Wildlife Odyssey

It is quite a trek to get to Ithaka, Greece.

You fly into Keffalonia (3 hours), followed by a coach trip across the island to Fiskardo (2 hours)  a boat trip across the water to Ithaka`s Polis Bay (30 minutes) and finally a car journey (30 minutes) 

to our own villa.

Still, it took Odysseus a lot longer to get back to Penelope, saving her from her 140 suitors.

It was well worth it.

Our villa was set in a beautiful garden, full of wildlife and flowers, with the sound of sheep bells tinkling and surrounded by olive groves, with views to the sea.

On our first day we saw this amazing lizard about 12 to 15 inches long. It was our only glimpse.

Butterflies were continuously fluttering by, feeding on the herbs and lavender bushes.

The most stunning one was bright yellow with splashes of orange but none of us 

managed to capture a photo.

But here is a white admiral to make up for it.

There were plenty of grasshoppers around, with their long antennae delicately feeling all around.

The close up shows the hard skin case looking just like armour plating.

Paula had this praying mantis in her bedroom on the last night, which didn`t help

with her slumber.

Down in the main town of Vathi, Paula spotted this swallow`s nest with the babies

 just about to fledge. Have a closer look at the actual nest sides....amazing.

The parent bird flew in and I just caught it.

Look at those gaping mouths.

Jasmine wafted its perfume around us, bougainvillea wowed us with its colour, against the brick red shutters, along with the geraniums which I just had to deadhead much to the amusement of the others.

They do flower so much better if they are regularly deadheaded.

Some of the geraniums were 10 feet tall.

These geraniums do not get a great deal of water so I am trying to learn from this.

I am keeping my geraniums at home a tad drier to see if they flourish.

Things I love about travelling....seeing so much that`s different, learning something new and watching the wildlife.