Balconies on three sides

Day One - Tuesday, 11 July

The Polymnia Apartments, Kefalonia

Early start with Graham arriving at 05:30 for the trip to Luton to catch the 08:30 First Choice flight to Kefalonia. We had booked the previous week when I was in Doha. One week, self-catering, three-sun grade apartment with two bedrooms for £129 – although when the airport tax, fuel surcharge, meal and luggage increase were added (15kg to 20kg – which, in the end we didn’t really need) it came to about £200 per person.

All well with the flight. It took off 20 minutes late, but arrived on time at 13:15. We had a row to ourselves and so were able to spread out.

When we arrived in Kefalonia we were told by the First Choice representative that we had been downgraded to a two-sun grade apartment with no pool and no TV, but that they would compensate us £50 each for the inconvenience.

It turned out we were in a place – the Polymnia Apartments (4*) in Lassi (3*) - which we would book again. It is great. It’s quiet, off the beaten track, wonderful views. The place is spotlessly clean and we have four balconies, one looking east, two looking south, and another west, so we get the sun whatever time of day it is. Tom has the double bed and I have the twin bedded room.

As in all Greek Island accommodation you have to put the toilet paper in a bin. It takes some getting used to.

We were told we would be transferred by coach, but we decided to hire a 4x4 open top jeep for €460. It was a Suzuki Vitara and we headed off to find out accommodation. Tom was the navigator – and a excellent one too.

The beach near our apartment

After unpacking we went exploring and found a small beach not far from our apartment. The road to it was steep and sandy and the 4x4 came in useful. It is said that Kefalonia has some of the cleanest water in the Ionian Sea. I have not seen such crystal clear water before. We spent half an hour in the waves before having a shower (most beaches have shower facilities – sometimes just a pipe, tap and shower head).

We got cleaned up and headed into Argostoli where we had a late lunch – it was now about 15:00 – of squid and fresh fish at a small sea front restaurant. The restaurant (2*) was an extremely authentic place and not one for the tourists, but it was good. Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia and has some fine buildings. Everything is painted in pastel shades.

Argostoli is the main port for ferries to the islands and other parts of Kefalonia. There is an attractive central square with several pedestrian streets leading off. In the evenings people just walk up and down taking coffee or eating ice cream. There are loads of expensive shops at one end and cheap shops selling fake sunglasses and other novelties at the other.

We stopped at an Internet café to check mail and websites and Tom had a lemon ice cream before we headed back to the apartment along the lower, slower and prettier route. The way Tom found was through woodland and hugging the coast. On the way we found a small cover for paddling near the lighthouse then headed back to Lassi.

We’d had a bit of trouble with the Suzuki Vitara’s gear box. It was murder trying to get it to change from first to second and own from third to second. This was particularly worrying at junctions or where we needed to drop down a gear for a hill. We’d been to the hire car company – a local firm called Pefonis (3*), which had been recommended by First Choice (in fact they shared their desk). They gave us a discount with them (for changing our accommodation) of one free day, so we only had to book six rather than seven. They were very helpful. The man drove the vehicle and agreed to change it the following day.

It was now late evening, so we cleaned up and heading into town again for a meal at the Nefeli Restaurant (2*) for pizza. It was fine, but it was a Greek pizza. They are much fatter and they use real tomatoes, so Tom had his work cut out removing the tomatoes and pips. I had stuffed vine leaves, hummus and bread.

I am not drinking during the day because I am driving and also because I felt it would be more fun for Tom. I have a small bottle of wine, which I had a glass of in the evening, but we were so tired that we collapsed at 10:30 and didn’t wake up until 09:00 the following day.

Beach and cove hopping

Day Two - Wednesday, 12 July

Enetiko Taverna on a remote cove south of Lassi

After a slow breakfast we went down to the Pefonis car hire office to change our Suzuki from a Vitara (2*) to a smaller, but better, Suzuki Jimny (3*). It’s an excellent vehicle. The gears are much better and it is easier to handle. Also, a full tank of unleaded only cost €30 (£22). The Jimny was also €60 (£43) cheaper for the week, so we got a refund. In the end the car hire was costing us €400 (£300) for the week.

