29 August Tuesday: Argostoli, Cephalonia.

I decided not to order room service for breakfast but went up to the Lido for breakfast at opening time, 6.30am. This gave me enough time to get reading before going to the showroom at 7.45am. I was very glad that I’d brought my little $3 alarm clock with me, because my phone let me down big time – it hasn’t recognised the time change.

We had three bus loads doing the Highlights of Cephalonia tour; I got a double seat to myself, which was nice and comfortable and gave me room to knit. The tour guide had a very heavy accent and took a while to understand. We were only 10 minutes on the road and already it was rural, with goat farms. The scenery overlooking bays is beautiful. (Far too many beautiful pictures to show here)

In other areas it’s quite boring, just olive trees, but there are impressive mountains and the bus hugged the side on some impressive drops. Lots of sheer white cliffs. On the bus, I chose to sit where I couldn’t see over the edge, nor could I see out the front window when there were bends coming up – it makes me too uncomfortable! Houses are fairly simple but the architecture is very attractive: lots of pastel pinks and golds and oranges, but not garish, quite softly coloured.

We got to Fiskardo about 9.50 and they walked us down to the restaurant where we would be having “lunch”. Annoyingly, they had staggered the total of 7 buses, so that our 3 did this section of the tour first and the other 4 buses did the Melissani Lake bit first, to avoid crowding the lake site. So, having all logged on to the free wifi and checked our emails, by 10.40 we were served our first course for lunch: carafes of local wine, white and red, a tasty green salad, followed by the most amazing Greek meat pie. Sorry, guys, but this is the best meat pie I’ve ever tasted – someone should catch on and create these as an option with our pies at home. Desert was lemon yoghurt over pineapple pieces – again, delicious. The restaurant obviously has a resident pussycat who was very happy sitting under and beside tables with clientele.

 We had a total of 2 ½ hours at Fiskardo where it was very, very hot. Lots of shops on the waterfront with the usual souvenirs and some pricey clothes. It was good to get on the bus again. I got some very pretty pictures here.

The drive to Melissani Lake was much shorter; again, it was very, very hot, humid and oppressive. The queue was very long and it took about half an hour before we got near the entrance to the lake. I was taking shots along the way with my phone (easier to carry on a excursion than the camera) and didn’t notice the battery was dying. Just before we got to the entrance to the lake, the phone died – so I bought a postcard! 

It was truly beautiful, the clearest blue water in an open-roofed cave, leaving to a covered cave; the boat men sang or whistled and the sound was lovely. Back up the top, I bought the most deliciously refreshing iced coffee to drink on the way home.

We were back at the ship at 4.00 and all aboard was 5.30, so I walked around the waterfront to find my postcard; then I took some photos of the port, had a cool shower to change for dinner and went to 5.00pm Mass. The priest is an amazing preacher, so I’m intending to go as often as it fits with my on board time; the protestants aren’t meeting again till Sunday and that’s too long without spiritual content.

None of the shows appeal so far, so I’ll work on my pictures and hop into bed. Tomorrow is Katakalon (Olympia) but I’m not going on a tour. The crowds have been still at summer holiday level and a site like that gets very, very crowded; with the hot weather added, I’ll give it a miss. Last time, Graham and I did a tour of the local countryside.

Tonight we’re rockin’ and rollin’ – at last! So far it’s been such smooth sailing.