 |
| Wild Roses in Cephalonia |
 |
| Captain Corelli's Mandolin was filmed in this bay |
Cephalonia was almost entirely destroyed in 1953 by a large
earthquake. Only one village, the one of Fiscardo at the north end of
Cephalonia survived due to its unique geological substratum. The rest of the
island’s villages and towns were rebuilt, some in different locations than
their original site to leave the old ruins as reminder of the catastrophe.
Greek Islands are almost synonymous with ‘earthquakes’, there is not one of them
which does not feature earthquake or volcanic eruption in its long history.
 |
| Fish and Oyster Farms |
 |
| British Cemetery near Argostoli |
 |
| The Magical Lake with crystalline waters, where one sees the bottom through a depth of several meters.... |
 |
| Earthquake Damage.... |
They also feature strong ties to Greek mythology, either a hero,
God or Goddess, emperor or philosopher lived, loved, fought, was born or died
here. One should have a book of Greek mythology as a travel guide in one’s back
pocket, instead of Fyodor’s or Lonely Planet.
 |
| Fiscardo Fishing Boat |
 |
| One eats in the Right Places... |
On the way to Fiscardo (I participated in an arranged tour
due to time restraints) we visited Drogarati Cave, which rivals the Blue Grotto
of Capri, winning hands down. Not only is it mercifully empty of tourists
boats, but it offers aquamarine/tanzanite, sapphire blue and clear glimpses of
shimmering rocks and eels 15-20 meters below water surface. One reaches the
underground lake inside the cave via a long set of steps through an underground
tunnel and embarks on a rowboat at the bottom. The lake is only illuminated via
a large opening to the sky a few hundred feet above one’s head. Magical! Maria
Callas sang here, years ago, to take advantage of the magnificent acoustics.
 |
| Earthquake Reminder |
 |
| Olives in their infancy... |
 |
| Myrtos Beach |
 |
| Coastline near Myrtos Beach, great to look at and very dangerous to go swimming |
One also drives along rugged coast line to glimpse Ithaca,
where Ulysses left Penelope behind to embark on the Trojan War just outside of
the village of Stavros. The little town of Sami on Cephalonia served as
location for the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, after the book of the same
name. The village was happy, as the filming brought ‘fame and fortune’ to it.
Fiscardo, the destination of the day, is a charming fishing
village still intact after the infamous 1953 earthquake. Lunch at quay-side
proved to be an event in its own right, as it occurred in one of the most
famous restaurants on the Island – cookbooks galore, written by the cook and
owner, as well as hundreds of photographs of celebrities prove the point.
Although it sounds like a typical tourist trap, the restaurant retained an
intimate and non-commercialized air, where one felt as if grandma was preparing
just another meal for her extensive family.
Cephalonia is another one of the Greek Islands where tourism
has not yet overrun the local traditions. Argostoli as a base port on the
island offers itself as a perfect base to explore this intriguing island full
of myth, history, tradition and natural beauty.
 |
| Wildflowers in Crevasses |
 |
| Cephalonia Cliffs |
