Cave and Quake - May 15

We started our day touring the Drogarati Cave a few miles down the road. The cave's massive stalagtites and stalagmites began forming more than 100 millions years ago.

The cave was accessible by stone steps that led down to a large room where the natural wonder could be viewed. The steps were slippery, a bit damp from the humid environment of the cave. In our cycling shoes, Murray and I walked on our heels and stepped sideways to avoid slipping. We were lucky that the trek down the stairs was relatively short.

After a brief coffee break with Murray's family at the cafe outside the cave, we hopped on our bikes and pedaled south.

We climbed up a mountain road through beautiful meadows lined with cypress trees and wild flowers. The fragrance reminded me of honeysuckle. The beauty surrounding me kept my mind off my aching legs. This was a long, steep climb. At the top of our climb, we arrived at a small village called Digaleto. There we found remnants of crumbled buildings from the 1953 earthquate in Kefalonia. This quake destroyed virtually every structure on the island.

Down a long descent we arrived at the town of Poros. The town is located along the Ionian Sea on the southeastern portion of the island. Murray told me Poros was a working port. I found the place to have a run-down feel. The colorful, cement buildings reminded me more of a tenament rather than a resort. But we were hungry, and so we stopped for a late lunch.

We selected a restaurant called the Fotis Family. Murray ordered an omelett, I ordered a chicken gyros with fries and we split a Greek salad. The food was delicious - and so cheap. We were amazed that our bill for food and drink was less than 15 Euros. Quite a deal. There is an advantage to lunching at a nappy resort town.

After lunch, we returned to the mountain road and climbed back up toward Sami. The ride was long, and my legs tired by the time we were back.

For dinner, we returned to Sami's waterfront. We ate at a different restaurant. Another fish dinner for me. Tasty and fresh. After dinner, we listened to Greek musicians play and sing and watched little Nia, Murray's niece, dance with her "mum." It was a beautiful, relaxing evening.