The good people of Zakynthos, one of the Ionian islands near Cephalonia, are very keen on reinforced concrete, probably as a result of 1953's devastating earthquake that demolished most of its stone buildings.
To avoid earthquake damage, local builders reject traditional construction methods and instead build their houses on huge heaps of concrete reinforced with steel mesh that remains intact when the land crumbles underneath.
To avoid earthquake damage, local builders reject traditional construction methods and instead build their houses on huge heaps of concrete reinforced with steel mesh that remains intact when the land crumbles underneath.
So far this has been a success. But you shouldn't let the concrete put you off. We rented an attractive new, three-storey villa on an outcrop of virgin land near the northern fishing village of Agios Nikolaos. It had magnificent views of Cephalonia, and the short car drive into the village was dotted with welcoming open air restaurants.
It was odd knowing that while we were adjusting our sun loungers, lighting our barbecue and dipping our toes in the pool, police in Athens were desperately controlling an angry mob.
Despite the economic crisis, hospitality on the Greek islands continues as usual. Some say they're in for a hard winter when foreign money stops pouring in, followed by a slow season next year. But for now the islanders carry on with life as usual.
Many were furious when a German banker suggested Greece should sell all its islands to repay their debts. The cheek, the arrogance. One Ionian villa owner told me that as the Nazis had caused terrible damage to Greece during the war, flattening schools, hospitals and opera houses, they should pay war reparations.
The people of Zakynthos are defiant. They've been occupied by Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Italians, Turks, Venetians, French, Russians and British while the rest of Greece endured Turkish and Byzantine rule. They stopped Mussolini and Hitler during the war, and now they want to see the last of EU bankers. They've recently absorbed thousands of Albanian workers to help with the tourist industry and keep the bureaucrats at bay.
As there were six of us, and sometimes seven, we hired two small Honda cars. Driving around with young people permanently wired to their iPods is like taking old people out from a retirement home. One moment they don't hear you, next they shout at you. My wife made a rule that there would be no headphones in her car. As a result, I usually had three silent passengers, while she had one or occasionally two noisy ones in hers.
We found a restaurant in Agios Nikolaos where there were tables on the beach and a friendly, obliging waiter from Albania. We had been told that Albanians were generally resented in Zakynthos, but soon found that they provide a major part of the workforce in the restaurants and the construction industry and fit in well with the local community.
A local fisherman took us around the north of the island in his boat visiting blue caves and a famous shipwreck which has become a popular tourist site. It can be seen from a specially built vantage point above the cliffs, but reached only from the sea. He told us the ship, carrying illicit supplies of tobacco and alcohol, wasn't caught in a storm but drifted aground while the pirates argued about their share of the loot.
We made another day trip to Limionas, a charming restaurant set among pine trees beside an azure sea. Many of the island's treasures are missed by those visiting the nocturnal attractions of Laganas in the south - a clubbing hotspot comparable to Ibiza.
Zakynthos has the largest breeding population for loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean. And is one of the few places in the world where you can view turtles by day. But protection of these captivating creatures is a controversial subject here, with locals and conservationists holding conflicting views. There are strict guidelines on turtle-watching, and the nesting beaches are closed to the public at night, with only research activity allowed by trained personnel.
There are turtle-friendly boat trips endorsed by the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. Meanwhile, at a safe distance from the turtles, near Mikro Nisi in the north east of the island, is the Peligoni Club, sometimes described as SW3 on Med, such are its upper-crust clientele and gap-year staff.
You can sit and read or be hyperactive - it's a watersports centre built on honeycombed limestone rock, overlooking Cephalonia. The club is in the pine trees above the rocks . Accommodation ranges from rooms to cottages and villas, spread around the olive groves and hills.
The winds are ideal for sailing, but there is not a beach in sight. Wooden platforms have been built into the rocks, with umbrellas and loungers, all of them constructed each spring and open from the end of May. The watersports are run from a bamboo shelter known as the love shack. Sailing dinghies, windsurfers of various sizes and lessons for beginners on land-based simulators are available.
There are scents of juniper, coriander, oregano, rosemary, thyme, myrtle, and fennel in the air, and not just from the kitchens. Children and teenagers do their own thing while you do yours. Just don't disturb the turtles, please.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2029339/Greek-island-holidays-Zakynthos-Greek-goddess-just-dont-mention-debt.html#ixzz1W1cdwmgL
