Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM KEFALONIA

Snowflake Bonding on Mt. Aenos

I recall reading a quote some years ago that really made an impression on me. It went on about how a snowflake is the most fragile thing in nature, but what a wonder it is when so many of them stick together.
Such a simple but powerful truth.
Something so perishable making a lasting impression when in good company!

Snowflake bonding at Aenos National Park, Kefalonia

It makes you stand back and think of all the tiny, seemingly insignificant elements coming together to compose other objects that are altogether larger in size, scope, and significance.
Something along the lines of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

So, we've had our trillion fragile snowflakes stick together on Mt. Aenos over the last few days. The result was breathtaking—in more ways than one! 🌨 🥶 🌨 🥶

The road inside Aenos National Park

Snow on Mt. Aenos National Park, Kefalonia

Xi Beach, Kefalonia as seen from snow-capped Mt. Aenos

❄Note❄ We made our way to Aenos National Park only to find that we were not alone. A white Christmas in Kefalonia is not always a given, so this was a special occasion. And though cars were not allowed to go past the Park gate due to icing on the road, those who wandered in on foot were rewarded by the picture perfect setting.

A holly oak tree feeling the load of bonding snowflakes

Snow covered abies cephalonica

❄And a note from the ambivalent blogger, willing to give winter a chance
I don't believe in plastering my photo on my posts, but allow me to make an exception—if only to prove my case to non-believers. Given my well-known aversion to freezing temperatures—and winter in general—I've already had questions about who I "borrowed" the photos from!
Yes, I actually went to face my nemesis. And between us, I'll admit that I enjoyed it as much as everyone else. 
However, my long term relationship with winter has not been affected despite this small truce. I did not come away with a boost in affection for the wicked season.
Let there be no misunderstandings!

🥶I will admit (reluctantly) that it was fun🥶

'Twas the Day Before Christmas and the Wind Blew from the North

View from Kefalonia to the Peloponnese

Few days are as clear, crisp, and colorful as those "blessed" by a northern wind. Minute details come into sharp focus and the muted winter horizon becomes clearly defined.

Neighboring islands, conveniently blurred by the seasonal mist, come out of hiding. On days like these, part of mainland Peloponnese pops up and is easily mistaken as the northern part of Zakynthos (Zante), our island neighbor to the south.

Quick changing cloud formations provide interesting backgrounds for otherwise depressing, bare trees. The sun's rays peek and pierce grey clouds to reach the sea surface as bright strobe lights.

Yes, all looks picture perfect, but is it?
Yes, there is a catch to this scenario.

The same northern winds that paint the sky and sea so creatively do not arrive without baggage. Their load is white, fluffy, and cold.
If you turn around and look at the backbone of Kefalonia, Mt. Aenos, you can see it "unpacking" with mischievous intent.

Then you know that this is going to be a white Christmas.
(And, it was!)

(to be continued)

One of Kefalonia's crisp winter days

It's snowing on Mt. Aenos, Kefalonia

Mt. Aenos, Kefalonia

'Tis the Season

Ho!Ho!Ho!

Kefalonia in Winter Mode: Slate Skies and Foamy Seas

Stormy Seas at Trapezaki, Kefalonia

It doesn't happen too often, but it does...
Writer's Block...
Fortunately, I can always rely on the Master to bail me out...

❝ Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude. ❞

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind  (William Shakespeare)

 

Winter sunset at Trapezaki, Kefalonia

Lourdas Bay, Kefalonia

Lagging Winter

Winter Scenes, Kefalonia

I never lose an opportunity to state that I'm partial to spring and summer as opposed to autumn and winter. In color palette jargon, I'd be a "blue-white-green person," as opposed to an "orange-gold-grey person." 

However, the last few years have been messing up with my color-scheme seasonality.

Summer lingers on for a while longer, making me more tolerant and forgiving of the season at hand. Autumn seems to have totally lost its sense of timing, lingering into the holidays, making me a bit more indulgent to the calendar's indication. 

The colors of autumn spilling into winter @Kefalonia

These long transitions are absolutely fabulous. The gray and rainy days—inadvertently interposed between the fabulous sunshine and unusually warm temperatures—become bearable.

Under these conditions, I can venture as far as enjoying a cloudy day or two, or even appreciate the orange,yellow and gold hues around me.

