To eat we started with sausage in wine sauce and Greek salad. The sausages were similar to Chorizo sausage and served in a spicy tomato sauce containing peppers, onions and tomatoes with slices of the diagonally sliced hot sausage. The Greek salad was pretty standard but we both agreed that the feta was perhaps the creamiest we had tasted. There were plenty of olives and juicy chunks of fresh tomato.

Our main meal was lamb kelftiko and Moussaka, the lamb kelftiko was somewhat less that proficient and although served with tomato and feta with ample lamb the sauce was somewhat lacking in substance and flavour. The Moussaka was a casserole bowl crammed with meat and topped with a slightly flat béchamel sauce. Disappointingly it needed a fair bit of salt and pepper but once this was administered it was reasonably tasty.

Although the taverna was at the side of the Agostoli road that view was obscured by lush vegetation and colourful bougainvillea (purple, pink and white as well as variegated and vibrant geraniums. Thyme had been cultivated in a pot in the centre of the open air dining area and the area was covered with a green trestle covered by raffia. It would certainly not keep a good storm out! We sat at a table for six so had loads of room to spread out with camera and "IGOUGO note pad"!

We sat on comfortable beech wood chairs against a table, which was unfortunately shrouded with a large paper tablecloth. Mind you I kinda understand it because I can be a very messy eater! The house wine was very fruity and even the first mouthful was very palatable – often not the case with house red. Unfortunately I was driving so the lion’s share had to be drunk by my wife. She protested but not for too long! Complimentary fresh watermelon was served after the main course just as I was about to order dessert but there was so much fruit we decide not to be piglets and finished the meal with the watermelon. The final bill came in at less than thirty Euros, the cheapest meal we ate on Kefalonia.

Tonight the sunset was superb and we were able to fully appreciate Mother Nature’s light show from the comfort of our dining table. After a while, when darkness descended subtle lighting was introduced to the garden – what an atmosphere.

There was a limited but proficient wine list - the most expensive being a Syrah at 25.5 Euros - and the house red was smooth and fairly full-bodied despite its youth. The staff was very professional and despite the fact that all diners were informally dressed (you can’t get me out of shorts and sandals on holiday) they retained a formal dignity that goes with a restaurant in which you would be expected to ‘dress properly’. Background music was great folk music and this was totally unobtrusive (i.e. you knew something was playing but no more than that).

One of the down sides of this restaurant was the proliferation of cats (we saw three or four) that wandered the grounds looking for tit bits. I gave one a gentle push away with my foot (sorry cat lovers) but I can’t be doing with it whilst I’m trying to enjoy my meal.

We ordered stuffed sweet peppers with bacon and cheese along with battered fried aubergine, zucchini and tomato. The stuffed peppers consisted of three sizable roasted peppers beautifully flavoured through the roasting process and set off with a cream cheese with a hint of bacon - very tasty. As we mixed and matched the starters we were both able to fully enjoy an ample selection of deep fried batter vegetables. I have to say I have never tried battered tomatoes before and it just about worked. To follow we’d chosen roast belly pork stuffed with mustard sauce served with baked potato. The pork was delicate, yet well seasoned and stuffed in the middle with carrots and green pepper. The potatoes were coated with the sauce and scattered parsley and my wife said this was by far the best dish she had experienced this holiday. My roasted leg of lamb stuffed with cheese, fresh tomato and pepper served with oven-baked potato also hit the mark - two chunky pieces of stuffed lamb with a good quantity of potatoes and an unusual but almost perfect stuffing as an accompaniment.

Top marks!

Colourful checked clothes with a paper cover - not too attractive and made less so when it soaked up the moisture from the cold beer and one and half litres of cold water. It then took on the appearance of a mini swimming pool as the paper acting like blotting paper attracted the moisture in puddles.

We started our meal with hummus and Tyrokafteri. The hummus was heavy on the garlic and with a lashing of red onion had a pleasant sweet taste. There was "just enough" hot toast accompanied the hummus. The Tyrokafteri was a not too spicy cream cheese, and every so often I found the chili to add some heat!

