Standing on the ferry as it waits to dock on the Greek island of Ithaca, Giorgia Ongarato is only too keen to talk about the "Odyssey" - the epic poem that inspired Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film.

The Italian lawyer said it was her dream to come to Ithaca, widely believed to be the same island as the home of Odysseus in the poem.

Dressed in a T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Odyssey" in ancient Greek alongside a line from the poem, she enthused: "I studied Greek when I was a child, and I studied the Odyssey."

While she stressed that the film was not her entry point into the tale of the hero battling his way back home from the Trojan war, the 50-year-old said she was also a fan of the film, describing it as "wonderful".

The island's businesses and officials now expect the film to inspire many more to follow in her footsteps.