It’s the setting for countless postcards from Greece… the backdrop to endless romantic moments. And the most painted, photographed, and filmed location on Corfu.

The picture-perfect scene encompasses the picturesque islet of Pontikonisi, the legendary Mouse Island.

Long before the painters, photographers, filmmakers, and James Bond first arrived… before 17^th-century Vlacherna Monastery was built in the foreground … and even before the medieval chapel and white-washed stairs were built on the islet…

Pontikonisi has inspired epic speculation and endless fascination.

Homer recorded in The Odyssey that King Odysseus named his stalwart little ship, Pontikonisi (Ποντικονήσι) which translates to “Mouse Island.”

Only one other location shares the name Pontikonisi: a rocky islet off the coast of Crete.

Long-standing lore tell us that Pontikonisi of Corfu is where the wrathful Zeus turned Odysseus’ ship into stone.

Yes, you can see how the tiny island’s unique shape suggests a ship’s outline.

Paul and I certainly prefer this poetic origin to the more prosaic tales (or should I say, “tails”).

Reader, may a little myth and mystery add enchantment to the everyday, in travel and in life.

Until next time, Reader,

Travel on, sparkle on, meaningfully✨

Marilee + Paul
​Spotlight Sojourns® | Slow Travel
with the Hidden Gemologists®

PS: If you’d like to read The Odyssey of Homer. we recommend two contemporary translations:

​The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles is the definitive version of the classical literary tradition.

​The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson takes a bold new approach. She’s the first female Homeric scholar to be published. Her interpretation is classically rooted yet easily readable and enjoyable.

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