From the Pefonis office we heading south and found Long Beach as the south end of Lassi. We managed to get there before the crowds and had an hour in the crystal clear water. Tom had bought a fishing net but the fish were faster than he was and all he managed to catch was sand, rocks and seaweed.

While at Long Beach we had a plate of chips and drinks at the café and spotted a brochure for a day Sea Kayaking. We set off to find the bay mentioned in the brochure. An hour later, after a wonderful drive over hills and down to bays we ended up at a remote cove at the end of the lane from Koundourara to the sea.

Home-grown produce at the Enetiko Taverna

The restaurant was called Enetiko (4*) and it seemed to be run by a family. The main waiter, who appeared to be the owner, showed us the catch of the day, a fish we had never heard of. He offered chips made with his own home-grown potatoes and fried in his own olive oil. He then gave us bread with olive paste (presumably made from his own olive oil). This was to be a totally home-grown/caught meal. It was excellent. We shared the fish €18 (£15) and washed it down with bottled water.

After a swim in this small cover - a wonderful spot – Tom took on to navigate us over the island to the port of Sami on the east coast. Sami faces Ithaki and has a busy ferry traffic. We set off with a map that is really only a sketch of the islands and not an accurate representation of every road and village.

Tom did so well. We didn’t get lost and only did one u-turn as we headed across olive groves and vineyards heading north east to the fortress town of Kastro and down to the fertile valley where the monastery of Mihata sits regally in the centre of a vast plain surrounded by mountains. It is a wonderful spot.

At a place called Agios Gerasimos there is a new monastery (the old one is in ruins) and just across the road is the Robola Vineyard where they had wine tasting. The vineyard is run by the monks and has about a dozen varieties with top three created from the Robola grape, which, apparently, is special to this area. The woman was trying to sell us loads of wine, but I just tried one and bought one bottle as a present for Ellie.

From there we continued over the mountains past Mount Gioupari (1,125m) to the caves at Drogarati. These caves were only fenced off a hundred years ago. Before then, people used to picnic there. As a result, many of the stalagmites and stalactites had been damaged, some even used to make walls. Now it is floodlit with walkways and a guide watching all you do. There was a considerable temperature drop as we made our way down into the main chamber where, apparently, Maria Callas performed a concert some years back.

Andisimos Bay, south east from Sami

From Drogarati we headed into Sami and straight on to the small Andisimos Bay to the south of the town. This was a wonderful spot with a rocky coastline and deep water shelving away rapidly. We swam the length of the beach looking for showers but were out of luck.

We didn’t really explore Sami because we decided to head for another beach to the north of the town for a shower and again we couldn’t find showers. As we headed back over the mountains to Argostoli, my navigator fell asleep and left me to it waking up as we parked up on the sea front.

We wandered round this lovely town and settled down for a meal at the Ainos restaurant (4*), a high class Greek restaurant on the main square. This was the best meal so far. We shared a squid as a starter and then I had Kleftico and Tom had grilled Mediterranean Red Fish. We had a bit of a walk around before heading home along the coastal route, stopping to take some sunset snaps at the lighthouse.

After a shower we headed down to the village by foot. There is a cute path from our apartment to the village, although there are no lights so we took a torch for the journey home.

The Sirtaki Gardens Bar in Lassi

Tom took a fancy to the Sirtaki Gardens bar (‘looks like Epcot’) the previous evening, so we went there for a drink. I had a beer and Tom had a non-alcoholic cocktail called a ‘Tom Cocktail’ – which had grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, orange and a few other cocktail additions. His cocktail was €4.50 and my beer only €3. We staggered back knackered at 22:30 and were asleep in five minutes.

Exploring the coastline by boat

Day Three – Thursday, 13 July

Mirtos Bay, Kefalonia, where a scene from Captain Corelli's Mandolin was shot

Set off about 10:30 for a glorious day exploring the less populated and less touristy north of the island. We headed north via the capital Argostoli and toured an industrial estate before finding our road along the coast to Diverata where we turned left for Mirtos Bay (4*), where they filmed Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – or at least the scene from the film that was on the beach.

