Blossom, bugs and Sahara dust!

Well it's April and winter has finally gone, the clouds and rain have been replaced with blue skies and there's that lovely warm, if not hot, feeling from the heat of the sun. Blossom, flowers, fruits and bugs are everywhere. The garden is springing into life with colour. The white jasmine is in full flower and smells gorgeous, the plums are in abundance on the trees and we have teeny tiny grapes on the vines.
Hopefully this year the grapes will survive. Last year they were there one day and gone the next - not sure what ate them but it wasn't us!
The swallows are out and about, dive bombing us and flying between the pillars on the house and looking like they were trying to nest on top of the air conditioning unit. They've also been hiding under the canopy as we have coffee in the morning. It's a if they're saying "Come on we need a nest!"

Jasmine in the garden

Callistemon (Bottle Brush plant) in the garden

Teeny tiny grapes


Swallows under the canopy, dropping in for coffee!


Judas tree with blossom in Karavomylos

We've collected some seed pods from this Judas tree in the hope that we can grow our own.

Grasshopper out and about enjoying the sun

I bought myself a bike last year but haven't been out on a decent ride so as the weather was perfect for cycling, I decided to take the plunge and bike it into Sami about 2 miles away. It's mostly downhill so apart from about 300 metres, I basically freewheeled there. I know it doesn't sound like a lot of physical exercise (if any), but it felt great whizzing past the olive trees with a little breeze in my face, the fresh air, the gorgeous blue sky above and shouting 'Kalimera' (Good morning) to anyone I passed. Very enjoyable I have to say. I felt I needed to buy a bottle of water at the local supermarket to complete the experience.

There was no way I could cycle back home as it's all uphill, so Mark met me in Sami with the camper van. We loaded the bike into the camper van and headed home but stopped just short so that I could cycle the last bit past a lovely little church and olive grove. The olive trees in this grove have recently been cut back and I always think they look a bit weird and straggly but they soon recover.

Passing an olive grove not far from our house

The little church/cemetery beside the olive grove

Having christened the bike, I decided to go on another bike ride a few days later while Mark was away fishing. He dropped me and the bike off at Karavomylos harbour. I had a fine time to myself along the sea front at Sami and Karavomylos, stopping off to watch the world go by and have a bite to eat and drink. While having a rest I did see a rather peculiar sight - in fact I had to do a double take. It was a man riding a scooter wearing a dive suit from top to toe - but that's not the best bit - he was wearing a mask, a snorkel and a belt with lead weights! He actually had the snorkel in his mouth! I do love Kefalonia.

Bike ride from Karavomylos harbour on the left to Sami on the right

I passed what I consider to be the taverna with one of the best views on Kefalonia - Taverna Karavomylos. On one side is a lake with a water wheel and on the other is Sami bay. You can see the water wheel in the centre of the photo below.

Karavomylos lake and taverna with Sami bay and Ithaca in the distance. 

Here's an older photo (with kind permission from Takis Tokkas) of the water wheel before the taverna existed.

Members of the Stefanatos-Mordokos & Amourgis family in walking clothes, about 1910.

Photo courtesy of the Tokkas Family archive at the Casa-Museo/house-museum, Karavomylos.

An interesting geographical phenomenon is attached to the lake. The water in it comes from the other side of the island at Katavothres (near Argostoli the capital) and takes 14 days to arrive at Karavomylos lake via another lake - Melissani Lake - through underground streams. The water starts off as sea water and ends up being almost fresh water (brackish) by the time it arrives at Karavomylos lake after which it then re-enters the sea. There are plenty of fish in it (no fishing allowed though!) and it's home to ducks, geese and herons.

Water flows underground from Katavothres to Karavomylos

The tables at the taverna overlook Sami bay with the stunning view of Ithaca. Just idyllic. The taverna was just opening towards the end of April and there was a lot of activity with staff cleaning the tables, jet washing the patio area, putting up the umbrellas and painting the decking. They certainly keep the place immaculate.
A statue of a chef is at the entrance to the taverna but I have to say the colour of his face is rather odd. I just want to get my paints out and give him more of a normal skin tone! I wonder if they'd mind?

Taverna Karavomylos


The green chef!


Now that's what you call tables with a view

 Closer to the sea perhaps? (Notice the Greek flag flying -see later)


Water from the other side of the island re-entering the sea on the right


A regular visitor in his regular spot on the lake - a heron

From here it was on to Sami via the path along the beach.

