Sometimes you have to go underground. Yesterday was one of those days.
We docked this morning in Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia. Like Corfu, Kefalonia is one of Greece’s Ionian islands. Unlike Corfu, there were no hordes of tourists – not because of a lack of things to see, but because it’s a bit off the beaten track, at least at this time of year. Let’s hear it for off the beaten track!
If someone had left Tuscany in the dryer too long, the result would be Kefalonia. Both places share steep, forested hills, soldier-straight cypresses, silvery olive trees, and grapevines.
But where Tuscany is lush, Kefalonia is parched and rocky; where Tuscany’s vines are vibrantly green, with fruit begging to be made into wine, Kefalonia’s seem better suited to producing raisins.
Don’t get me wrong: Kefalonia is an interesting island with two major attractions not far from Argostoli: Drogarati Cave and Melissani Lake. I took a tour to both of these worthwhile sites (with a qualifier for Melissani) this morning.
Drogarati is an enormous cavern with stalactites and stalagmites ranging from needles to daggers to blunted columns.
Some reminded me of walrus tusks, some of a leviathan’s teeth, and one entire section looked as if Bryce Canyon had been turned upside down.
I’ve been in many caves in the past few years: several in France and Spain, where I took a tour with Smithsonian to view paleolithic art, and one in Vietnam. Drogarati is the largest and, strictly from a geologic standpoint, the most impressive. With its cool temperature, bright lighting, and high ceiling, it shouldn’t trigger claustrophobia. Three cave(ats), though: there are lots of steps (almost 200 going down and a like number ascending), some areas are a bit slippery, and it’s not for the chiroptophobic (those who fear bats).
Bats zipped around faster than my camera could capture, as this brief video shows. If it’s any comfort, they stayed near the ceiling, several meters above our heads.
Not far from Drogarati Cave, Melissani is an underground lake that was exposed to the air when the ceiling of Melissani cave collapsed in the early 1950s. The water is absolutely clear, even to depths of 15 meters or so. Gondoliers paddle visitors in small boats for a 10-15 minutes ride into the cavern.
My qualification about Melissani: in the summer, the wait for entry can be two hours or longer, with outside temperatures routinely exceeding 40 degrees C. (104 degrees F.). If you can walk right in, as we did, the experience is fun. If you have to wait more than a half hour or so, I don’t think the payoff is worthwhile.
Upon exiting Melissani, I saw a sign for the Odysseus Theme Park, which raised lots of questions: are there wine-dark seas? Can you stay for the rosy-fingered dawn? Do they tie you to a mast? Do you have to battle a cyclops? Alas, we had to get on the bus and return to the ship, so I can’t answer any of these. I will, though, attach a link to one of my favorite Cream songs, Tales of Brave Ulysses.
I’ll close this post with a picture of Mirtos Beach, from the drive back to the ship. We have a sea day coming up, followed by a stop in Valletta, Malta. See you soon!
PuffinlessTravel 