Goodbye July & My Holiday Buys

A few mementos I picked up on my holiday. I think the photos are pretty self-explanatory - bag, bracelet, perfume - but I do want to write a quick note about the latter. The name Calyx is derived from a Greek word for "seed pod", which is a nice coincidence given the destination of my holiday. It was initially released by Prescriptives in the 1980s and quickly became a cult fragrance. Although I have no experience of the original, this version from Clinique is a sparklingly bright, fruity floral fragrance. It has received some good reviews, notably from one of my favourite beauty writers, Sunday Times columnist and author India Knight. I would recommend trying before you buy as it suits me, but smelt completely different (and unfortunately, not so nice) on an initially interested passerby in duty free. Don't be put off by the initial blast of citrus, wait for it to mellow and the refreshingly unique floral notes to develop, then I'm sure you'll find that this one's a keeper.

Kalimera from Kefalonia

To whet your appetite, I covered what I enjoyed seeing and doing on my recent travels in Kefalonia. Now, I am going to run through some of the mouth watering, insanely satisfying food I would typically work through:

• Breakfast - Natural greek yoghurt with honey and fresh fruit, pancakes or exceptional freshly baked bread, croissants and brioche from one of the local bakeries in Fiscardo. 
• Lunch - Any sort of seafood, but probably either a whole fish, grilled squid, or greek salad with a spinach and feta pie.
• Dinner - To start, I'd opt for aubergine balls, bread with tzatziki or taramasolata and saganaki. Arguably my favourite Greek speciality, saganaki is essentially deep fried salty cheese (kefalotyri), and it is wickedly delicious. For mains, you can't go wrong with moussaka, Kefalonian meat pie, souvlaki or unbelievably tender lamb kleftiko. One of the joys of eating in the tavernas  and restaurants is that you are often offered a complementary dessert and liquor with your bill, which makes paying that bit sweeter. These treats normally take the form of panacotta, sticky baklava, watermelon or homemade limoncello. However, if you see it on the menu do order loukoumades, mini deep fried dough balls which are drizzled in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon, you won't be disappointed.

"Kalimera" - Good day / morning

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Kalispera from Kefalonia

In addition to the title and snaps I think it might be worth giving some details on where I spent two glorious weeks this month, Kefalonia. The largest Ionian island, Cephalonia, Keffalinia, Kephallenia or Kefalonia (the version I'm going to roll with) is a pretty lovely place. The next couple of posts will round up what I personally enjoyed and would recommend seeing, doing and eating.

See:

• Argostoli - Even if you stay in the north of the island as we did, do take the time to travel to the island's capital on one morning. Start by grabbing breakfast or an energising Greek coffee then wander to the harbour. Head to the fishing boats where you can browse the morning's catch and also meet some of the charming locals, a swarm of turtles who visit daily for the fishermen's cast offs.
• The Gentilini winery -  Conveniently located in close proximity to the airport and capital, the family run winery is worth a visit. You can enjoy a free wine tasting, or for only €5 a head they offer a guided tour with local cheese, bread and olive oil to accompany a selection of their premium organic wines. 
• The Drogarati caves & Melissani lake - The cave is refreshingly cool 18C, offering a respite from the balmy sunshine 60m above where you can marvel at the the limestone formations. You can go for an enchanting boat ride on the incredibly bright blue Melissani Lake, the alleged home of water nymphs. Both the caves and lake can be visited on the return from Argostoli. 
• Fiscardo - I don't think you can find a more picturesque Greek village. It features some of the island's oldest buildings, Roman ruins, boutique shops, an array of tavernas and boats from quaint fishing boats to the super yachts of the rich and famous. Away from the harbour's edge lies the Lord Falcon which is a brilliant thai restaurant. If you are in town on Friday go to Nicholas Taverna for a great view and some authentic Greek dancing.

Do: 

• Beaches - In my mind, swimming in the sea beats pools hands down (on most days anyway) and beaches are the perfect location for some of my favourite holiday activities, namely reading, sunbathing and taking long, lazy naps. There are almost too many beaches to choose from, but I rate Foki Bay, Aghia Jerusalem and Anti-Samos. Bring a torch to Foki as it has a large cave to explore. If you want some water sports and beach side cocktail bars go to Anti-Samos. Contrasting with the south, the northern beaches are pebbled which creates crystalline seas, impeccable snorkeling conditions and no itsy bitsy pieces of sand working their way into teeny weenie bikinis, score. 
• Boats - You don't have to be a certified captain or storm weathered sailor to hire one of the small boats which are moored in many of the coastal villages. For those with more cash, you can hire a sailing boat or larger motor boat equipped with a skipper to visit a wider variety of beaches or some of the local islands. Either option is truly the best way to explore Kefalonia's spectacular coastline. As many of the coves and beaches are inaccessible by road, you can moor up and swim ashore to what is effectively your own private beach for a blissful morning or afternoon!

"Kalispera" - Good afternoon / evening