I found a place, though. It is the most special place on earth. I can tell you that with authority because my love of strange places has brought me to many interesting locations in this world.
Eight years ago, I became blessed in every sense of the word. Not only did I find the man of my dreams, but I found the family of my dreams too, on Kefalonia. Surrounded by love and respect, I have at last found the inner peace I ran away to find so long ago.
My love affair with the island began and will continue always. It is the place I run to now, its embrace holding me fast.
Upon my first arrival eight years ago, after setting foot on the hot tarmac just off the airport runway, the faces of my new family greeted me. They never felt like strangers, although at that point we’d met only once prior to my marriage. Their warm and loving demeanor, coupled with the non-stop joking of my father-in-law, reassured me.
On the winding scenic road from the airport toward Argostoli town, the sights and sounds that greeted me mesmerized me. I’ve spent many a time in Greece, on the mainland, but nothing prepared me for the awe-inspiring beauty of Kefalonia.
Black-shadowed ridges lead up to the crest of Mount Ainos, with the tiny jewel-like villages nestled in its arms. Immersed within the indescribably blue hues of the Ionian Sea; I found my place in the sun. It makes you think of God, of the days the Creator must have spent, thinking of this perfect place and how to finesse it – making it just so. If it took eight days to create all that we know and see, then I’ll just bet the Creator lingered here a little bit longer than elsewhere. It is so evident -- from the vivid colors you see, the scents and sounds, to the incredible views you will encounter on your visit here.
From the upper story veranda of our family house on Momferatou Street, I have viewed the most beautiful sunsets God ever created. The sun hangs low, taunting the sea prior to dropping down into it for its evening bath. I swear, the moment it happens, the horizon seems to sizzle as the sun hits the water! On star-lit evenings, the lowing sound of the ferry making its way from the town of Lixouri to the Argostoli harbor evokes memories of lonely days past that are outside the realm of my Kefalonian experience.
At night, I notice the sheer numbers of stars, pinpoints of light that are like diamonds thrown by a jewelers hand on a black velvet display. The black of the night is so deep, it almost feels as though it has weight to it, that you can wrap your hand around it and scoop it into your pocket, to save for later after you’ve spent half the night talking and sipping cappuccinos in the plateia (town square).
On morning walks down the harborside street of Metaxa, I am greeted by a cacophony of sound and sights – harborside there is the farmers’ market – craggy faced farmers, skin coffee brown, urge me to try their wares. On the other side of the street, the fresh smell of baking bread at the Artopoleion (bread baker) compels me to take my life into my hands and cross over for a small loaf of nine-grain whole wheat bread.
Bread in hand, I turn right, making my way through narrow side streets. The rough stucco-walls of the houses I pass by are guarded by ornately decorated wrought iron gates, the shutters and doors painted in unpredictable colors. A riot of fuschia, white and purple bougainvillea, competing with star-like white jasmine, spill over the walls and emit the most beautiful perfume. It makes me want to stand still, letting the scent of the jasmine wash over me. As the scent wafts over my body, I still myself. Perhaps the scent will remain clinging to me. That way, after siesta this evening I won’t need to dab perfume on my wrists. The scent of my perfume pales in comparison to the sweet scent of jasmine. Later today, after siesta, I eat with the extended family and then walk hand-in-hand with Andreas to the plateia to meet friends.
Left onto Siteboron Street – the main business road. These stores are filled with jumbles of shiny aluminum pots and pans, amid bright colored scrub brushes and housewares. The wares spill onto the sidewalk, hoping to entice the housewives doing their daily shopping. Past more stores, eventually turning into businesses that sell plumbing fixtures. This is just the beginning of each of my days on Kefalonia. It seems like a simple day, but is usually filled with an adventure of my own making, of my own imagination even. I am always trying to fill my mind with the sights and sounds of the island. As I work on my second novel, set on the island, it is essential that I capture as much as I can of this beautiful place.
Hopefully, you will read my impressions and it will make you look more closely at the life of an islander -- look at it differently -- rather than just as a place where you can lay in the sand, reading a book (maybe someday it will be one I have written), and reaching for bottled water as you are spread out under an umbrella by the Ionian Sea. Through this web page, and the efforts of me, Andreas and others who write to us about their experiences, you will see beyond the tourist brochures and become an "honorary" Kefallonian!
© 1999 Tamara Taylor -- All rights reserved under US intellectual property laws -- no reproduction or distribution without authors' permission
© 1997 [email protected]
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