our location

THE VIEW FROM OUR HOUSE VERANDA IS QUITE STUNNING. DIRECTLY IN FRONT IS THE ELEVATED CASTLE OF ST. GEORGE AND ITS ATTACHED VILLAGE, KASTRO. TO THE LEFT ARE HILLS OVERLOOKING ARGOSTOLI, THE ISLAND'S CAPITAL AND TO THE RIGHT A SPLENDID VIEW OF THE ISLAND'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, AENOS.

BEHIND THE HOUSE, ON ANOTHER HILLSIDE ARE THE ANCIENT MAZARAKATA TOMBS, BELIEVED TO BE OF NEOLITHIC ORIGIN.

SEE THE MAPS OF KEFALONIA

A WEEK LATER A GREEK FAMILY OF 4 HAD ALSO JUST ARRIVED, MOVING INTO A LARGE HOUSE JUST UP THE ROAD FROM OURS. MUM NICKY'S MAIDEN NAME IS

MAZARAKIS AND HER FAMILY HAD LIVED ON THE PLOT OF LAND, IN A SMALL TRADITIONAL STYLE HOUSE FOR VERY MANY YEARS BEFORE IT WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY A TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN AUGUST, 1953. THE SITE OF THE ORIGINAL IS CLOSE TO THE MODERN HOUSE WHICH NICKY AND HER HUSBAND HAD BUILT IN STAGES OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS. DURING THAT PERIOD THEY LIVED AND WORKED IN ATHENS. THEIR RETURN HAD BEEN PRE-PLANNED. DAD HAD SOLD HIS BUSINESS AND RETIRED PRIOR TO THE MOVE.

THE NEW INFLUX (8 PERSONS) ACTUALLY DOUBLED THE VILLAGE POPULATION FROM 8 TO 16! SINCE THEN OTHER HOUSES HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED AND THE POPULATION HAS GROWN TO 28. THE INCREASE HAS RESULTED IN IMPROVED LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES. THE ROAD HAS BEEN RESURFACED , THE BINS ARE EMPTIED MORE FREQUENTLY AND WE EVEN HAVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS FIXED TO TWO LAMPPOSTS!

OUR NEW HOME IS LOCATED IN THE VERY QUIET AND SECLUDED VILLAGE OF MAZARAKATA, THE VILLAGE OF THE FAMILY "MAZARAKIS". WE ARRIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER OF '99. BY THE END OF THAT SEPTEMBER ANOTHER ENGLISH COUPLE HAD ALSO MOVED INTO THE VILLAGE. SEE MAPS

MAZARAKATA TOMBS

THESE ARE LOCATED ABOUT 500 METRES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE ON A PLATEAU.

SOME ARE MULTIPLE TOMBS EXCAVATED FROM THE LIMESTONE BEDROCK. THE ROOFS OF THE LARGER ONES HAVE COLLAPSED (THEY RESEMBLE MY IDEA OF WHAT CHRIST'S TOMB WOULD LOOK LIKE). THE PHOTO SHOWS THE ENTRANCE TO THE LARGEST.

THE OLDEST ARE 5000 YEARS OLD, ARE SINGLE, CIRCULAR AND ABOUT 5 FEET DEEP

THE CASTLE OF ST. GEORGE AT KASTRO FROM THE WEST. MT AENOS IS IN THE BACKGROUND.

MAZARAKATA IS FURTHER RIGHT OUT OF THE PICTURE!

THE CASTLE OF ST.GEORGE, KASTRO

ORIGINALLY THE SITE OF A ROMAN FORT, THE

CASTLE WAS MUCH EXTENDED BY THE VENETIANS IN THE 16TH CENTURY.

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION OF THE CATACOMBS BY GERMAN FORCES LOOKING FOR ITALIAN SOLDIERS WHO ESCAPED THE 1943

MASSACRE - HAVE CERTAINLY LEFT THEIR MARK BUT FANTASTIC VIEWS AND A SENSE OF HISTORY UNDER YOUR FEET STILL PREVAILS.