Ioannina is a place that needs to be savoured. Even during my 10 day stay, I left feeling as though I’d barely scratched the surface of the place even thought I crammed in as much as I could! The Castle of Ioannina dominates the old town and this alone would take several days to see…
Whilst in Ioannina, one of my ‘must do’s’ was to visit the Zagori National Park. I’m a real chicken when it comes to driving in Greece so this was never going to be an option, especially where precipitous mountain passes may be involved. For so long I’d dreamt of seeing the atmospheric stone bridges and…
No visit to Ioannina is complete without a visit to the Perama Cave. I’ve visited a number of caves in Greece over the years. The Caves of Antiparos (several times), The Cave of Lakes in Kastria in the Peloponnese, the Dyros Caves also in the Peloponnese and the Dryopida Caves on Kythnos. Many years ago…
Here I am in Ioannina, pronounced ‘Yannena’ but if you listen to a local say it, there is a very gentle “ee-oh” at the front of it. Ioannina is a vibrant university town and one of the four regional units of Epirus and also serves as the administrative centre for the region. My route here…
This morning I awoke feeling exhilarated realising that I was finally in the place that had been on my bucket list for 10 years. I’d always thought that places like Ioannina were inaccessible without a car. I’d never been a fan of driving in Greece – my unfortunate driving escapades are well-documented. However, getting here…
Even though I was leaving Mathraki this morning, I still hadn’t decided on my next destination. Of course, I’d need to return to Corfu first, but after that – where? (though the clue is in the title!) I began the tedious chore of stuffing my belongings into the bag in preparation for leaving. Even though…
This morning I awoke and threw back the curtains in anticipation of what today’s weather would bring. The sun had already begun to rise over Corfu and the last few clouds had begun to dissipate. Storm Cassandra had left in the early hours of the morning and calm had been restored. This bright and beautiful…
Storm Cassandra was merely toying with us yesterday. She had been watching and waiting for an opportune time to make her presence felt. Last night she decided to hit us with the full force of her might by blasting gales across the bay. From the beach house, I could hear the waves crashing onto the…
During the night Storm Cassandra began to make her presence felt with downpours of torrential rain and gusts of wind blowing in across the sea. Despite the sound of the incoming storm, I had an amazing night’s sleep on a very comfortable memory foam mattress. During this trip, I’ve had mattress experiences ranging from good,…
Two days of strong winds which had led to ferry cancellations, kept me on Othonoi longer than planned. My two days that became five had now become six, but thankfully so. We now have a bit of calm. Tonia said the sea in and around the Diapontia is like an iceberg. It’s not the waves…
During my extended stay on Othonoi, I began to fall into some kind of routine. I woke whenever my body clock felt the desire to rise. Usually about 0730. I’d have a cup of tea on my balcony overlooking the sea towards the place where the Ionian Sea joined the Adriatic. Most mornings I’d have…
I was looking forward to my meal at Antoni’s especially as I hadn’t had anything to eat since my arrival on Othonoi earlier that morning. Vasiliki had reluctantly agreed to provide me with something simple as it wasn’t worth firing up the cooker for just one person. I was happy to take anything she could…
