Leaving Kefalonia

Since we came back from Ithaca we've been working hard to finish all the jobs we'd started. It's been about 34 deg C every day, so we've had plenty of late afternoon swims to cool off.
We have spent time with the neighbours, Jim and Denise and their German Shepherd dog, Lexie. Dave's been helping Jim to do some pool maintenance jobs, and Jim's given us a hand with things. It's been really nice knowing them and spending time together. I had the most amazing fresh tuna salad for lunch at Makis' restaurant on Trapezaki Beach. However I must say that the island is getting busy with tourists, so it's time to go!! We've been spoilt having the island to ourselves.

On Monday evening we left the island and headed back to France. We have now been reunited with the campervan near Limoges, and are spending a couple of days there with more friends, Mike and Rosie at their campsite.
Tomorrow morning we'll start heading north towards Brittany where we'll be meeting up with Chris and Lin at the weekend for a 'holiday' !!

Ithaca

We arrived in Ithaca early in the morning to 34 deg C. and glorious sunshine. First we did a drive around the northern chunk of the island. It's incredibly steep and mountainous, and around every bend you see sheer drops into beautiful turquoise bays, many only accessible by boat or swimming. We stopped off at Polis Beach in Stavros and walked around the old fishing harbour.

From there we went inland up to the village of Exogi which is very high up and gives fabulous views back across to Kefalonia and the Greek mainland.
In Friskes, and again in Kioni we arrived at the same time as some yacht flotillas which proved to be very entertaining to watch as they floundered around trying to moor up on the quayside. There were very few moorings left, and a squall had blown up making it more like a game of dodgems.

We found some accommodation in Lefki, and went down to the beach for the evening, and were delighted to see a dolphin swimming close by us in the bay.

Next morning we went inland again, very high up to the Katharon Monastery, and enjoyed incredible views of Vathi, the island's capital.

 

Then a picnic lunch and a swim on Filatro Beach before getting the evening ferry 'home' again.

 

A spectacular island. Small, unspoilt, very like Kefalonia but not for the faint-hearted if you don't like hairpin bends and very steep roads. Would you trust the Greek safety barriers?? I think not!!!

The Swordfish

We've become friendly with  Makis, the owner of the restaurant on Trapezaki Beach, as featured in my last blog and whilst we were having lunch there earlier in the week he invited me into the kitchens to watch the chef fillet and prepare a freshly caught swordfish.

It was huge! It weighed 29kg, and was about the same height as me including the sword which was about 60cm long.

 

                                   ςίϕίας ( swordfish )

Georgos had already cut a 15kg fillet from a 107kg tuna, and was telling me that the largest tuna ever caught in greek waters weighed about 700kg! Wow!

We've had some lovely walks this week around the village. I particularly enjoyed seeing all the fruit growing; figs, oranges, lemons, apricots, pomegranates, almonds and even bananas and a broad bean tree!

 banana tree with flower

 broad bean tree (ok, not really, but what is it?)

 

We've decided to go on holiday .... abroad!  So tomorrow we are going to take the ferry to Ithaca for a couple of days. It's the island to the east of Kefalonia, and neither of us has ever been there before, so guess what the next blog will be about?