Blogu'lu'Beldi: sun

15.11.2017

My 5th summer on Kefalonia, Greece

Hello travelers!
It has been another interesting summer on the island of Kefalonia, Greece and here I am once again with my thoughts and recommendations about it. Today I hope to get you hooked and ready to book your summer 2018 holiday to Kefalonia.

Myrtos beach at sunset

My 5th summer on Kefalonia was a challenging one as I faced new situations, new colleagues, known places but also new ones, some good friends, some old friends I haven't seen since more than 6 years ago but overall it was a brilliant season. I've traveled to known and loved places and I've also been to new, exciting spots.

Assos village

My favorite places remain the picturesque village of Assos and the beautiful Antisamos beach, but I had the opportunity not only to re visit other touristic places on the island, but also to be amazed by new ones.

Antisamos beach

The small Alaties and Kimilia beaches, hiking to the amazing Fteri beach, discovering secluded beaches on a boat ride sailing north from Agia Efimia, visiting old lighthouses in Fiskardo and Paliki peninsula and many other examples are on my "new things that I have done this summer on Kefalonia" list.

Alaties beach Kimilia beach

First I will start by saying that I am still in love with Greece. 10 summers I have lived and worked there and I am still surprised of how much I am attracted by its mix of sun and sea, fun and discoveries, history and culture, tradition and modern etc. etc. Every time I go back it feels like I have never truly left. It feels like a place of freedom and wonder.

Petani beach

Kefalonia has been my second home for the past 5 summers. This last season I had the chance to revisit couple of must see places such as Petani, Myrtos, Assos, Fiskardo, Antisamos, Ainos and also feed my sense of discovery and adventure by exploring new parts of the island.

Myrtos beach (panorama point)

One of my highlights was hiking to Fteri beach which is considered a hidden gem. The twin sister of Myrtos beach is an amazing oasis of pure natural beauty. You can either walk for about 40 minutes to the beach, through a rough, short forest on the edge of the cliffs in the summer heat, like I did, or you can rent a boat or pay for a boat taxi from the closest village, Zola. It was pretty hard to get to Fteri by foot and I recommend it just for the ones who are in a good shape. Anyhow it was totally worth it. The blue sea, the white rocks, the dramatic scenery, they all left a big impression on me. See below some pictures I took.

Another beautiful surprise was exploring more than 10 small, secluded beaches in the close vicinity of Agia Efimia village. It was my last day off with some of my colleagues and we planned to rent a boat so I got in touch with "Yellow boats company", great people, very friendly and helpful, and on the 23rd of September we embarked on a one day boat trip. My friend, Aleksandra was our captain. She learned in less than an hour how to sail the boat in the harbour.

We explored couple of beautiful, small and hidden beaches north from Agia Efimia village. The weather was warm. It wasn't very windy so we got lucky. I remember when we started sailing that the wind was blowing the water into our faces and we took cover under towels and jackets but after couple of minutes it stopped. At the end of the day we were relaxed, I also sailed a bit and I swam. The water was still at a good temperature for the end of September and in conclusion we had a great relaxing day. I totally recommend you try this while on Kefalonia. See for yourselves:

Many more details about places I have visited on the island, hitch hiking adventures, summer parties, amazing people and experiences will come your way very soon. Just be sure to keep an eye on my blog these days.

Argostoli

St. Theodore's Lighthouse

Drogarati and Melissani Caves

If you want to know more details about other amazing places to visit while on Kefalonia, such as Petani beach or Ainos Mt., Assos village, Skala or Poros, be sure to check my "Kefalonian Chronicles" or "10 Reasons why to visit Kefalonia", an article I wrote a while ago describing the vast pallet of tourist attractions on the island.

Until next time.

Travel well and everywhere!

