Leaving behind the cute waterfront village of Agi Efimia, before us lies some of Kefalonia’s most stunning scenery. Driving high up into the mountains once more we’re rewarded with jaw dropping views over azure seas to the neighbouring island of Ithaca and on to mainland Greece in the far distance.
And the following day the glory of Myrtos beach, renowned as one of the most beautiful in Greece, reveals its picture-postcard brilliance, especially from the twisting roads above. Coman’s comment, however, while we lie on our loungers that it’s like “sitting in a quarry with umbrellas”, somewhat punctures its spell.
Myrtos Beach
But nothing really prepares us for the sheer beauty of Assos, one of the most picturesque villages in the world. Down steep, hairpin bends we drive, with little colourful buildings on either side, and then wander bougainvillea-strewn streets to the water’s edge. Straddling a narrow isthmus the village sits beneath a huge ruined castle and has a sheltered bay in which people gently float and boats silently bob up and down.
We base ourselves at a waterside table in Nefili restaurant and enjoy a lazy lunch. The heat and wine, along with the painkillers for my increasingly aching ribs and laboured breathing, create a soporific atmosphere despite the over-privileged chatter of a large table of twenty-something Brits nearby, discussing the best ski resorts and where else they’re spending summer.
Nefili restaurant in Assos
After a couple of hours we carry on our drive to the far north of the island, and the lovely town of Fiskardo, where we have two nights booked at the Fiskardo Bay Hotel. A magnet for the rich yachting crowd, the harbour is absolutely rammed with luxury boats of varying sizes and after I have an exhausted snooze on the tiny and utterly tranquil Zavalata beach, where Coman swims marvelling at all the fish darting around him, we stroll through the shops and restaurants, hearing British accents wherever we go.
The owner of Parnassos restaurant, where we have a magnificent meal, is full of praise for the British though, claiming they’re the most polite guests with the best behaved children. She reserves her biggest contempt for her fellow Greeks, and in particular the Italians. “So loud, so rude, not nice people at all!!” she declares.
And at Tassia restaurant in the harbour the following night, the news breaks that the most respected Briton of them all - The Queen - has died. We toast her long life and sense of duty with a reflective note. For us all, change is in the air…
