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 