Fiskardo Bay

Fiscardo Bay

 

Yesterday I had a dream of mine fulfilled, it’s a very basic dream and didn’t require a lot to fulfil it, but I grinned my way through the day regardless.

I have always wanted a 4×4 Jeep. Not the big ones that you see people towing boats, or horses with, but the cute little ones that aren’t much longer than your average car, only have three doors, and the roof only comes off if you unscrew, or un-velcro all the parts – technical.

 

The car hire place only had one car left at short notice, a 4×4 Suzuki, with two parts to its convertible roof, a boot big enough for a first aid kit and the user’s manual, two doors, and tyres so huge, they looked completely comical on the little car.

I was over the moon.

 

4 of the volunteers clambered into this car, and the stuffed plushie turtle which we have been carrying around as a mascot, (his name is Russell before you ask). We typed in the destination, and off we set.

I stalled three times trying to make it off the driveway, but no bother, I was in my dream car and had just been told I looked like Barbie driving her jeep, which surprisingly, I was relatively OK with!

 

Fiscardo is beautiful, it is so cute and quaint, rows upon rows of fish restaurants and gift shops. All the stores have different coloured fronts to them, with contrasting windowsills sporting beautiful, budding flowers. The sea is a magical colour of blue, and somehow the light just twinkles off it slightly differently in Fiscardo.

It could be the huge sailing boats moored just off the harbour, or luxury yachts that pull in amongst the side of the fish restaurants that make it gleam and twinkle so much. Almost like the Monte Carlo of Kefalonia.

The vegetation is as green as the sea is blue, creating a vibrant contrast that makes you want to explore both the waters and the depths of the tree line.

 

Fiscardo is the most Northern point of the island of Kefalonia and boasts incredibly good fish and great links to islands such as Corfu, Ithaki and Leftaka.

It is a little pricey as a lot of cruise ships disembark in the port for a lunch stop, meaning they can up the prices for excited tourists, however I highly recommend tasting the sea food here. I have been twice, I once had the Salmon, and the second time, Mussels.

Both incredibly tender and so flavoursome! Worth the 20 euro that initially made me question all decisions that led us to this point.

 

On the way back we stopped at Mrythos Beach and Assos. Both picturesque and beautiful for a swim stop. Mrythos boasting a pure white, pebble beach which only makes the water look that much bluer. Both are just as equally hard to get to, but this is only down to the sheer amount of people trying to descend onto the beaches below.

Assos Bay View

 

The mountain roads leading to both places are vast and incredible, rows and rows of olive trees, glimpses of the sea in the distance and the promise that once you descend off this narrow, windy excuse for a road down to the valley below, you will be greeted with crystal blue seas and astonishing views.

 

The day was beautiful, the car was a dream, drivers coming into and out of Assos need to be sent back to driving school and then failed. I promise, I have never sweat so much in my life as I did, sat in the middle of a main road, with one bus doing a U turn, another reversing around a corner, and a milk lorry trying to manoeuvre through them all.

I tried to help the situation by backing up, got beeped at by the coach driver who wanted me to stay exactly where I was, (Bus Chicken anyone?) and then because I was panicking I stalled, knocked myself out of gear and had a mini breakdown.

Breathe, reset, restart.

 

Made it home alive with half a tank of petrol, the wind blowing through Russell’s hair, (the aforementioned, turtle mascot, who definitely doesn’t have hair) and half a kilo lighter from all the water weight I shed in my near death, junction experience.