What a spectacular place. Coaches can’t reach it because of the steepness of the road. It’s a steep shelving beach with pebbles. The water at the edge is crystal blue, but it soon goes dark and colder. It’s a safe beach if you are not silly, but there are strong under currents and you have to stay on the right side of the buoys.

We spent about half an hour in the water before having showers and Kefalonian pies (2*) – Tom had cheese and I had spinach.

Assos Harbour from the castle path

From there we continued north to the small village of Assos (4*) on a spit of land jutting out into the Ionian Sea. It’s another jewel. It is small, with one taverna on the front. We ventured up to the castle on a hair-pin road that needed the 4 wheel drive, but I turned back when it got a bit too scary.

The northern fishing port of Fiskardo

From Assos we continued north to Fiskardo (4*), a village that seems locked in a time warp, apart from the expensive yachts in the bay. We had a semi successful lunch at a taverna there called Café Tselenti (3*) the food was good, but they put onions in Tom’s carbonara so I had to ask them for a portion of squid and chips to be safe and sent the pasta back. They were great and so was my Mediterranean spaghetti.

A side alley is Fiskardo

As we entered the small fishing village we found a boat hire place, so we took a motorboat out for two and a half hours (5*). Tom took the wheel and steered us through the choppy Straights of Ithaka to the port of Stavros. The waves were fairly high, so we went slowly at first, but then Tom gained confidence and he started going full speed.

From Ithaka we crossed the Straights again heading for Cape Kendri and then followed the coast of Kefaloni north again stopping off at a couple of coves to anchor the boat and dive in the turquoise water. It was a wonderful afternoon; one of those to remember forever.

Got home about 20:00 for showers and then down to Lassi village by foot using the path that winds its way past the olive grove and past some small terraced fields with vegetables growing. We went shopping for footy shirts for Mike and found that the same ones we found for €40 in Argostoli were only €15 in Lassi, so we emailed Ellie and Mike to find out which one he wanted. We got the reply, “let Tom decide”, so we will probably take a day or two choosing.

We found a wonderful restaurant, the best yet. It’s the Phaedra (5*) on the main road in Lassi. They had a special on offer which was toasted (grilled) chicken with “small potatoes”, which were sort of boiled and then slightly roasted (or toasted) in olive oil and herbs. The grilled chicken was in a sauce of lemon, oregano and garlic, with some olive oil, I think. It was excellent.

Tom took to this place and ordered a Greek starter platter because he wanted to try Greek food. He doesn’t like stuffed vine leaves but loved the meatballs and the deep fried cheese, so, between us, we polished it off.

Before we wandered back to the apartment we found a phone and booked the sea kayaking trip for Saturday. We came back to the apartment about 22:30 and listened to one of the new Ricky Gervais podcasts that Tom had downloaded on his iPod – very funny.

Winery and boating to coves

Day Four – Friday, 14 July

We got up early today. I was showered and dressed by half eight and Tom soon after. The idea was to explore the south of the island, find a harbour with boats, hire one and explore the coast.

We soon realised that the south of the island is our least favourite bit (with a couple of exceptions). The part south of the airport is really cute, but south of Mousata as the road follows the coast south east, it is really disappointing. The villages are tatty and the road is busy.

Tom was great at navigating again and he took us off the main road and down to the Mataxa Winery (3*) where I sampled the whites and bought Ellie two bottles. That was the high spot of the morning. From then it went steadily downhill.

We were disappointed by the resorts of Skala and Poros, but others rave about them, so perhaps it is because we just drove through them rather than experiencing them. Ant and Linda had a lovely time here they told us.

Skala seemed to be a straight strip of sand with apartments and hotels. Judging by the number of people trudging through the heat to the beach, it seems as if it is a place with little to do other than hire a sun lounger and umbrella and camp out for the day. The guy hiring the boats wanted €95for two hours. The previous day it had been €25 for three hours.

We moved on from Skala (1*) to Poros. The coastline improved during that part of the drive and was quite pretty and Poros itself is a fairly okay port, but there were no boats to hire.

Tom then decided we should head north through the mountains to Sami (2*) on the east coast. We had been to Sami before and liked the beaches around it, although we had not really explored it. The journey was spectacular.

