Imagine stepping back in time to Ancient Greece. What if we could go on a Homerian Odyssey in the 21st century?
I visited a special exhibit in Lisbon recently at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum titled "The Splendour of Venice". The beautiful collection of oil paintings of the city on display got me thinking about travel through the ages. Could we think of writers like Homer as ancient Greek travel bloggers?
I thought: what if I could use the power of artificial intelligence to take my readers on a reimagined journey to Florence, a truly epic destination?
See how my experiment turned out below and then jump to the end of the post to find out my approach to creating my modern-day Homerian epic based on my personal trip to Florence.
A 21st Century Homerian Odyssey in Florence
Sing, Muse, of the arduous journey of the valiant pair, seekers of beauty, to Florence, the city of a thousand wonders, renowned throughout the land!
By the swift chariot of iron (the Trenitalia train), they sped from Bologna, arriving in less than half an hour, having procured tickets for a mere 30 pieces of silver.
Their haven, a humble abode on the Via Delle Ruota, offered respite for seven nights at a cost of 110 golden coins (€) each night.
With the Firenze Card, a key to the city's treasures, they unlocked the gates of countless museums and galleries for three days, and by the gods' favor, two bonus days were bestowed upon them.
 | |
|
First, they ventured to the Mercato Centrale, a bustling marketplace where the air was thick with the aromas of exotic spices and freshly baked bread.
There they sampled delicate pistachio financiers and potent libations (aperitivo cocktails, one flavored with passion fruit and the other flavored with lemon and strawberry), and feasted on the divine creation of the Italians: pizza, a flatbread adorned with rich tomato sauce, fragrant basil, and creamy mozzarella.
With spirits high, they embarked on a pilgrimage to the Uffizi Gallery, a temple dedicated to the art of the Renaissance. Through throngs of eager onlookers, likened to a swarm of locusts descending upon a field of wheat, they pressed onward to gaze upon Botticelli’s Venus on a Half Shell, her beauty captivating all who beheld her.
But alas, the crowds were vast and relentless, their clamor a constant din, a reminder of the city’s overwhelming popularity.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
Seeking solace from the masses, they sought refuge in the hallowed halls of the Palazzo Vecchio, a palace fit for kings, its golden ceilings and marble sculptures whispering tales of a glorious past.
The air within was heavy with history, and the travelers felt the weight of centuries upon their shoulders as they marveled at the grandeur of the Medici dynasty.
Hermes, the messenger god, guided their steps, leading them to a hidden alcove, The Studiolo di Francesco I, a treasure trove of art and wonder. They climbed the tower, enjoying views of the square below, as well as the Duomo and other Florence landmarks.
As they stood upon the tower's heights, Apollo, the god of music and poetry, smiled upon them, filling their hearts with inspiration and awe.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
To escape the city's oppressive crowds, they ventured beyond its walls, embarking on a half-day odyssey to the verdant hills of Tuscany, a land renowned for its wines.
At Tenuta Barbadoro, a vineyard blessed by the sun, they sampled the nectar of the gods - an organic rosé and an organic Chianti.
And at Casa di Monte, amidst rolling hills and rows of grapevines stretching as far as the eye could see, they indulged in a feast of bread, cheese, and cured meats, accompanied by three different wines.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
Upon their return to Florence, the travelers continued their exploration, scaling the heights of the Campanile, a tower that pierced the heavens.
From this lofty perch, they surveyed the city below, its terracotta rooftops sprawling like a patchwork quilt, the Arno River, a serpent of silver winding through the emerald heart of Tuscany.
In the shadow of the Duomo, they paid homage to the Baptistery of San Giovanni, its gilded ceiling shimmering with divine light. Though scaffolding obscured its facade, they marveled at the Gates of Paradise, a masterpiece of bronze adorned with scenes from the holy scriptures.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
Their journey took them to the Galileo Museum, a shrine to the great astronomer who dared to challenge the heavens. There they gazed upon instruments of science, relics of a bygone era when mankind sought to unlock the secrets of the universe.
And in a moment of profound contemplation, they beheld the preserved finger of Galileo himself, a testament to the enduring power of human curiosity.
As their time in Florence drew to a close, the travelers reflected on the wonders they had witnessed, the art that had stirred their souls, and the history that had unfolded before their eyes.
Though the city was crowded and at times overwhelming, they had found moments of beauty and tranquility amidst the chaos. And so, with heavy hearts but spirits enriched, they boarded the iron chariot once more (the tram to the airport), bidding farewell to Florence, a city that would forever hold a place in their memory.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
An AI Approach to Reimagining Travel
I was trained as a scientist once-upon-a-time (that's why my nickname is Dr. J). Because of this, I *love* to experiment. This is my 4th attempt to reimagine one of my 21st century trips through the lens of historic travel writing styles.
So, how did I prompt my way to this epic recount of my trip to Florence?
I took the Gemini generated description of Homer's writing style and the 3 critiques of the NotebookLM drafts that I generated for my post about Venice Reimagined. To that, I added audio notes that I created about our trip to Florence captured as I reviewed our copious photos from the trip.
I used those audio notes as another NotebookLM source. I noticed that the Homerian epic about my trip to Venice was really, really long and thus I prompted NotebookLM to give me an abridged Homerian epic based on the sources.
I asked Gemini for a critique of the output from NotebookLM and then fed the critique into NotebookLM as a source and asked for a revised draft. I iterated in this way until I had 3 different drafts.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
I then asked Gemini for help. "If I give you a Google Doc with 3 different versions of my modern take on a Homerian epic, would you be able to compare them and tell me which one best represents Homer's style?" Gemini told me:
"Certainly! I can definitely help you compare the different versions of your modern Homeric epic and provide feedback on which one best reflects Homer's style. To give you the most helpful critique, please provide me with: (a) The Google Doc link: This will allow me to access and analyze the different versions of your text. (b) A brief summary of the epic: This will help me understand the overall plot and themes of your work."
I then gave Gemini a Google Doc that contained:
- a one sentence summary of my "epic" which I generated with NotebookLM: This epic tells the tale of two valiant travelers who journeyed to Florence, a city of a thousand wonders. They stayed for 1 week.
- The 3 drafts generated by NotebookLM. I labeled each draft with a heading the Doc.
The resulting analysis suggested that Version 2 was closest to the mark but could be made better with a few tweaks. I fed the recommended tweaks into NotebookLM as a source.
Using only Draft 2 and the final recommended tweaks as sources, I asked NotebookLM to copyedit Draft 2 to reflect the tweaks I needed for the epic to better reflect Homer's style. That's the version that you read above.
 |
| AI generated image created with Canva Magic Studio |
Where and When Shall We Go Next?
I've been enjoying looking at my modern travels through the lens of history. Where shall we head next?
.jpg)
