We’re off again, Summer seems to have been a long while arriving. In fact it’s five months since we returned from Antarctica and one of the bestiest holidays ever, so we both feel that the pressure cooker of work is well and truly steamed, out of shape and ready for a refresh.
We planned this holiday in January whilst on Seabourn Quest, liaising with our lovely Lexi, who has for many many years put up with our pedantic demands for details clarification and changes galore. She’s moved company since this arrangement, but no surprise, we’ll be planning our next one this vacation and Lexi will be preparing to receive multiple emails per day for the next three weeks until our winter plans are sorted out!
Holiday packing actually started two days early, I conceded to pack my dive bag on Thursday evening after work, well, after cutting the grass too, not that much was cut, it’s been six weeks of the most un-seasonal weather for the United Kingdom so far, but as we’re away for three weeks it seems like a necessity. Already weighing in at 18kg with just BCD, fins, regs, torch, boots and wetsuit, I’ve been told all my other boots and Hubbys shoes have got to go in there as well, so that will be a challenge. Our baggage allowance this time is only 88kg so we’re probably going to struggle!
Friday was our last day of work, and despite the blistering heat the day vanished, although I managed to get all but three of my Very Important Jobs ticked off my list, meaning I will still have to do a bit in Greece, but that’s OK. Our long (for us anyway) hair got the chop, I’m allowed a number one cut before diving, it’s the only excuse for a near skinhead I can get away with, and then head home in a hire car, the argument being that we drop it off at the airport - there’s another happy reason, but that’s not part of this blog. We got everything packed in ninety minutes, although the suit bags were left unfolded to lessen creasing. Then it’s time to cook a Jamie five ingredients dinner, which has become one of our Fish Friday staples, lovely! We aimed for an earlier night, but it didn’t actually happen.
On Saturday, the cruel time of 04:15 arrived rather suddenly, at least there’s light outside already, less welcome is the heat and humidity, but it’s not so bad somehow with anticipation. Reweighing our bags, we needed to trim the suitcase and dive bag as we’re over the 22kg limit, fortunately there’s leeway in the two suit bags, and by 05:30 we’re on our way. Slow lorries drag out the journey across the Woodhead, then the roadworks in various places around Manchester but still managed a reasonable Pennine crossing. As it’s a good twenty minute walk from Europcar we’d decided to park up, get the bags to drop-off, and then lose the hire-car, all of which went smoothly apart from not finding a petrol station, so I’ll have to endure an insane fuel rate for the gallon or so consumed doing 60 miles - I’m guessing a teeny-weeny 1 litre engine is not going have guzzled much? We’ll find out soon enough! Although it’s busy, we’re quickly through security and duty-free and down to the gate. From house-door to airplane-door in exactly two hours is quite satisfying, and there’s only a short wait before we’re taxiing our way past Concorde.
Our flight is smooth, and Janet seems to be quite a calm driver. Our near neighbours are interesting, the two old dears are sneaking sips from plastic water bottles almost constantly, but I can say quite categorically they are not innocent vessels, their conversations are getting more and more amusing, and loud enough for all around to hear. Then over breakfast they neck a vast quantity of wine, and fell into blissful sleep, blissful for us anyway! An interesting situation was announced - because of a passenger have a nut allergy the entire plane was declared nut-free, never come across that scenario before. It all sounds very caring and considerate, but I wonder how much this is driven by the threat of the cost of having to divert should said passsenger have a reaction? Or am I just an old cynic?
The flight path took us down the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, giving us lovely views over the islands and later the heel of the boot of Italy. Additionally GPS occasionally caught enough data passing through the fuselage to plot the path on my iPad so it was a thoroughly entertaining flight.
We picked up our hire-car, a little Citroën, and headed off towards Agia Effimia. As we drive past Agostoli it’s a delight to see a Holland America ship in the fjord, it was in 2010 got our first taste of Kefalonia on said cruise line, also from that port. The winding road is only 38 km but it’s an hour’s driving as we tread carefully over some of the treacherous hair-pins and un-guarded narrow sections. The descent into Agia Effimia is lovely and we adore the harbour as we head North towards our hotel, which is built on a rather steep hill-side overlooking the water. We unpacked before heading down to the dive-shop to drop off my dive bag, confirm the start time for tomorrow, and then take a leisurely wander around town, scoping out the taverna for later. Of course, the harbour-side is so inviting we were easily drawn into sitting on a comfy sofa and ordered a nice Muscat!
After all that excitement we return to the hotel to shower before walking back into town, all of 1km, to find the right place to eat, which we did, enjoying breads, meze, prawns, beef and lamb. It’s all been too much and the day gets curtailed early.
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