Old fisherman casting his line

We had a nautical expedition today on Captain Vangelis cruise boat to the nearby island of Ithaca. Setting off at 9am was achieved by walking up a plank from the beach onto the bows of a boat with about fifty other people. The weather was beautiful, the sea flat calm and the day went well.

We headed across to Ithaca from Skala on Kefalonia, which took about 90 minutes, before the boat stopped in a small bay to allow bathers to dive off the boat or use the chute to plunge down playfully into the water.  Then the trip continued around the shore to Vathi, the main port of the island where we were given 90 minutes ashore to explore the small town with its harbour and beautiful setting.

Check Woodpecker's blip for a bit of historical context and a poem about Ithaca and its poetic and historical connections.

I have added an 'Extra photo' of a view towards land as we approached the harbour at Vathi, showing the scale of the islands mountains dropping steeply into the sea. We had a quick coffee beside the harbour and then walked around part of the big bay.  There I spotted an old man fcastinga fishing line from a yellow reel with a plastic crab attached to the line as bait. He hobbled around the harbour throwing it out and then reeling it in, but he didn't appear to catch anything. I managed to film him casting his line for my blip.

We set off again to head north around the coast to a smaller port of Kioni where we had another hour and a half to meander about the edge of the harbour.  Most of the time we and the other passengers had a quick meal in a variety of small tavernas serving this incoming daily tourist trade. The small protected valley where the harbour was sited had many rather fancy sailing boats although few sails were in evidence, perhaps because the wind was slight. (I've also added another 'Extra photo' of a harbour side view.) I must admit to thinking that many of the occupants of the boats seldom sailed at all relying on their engines togo from harbour to harbour, but I may be wrong. One enormous gin palace arrived as we headed out for the return journey.
We then had the bonus of another swimming stop back on the shore of Kefalonia, where we disgorged from the boat again on to a remote beach under the forested slopes of the big mountain.  I took a plunge there and after the rather chilling impact of the cool water I did really enjoy the water and the setting in such a remote place.

We both agree it has a been a great day out and well worth the money. However we are exhausted and have to be up again tomorrow morning for an 8-15am start of a coach tour up into the mountains and forests in the middle of this island form where we should get amazing panoramic views.