Discovering Kefalonia

To begin with, you say to yourself: 'He's joking!'. But, after hearing time and time again the same old story, you begin to wonder... So, when my host, vine grower Petros Markantonatos, told me with a wry smile on the first evening: 'You know, Kefalonia is said to be Greece's lunatic asylum, the people here are really odd!', I took it for a joke. At the end of my stay, however, I must admit that I wasn't far from agreeing with him! From the vine grower who, at night, invokes the spirits of Earth while caressing his vines, to the  inn-keeper who absolutely wants to stick a cigar in your mouth as a present, the natives are not lacking in quirky charm!

 

In actual fact, each Greek island, since the Odyssey, has been special in its very own way.  So, since time immemorial, Kefalonia has been the 'madmen's island', a reputation its inhabitants are the first to nurture!* A crafty way of warding off mass tourism?

Located opposite the mouth of the Gulf of Patras,  a cable's length from the legendary Ithaca (Ulysses' island), Kefalonia remains one of the less visited Greek islands, tourists generally preferring Corfu (in the Ionian Sea) or Santorini and Patmos (in the Aegean Sea). Entirely destroyed in 1953 by a violent earthquake, Kefalonia has few remains of its belonging to the illustrious Venetian Empire of the 15^th to 18^th century (only the port of Fiscardo in the north was not destroyed). This mountainous and green island is however worth visiting for its sparkling creeks, beaches and scenery dotted with century-old olive trees. In Byron's footsteps (who wrote his Don Juan here during the Greek War of Independence), you'll discover magical sites like the underground Lake of Melissani, and captivating characters such as the very old Gentilini family of Venetian origin which produces one of the most famous Greek white wines.

To be honest, the most magnificent part of Kefalonia is located at the northern tip, from the famous Myrtos beach to the small port of Fiscardo. Yet it would be a pity to fail to visit the southern part which features several very beautiful sites, such as the big sandy Avithos beachand Leivatho Plain dotted with villages and century-old olive trees, rose laurels and bougainvilleas. Located at the rear of a bay similar to a fjord, the capital, Argostoli, has unfortunately lost much of its Venetian charm after the terrible earthquake of 1953. The fine house belonging to the Gentilini family has however been rebuilt tastefully both outside and inside where the English comfort fashionable in the 19^th century has been preserved. Don't hesitate to visit Corgialeneion Museum which houses a very fine collection of traditional dress and retraces, by means of engravings and photos, the history of the island, from Byron's stay in 1823 (the poet spent £ 4,000 here to re-arm the Greek army against the Ottoman forces) to the Second World War (in September 1943, after Italy sided with the Allies, several thousand Italian soldiers of the Acqui Division were executed on Hitler's order). 

Overlooking the fertile Leivatho Plain, Agios Georgios castle is an enormous 13^th century ruined fort commanding a magnificent panorama over all the southern coast, Paliki peninsula and Zante Island. To reach the castle, you cross the very flowery village of Kastro, capital of Kefalonia till 1757. Not far from the remains of a Venetian church destroyed by the earthquake, enjoy an iced coffee at 'To Kastro', a pleasant shady inn where you can listen to genuine rebetiko** songs, which is not so frequent.

If you are moved by rough and austerely beautiful scenery, now take the road from Argostoli to Mount Ainos, the island's highest (1,628 m). This giant suddenly emerges from a thick forest of black pines  with uniquely upreaching branches that exist only here. A nature park has been created to protect them. If you have good walking shoes, leave your car by the TV transmitters and start the climb to the summit above the piles of rocks lying in strange positions (2 hours in all). Fortunately the forest provides shade making the island's overwhelming heat (43°C when we went in June) bearable.

Continuing along the road, you'll reach the pretty port of Fiskardo at the northern tip of Kefalonia. This village where the Norman Robert Guiscard (famous for having conquered Sicily) died in 1085, was spared the 1953 earthquake. The 18^th century painted houses lend a lot of charm to the port invaded by sailing boats in summer. In Fiskardo, you'll also find the island's best eatery (see the gastronomy article). The surrounding creeks offer translucent water cooler than at Myrtos (explaining the presence of shellfish and sea urchins). 

 

* According to tradition,Gerasimos (1506-1579), Kefalonia's patron saint, is said to have cured many inhabitants suffering from madness. Still today, two celebrations give a certain rhythm to life at  Saint-Gerasimos Monastery in the south of the island (15 minutes from the village of Mitakata): on 20 October (the day commemorating the death of  Gerasimos) and on 16 August (when his remains were moved to their new resting place). During the procession that takes place on a big poplar-lined avenue, custom has it that those suffering from mental disorders should lie in the way of the procession in the hope of a miraculous cure.

 

** The legendary 'Greek blues', as it is dubbed, had its heyday from 1920 to 1960 thanks to poets like Tsitsanis and singers like Marika Ninou and Sotiria Bellou. Initially despised by the Greek cultural elites, rebetiko, telling the misfortunes of simple ordinary men, today has cult status. 

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