The road takes you up over the mountain range and through some wonderful wide valleys with cypress trees and blossom everywhere. That journey took 45 minutes and we were driving Tom suggested we continue to the far north of the island and the port of Fiskardo (4*) where we were the day before.

As we climbed out of Sami the countryside became spectacular again with sea vistas out to Ithaki. After about ten minutes we spotted some small motor boats and decided that we would investigate the next port, Agia Efimia (3*) where we found the Broadway Harbour Boat Company (4*) who hired us a great little boat for the afternoon for €40.

The guy suggested we pack a picnic and he would lend us a cooler box. We stocked up at the bakery with cheese pasties and spinach and cheese pasties and a currant bun and water and set sail.

Again, Tom was great. Our task was to head north hugging the coast until we got to a bay where a scene from Captain Corellie was filmed (another bay from the film). It took an hour to get there and turn around so we could motor back down the coast and explore the bays, dropping anchor and swimming around in the clear blue water.

I had bought another set of goggle (we lost one the day before) and we were able to observe the fish. We must have anchored and swam at three bays before heading back to Agia Efimia and returning the boat.

On the way home we visited the sunken cave at Karavomilos. It was a novel boat ride, but not worth the €5 each. The old bloke who rowed our boat was a character and seemed to work hard for tips, asking us several times whether we liked the trip. It was okay, but we were tired and ready for the half hour and 20km drive over the mountains and back to our apartment.

We were keen to shower and get cleaned up for dinner. Tom had half an hour sleep as I showered and wrote the diary. I think this holiday is doing us both the world of good. We are taking each day as it comes and changing our plans as the mood takes us. It’s very relaxing. We went down to the Phaedra restaurant again because it was so good the previous night.

On the way we checked out some of the alternative accommodation which might have been put in by First Choice. All looked fine, but none seemed as nice as out place from the outside. The Panorama, which I thought we were getting, was up the top of a steep hill. I can see why people complained on the discussion forum for Kefalonia. We are still of the opinion that we would want to stay here again if we were to return – which we probably won’t because there are so many other places to visit and see.

For dinner we shared a starter of Greek meatballs and calamari and then Tom had the dish of the day, which was breaded sole with potatoes and vegetables followed by another Greek dessert. I had kleftico again (delicious) and half a litre of the homemade white. We have found a nice table that appears to be reasonably smoke free, in fact we only had a problem on our first night there when a guy two tables away lit up a cigar.

We checked out the football shirts for Mike again and the choice grows, so Tom has been charged by Mike to decide. We asked the man in the shop to keep a Barcelona shirt for him. It will cost €15, which is €25 cheaper than the same shirts in the capital, Argostoli.

After shopping we took the footpath from the village to our apartment and strolled back through the olive groves in the dark with only the moon and stars to light our way. Once in the apartment we listened to another podcast before turning in. Another great day.

Sea kayaking off the Lassi coast

Day Five – Saturday 15 July

Sea kayaking with Monte Nero Activities (5*). What a fantastic day. Tom and I give this five stars. Fantastic from start to finish. We met our guides at the Argostoli lighthouse at 09:00 to kit up and prepare for the six-hour sea journey down the coast, past Lassi to the beach at Ag Nikolaou.

There were 10 of use. A Swiss family of three and five Australian pals having a reunion tour of Europe. The first hour and a half was spent weaving in and out of grottos, caves, arches and other coastal features.

We came across remote beaches and stretches of limestone cliffs dropping vertically into the sea. The briefing was detailed. They took us through everything saying “five minutes learning this on the shore is worth an hour in the water.”

Tom and I were often in the lead, having done kayaking before, but kayaking on the sea is much different as you have to make allowance for the sea and the swell. Our guides were on the look-out for changes to the surface of the water which would have indicated an increase in the wind. There was only one choppy bit, which Pavlos reckoned was a force two.

They say they will keep going in force four if those on the trip are up to it. The trip included one swim stop on a remote beach and a lunch stop on another beach that was fantastically clean. The tour guides brought flippers and snorkling gear so that we could go out and see the fish.

