First, I will explain we are in Zakynthos, which is called Zante in Italian. It is a captivating island with a small marina on the Town Quay, beautiful coastline and an animated nightlife.
Cameron, Leeanne, James and I decided an authentic gyro would be the go for lunch. The night before Leeanne and I had walked past a cafe on our walk and the aromas were enticing, enough to convince us for lunch.
The Lavocca (spelling is in Greek letters) gyro cafe is on Maiou St, Zakthynos about three blocks away from the harbour in an area where locals and Athenians eat in delightful cafes, restaurants and bars. There are interesting, arty shops in these streets too.
The owner comes out to take our order, we ask where do you come from in Australia. He laughs and says Melbourne. Then he asks if we saw Friday’s Cats-tastrophe game. We said no but we had read that the Geelong Cats had a bad night. For the next hour, we ate delectable, flavoursome gyros, with John talking to us about The Cats, Australia and His Cats. We were amazed at his passion for the AFL, but I have a few friends- David, Jo and Melissa, who I would like John to meet. They should definitely put the island of Zakynthos on their bucket lists. This island is a splendid mix of natural beauty and magnificent coastline.
John told us we should venture up to the Venetian Fortress (aka Venetian Castle), so we walked up to Bohali – quite a steep walk. Still the views were incredible across the island, indeed across the bay to Kefalonia to the North and Pelaponese to the east.
We visited a fascinating church, the church of Agios Georgios Filikon, icons and murals filled the church.
We walked up to the Venetian Fortress and found it was closed and went down to Diethones, a magical place with porch swings and views over Zante. They have enticing gardens and comfortable chairs and couches with views of the harbour, so you are never bored as you watch ships, ferries, yachts and party boats come into the harbour. Have a look at the photos and tell me if you think Zakynthos should be on your bucket list?
Big Happy Birthday to Richard (YB), hope you had a great day! We miss you.