Blogs from Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece, Europe

From Assos, we took a taxi to Fiskardo for the next week of our holiday. We stayed in Kalokeri Apartments and they were superb; modern, spacious, swimming pool, sunbeds, great views… you get the picture. Check out the video link below for the views of the vistas. It’s only two and a half minutes long. Whatever it was in the past, Fiskardo is now firmly on the itinerary of the yachting/flotilla holiday crowd. Understandably so, the harbour is a decent size and ringed with classy bars and cafes. With boats tying up directly on the same quayside (and around the bay) it’s got a super cool vibe (if you like that kind of thing). Again, the video makes the set up clear. There are a few beaches to choose from in the area but our favourite ... read more

We decide to get up early so that we can visit Myrtos Beach hopefully before it gets too crowded. I go down to breakfast to find that I'm the only person here. Fortunately the apartment owner has a very cute Scottish Terrier called Freddy who decides to keep me company. This is our last day in Assos, and it doesn't feel like we've been here for a week. Issy says that she's decided to re-rate Assos as a ten out of ten, and hope that some later destination can knock it off its perch. Each time we've come to Europe we‘ve stayed at fewer places for longer, but even a week here doesn't feel like it's been enough. We head back down the long and windy road to Myrtos Beach. There are quite a few people ... read more

Today we were supposed to be going to the neighbouring island of Ithaki. That would have involved driving on a windy road, a ferry ride, and then more driving on another windy road, and that would only have been to get there. Issy says that it might be better if we do that another day, when the memories of yesterday's travel sickness aren't quite so raw. She finds some different seasick pills, and adds a valium for good measure. We then read that you should be careful if you take the seasick pills with valium, but it seems it's now a bit too late for that. She tells me that if she goes into a coma, I should continue the holiday without her. We wait half an hour for her cocktail of drugs to take some ... read more

We sleep in and miss breakfast at the apartments. We miss breakfast just about anywhere. We walk down into the village square and get some lunch. We eat at a restaurant at the opposite end of the village from the one we ate at last night, but we still have the same waitress. I hope they're paying her well to run between the two. Issy has a really bad headache, so she heads back to the apartment for a rest while I climb the hill to the Venetian fort on the opposite side of the harbour. Issy gives me the customary warnings about being careful, and I give her my usual response about sending out a search party if I'm not back by morning. The path is paved, wide and gently sloping, and the views over ... read more

"I am once more amongst the merry Greeks, who are worth all other nations put together...All their bad habits are Venetian; their wit, their eloquence, their good nature, are their own." Sir Charles Napier 1825 (Of the seventeen British governors who ruled Kefalonia, only Sir Charles Napier is was looked upon favorably. His great affection for the island is obvious from the name of his daughter, Emily Kefalonia.) Our next two stops in Greece were much shorter, unfortunately. We had only about four hours each day in Santorini (Thera) and in Kefalonia the following day. "The devastating volcanic eruption of Thera has become the most famous single event in the Aegean before the fall of Troy. It may have been one of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth in the last few thousand years. The violent ... read more