This year our holiday destination was Kefalonia. This was also our deferred honeymoon, having got married last November and it was also the first time that we had taken a two-week break in the five years since I started being self-employed.

Kefalonia is one of the chain of islands in the Ionian sea to the west of the mainland, the other main islands being Corfu, Lefkas and Zakynthos. We have now visited all of these islands and they are all very attractive, as winter rainfall ensures that they stay green throughout the summer. They are all quite mountainous, Kefalonia all the more so.

Kefalonia's most recent claim to fame was being the setting for the book and film of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, being loosely based on true events whilst the island as under occupation during the Second World War.

We stayed at Garbis Villas in Lourdas on the south-west coast. Lourdas stretches for 2-3km along a winding road that zig-zags down to the beach. The accomodation was very pleasant and very scenic with fine views over the bay. It would have been a long walk to the beach even had my back been in good shape but we travelled with Direct Greece who included a hire car in the package.

The back pain that I was suffering in the weeks before we left had eased quite a bit but was still troublesome at the start of the holiday. On the third night I had a particular problem and at that point I wondered if I was going to be able to stay the course. However after that low point it was all uphill and by the end of the holiday by virtue of losts of rest, relaxation and gentle exercise I was pretty much recovered.

That will do by way of introduction, as there will be lots more blogging to come on various aspects of the holiday.