Kefalonia - the Fortitude version!

I've decided now that having spent 3 winters here, in my opinion and being quite generalised, it starts in January. The weather from October up until the end of December isn't too bad at all. Yes some thunderstorms and rain but intermixed with bright blue skies and some warmth to the point of wearing just a long sleeved T-shirt on 23rd December 2018! Yes I know I have boots on, but we could still have gone for a swim if only we'd taken our swimwear! 

23rd December 2018 - Lassi beach with Bobs

Come January and the temperatures start to drop. I tried to type some of this post on 9th January at the computer, with Bobby the Jack Russell on my knee. He's been a bit clingy since Rocky died and likes to cuddle up whenever I sit down, but also we've just got back from a dog walk which has been cold and wet so he's trying to pinch some warmth from me. We have tried putting a coat on Bobby in the winter, just to stop him getting damp and cold as he is coming up for 12 years old. He has a lovely thin waterproof tartan coat which has a velcro fastener around the neck and one around the body - simple? So you would think it would be easy to put it on him. Well it isn't! We've tried on numerous occasions but we like to keep our fingers intact. At one point we had it around his neck but he just ran away with it flapping around his body looking like Krypto the Superdog with his cape on.

Krypto the Superdog (Bobby in disguise)

It's a perfect opportunity to write my post as there's not a lot to do outside in this weather. The wood store is beckoning as we have a new delivery and I need to do some re-arranging in there, but it will have to wait until the rain has stopped and the wind has died down. Bobby meanwhile, has been looking at himself in the photo and decided he's a bit chunky and wants some photoshopping done. I've told him I NEVER photoshop my photos so what's in the photo STAYS in the photo. He's not a happy Jack!

So for this post I'm going to show you the subtle transition into winter, moving from the end of December into January. Kefalonia looks so different without the blue skies and sun but it needs to be done. I can't shirk the responsibility of showing peeps what it's really like during the winter. 

On 26th December we decided to take a trip to Zola. We love Zola on the north west coast of Kefalonia. It's out there on its own, nestling in the hills, a very picturesque village with an equally picturesque harbour. You can just see the path running alongside Agia Kiryaki beach which we walked along with Bobby. It looks like a summer scene and it WAS a lovely blue sky day as you can see, but with a breeze - deceptively cold. A coat was definitely needed. Something else I have to mention here which I don't think I've mentioned before - the air is so fresh and clean and the colours so vivid wherever you go on Kefalonia. What has been captured by the camera is exactly what it looked like. So many shades of blue and green.

Zola in the hills as seen from the main west coast road

The harbour at Zola with the village in the hills

The harbour at Zola looking towards Agkonas in the hills

Agia Kiryaki beach (St. Sunday beach) - Empty!

Towards the end of December, it was getting a bit colder so the Svalbard jumper and body warmer came out complete with Russian hat and of course boots. Not quite the 'Fortitude' look yet.

My favourite tree! (Eucalyptus). 

Palm tree at Karavomylos (Note the eucalyptus twigs in my hand)

The harbour at Karavomylos

January 1st 2019 came, and there were those white objects in the sky with more coverage than usual. I don't like them. There was also SNOW on the tops of the mountains!  Winter is on its way.

Olive grove beside us


Church ruin - post earthquake of 1953. Snow on the mountains.

Between Sami and Karavomylos - at last -  my 'Fortitude' look 🤣

The Sami Philharmonic band stopped by to give us some New Year cheer 

The first week of January and the bad weather started to hit. Stormy weather and very cold.I'm sure at one point Kefalonia was colder than Iceland. I'm not joking either! How is that possible? Aren't we in the Mediterranean?

Snow on the mountain above Agia Efimia and on Ithaca

Some mornings have started with blue skies and on our early morning dog walk we've seen sea smoke over Sami Bay caused by very cold air moving over the warmer water. 

Sea smoke in Sami Bay - Sami in the distance.

We got drenched in this rain on our dog walk. Snorky just visible at the far end.


The island of Ithaca on the right, as seen from Sami beach - Going....

Going....

Within 20 minutes - almost gone!

On the 8th January, the blue sky re-appeared and we took a trip up to Pyrgi in the mountains. It's only a 15 minute drive for us, but it's a great road to drive and the views are amazing. We only saw one person in the village while we were walking around and just managed to get a view of Sami Bay. 

Snow capped mountains - Looking down from Pyrgi towards Sami Bay

Looking towards the village of Digaleto from Pyrgi

Abandoned grinding stones from an olive press in Pyrgi 

I found a rogue sunflower while out shopping in Sami on 11th January 2019.
We had had several storms with a deluge of rain and winds. This sunflower just keeps on going, and no it's not plastic.

Rogue sunflower

In between the cloudy, rainy, windy stormy days there are the odd one or two beautiful blue sky days. This was the case on 17th January. Compare the photos below, five days apart. It does lead you into a false sense of security. Is Spring on its way? It was still cool though.

12th January 2019

17th January 2019

Snorky comes in very handy for picking up wood. We've already taken delivery of olive and eucalyptus for next winter - all free. I don't like waste. I've said in previous posts that a lot of fruit in people's gardens and agricultural land goes to waste as it falls on the ground and rots. Oranges, lemons etc.The same goes for wood. We've found that, invariably, the larger pieces from the copsing of olive and eucalyptus trees gets taken away to use but the thinner pieces of wood just get put on a bonfire. It's such a waste as it makes great starter pieces for the woodburner. 

