L'Odyssée

It is healthy to be introspective. To dive into self-aware conversations when we question our life goals and their impact on our lifestyle. While at the same time, we try to distinguish our wishes from our wants. 

It is at those moments when the words of Cavafy can be enlightening: 

"As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body. [...]" 

Extract from the poem "Ithaka", by C. P. Kavafy  

Introspection
What is the purpose of a journey? The destination? Or the experience? 
Like a caring parent or experienced fellow traveller, Kavafy has clear advice. The easy route is the quick one. But as he notes further in his poem, on that path, you should not expect a prize at the end. 

Kavafy's words create an allegory of the Odyssey as modern life's experience. Homer's epic, that has become synonymous with hardship, but also with adventure and exploration. 

 

 

Odyssey 
Ulysses' journey took him to new places around the Mediterranean. Homer's poem speaks of his ten-year quest to return home, but a closer inspection of the journey reveals a world of beauty and excitement. Picture for a moment the map of southern Europe, Ulysses left Troy in the north Aegean for his homeland, Ithaca, on the west coast of Greece. But fate had different plans. 

He first stopped in North Africa, in the land of Lotophagi, in modern-day Tunisia. Where those tasting the lotus fruit forget home and the desire to turn back. A time-old human weakness that allows substance to obscure the mind. Having to force his men back on the ship, he was then sidetracked around today's western coast of Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. 

He escaped from the den of cyclops Polyphemus, near Naples, before losing most of his crew and ships in north Sardinia during an attack by Laestrygonians. On the island of Circe, off the south coast of Rome, he spent a year with the enchantress, a period considered a time of indulgence but also restoration. It was Circe's guidance that played a vital part in his preparation for the rest of his journey, urging him to seek advice from prophet Tiresias in the Underworld and instructing him to tie himself to the ship's mast, to resist the song of the Sirens off the Amalfi Coast. Ulysses eventually reached the western end of the Mediterranean. On the island of Ogygia, off the straights of Gibraltar, he spent seven years with Calypso. The immortal nymph who fell in love with him and offered him eternal life, as long as he spent it with her. 

 

 

But for all his suffering, it is hard to picture Ulysses as a reluctant adventurer. Despite the treacherous character of the journey, he spent ten years in some of the most exciting locations for any explorer. Homer is extremely articulate in his detailed descriptions of the awe-inspiring physical beauty of the landscape. The addition of supernatural elements, even in their sometimes eerie atmosphere, only enhances the narrative with a dramatic effect that makes the storyline further attractive. The epic tale of Ulysses and the descriptions of the Mediterranean natural beauty have inspired artists and explorers from antiquity to modern day. 

Despite the allure of eternal life in what is described as paradise, Ulysses finally decided to return home. In the last leg of his adventure, we see him arriving back in Ithaca as a mature man, ready to claim back his position and fight off the suitors. Homer tells us very little about Ulysses' final years in his homeland. This is an intentional artistic direction of his epic poem. In twelve books and over twelve thousand verses, Odyssey is a story about exploration and adventure, the allure of the unknown and the inner wealth, and the experience that is accumulated on the journey. 

Empowerment
Like Ulysses, navigating between earthly pleasures and mortal duty, we too fight our battles today, between ambition and experience. We set our destinations, lifestyle and career goals, often with optimistic timeframes. A life of competition and comparison. In our hectic schedules, we keep our eyes on the road. But do we ever stop to enjoy the view? The beauty that surrounds us on our journey! 

 

 

Kavafy's words give us permission to pause and claim our right to the pleasures that come with the adventure. He calls us to look inward and acknowledge our wants and wishes. And look for enjoyment in the day-to-day rituals, in our personal relationships, in our learnings and in new experiences. And of course, in our pauses, away from Ithaca, during our vacations and our travels. 

As Kavafy astutely observes at the end of his poem: 

" [...] Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean."

Symbolism 
Having been born on an island in the Aegean, I have a particular affinity for the blue of the Mediterranean Sea and the brightness of its sky. Of all the places in the journey of Ulysses around the Mediterranean, modern Amalfi is a place still associated with romantic symbolism: the exotic road trip away from home. An idyllic lifestyle, depicted in numerous modern cinematic narratives: winding coastal roads, high above the sea, revealing shores and cities climbing onto hillsides. 

 

 

As an architect, I am attracted to the unique aesthetic created by the layers of history that combine centuries of architectural influences. From the neoclassical villas of Sorrento, built over Roman foundations, to the Renaissance villa Rufolo in Ravello, with breathtaking views over the coast. And from the picturesque streets of the Amalfi village to the layered structures of Positano, both developed in medieval times over Roman ruins. 
 
 A timeless aesthetic, contributing to the idealised image of the Amalfi coast: indulgent serenity matched with an almost arcadian beauty. Where time stands still during long, golden summer sunsets, slowly sipping a drink on the veranda overlooking the sea. A pause from our relentless modern schedules. Collecting experiences, like modern Ulysses. 

 

 

Mediterranean Light in Silk
I wanted to capture the symbolism associated with this magical landscape and the association with an indulgent lifestyle of travel. A side effect of a quest for inner wealth, with permission from the duties and obligations of the day-to-day life. A dreamy picture of a respite on the threshold between the physical and the supernatural. 

You can follow the link below for more details about the design of "L'Odyssee". 

L'ODYSSÉE | Luxury Silk Pocket Square

 

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