The unexpected contest down by the sea ……… new stories from Kefalonia

This week I have been engaged in that war of the towels.

A war which if nothing else has shattered that myth about which nationality gets down early onto the beach to stake their claim to the best sun loungers.

Even more surprising when the contest occurs under a Greek sky where, as everyone knows life is very laid back.

Of course, that idea that the pace of things is slower here must be qualified because the men and women in the bars and restaurants work exceptionally hard, as do the taxi drivers, the bin men and pretty much all those engaged in the tourist business or just keeping the roads clean, water flowing and all else.

Still I have always tried to take things at a very slow pace during the years we have been coming to the Greek islands.

But this year has been different, and it took a few days to tumble that small groups have been bagging the spaces between the sea and the sand by laying down their towels just as the sun rises and the last few party goers stagger home with the sound of disco and Karaoke ringing in their ears.

From the balcony we watched as these "lounge stealers" marched purposefully to the beach, sometimes singly as an advance guard or in pairs, returning a few minutes later to take a leisurely breakfast secure in the knowledge that their place was guaranteed.

I have to say that at first, I was dismissive, pointing out the large number of loungers left and a little smug that I was above such things.

But never underestimate the sudden urge to challenge the prevailing “lords” of the beach and copy the territorial pettiness.

And so always being ones to wake early, by just after six we joined the “beach stake holders”, reasoning that really, we were only dropping the towels off following the impulse to take a walk along the seashore before the sun rose in the sky, on the bakery to get fresh croissants.

Even so at such an early hour the English had got there first, with six prime sites marked out with bright towels, and all the essentials for a day by the sea.

But not one sun seeker in sight.

Determined not to be beaten we repeated the exercise before conceding it was all a bit silly and that like so much about Greek Holidays you should just fall in with what was on offer.

Leaving me just to reflect that at least it laid to rest that myth about Germans and beaches, which is all to the good, given that falling back on “national stereotypes”, is lazy, foolish, and often dangerous.

Location, Kefalonia

Pictures; Lourdes Bay, 2022, from the collection of Balzano