Whatever the Weather

Just thought I would show you that every day is not necessarily paradise. Backgammon, housework and a movie today!

 

Normal Service Resumed

Well after the one stormy grey day, I can safely say that the last few days have been glorious here on the island with temperatures rising to around 28 degrees once again. Our beaches are alive once again with the few tourists we have left, mainly from 9 Muses and Tesoro Blu Hotels, and the view to our surrounding islands and mountainous mainland is clear as crystal. If I could get a sun-lounger and wifi connection, I would be typing this post from the beach, but alas, all of the sunbeds have been gathered and collected ready to be put into their winter resting places. So at this time of year, a beach towel is a must.

I decided to drive the 12km to Poros today and take some video footage of the first resort to grace Kefalonia's shores. Unfortunately these days, most of the larger tour operators fail to feature it in their brochures, but personally it is definitely worth a visit and has a charm all of its very own.

Poros is a significant port here on the island as it provides a daily ferry service to link Kefalonia with Killini on the mainland. As with most villages here on the island, the 1953 earthquake devestated Poros and its quaint fishing village type houses, and was rebuilt as you see today.

My favorite restaurant here is Bello Pizza, with its wood oven, the pizza is cooked fresh and to order, and boasts an enviable location along the sea front. There are a selection of tavernas and cafes in Poros, some of which stay open late giving it a distince cafe vibe. After dinner you can walk the length of the sea front and see the remnants of the scattering of bars and resturants that once used to thrive here, however, when the tour operators pulled out of the resort and discovered Skala, Lassi and Lourdas, it appears that Poros was put back on the shelf. A real shame, as it is a beautiful, Venetian inspired little port town with plenty of nooks and crannies just waiting to be explored. On the entrance to Poros, you can park near to the HMS Perseus plaque that pays honour to the English Crew that died in WWII (I will be doing a seperate post for this as it is a spectacular story) a short walk through a pine tree lined path will take you to the plaque. Poros boasts some beautiful pebbled beaches and is surrounded by vast hillside that encases the monastery at Mount Atros (also worthy of a seperate post). It does not stop there, the ravibe of Poros is an 80 metre deep orifice and the huge indentations in the rocks are said to be the legendary footsteps of Hercules himself. In the summer there is evidence of the river that flows during the winter months - the Vohinas River - which starts its life at Avithos - the 'bottomless' lake outside of Poros on the way to Sami. Outside of Poros around halfway to Skala, there is the beautiful Limenia Waterfalls again only visible in the winter months due to the lack of rain in the summer here. If you drive through Poros you also have the Mycenean Ancient Tombs at Tzanata.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Trying to have a lie in here in the winter months can sometimes prove impossible. Greeks are known for talking loudly, however, Kefalonian's take the Gold Medal in conversation levels. This morning, a neighbour walks past the house, and can very clearly hear the loud but friendly Greek greetings and most of the conversation that ensued, the other neighbours join in the village debate and the decibels soar, so the local animal population decide to join in. So now not only do we have 3 loud talking locals below our bedroom window, but the local dog chorus is now in full swing. It is close to the hour so soon the village church bells will be joining in on the commotion. So be warned all of those who want to come and live in an idyllic Greek village, it is not always the peace and quiet that you may idolise, but hey we would not have it any other way.

As I swing open the shutters and step out on to the balcony, there is a distinct chill in the air and the weather cannot seem to make up its mind which way to go. We sit and procrastinate over coffee and freshly cooked homemade lemon cake, and we hear the distinct rumble of thunder and heavy rain starts to fall. From our balcony, we can see the sea, and as if my magic, the mist closes in very quickly and suddenly blocking our views of the neighbouring mainland and Zante, and I know we are in for some heavy weather.

Oh well, its not like I have anywhere to go or anything of interest to do today, so we come back in to the house and start on the daily chores. We know the weather will pass when it does, so we don't worry too much. We used the opportunity to go and look at the sea washing up on the Kefalonian shores between Skala and Poros. I took a video so you can see how quiet this place is and see those much loved waves crashing on the shore, but if one thing is for shore (play on words) ... Kefalonia is beautiful whatever the weather!

Check out my video below taken today along the deserted and stormy beach road in Skala. Happy viewing.

Click Here To Watch Stormy in Skala - 10th October 2015

Summer Days

As our village of Skala winds down for the winter months, the weather shows no signs of stopping and it still feels like summer here. Yesterday and today has been a perfect day for topping up the tan with temperatures peaking at 27 degrees! I picked a perfect spot of beach on Thursday, near to Nautilus, and relaxed for a good couple of hours. Took my snorkel into the sea and spotted some really colorful fish that I had not seen during the summer months here.

Accompanied with a good read, I took the opportunity to relax. I could hear the waves lapping at the shore, and the water seemed more blue and clearer than it appeared at the height of the season. A light and welcome breeze fluttered occasionally and I felt peaceful and relaxed. I had planned for a few friends that also live in Skala to join me later. We rarely get to catch up in the summer months as everyone is busy with their work schedule and trying to escape the August heat. So us locals really cherish this time of year when the weather is great and we can look forward to lazy beach days like today!

R and R @ Skala Beach, Kefalonia

Kalo Himona

Having moved to the beautiful island of Kefalonia and being lucky enough to have secured a job here working within its tourism industry, got me thinking that if only I had a euro for every time I was asked 'What is Kefalonia Like in the Winter?' ...

Having limited blog experience, but plenty of time available now the season is almost over, I bravely have decided to attempt writing this blog to show Kefalonia during the Winter season. Insights, what locals get up to, videos, pictures, festivals and general information will be featured, and I hope you will enjoy reading it and will keep you topped up on Kefalonia Life until you next return.

I want you to interact with the blog as much as you can, so please comment or get in touch if you would like to see anything featured and I will try and accommodate your requests as much as possible.

Kalo Himona (Good Winter)