounds of the bouzuki and dancers in traditional Greek costume in Corfu, this was an experience not to be missed.  

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In the footsteps of the ancients

  "The face that launched a thousand ships" is how I remember the tale about the Greeks going to war against Troy to reclaim the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaos.

In The Iliad Homer tells us a hundred ships were provided by Menelaos' brother, ruler of the kingdom of Mycenae:

'King Agamemnon, … all glorious in his armour of gleaming bronze- foremost among the heroes, for he was the greatest king.'

We arrived at the World Heritage site of Mycenae along with an invasion of tour buses, to see the fortified walls, excavated grave circles, tombs and ruined palace. Trudging up the path to the Lion Gate, we followed in the footsteps of another ancient, Ulysses.

For here Ulysses, Achilles and other kings met with Agamemnon to plan the war against Troy."

This article follows Ulysses' trail (within Greece) from the planning of war at ancient Mycenae, to the journey home from Troy by way of the land of the Circonians in northern Greece, till his shipwreck and salvation in the land of the Phaeacians (Corfu) and arrival home in Ithaca. An amazing thing that one can come here in the 21st century and trace Ulysses' path across Greece. 

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Like nectar and ambrosia

 "When the Cyclops Polyphemus tasted the wine Ulysses had given him he said:

'We have wine even in this country, for our soil grows grapes and the sun ripens them, but this drinks like nectar and ambrosia all in one.'

After several bowls the giant was drunk and Ulysses and his men thrust the burning stake into his eye so they could escape from the cave.

But where did they get this wonderful wine?

When they had sacked the city of Ismaros in northern Greece, Ulysses was given the wine by Maron, the priest of Apollo."

This article takes readers to some of the wineries of northern Greece, where quality modern-styled table wines have already erased this writer's memories of retsina, on to the famous archaeological site of ancient Filippi, built by the father of Alexander the Great, and then to beautiful seaside Kavala.