The church in Sami

The Greek easter is a week ahead of the UK easter and started on 6th April. You can tell easter and the summer season is in the air as there is a lot of activity.
Hotels are sprucing up their buildings and gardens and the local council is out cleaning the streets. Local people are also de-weeding the pavements outside their homes, painting the edges of the pavements white (get the sunglasses out!), tending to the shrubs in their gardens and generally making their villages clean and tidy. The Greek flags are out everywhere. You can see them being flown at the harbour, at the Post Office, outside tavernas, outside churches and outside homes. I think the UK could learn a thing or two from the Greeks when it comes to flying the national flag. The flags go up and they stay up! They're proud of their country and not afraid to show it.
From here it was back to Karavomylos.

We've had some weird weather in the middle of April, courtesy of the Sahara. Warm - but the air filled with a very fine red dust. The sky was a strange colour and it lasted a few days. During this time we had a trip to Assos on the West coast. A good friend of ours, Fran, came with us.
Assos is very picturesque and quiet at this time of year. Assos castle, which is to be found high up (170 metres up!) on the peninsula is a Venetian fortification and is protected by a 2000 metre long wall which dominates the skyline.

Assos and the peninsula from afar (This photo taken last year on a blue sky day!)

The castle was built by the Venetian architect Marino Gentillini, between 1593-6. Gentillini eventually married and settled in Kefalonia and his descendants today own the Gentillini winery which is situated close to the airport. (Must have a visit to this!)
Fran wanted to show us the walk within the castle grounds so armed with refreshments it was time for a bit of exercise!

Looking towards the castle wall from Assos - The only way is up!

Going up and looking back at Assos - You can just make out the haze on this photo.

Me, Mark and Fran outside the little chapel on the path leading up to the castle

Looking down from the castle with empty water bottles already - strange sky!

As we went through the castle entrance we followed a path down to some buildings some of which were ruins. As we approached one ruin, we spotted a couple of horses. Thinking they would be uninterested in us, we carried on walking, but they started making a beeline for us which was a little bit intimidating. They got closer and closer as we made a run for the ruin and we ended up being herded into it by them! Our friend Fran has worked a lot with horses but I could tell even she was a bit disconcerted. Turns out they were quite friendly and probably just interested in food, of which we had none.

A bit further round from this ruin and unseen from the path was a lovely arch and a perilous drop on the other side.

Perilous drop behind the arch!

Eventually the path led us to a church which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. We've been to Assos a few times but never been this far down the path. It was April and it was a hot walk. Can't imagine doing this in the height of summer! I have it on good authority that if you knock tree times on the church door, wait 15 seconds and knock twice more, the resident monk will open the church door and give you a few ice cold Mythos beers! Shame we didn't know that before-hand. Thanks to the person who informed me of that - you know who you are!
😂

Path leading to a lovely church

The church 

Looking back along the path which brought us to the church

On returning to the castle you can see the arched entrance gate with a plaque above bearing the Venetian Lion of Saint Mark (very hard to make out, if at all!). Mark was adamant he could see the winged lion but I'm not so sure.

We purchased our first Greek car this month - a silver Opel Astra (that bit is important as you will see shortly!) and of course there's a story attached to that. We bought it off friends of friends. We had to go take a look at if first though. Our friend Fran came with us. As we didn't know where they lived, we arranged to meet them beside the sign for their village so that we could then follow them to their home. This sign happened to be beside a bus stop on the junction of two roads.
We got there first, stopped the car and jumped out. We had only waited a few minutes when a silver Opel Astra came towards us slowing down as it neared the junction. Mark shouted "This looks like them". I ran over to the car, they wound down the windows and I said "Hello - I'm Sharon, shall we follow you?" to which they replied " Well you can if you want but we're just going shopping!"
Mark then shouted from across the road "I don't think that's them". Mark and Fran were in stitches, as was I. I apologised to the people in the car but they just laughed and drove off. Another silver Opel Astra appeared, this time the correct people inside.
You wouldn't believe it though - of all the cars to approach that junction at that time. It ended well though as we bought the car so we are now the proud owners of a car with Greek number plates! At last!

We took the car on a trip to Dafnoudi beach on the north coast. We hadn't been here before so it was a new experience for us. It was a gorgeous blue sky day and it took us about an hour to get there, going via Myrtos beach and Assos on the west coast road. We abandoned Norman by the side of the road (as you do here on Kefalonia) and walked down a shaded path to the little cove. Nobody there but us. It was great for snorkelling with plenty of fish.

Dafnoudi beach on the North coast of kefalonia

Norman abandoned by the roadside

The shaded path leading to Dafnoudi beach

Dafnoudi beach

Nobody there!

Having washed Norman he is now covered in fine red dust again! Arghhhh...........

We celebrated 2 years of living on Kefalonia on the 25th April. How time flies. 

April is coming to an end and the weather has been amazing. Very dry and it's reached 33 degrees so almost like July temperatures. 

May is the official start to the summer season. It's about to get busy!