For our main courses we chose Stamna and Ceramic Lamb. The Stamna was served piping hot with aubergines in an oval dish. To be honest I thought they’d been a bit mean with the quantity but as I ploughed my way through the dish I found loads of beef and it was so full of taste I asked for extra bread (no problem it arrived in seconds) to help mop up the sauce. Indeed by the end of the meal there was a not a single morsel left.

My wife’s ceramic lamb had no vegetables at all but there was a heavy meat content and it was topped with a cross between roast and sautéed potatoes. She also left no sauce taking advantage of the extra bread.

The whole of the evening’s proceedings were overseen by the establishment’s matriarch who sat in a prime spot near the till constantly surveying the performance of her staff. Occasionally she signalled the need for a chat and the senior waiter would respond instantly. She clearly had her finger on the pulse!

This was not the best meal we ate on Kefalonia, but it was well positioned for watching the town’s activity. We were subsequently told that the original Captain’s Table is better, but we never did get round to trying it.

Many of the troops were shot on the Geological phenomenon of the Kafavothres. These sink holes were created over 70000 years ago but were not discovered until the early 1830’s and it took another three decades for the Millioressi family to recognise the potential. They reckoned that if this power could be harnessed it could be used to their advantage and so they built watermills to grind their crops. The mills were fully operating by 1865.

There are a couple of waterwheels still in place one at the site of the sinkholes and the other in the water mill restaurant. During the day it’s quite OK to wander round to view the mill operating at the restaurant.

The lighthouse at Fanari is a reconstruction of the original, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1875. This small white rotunda stands on a small outcrop of land between Lassi and Agostoli and was originally built by Charles Napier (a governor on the island in the 1820’s). It does look absolutely stunning and I’d recommend that you park on the main road and enjoy the short work down the jetty to this typically Greek looking building.

The lighthouse is around half way between Agostoli and Lassi and if you ever fancy a couple of hours walk this would be one to try. It’s a total of 8 kilometres and there are some picturesque views of the sea from the wooded walkway. It’s nicely situated by the pine trees and even in the heat of the day you’ll be afforded some shade. However, its not walk we undertook we much preferred to use the car to cover the ground and to see the sites more easily on route. It is a favourite route for fishermen and picnickers alike and it’s a big enough stretch to guarantee some privacy. In total there are around half a dozen restaurants on this route including the much-acclaimed Oskars (where you can see and be involved in Greek dancing every night) and a typical Greek taverna (1901) and a large Chinese at the Lassi end, we liked the look of Sto Pistou (see separate journal entry).

At the opposite end of town from the busy harbour is the Drapano bridge or the De Bosset Causeway. This 900 metre long stone bridge from Argostoli to Drapano was built in 1813 during under instruction from the Swiss administration to a British engineer. The original bridge was built in a couple of weeks and it dramatically reduced the travel time from the small village of Drapano to the island’s capital. Three decades later the bridge was rebuilt, by Baron Everton, in stone and it’s still very much in its original state, surviving numerous quakes including the big one in 1953. At the centre is an impressive which used to be inscribed 'To the glory of the British Empire' – that was soon removed when control returned to the Greeks.

the bridge seems to be a favourite spot for local fishermen, but when we were watching them they didn’t seem to be getting that many bites! Inland from the bridge, the lagoon is a protected nature reserve and perched on the hill in the far distance the impressive castle of Saint Georgios.

On the opposite side of the road is a small Greek Orthodox Church. This is well worth checking out because it is just crammed with interesting artwork and the sun was spilling through the colourful stained glass windows reflecting a rainbow of light throughout the church

Of course many people will come her to shop and I reckon this was probably the best shopping area on the island. A pedestrian walkway runs parallel with the sea front promenade, which is attractively illuminated at night, giving a range of half-decent shops and boutiques. Prices weren’t rock bottom, but as we were there at the end of season many clothes shops were heavily discounting their goods. There is no shortage of tavernas and restaurants and if anything you may struggle to choose.

Also in town is the "Folklore Museum". Admission is cheap and here you can discover all you’ll need to know about Kefalonia’s rich cultural heritage as well, of course, about the devastating event that hit the island in 1953.