Springtime in Zakynthos

So we’ve finally arrived in Koukla after our one month detour to Central and Eastern Europe. We came the old fashioned way, by bus from Athens, and then by ferry from the port of Kyllini to Zakynthos town. We were lucky enough to travel on the brand new, deluxe ferry “Fior di Levante” which made for an even more than usually enjoyable trip. Sure, catching the plane from Athens takes about four hours less traveling time, but there is nothing like the feeling of seeing Zakynthos slowly grow larger and take form from the deck of your ship, before you sail into the harbour; you really feel like you’ve arrived on a Greek island in a way that catching a flight could never replicate.

After picking up our hire car from the lovely and very accommodating Julie at Merlis Rentals (she followed us home to deliver our extra luggage that wouldn’t fit in the hire car!) we were finally here. Usually by the time we arrive in Koukla my parents are already here, having done all the tedious work of cleaning, making beds, turning on the hot water systems, etc.  This time it’s our task, although I’m fairly sure that it won’t be done to their standard.

It’s surprisingly cool here at the moment.  Not that it’s particularly cold outside, but the house itself is an icebox: it isn’t noticeably any warmer inside than out.  This place was built for keeping cool in summer, not for winter cosiness.  There are no curtains on the windows, nor rugs on the tiled floors.  There are some pipes sticking out of the floor where the heaters should be, waiting for the day when they get a heating unit installed.  It’s certainly different to our usual sweltering visits in July, but we don’t really mind as we know that it’ll quickly warm up.