Greece

I’d had a romantic expectation of Cefalonia; crystal clear deep blue waters, white sandy beaches and traditional Greek villages with bustling tavernas. At best, we saw glimpses of these.

In retrospect, given the natural beauty, glorious weather and proximity to the UK, I shouldn’t really have been surprised by the sheer numbers of tourists flocking to the best beaches.

As a sparsely populated island, the largest villages were dominated by large hotels. Sun loungers carpeted the sandy beaches and a sea of people, literally, were in the water. English breakfasts cafes replaced Greek tavernas and shops selling beach paraphernalia replaced shops which I had hoped would be filled with local treasures, handicrafts and foods.

All of that said, we did go on some spectacular drives along the coastal road and up into the hills. Inland we found some little gems of restaurants. We found coves and small beaches with smooth, perfectly white pebbles, for swimming and snorkelling and enjoyed a day on a little boat which we hired.

The second week was spent at The Emelise in Fiskardo – setting for the book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. As it’s cliff access only to the sea on this part of the island, Fiskardo has largely escaped the influx of sun seeking tourists, and this exclusivity had a price tag to match. With little to do in the vicinity, The Emelise is a place of extreme relaxation.

We had talked about going to Greece instead of the South of France for our summer holiday for a number of years. Khiara family vote is, however, very much in favour of the latter.