As long as this game of seasons does not spill into spring!

Moody Mt. Aenos, Kefalonia

Fruit's on, leaves off!

Pomegranate tree at Kambitsata, Kefalonia

Perky daisies growing among fallen leaves

Diospyrus Lotus tree (persimmon) @Kambitsata, Kefalonia

Colorful contrasts on a dull grey day

The last of the olives waiting to be picked

Better Luck Next Time

It is a game of endurance and persistence—one I often lose, but without regrets or grudges. The location provides ample opportunity for capturing one of those shots that you pat yourself on the back for managing.

Winter light (Spasmata, Kefalonia)

The setting

The rocky outcrop to the left of the beach is home to dozens of seagulls—nesting their young, flying to-and-from in interesting formations, and doing all sorts of inconceivable acrobatics.

The towering white rocks to the right provide a stark background for fishermen casting or pulling in their nets.

Straight ahead are the cloud formations over the peninsula of Paliki, indicative of the weather's general intentions for the next few days.

A few yards to the back is the end of the airport runway, with no surprises in activity this time of year.

Dispersed throughout the small bay are a number of fishing boats, some farther out, one or two to the right towards the white rocks. You'd think that it would be a matter of minutes before I'd get that desired shot.

Well, it isn't that simple...

Fishing near White Rocks, Kefalonia

The players

I can vouch for this; here, on this small bay, are the most uncooperative seagulls and fishermen on the entire island!

The birds seem to take off from their rocky haven only when I'm distracted doing some mundane task—like changing lenses or shifting position to avoid numbness.

The fisherman seems to (intentionally?) let the boat drift sideways to a most inconvenient (for the camera) position.

Is it possible that man and birds may be in cahoots? 
Yes, a conspiracy is clearly indicated.

No worries, I will be back

On this particular day, my "catch" was menial.
But it never fails!
Just when the dampness of the day began to overwhelm my bones and I just had to leave, it happened. The fisherman started to pull the net in, and a cloud of seagulls flocked over the boat to claim their share of the loot. A perfect window of opportunity for snapping some interesting shots.

But I was already in the car, no sense turning back.
Maybe next time...

Island Life in the Slow Lane

Getting "all my ducks in a row" at Pessada harbor, Kefalonia

Since it is impossible to avoid reality all of the time, I've made a pact with self. Monday through Friday I'll worry about the problems of the Euro zone, the banking system's junk bond portfolio mess, the potential euro collapse, the price of gasoline, etc, etc, etc.

But when the weekend rolls around, I'll do a complete reset.

Armed with the usual gear plus lots of unfounded and reckless—but essential—optimism, I drive along familiar roads and tracks, stopping randomly at  favorite spots. The weather, so far, is my best ally and most reliable accomplice. These tiny escapes are instrumental in building the necessary stamina for the Mon–Fri stretch.

Soak up enough sunshine and you too can have all your ducks in a row!

Pessada, Kefalonia (Mt. Aenos in the background)

Floating on clear aqua-blue waters

Lazy days for everyone, basking in precious autumn sun

Life in the slow lane at Pessada, Kefalonia

Off-season calm at Spasmata Beach, Kefalonia

November serenity at Minies, Kefalonia

Succumbing to to the natural healing power of proximity to the sea (Agia Pelagia, Kefalonia)

Solar Tug-o-War

The sunset over Argostoli, Kefalonia

On opposite sides of the bay, each town does its best to perpetuate the legendary rivalry. And if Argostoli seems to have a tangible advantage—being the capital, and all—Lixouri has the absolute last word each and every day of the year.

The sun certainly does drench the capital with golden light as it goes down, but it is over Lixouri that it lingers and shows off before calling it a day.

That is the "western advantage."

The sunset over Lixouri, Kefalonia

The Olive Saga, Part II

Washed olives on their way to the next step in the oil production process

Here it is, with a bit of delay I admit.

The process used at this particular olive processing plant is not truly traditional since the entire extraction process is centrifugal and totally automated. The grindstones are not hand carved and the paste goes through a crush process before moving to the basin. Very machine oriented... I had no idea that they had installed new equipment.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed.

My family owned and operated a traditional olive press since 1905, or thereabouts. I remember the old grindstones, the goat-hair folds, the manual press, the separation of the oil from other olive juices and pomace in the in-ground "olive pools." That was a labor intensive process - the press was manual and required 5-6 men to turn. The plant stopped operating years ago.

