Lefkada

We ducked into Lefkas Marina to hide from some severe wind for a few days, which gave us the perfect opportunity to explore the city of Lefkada. This is the main town on the island from which it takes its name. A lot of the buildings here are built from wood and clad in coloured sheet metal; light and flexible materials that could withstand the shock of the numerous earthquakes experienced here.

Our stay in Lefkada happened to coincide with Greek Orthodox Easter, so we could experience the country’s most important celebration of the year with the locals! Marching bands, solemn street parades, constant ringing of church bells, fireworks, festivities, and lots of delicious food, all mark this springtime celebration. The most enjoyable festivity though was a noisy custom unique to the Ionian Islands. We gathered in the main square at midday with hundreds of others to join in the ritual and hurl clay pots at the ground, warding off bad spirits for the coming year. Soon the entire piazza was covered in broken bits of clay, and we selected pieces of the smashed pots to take home as good luck charms.