Ithaca to Kefalonia (41.6km, by boat): very early departure, the boat was moving before 7 to get us to Kefalonia with time to ride
early morning departure from Ithaca |
the view out the porthole is oceany, but we're not going far |
island mountains and roads |
something dramatic happened there at some point in the past |
small archaeological site on land |
more cliffs |
those people live in the trees on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean, and also have a geodesic dome |
that looks dramatic too |
after breakfast, we arrive at Sami |
Sami to Fiskardo (43.2km (694m of climbing), by bike): a long pretty ride with several neat stops. We started out with a short ride from Sami to Lake Melisani, an underground cenote which offered boat tours. Things opened late because it was Ohi Day (celebrating the beginning of the Greek war of independence), so we had to wait a bit before our tour, but it was excellent. Then we biked up and across the island, and down to famous limestone beach Myrtos Beach, for a swim. Then we biked up out of Myrtos beach, and had a long fast ride with great views along the island north to Fiskardo, where our boat was waiting for us.
look at those windmills! |
Ruth, looking bemused as she apparently stands on the water |
town of Sami in front of its mountain pass |
cyclists heading to shore for our one-way ride up Kefalonia |
Ruth heads off to meet her taxi driver; we hope to see her again one day! |
shore view of Sami |
looking north towards the other part of Kefalonia and/or Ithaca |
Gavin, ready to roll |
as usual, a miscellaneous cat surveys our preparations |
a short ride along the coast later, we arrive at this parking lot |
it's the entrance to underground Lake Melisani |
network cabinet of Lake Melisani |
i think there are maybe chickens in this photo. possibly Waldo as well |
we are waiting for something to happen, and Gina has found a chair |
whoa, look at all these birds |
off they go! |
we are here to see a cenote, you can read about it (this particular cenote was also a sacred site in the 4th and 3rd century BCE) |
a simplified map of the cenote we are here to see |
there are a number of ancient sites in Kefalonia, actually |
it's finally time to enter the cave! |
anyone can stand in a line, but we are standing in a line at the entrance to a cenote |
wall of the cenote |
here's the deal: it's an underground cavern whose roof collapsed, so now it is open to the sky, but also there is a lake here |
looking down at the water from the boat platform |
we will soon tour the cenote in a boat, as demonstrated here |
part of our group on the platform, waiting to get in a boat |
trees! at the top of a cave! |
the light is very cool |
more walls |
more boats |
the water next to the cave wall |
part of our group is in this boat |
the sky! |
oar in the water |
you can tell this one is the artificial entrance |
is that really safe? |
cave wall |
mud and cave wall |
cave ceiling |
it's a little hard to parse, but this is part of a large mound which is the archaeological site where they found the figurines of Pan and nymphs |
going along a cave wall |
the channel and the mound |
view back towards the open roof of the cenote |
farther up and farther in |
more cave ceiling |
ceiling, with green bits (because of minerals, i think) |
ceiling closeup, with bits in a different green |
the water is neat |
evidence that we could see the rocks under the water |
the whole thing was super cool |
finally, a halfway reasonable photo of part of the archaelogical mound, nonetheless looks like some dirt |
cenote! never gets old |
nymphs! |
more reproductions of things found at this site (i think) |
and we're off again! Kay on the road |
graffiti bench |
surely there's a four-leaf clover somewhere in this photo |
view across the water at some nice-looking beach houses |
Gina looks at the view |
Beth, riding through Agia Effimia |
we're regrouping before we start the climb inland |
don't think about the climb, think about this beach town |
this view is also good to think about |
probably time to roll out |
no hands! |
time to stop futzing around and climb this hill |
at least it's pretty |
... really pretty |
a plowed field with a single tree |
view back to the water |
the road we came in on from the south |
will we let ourselves be distracted from climbing by this cool acorn? you bet |
maybe this is the kind of acorn they use for tanning |
some walking is occurring intermittently |
valley view: large dirt road leading to town in the mountains |
riding on a dirt road: our favorite |
at least the valley view is good |
windmills! |
Mary-Lu goes around a curve, and the ocean appears |
Beth approaches a tagged wall |
Gina, one switchback ahead of me but way down, on the descent to Myrtos Beach |
there is significant conversation happening on this wall |
our first view of Myrtos Beach |
the deal is: it's this blue because it's a steep limestone beach, and the dissolving limestone affects the color of the water |
it is very beautiful, and we are about to spend an hour swimming in it (not pictured) |
now we are back on our bikes, climbing away from the beach |
it's a long climb |
the road behind |
the green hillside |
we climbed those switchbacks and visited that beach! |
looking across the water to cliffs on the western part of Kefalonia |
the road south from the viewpoint |
this bridge situation is something |
Gina and i at the viewpoint |
the blue water with the limestone deposits |
there's a theory that what's now the western part of Kefalonia was in fact the Ithaca of the Odyssey |
while we contemplate that, one more shot of Myrtos Beach |
time to hit the road north |
hello, goats hanging out on a steep hill |
we were racing back to the boat, so i didn't get a lot of photos, but the view to this peninsula was stupidly beautiful |
hello, goats hanging out in the road |
entering Fiskardo, where the boat has moved |
Beth, rolling in |
our late lunch / early dinner included pastitchio and stuffed cabbage leaves |
also Mythos, beer of myth |
around Fiskardo (0.7km, on foot): we had such a late lunch back on the boat that it doubled as dinner, after which we went for a walk around Fiskardo, including a stop for pastries. Back on the boat, several of us got a big game of Dalmuti going.
Fiskardo, from the boat |
view from my window |
a very reasonable moon |
we climb up a dubious path promising garbage and hiking |
garbage bins in front of many trees in a stone cutout |
Gina climbing down from the garbage can path |
a pink building and some stone walls |
water in the marina |
presumably an archaeological site of some sort |
outdoor stairs of Fiskardo |
a table made of a bicycle |
a boat named Medusa I |
Fiskardo shore as night falls |
we stop in at Melina Patisserie to pick up dessert |
Tom is egregiously looking at Kay's dalmuti hand, but everyone is chill about it |
tomorrow's plan: ???? Bike ride |