Nowadays,  olive processing uses the centrifugal method but maintains some of the traditional elements such as grindstones and fiber discs. With olive oil season just beginning, I will be in search of these more traditional plants and will try to capture this process. Stay tuned!

 

Previous relevant posts:
➥We Struck Oil!
➥The Olive Saga, Part I

We Struck Oil!

The Olive Merry-go-Round!

Stay tuned for the full story...
THE OLIVE SAGA Part II coming soon...

The Olive Saga, Part I

Away from blogging duty for a hands-on experience that requires trading the keyboard for an olive rake!

A clear, warm, sunny November day at an olive grove by the sea...
Harvesting the island's most precious crop...
Among friends, from here and afar...
Hard work in great company...
Great fun in hard times...
Nature's way...

Pursuit of Happiness in Turbulent Times

There are no two ways about it. The "Greek Crisis" lurks on everyone's mind, both in the country and abroad. 
Sheltered as we are here on the island—mainly due to the distance from Athens—it nevertheless weighs on our minds and daily life. 

November sunset at Avythos Beach, Kefalonia

It isn't within the scope of this blog to analyze the situation or offer an opinion on the turmoil that Greece is going through.
Of course we feel the strain.
Yes, it is depressing.
Sure, there is uncertainty—fear even—in contemplating the future.

But we truly are luckier than people in the rest of the country. At least, I feel that way. Blessed with so much beauty around me, I never fail to find a spot of total serenity, a place where I can let my worries dissolve like the gentle wave that breaks into soft white foam on the beach. Even if it's only for an instant.

Going back to basics, to the land, to reconnecting with friends, to reestablishing social bonds, to participating in traditional activities— that is all part of the plan to get from here to there in troubled times.

Who knows, maybe we will come out of this stronger, friendlier, healthier, and, happier in having discovered the substance of things and having reordered our priorities.

Though reserved, I'm optimistic.


Note:  I spent the last two days with friends at an olive grove (it's olive picking season). There was more genuine laughter, camaraderie and all around good fun than I've experienced in years. In coming posts, I'll share my little endeavors in the quest of bliss amidst troubled times.)

Indulgent November

Maistrato Marina at Argostoli, Kefalonia

If there's a month with a definite purpose, it is November. Its mission is to prepare us for the wickedness of winter. But this November has assumed duty without noteworthy eagerness to fulfill its job description.

Crispy mornings and chilly evenings have undoubtedly arrived, but with tons of sunshine and warm days between the two. Gray struggles with blue, resulting in interesting powder blue skies with a few puffs of light grey clouds. The sea is all too willing as a huge reflector of the subtle hues.

Maistrato Beach, Kefalonia

I suspect that if I make my way to the Lighthouse, I'll see dozens of locals swimming in the shallow waters of Argostoli Bay. (A bit extreme for me, but I always enjoy looking at them behind my rolled up car window!)

Yes, November is on duty, but indulgently so...

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This, i.e., Thank You, EasyJet Holidays

It was the most unexpected yet thrilling thing.
This blog was mentioned on easyJet Holidays Blog's "Top 10 Travel blogs in October"  

My "Blogger of the Month" mention, badge and all!

There are quite a number of things that I could write about this distinction, but I think it is best to keep it short and to the point.

To all of you, the readers who have honored me with their visits, shares and comments, a heartfelt THANK YOU!

To the editors of easyJet Holidays, I dedicate this photo with my sincere wishes that their days are blessed and filled with the bright light, blue skies, and vivid colors of an October day in Kefalonia.
THANK YOU!

Xenopoulo, Kefalonia

original link
http://holidayblog.easyjet.com/top-10-travel-blogs-in-october/
note: as of 2015, the link is no longer available

Redefining Fall

Omala Valley, Kefalonia in late October

Autumn has a way of creeping up on you and breaking down your natural resistance to the inevitable invasion of winter. 

It not only bridges seasons, but emotions as well. 

Its crisp colors compensate for the falling and missing leaves, and its clear skies enable shapes, structures and reflections to become dominant in the landscape.

Much like redefining time and space...

St. Gerassimos bell tower at Omala, Kefalonia

Omala Valley, Kefalonia

Omala Valley, Kefalonia