Beldi

24.04.2017

Weekend Getaway in Larnaca,Cyprus

Hello travellers!
Spring has taken over the fields and the cities and even though the last couple of days we had a short kind of winter touch here in Romania, now the sun has come back and it's shinning even brighter! In my country, as well as in most of the post comunism countries, we celebrate 1st of May as the Work Day and how else we could celebrate it but not working! So, it's time to make plans, organise small trips, clean the barbeque or visit a new place for the first time. For those of you whom chose the latter I will let you know couple of things about my weekend getaway to Larnaca, Cyprus with a short trip to Agia Napa and maybe I'll wake up your wanderlust!

My holiday in Cyprus took place at the end of March, a few springtimes ago, and it was full of new adventures, friendships, history, great food and big smiles. I arrived Friday afternoon in Larnaca and the evening started with a walk along the seaside. The so-called "Foinikoudes" is the promenade along Athenon Avenue on the seafront; a row of palm trees lines either side of it. The atmosphere is relaxed, the streets are not crowded, just perfect for what I was expecting.

On my walk I passed Larnaca Marina, Europe's square with the government buildings and I stopped for a tea at Moti Mahal.

The night falls over the city as I make my way to the hotel to refresh myself and then I hit the streets looking for a good time on the dancefloor in one of the clubs. It's 5 in the morning when I head home after too many shots, greek dances and a portion of pastas with sheep brain. (don't ask) :))

Saturday started after lunch with couple of hours in the sun near the pool. Later that day I went for a walk and I explored the yachts and boats from Larnaca Marina. After a great dinner in one of the many restaurants on the seaside I had the chance to visit the surroundings of Hala Sultan Tekke. The Muslim shrine is situated on the west bank of Larnaca Salt Lake. Hala Sultan Tekke is a listed Ancient Monument. The night view over the lake and the planes taking off near by is a beauty.

On a cloudy Sunday I had a great meze lunch in a fish tavern near the sea, followed by a walk on the beach. Despite the moody weather I had a lot of fun listening to the sound of waves and taking pictures of lemon trees and the beach.

In the evening I arrived in a deserted Agia Napa. During the summer there are plenty of clubs to choose from. I had a colleague who told me about the crazy night life there. This time the streets were empty and a drizzle made me retreat myself in a coffee shop.

Going back to Larnaca I walked in a club with traditional music and lots and lots of napkins which flew over the dancers. The cypriots as well as the greeks love to dance, eat, drink and have a good time. I enjoy myself maybe a little too much waking up the next morning with a headache from too many drinks.

On a sunny Monday, my last day there, I went to visit The Fort of Larnaca and The Church of Saint Lazarus.

Larnaca has been inhabited since the 14th century B.C. when the Mycenaean-Achaeans Greeks founded a small town. Much later, the Byzantines constructed a small fort near its harbour. Between the years 1382–98, during the reign of James I, the small Byzantine fortification located near the harbour was upgraded to a more substantial castle.

Throughout British rule the castle was used as a prison where they installed a gallows to execute prisoners. The last execution took place in 1948. After the Cypriot independence the castle itself was converted into a museum, while the castle courtyard was converted into an open-air theatre, accommodating 200 people. Antiques from Early Christian, Byzantine, and Post Byzantine Cyprus are exhibited in the western room of the museum whilst Byzantine wall paintings are exhibited in the central room and medieval pottery, utensils, and weapons occupy the eastern room.(Wikipedia)

Couple of hours later it's time for lunch on the seaside and shopping for souvenirs.

On my walk I arrived in front of The Church of Saint Lazarus, a late-9th century church. Tradition says that the place of Lazarus' tomb was lost during the period of Arab rule beginning in 649. In 890, a tomb was found in Larnaca bearing the inscription "Lazarus, four days dead, friend of Christ". Rain started pouring over Larnaca for a while pushing me in the first coffee shop for a frappe.

I saw a beautiful sunset on my way back to the airport and I arrived back to Bucharest later that evening.

A great cityscape planned with couple of weeks ahead is ideal for those of you searching for a low budget holiday. I recommend you a 3stars hotel not too far away from the city center and pay attention for cheap flight tickets.
I heard that the best time to buy tickets is from mid-January until early March. Try to purchase your tickets on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are the times of the lowest flight ticket prices. Find more tricks HERE.