28th March 2016

With the clocks going forward one hour, a lie-in seemed unlikely, and that proved to be the case. Those who had booked excursions were up and about, rattling doors and talking in corridors, ensuring that those not on a trip were awake.

Peeling back the blinds, we were surprised to find that we were sharing our anchorage with another cruise ship, the ‘MSC Fantasia‘. Katakolon is only a small village that was originally the sea connection for Olympia, but today it’s just a small cluster of tourist shops, restaurants, and private holiday homes.

For the first time, there was a thick cloud and drizzle. Despite this, after breakfast, we put on our raincoats and, wielding umbrellas, joined other hardy souls and ventured out.

The plan was to walk along the beach until we had seen enough, then return to the village and explore the shops. As we hit the beach, miraculously, the clouds peeled back, revealing a sun that was determined to roast. Likewise, we peeled off the layers and continued with plan A.

We were joined by a large, friendly dog who enjoyed our company and the ear fondling that went along with it. Sue kept an eye out for interesting shells and found several, while I found half a dozen stranded starfish and saved their lives. Halfway around the bay, we came across another amiable dog, which scared our new friend, and he beat a hasty retreat back home.

We tramped a little further before deciding to cut inland and follow the beach road back to the village. It was interesting to see the other side of the beach properties. Quite a few were up for sale. We came across many refuse bins in clusters along the roadside, piled high with garbage. It was obvious there had been no collections for many months. A sign of the austerity measures the Greeks are protesting about?

Returning to the beach, we passed a bar with the proprietor just opening up, so we sat in the sun on the veranda, watching fellow passengers pass by on their sandy treks. A few, on their return, joined us to enjoy drinks and the view. As we were paying the bill, it started to drizzle, so under umbrellas again, we ‘hit’ the shops.

Finding a few treasures (but with insufficient money), we returned briefly to the ship to get my wallet. After picking up yet another Christmas tree bauble and a top for Sue, we made our way back to our cabin for lunch. The sun had pushed away the clouds, and the view from the restaurant, high up on the ship, gave us a glimpse of the island of Kefalonia, which we would soon pass after our departure at 2 pm.

We attended a quiz in the afternoon with Aylo and Mike. Afterwards, we discussed the England 3–2 soccer victory over the Germans last night before I returned to the cabin and Sue went to join an Easter Egg hunt on the top deck. She returned a short while later, disappointed that the hunt had been cancelled due to the wind and choppy seas, which made it tricky to move around. She left sometime later to watch a musical event in the Grand Bar, featuring all the musicians on board. I stayed to watch the Boat Race in London on TV, catching both the women’s and men’s races (I may have dozed a little).

The evening meal was formal, so smart attire was dug out, and brushes and smellies were applied. We ate late again, and as expected, there were few in the restaurant. Champagne was served.

The show was a ventriloquist. He had the difficult task of performing for quite a few different nationalities, and he did it admirably. I should imagine it’s challenging enough performing for an audience in one language, but to raise laughter from us all was brilliant.

We have a sea day tomorrow, and the clocks go back one hour, so there’s no hurry to get up. Bliss.