They also brought lunch. A very healthy spread of break, cheese, salad, meat and fruit. This was one of the best tours we have ever done and it ended on a beach just past the airport which has a bar. After helping the team pack the boats we enjoyed a beer and a can of diet coke in the bar with all who had taken part.

Excellent. I’d recommend the team from Monte Nero Activities. Their website is www.monte-nero-activities.com/.

We got back to the apartment at 17:30 for showers and two episodes of the podcast while I edited the photos and wrote the diary. As I write, I notice that Tom is asleep. Bless him; he has done so well today. He is a star. I’ll wake him so he can have a shower and we can go into Lassi for dinner. Probably at the Phaedra – call us boring, but it is so good it doesn’t make sense to try anywhere else.

We went down to the village and wandered around a bit and bought Mike his Barcelona footy shirt. We looked at several restaurants but ended up at Phaedra again. Tom had swordfish, which he didn’t really like, and I had chicken kebab, so I swapped with Tom and he enjoyed the kebab which I thought the swordfish was brill.

Exploring the Lixouri peninsular

Day Six – Sunday, 16 July

It’s 9am and Tom is still asleep. It was a hard day yesterday. My red back (snorkelling too long just under the surface of the sea) is feeling fine. The after sun seems to help. Thanks to Ellie for remembering it.

We explored the west of the island heading out through Argostoli and north along the coastal road to the turn for the Lixouri peninsula. It’s a strange mix of some small, picturesque communities and some large, barren areas with extensive quarrying and rocky hillsides. A

ll in all, it was probably one of the least satisfying mornings, although we did enjoy the wild west coast and the villages of Damoulianata, Rifi, Kaminarata and Chavdata. These four are all linked by a narrow mountain road that twists and falls through valleys and canyons. It was by far the nicest part of the journey.

We found the recommended Vatsa Bay, but we got there via a different road from the one on the map and by the time we had reached the end of that road we realised we were on the wrong side of a small river.

We continued along that road, which by now had become a track and emerged at Mantaainata from where we decided to head into the port of Lixouri for a meal. Lixouri and Argostoli one fought it out for the right to be named the capital of Kefalonia.

In our minds there was no contest. Lixouri is a shadow of Argostoli. It feels smaller and less important. The buildings are less impressive too. We had lunch at a restaurant in the square. It was okay, but not great.

Tom bought mixed grill but could only eat the lamb chop. I had a salad and chicken kebab, which Tom helped me with and some whitebait, which we shared. We decided that the morning had to be put down to an ‘experience’.

Tom said, earlier in the week, that it is wrong to try to edit out blemishes from the perfect photo and that places must be remembered as they really are. The visit to the Lixouri peninsular fits into that category.

We caught the car ferry back to save me from having to drive around the coast and spent half an hour catching up with the news in the Internet café. To brighten the day, I went out to find a sheltered beach where we could play water polo. Tom rested and played Patience on the computer and listened to his iPod.

I found a great cove. There was hardly any beach, just a great expanse of sand. To reach it, I had to climb down steps in the rocks. I had a swim, stopped by the supermarket, bought a ball and then collected Tom. We had a good hour messing about in the water, which by this time (about 17:00), had become as warm as a bath. We both wore T-shirts to prevent us getting burnt by the sun.

After a shower and change of clothes we headed in to Argostoli for dinner and ended up at the same place we had eaten on Wednesday, the Ainos restaurant (4*). I had grilled vegetable pasta and Tom had grilled chicken and we both cleaned our plates. An ice cream and half an hour online, with Tom playing Call of Duty and talking the Mike on MSN, followed before we headed home for another Ricky Gervais Podcast and bed. It turned out a good day in the end.

Off the beaten track

Day Seven – Monday, 17 July

Took the jeep up into the mountains to explore the national park around mount Aenos (1,628m). We went via Kastro again where we stopped at the castle – unfortunately it was closed, but we didn’t mind because we wanted to adventure into the rural mountainous area.

At Mihata, where they have the Robola vineyard, we tried to find a short cut. On the map it was marked as a white road. This usually means unpaved. We got totally lost, but it was brill. The track was a rocky cart track winding through olive groves, vineyards and abandoned villages.

