Kefalonia awakens and celebrates

Orthodox and Catholic/Protestant Easter are rarely celebrated on the same days. The Orthodox calculate their Easter according to the Julian calendar, the other faction according to the Gregorian calendar. This year it was rare weekend together and we postponed our departure because we wanted to experience Easter in a greek town. A good decision.

We had everything ready to go just before Easter. Except for the weather. All the orders had arrived and the final boat works had been completed. Time to celebrate. As if after a Sleeping Beauty sleep, the island woke up in time for a particularly sunny Easter weekend. By midday on Saturday, the capital Argostoli was unrecognisable. Hordes of people gathered at 12.00 noon at a tower in the town centre. Dionysios, the manager of our harbour, had told us that his father – the local priest – would be performing a traditional ceremony there. From the high balcony, the dignitaries threw clay jugs into the depths. When they hit the ground, red dust blew away and enveloped the city in a soft red colour. These jugs are used to dispose of all that is bad and evil. Quasi an Urbi-et Orbi with more action.

As no one was hit or injured, it felt like the best conditions for a great Easter. Because people were already in the city anyway, the sky was summery blue, the sun was shining brightly and people were finally getting out of the house again, there was hardly a seat to be found in the completely overcrowded cafés and restaurants.

Ceremony from the tower, mainroad in Argostoli

Festive Easter night

The Kefalonians enjoyed the day, just like us. They met up with friends, just like us, and stocked up on all kinds of Easter goodies – just like us. The supply of sweet Easter eggs is remarkably plentiful. Saturday night – exactly at midnight – the town filled up again. We had booked into a restaurant on Argostoli’s main square for Easter dinner. At around 11.00 pm, we were served a traditional Easter soup called Magiritsa. It doesn’t have that many fans because it’s a soup with herbs and greens, with small pieces of lamb liver. Of course we had to try it. It takes some getting used to, but we liked it. We inevitably had lamb and red-coloured eggs afterwards.

Easter night in Argostoli

At midnight, clergymen appeared on a stage with an entourage of local social and military dignitaries. The priests were dressed incredibly elegantly and carried the solemnity of the moment with the utmost dignity. After a pleasantly short speech or sermon – we didn’t understand a word – the Easter bonfire was then distributed to the people from the stage. Everyone in the square had Easter candles with them, which could be purchased everywhere days before. The designs ranged from festive or romantic to Hello Kitty or Superman. We had also supplied ourselves and, like all candle bearers, shared our fire with our neighbours.

Easter candles for kids, Magiritsa soup

After half an hour, around 0.30 pm, the festivities were over and people shuffled home happy and cheerful – or to the nearest bar. The Orthodox have it in them, it was perfect mixture between festive and great fun. Even if we didn’t understand a word. Or maybe that’s why?

Last excursions

We use our last 3 days in Kefalonia for a few final excursions. I can quote Ka: ‘Who needs Tuscany?’. The north of Kefalonia is particularly beautiful. High mountains reach down to the sea and one of the most beautiful coastal roads we know leads along steep cliffs to never-ending panoramic views of the sea. Past goats and beehives. The wet winter had given the island a lush, blooming nature. Fiskardo is the northernmost town on Kefalonia, picturesquely situated in a bay. The harbour is not recommended for sailors because the obligatory bow anchors regularly get stuck. Without anchoring worries in mind, the small village is a pure delight. Tavernas and restaurants are located right on the clear water and provide a Mediterranean ambience at its best.

Fiscardo without anchor stress

Now (April) is the perfect time to visit Kefalonia. Tourism doesn’t start until 1 May – because that’s when the tourist airlines start flying again. This is also when all businesses open again. Until then, it’s up to the locals. In mid-April we still had a few days of dreadful weather, with strong winds, grey and cool. By Easter, it was getting better every day and we were able to unpack our shorts again. Temperatures remained stable at over 20 degrees – it could go on like this.

On the last day, we stocked up on provisions one last time and topped up our wine stocks. It took us a while to discover the good wines, but all’s well that ends well.

Myrthos Beach, costal road impressions 

The end of the off-season

As I write this, we have left Kefalonia and our winter storage and are starting our 5th sailing season on the Rivercafe. It was a good choice to leave the Rivercafe in Kefelonia for the winter. Probably also because we didn’t need any major servicing. This is actually a real shortcoming in Kefalonia. There is actually only Roberto, who knows a lot about vessel mechanics, but has little time. You can’t get a certified engine service or anything more complicated done in Kefalonia. We couldn’t even get our torn sprayhood repaired better than provisionally. But we were leaving a beautiful island with very friendly and nice people. Shortly before we left, we noticed that the fishermen in the harbour had a sign for our vessel. When they spoke of the Rivercafe, they indicated a wave with their hand and raised the other hand with an invisible cup to their mouth. To say goodbye, Michalis, the fisherman on the largest boat, moved his cutter on the jetty so that we could leave more comfortably. Just nice and friendly.

Farwell Stavros

Thank you Sharif and Dionysios from the harbour, thank you Roberto, Stavros and the many other nice people we had the pleasure of meeting. Until we meet again.

Now it’s time to get to know other parts of Greece and we invite you to join us on our journey. /Holger Binz