I lost my underwear on the trail of Odysseus in Ithaca, Greece

Research for a new guide book meant climbing a rock face on the Greek island crucial in Homer’s story, then crawling through spiky undergrowth. An epic in itself

I’m usually not picky about what I wear to go hiking, but for this walk I purposely chose a bright orange T-shirt – in case someone had to come looking for my body.

I was planning to walk alone up a scrub-covered cliff face in a remote part of the Ionian island of Ithaca: locals said there was no path any more, after serious earthquake damage in the 1950s. Ithaca is known as the home of Odysseus, to which he returned after 10 years of adventures. It lies in the shadow of larger Kephalonia, which has grown rich on Captain Corelli, an airport and some fine beaches.