At one point the road was only wide enough for our narrow jeep. Any other vehicle would have struggled to get through. There were no passing places and few spots where I could turn around, so we went on and on along the side of the mountain cutting across dried out river beds and through olive groves. It was great fun.

Tom really enjoyed it, although we both got a bit worried a few points along the way. At one point we had to go down into a dried out river bed down an incline of about ¼ and then up the other side again.

It was touch and go whether we would make it. I stalled on the way up and had to drop back and take a run at it. We made it and decided to turn round after Tom saw a sign which we guessed meant ‘No Through Road’ or ‘No Vehicles’. It made sense, I don’t expect a vehicle other than a tractor had been along there for years. W

e finally got back on the main road and went up to the national park. We seemed to be driving on dirt roads for ages when we decided to turn back. We passed a middle aged couple who looked weary.

I offered them a lift, which they enthusiastically accepted. Appartenly they had walked further than we had driven up the mountain, but didn’t realise how far they had gone. She was trying to do it in white sandals. It was crazy because the ground underfoot was rocky and unstable. They climbed in and we found out they were from St Helens and had been here last year.

They are staying in Skala, which is where Ant and Linda stayed. They raved about it, as did Ant, which gave us another view on the place. Ours had been a bit tainted by the fact that the motorboat guy had tried to rip us off. We had not really explored it. Perhaps Skala is okay afterall.

We headed into Argostoli for a kebab at a place we had been eyeing up all week only to find it was closed, but we found another place a few doors down and bought our kebabs and ate them on the prom.

A quick visit to the Internet café for Call of Duty, news and email and we headed home for our afternoon siesta. We are avoiding the hottest part of the day on purpose.

Had another good swim in our cove just down from the Dolphin supermarket. Showered and changed for out last meal at the Phaedra. Tom had chicken grilled with mozerella and parmegan cheese with spaghetti and I had chicken kebabs. We rounded off with greek deserts with ice cream.

After, Tom asked to go for a walk to the lighthouse. It was a lovely evening and it was a great idea. However, we had only got half way when we both mneeded the loos. So we stopped by at Oscar's Taverna for a drink and used their toilets. It was nice walking as the sun went down. It was a lovely end to our last full day, although Tom got fed up with me because I kept wanting to stop for a wee.

Heading home for a curry

Day Eight – Tuesday, 18 July

We are heading home today after a wonderful week. I think we are both ready to go back. We came for a rest and to spend time near the sea and we achieved all we wanted. Tom has had a good break.

We had great accommodation and overall the holiday was a great success. I would award it 4*.

Up early, packed and out by 09:30 and off to the White Rocks Beach. It's lovely that early with loads of old Greek blokes taking an early morning swim. The water was cold, but it didn't take us long to get used to it and we had a great hour splashing round.

We should have waited for the First Choice bus at 11:00, but because we were self-drive, we made our own way to the airport - hence the early morning swim.

From the beach we headed south of the airport to a taverna Dum Spiros where we had an early lunch.

By the time we got to the airport it was 12:10 and the Luton passengers had been sent through, so we were taken to the head of the queue and had checked in in five minutes.

Nice to think that we were chilling over a meal while the others were queuing. And we got seats together. All in all a painless check in and good flight, although Tom didn't really enjoy his meal.

We were met by Mike and Ellie at Luton, which was great and gave us a chance for a chat on the way home. A good curry from the Raj to end the day.

An excellent holiday in every respect.

Note: Star rating guide.

0* - awful
1* - okay
2* - not bad
3* - really good
4* - great
5* - excellent

Holiday costs

Package = £129 each less discount of £50 = £79 each for two bedroom apartment and flights. Extras such as airport charges, tax, fuel surcharge, meals, luggage brought this to £420, less the £100 discount = £320.
Graham taxi to Luton = £33
Boat hire = €100 for two afternoons.
Sea Kayaking = €50 each for the day, including lunch
Meals = about €80 a day = €560
Jeep hire = €460 less discount of €65 = €390
Wine for Ellie = €20
Barcelona Shirt for Mike = €15

Total cost

Total cost for a week in a two-star, two bedroom apartment with flights, hire car, all meals, three days of water activities, wine, presents, drinks and groceries comes to £1181 or £590.50 each