In the photo below we collected this olive wood from friends who are gardeners and they had just finished cutting back an olive tree nearby. They collected the larger pieces, we collected the smaller pieces and the branches with leaves were given to the donkeys nearby. Nothing goes to waste.

These will be the 'stubbies' for the woodburner. Just have to get the electric saw out now, cut them into suitable lengths and let them 'season'.

18th January 2019 - Olive wood for next winter

We passed a hotel on our dog walk on the morning of the 20th January and the proprietor was chainsawing a eucalyptus tree. I thought I may as well ask if he would have any spare smaller pieces we could have and he said he would keep us some to pick up later. He did say the pieces would be snaffled if we didn't return quickly. We've never walked so fast to get back to the car to get home and then take Snorky back to pick the pieces up! When we did return, the weather took a turn for the worse. It started to rain, then there was thunder and lightening. Not the best place to be under the circumstances - under a tree! I've never picked up wood so fast. Worth it though. Thank you to Spiro. 

The eucalyptus tree to the left of centre, before being trimmed.


20th January 2019 - wood for next winter (will make great 'stubbies')

Our afternoon dog walk on the same day, took us around the harbour in Sami. Compare the two photos, one from 20th December 2018 and one from 20th January 2019.

20th December 2018

20th January 2019

On the morning of the 22nd January there was a little sun, but the sky looked particularly angry. There was a storm system brewing in the Ionian Sea which, later that day, gave us a deluge of rain with the accompanying lightening and thunder, to be followed by hailstones bouncing off the roads.

Karavomylos lake on the morning of 22nd January

Double rainbow over two islands - Kefalonia on the left and Ithaca on the right

In the afternoon, once it had finished raining, we ventured out for a walk around the village and into the valley. Areas of the olive groves were flooded. It wasn't cold at all though, and the added bonus was that we found a tree just bursting with oranges. So when we got home, it was freshly squeezed orange juice from freshly picked oranges. You can't get much better than that!

Olive grove a bit flooded.

Hailstones


We have ice and orange - Gin anyone?

 

The valley in Grizata after the storm - some blue sky!

Bobby loves the valley walk

The 23rd January was particularly bad, weather wise, as more storm systems approached us. This week has been awful! Even the locals are saying it's a particularly bad winter - rain wise.

Can you see Sami?

The ferry on its way to Sami from Pisaetos (Ithaca) still running though.

Hope the donkeys took cover!

After the deluge of rain the night before, early on the morning of the 24th January, there was a knock at the front door. When I answered it, it was a local fisherman who we know from the harbour at Karavomylos. He said that our boat had sunk. Noooooooo!!!!!!!!

So it was action stations to get down to the harbour to see the damage. Not good.....

Athina Vaso, not content as a boat, had decided she wanted to go snorkelling and then try out being a submarine. 

Athina Vaso submerged

Athina Vaso resurfaced and Mark getting ready to empty her of water

Athina Vaso grounded - literally!

The local fishermen and friends who were passing were fabulous though and they helped to get her towed to the ramp and dry ground where she awaited transportation to the local boat graveyard - no just kidding - that's how I felt at the time though. We lost seats, hatches, and a fuel container apart from the more serious issue of wet engines and the electrics, but she is currently being looked after by a boat mechanic who we are hoping will transform her.

In case you're wondering, I WAS helping - by taking photos. 

Our luck didn't get any better that day - after our afternoon dog walk we walked back to Norman the car to discover we had a flat tyre. Can it get any worse? What is it with Athina Vaso and Norman - are they in cahoots? Storm clouds were approaching and it had started to rain AGAIN so we had to drive Norman (a short distance) to the local mechanic who immediately fixed it in 5 minutes. None of this 'needs a new tyre' like you get in the UK. It was back home, and Mark just through the front door, slipped and fell onto the floor. Fortunately he didn't hurt himself.

That's the three things so no more please! I will be pleased to see the back of January.

Towards the end of January, the 27th, the sun came out! It was a gorgeous day. A lovely walk along the sea front at Karavomylos and what should I find on the beach but a huge eucalyptus branch which must have snapped off in the winds. They are notorious for doing this. A friend came to the rescue with his chainsaw (as ours is an electric one) to cut it up. More wood for next winter. Made my day! I'm so easily pleased.

Lovey morning - 27th January 2019

On a completely different note and to end my blog post........What type of cow is this? We found them on the 28th January nearby in an olive grove. It had been raining yet again and the fields were rather muddy. Bobby took an instant dislike to them but they weren't in the least bit bothered. In fact they came closer and were obviously inquisitive.

Under the olive trees

A bit muddy......and look at those ears?

You can see the difference in colours from the very first photo of this post to the later ones. Some people say Kefalonia is beautiful even in the winter with its stormy skies, lightening and howling winds. I'll be honest - not me. Yes it's very picturesque with the snow topped mountains and blue skies, but once the skies change colour it's a completely different place.

I need summer on speed dial!