I am a lucky wife as my marvellous husband treated me to a birthday cruise to the pretty island of Ithaca. Of course, if there is a boat to jump off, then he will hurl himself off it!!
And here is our first glimpse of pretty Ithaca as we sail into the capital of the island – Vathy. The island is famously the home of Odysseus.
We’re hopping off to explore the island so come back for some (lots) of pictures of this stunning place.
Let’s take a little break to enjoy another beautiful Kefalonian beach. So much turquoise water and white sand.
During one of our trips around the island we encounter, AKA get stuck in the middle of, a flock of greek goats.
These furry little blighters surrounded us! We had to give up and wait until they flocked past.
If you’re bored of white sandy beaches (I know right . . .!) then Kefalonia can also offer you a nifty little red number!
Xi beach is a unique combination of colours – the dark red of the sand and the green of the sea, framed by walls of white-grey clay behind.
People use the clay as a beauty ritual, smearing themselves with it and enjoying its creamy clay goodness!
We also get a close encounter of the air plane kind while lounging around!
After being buffeted at the top of the wet and windy mountain, we head back down to a more temperate climate for a spot of lunch. What else but a traditional gyros . . yum!
Then it’s back to our little resort of Lassi to explore the sights of the local area. There’s some lovely little coves to explore as the sun starts to dip low in the sky.
As the sun sets we find a lovely little lighthouse to take lots of pictures of.
The lighthouse of Saint Theodoroi lies on a man-made peninsula. It’s a circular structure with 20 columns and its tower is eight metres tall.
The building is rather simple with a Doric architectural style. It was originally built in 1828 by the British administrator Charles Napier, who ruled the island that time.
The lighthouse was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953 and was rebuilt in 1960 by the local architect Takis Pavlatos according to its original architectural design.
There’s a lovely little shingle beach by the lighthouse too that looks gorgeous as the setting sun warms everything with pink and gold.
Another interesting sight to see close by is the Katavothres sea mills that mark the spot of a fascinating natural phenomena.
Sea water enters sink holes and the flow created was used to drive a water wheel to power the mills.
The mystery has always been as to where the water goes. By injecting dyes it was discovered that the water that entered the sink holes came out two weeks later in the Melissani lake and flowed out to the sea at the village of Karavomilos, above sea level.
Today you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re coming to you from the wet, windy wilds of North Wales but no – we’re still on the sunny holiday island of Kefalonia!
We headed up to the summit of Ainos mountain known as Monte Nero (Black Mountain) during the Venetian period due to the presence of the dark Kefalonian Fir tree.
It is the tallest mountain of the Ionian islands with an elevation of 1,628 metres (5,341 ft).
On clear days, the view includes the NW Peloponnese as well as the islands of Zakynthos, Lefkada, and Ithaca. This was not a clear day however . . .
We briefly enjoyed the views above the clouds before the rain and fog rolled in . . while we were still dressed in our tourist gear . . .
Mt. Ainos was declared as a National Park in 1962 and is home to lots of the island’s biodiversity. Shame we can’t see our hands in front of our faces at this point . .
Back to enjoying the gorgeous scenery of Kefalonia from way back in 2019 . . . here’s the view down to Myrtos Beach.
It’s a long way down to the incredibly choppy beach where the man loses his prescription sunglasses – and sight!!
Check out the vivid blue of the very rough sea behind me . . far too choppy to swim in – unless you’re my fool of a husband that is!
This crappy quality footage gives you a little taste . . .
Below is the aftermath of the loss of the sunglasses – and having to drive back nearly blind . . .
Our next stop is the town of Argostoli which has been the capital and administrative centre of Kefalonia since 1757.
It’s getting a bit overcast and rain is threatening, but we still have time for a quick potter around.
Lots of colourful souvenirs and architecture to happily snap away at.
The De Bosset Bridge (formerly Drapano Bridge) is a stone bridge built in 1813 over the bay of Argostoli. At 689.9 meters, it is the longest stone bridge over the sea in the world.
The rustic little village of Assos is nestled around a horseshoe shaped harboured and surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery.
It’s the next stop on our Kefalonian village tour and we get our first glimpse of it from up high and from afar.
After parking up in the world’s most traumatic (AKA local Greek) carpark – complete with people playing dodgems with actual cars, we take a peek over the wall for our first glimpses of the heavenly warm waters.
It’s hard to believe that this is the last time we will actually see foreign waters for a long time! Little did we know what was heading for us in 2020. I wish I had appreciated it more at the time.
I can almost feel the heat wafting off the screen and feel the salty air tangling my hair. I whinged about it at the time. Stupid woman.
The village itself is a glorious riot of colour tumbling down the hillside to the harbour. I want to break off a piece of that pink house and see if it tastes as sweet as it looks!
Tiny husband is in his element – it’s scorching and he is getting a tan. I meanwhile am drooping like a dehydrated houseplant.
The rich vegetation, full of pines and cypress trees, meets the indigo blue waters of the Ionian Sea, making for an incredible place to while away a few hours.
Tragically my hipster trilby meets a sad end as a violent (yet very welcome) gust of wind propels it into the harbour. It’s rescued by some passing swimmers but has got all soggy and shapeless!
Assos is probably the prettiest village on Kefalonia in my humble opinion. It’s compact and cute but can probably get hellishly crowded in peak season.
A last little look at the pretty fishing town of Fiscardo now between we head on with our Kefalonian jaunt.
I try to go for an Insta worthy pose – feel like rather a tool TBH! Not sure how people have the patience (or the lack of embarrassment) to get their significant others to take what appears to be 100s of posed pics . . .
I would much rather focus on one of my favourite things – painted walls and rusting shutter hinges!!
Horror of horrors – someone offers to take a photo of us both together – hence the rather pained expressions on both our faces (and the appearance of the ‘frilled lizard’ neck flesh)
A last saunter (or languid melt in my case) through the main harbour as we head onwards to our next destination.
Today’s time travelling trawl takes us back to the beautiful Kefalonian village of Fiscardo in 2019.
With its pretty little beach, bustling harbour and terraces of adorable houses, it is picture postcard perfect.
Fiscardo is unique in that it is the only village on Kefalonia that has so many of the original Venetian buildings intact and still in use.
From every vantage point the azure ocean stretches to the horizon with any number of boats bobbing serenely on its surface.
Fiscardo is a bit of a boaters paradise and the harbour is jammed pack with boats of all sizes and specifications.
The buildings in Fiscardo managed to escape the devastating earthquake of 1953 that destroyed many parts of Kefalonia. Most of the houses are built in the attractive Venetian design and painted in pastel colours.
Shops and tavernas huddle around the harbour offering numerous opportunities to enjoy the day’s fresh catch.
The ubiquitous Bougainvillea drapes its shocking pink bracts over every surface, brazen in the knowledge that it steals the show every time!
Weathered wood, traditional textiles and colourful paintings are also on offer to the souvenir seekers.
Colourful walls sit baking in the midday sun while sunflowers are an obvious choice to flourish in this sweltering Greek town.
Dropping down to the harbour side offers some respite from the heat and I am a sucker for a floaty boaty!
Taking a walk away from the town and around the headland reveals more stunning, private little covers where clear waters lap at your feet as warm as bath water!
There’s so much to see that it warrants another post! So enjoy the sun seeking hubby as he paddles in the glorious water below!
