Assos, Kefalonia
As soon as I rented a car on Kefalonia and stated my intention to explore the island, everyone told me that I HAD to go to Assos. It doesn’t look much on the map, but it has a secret. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, and cherished by those who live there, but also, the approach roads are too steep, too narrow and too winding to allow coaches into the town. As a result, Assos remains a calm, unspoilt haven of peace and tranquility.
Your first view of Assos is from high on the coast road. Only a narrow penninsula stops it from being an island off the coast. In fact, it forms a natural harbour, well protected from the wind and the waves of the Ionian Sea.
The road that you can see snaking up the hill leads to an old fortress, built to defend the town from pirates and brigands (It was recently converted as a prison, but it is no longer used).
The harbour itself is a delight. Basking in the sun, it offers the visitor (especially the hot thirsty driver!) an interlude of utter peace and calm in an idyllic setting.
In common with most of the Ionian islands, precious few houses survived the catastrophic 1953 earthquake, but great care has been taken here to preserve the town’s character and charm when re-building.
This was the view I had from a table at a waterfront taverna, where I ate a delicious fresh-caught sea bass. It is such a beautiful view that I used it as desktop wallpaper for some time after my return to England.
And here is the taverna itself, Nefelis (the Muse), where you eat by the water’s edge, shaded by the trees. It is an experience not to be missed.
Note the lack of kitchens. Location is everything. That is an ideal place to eat, so that is where they put the tables. The kitchens are somewhere behind me up a side street. The sight of waiters crossing busy roads, laden down with trays of food and drink is quite common throughout the islands.
The 1953 earthquake destroyed most of the original housing on the island, but here in Assos, I found a beautiful terrace of old properties still standing. They give a wonderful insight into what the Island must have looked like in the past.
Admittedly they are deserted and derelict, but there are some hopeful “for sale” notices on the doors and perhaps a passing tourist (who also happens to be a builder) might get the idea of restoring them. Who knows?
The island Greeks are very close to nature and they are great lovers of flowers and flowering shrubs. This would have been a stark alleyway virtually anywhere else in Europe, but here, it is turned into a magnificent garden, not because it belongs to anyone, but because it belongs to everyone.
