Every trip has a moment that becomes the one you remember most. For this one it was a table in Preveza, Papoutsakia, Greek salad and people who between them had served in Somalia, sailed the Ionian and cooked the meal. Before that there was a cargo ship, a pilot boat, a Gaza march on the harbour front and a very good fish taverna in a bougainvillea-shaded alley. This is how the Ionian Bound series ends.
No sooner had we unpacked than we were out and ready to explore Vathy. We began by taking an alley one row behind the waterfront, lined with old stone houses. Brightly coloured rugs hung from balconies, gently airing in the breeze. There is just the right mixture of patina and decay, which, of course, adds…
This morning we leave Kefalonia for Ithaca (or Ithaka if you prefer!). With freshly baked bougatsas in hand, we take the side street next to Fatto a Mano bakery, which brings us directly to the harbour front. Waiting is the ferry Ionio Pelagos, engines thrumming and the faintest whiff of smoke from the funnel. Habitually…
Today marks our final full day on Kefalonia — and I can’t quite believe how quickly the time has flown. We’re trading the bustle of Argostoli for the peaceful charm of Sami, where we’ll spend our last night before moving on. After one last sweep of the lovely Portogal Apartments, we lug our bags downstairs,…
After 2 days of marching the length and breadth of Argostoli, we felt (I felt) that today we deserved a more relaxing day. The nearest sandy beaches are over the hill towards Lassi. Peter had also spotted another ‘interesting’ landmark on the map that he thought we should visit along the way – the Cave…
I must admit that choosing where to stay on Kefalonia was initially a bit of a head-scratcher. Being the largest Ionian island and the 6th largest island in Greece overall, there’s a lot of ground to cover. We chose Argostoli, the island’s capital, purely for logistical reasons. Not only is the main bus station located…
I don’t know about other couples, but I find when planning a trip, and even whilst on a trip one person usually has to take the helm so to speak. Of course, as a travel consultant, I’d expect to be responsible for arranging the logistical side of things. It’s not that I’m a control freak…
It was a mad rush to get ready for this trip, which I suspect resulted in me over-packing (what’s new!). When in doubt, just chuck it in! I’m not a last-minute person, and by the time we set off for the airport, I was wound like a tightly coiled spring. We flew from Manchester to…
