Igoumenitsa is the saddest provincial capital in Greece.
Approaching the city by boat, it emerges, white and gleaming, like a mythical lost city in some Mesoamerican jungle. You can see the faces of the unsuspecting ferry passengers, enthusiastic and wide eyed, snapping photos.
Lord Guilford established the first university in modern Greece and devoted his entire life - and fortune - to his adopted home country. So why is he so forgotten today?
By the time of Greek Independence in 1832, Athens was a shabby and fairly unimportant market town. Although the ancient monuments reminded visitors of glories past, much of the architecture was Ottoman in character, with winding lanes and top-heavy houses built around central courtyards.
“Friulani are the worst people in the world,” says my friend Francesco, a Friulano. “They are so cold and mean. They always think you want something from them.”
We are at Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia, an Udine institution. It’s a stifling hot August night. Even the canal seems to be sweating. Earlier we had driven to the small town of Campoformido, twenty minutes south-west of Udine.
Alex Sakalis 