‘It’s beautiful. The colour of the water is almost jewel-like.’
The boat passed several secluded beaches and little coves on the way. By one stood a whitewashed single-storey building. It looked deserted, yet a colourful rowing boat was moored to a small wooden jetty. There was no lane leading from the beach so it could only be reached by boat.
It wasn’t long before they reached their destination. People were disembarking from motorboats, while others were lining up to join boats on the return journey. Bars and tavernas lined the quayside and already bustled with people trying to get the best tables.
‘Don’t worry.’ Simos smiled. ‘I phoned and booked us a good table for the view.’
The restaurant had a large eating area at the front but when Simos gave his name to the waiter on the door, they were led upstairs to the roof terrace. The one unoccupied table was right at the front with a magnificent view over the sea and the harbour. The reserved sign had the nameSIMOS GEORGATOSwritten on it.
‘Perfect,efcharistó.’The waiter pulled out a chair for Eléni and left them. Simos sat down opposite Eléni. ‘This is a good position, eh?’
It was obvious Eléni that Simos came to the restaurant often — the waiters all knew him. An image of him bringing an elegant young woman here filled her head. With long black tresses tumbling over her slim tanned shoulders, she would also be dressed in immaculate designer clothes, and diners at the other tables would stop and watch as the couple was shown to their table — this table. She looked down and smoothed her skirt, which appeared more creased than usual.Stop it, Eléni.Of course, he’s had girlfriends, maybe still has. This is just an evening with a new friend. We have the earthquake in common and that’s all.
A waiter appeared at the table and handed them each a menu. ‘We recommend the bakalàos.’
Simos explained. ‘It’s dried cod. Here it is always served with agliada,a sauce made of boiled potatoes ground with garlic, olive oil and lemons. It’s delicious. I tell you what, why don’t I ask Stephanos, here, to bring us a selection of the restaurant’s speciality dishes for you to try? I want you to try real Kefalonian food.Efcharistó, Stephanos.’
‘I understand. And you would like an aperitif?’
‘Nai. Ouzo,parakaló. With lots of ice. And a bottle of Robola.’
The sky was now a deep coral, streaked with fiery orange. The glowing tangerine sphere slowly sank into the horizon.
Stephanos brought the ouzosand placed the wine in the ice bucket on the table. ‘It’s beautiful, eh?’ He lit the candle in the glass lamp on the table. ‘For later.’
‘I love watching sunsets at home, but they’re nothing like this. It’s spectacular!’ With that, the sun disappeared completely.
‘The island is famous for its sunsets and now you can see why.’ Simos swirled the ice cubes in his glass and the liquid became milky. ‘What do you think of our ouzo?’
Eléni sipped the aniseed liqueur and let the burn travel down her throat. ‘It’s... different.’
Simos laughed. ‘You will get used to it. Ah, here comes our food.’
Stephanos drew up a small table and put it beside theirs while another waiter brought an array of small dishes.
‘Your starters. I will let Simos explain to you what the dishes are.’ Stephanos opened the wine and poured a little for Simos to try.
‘Efcharistó. Excellent as always.’
The waiter filled the wine glasses and left them to their meals.
Simos turned back to Eléni. ‘I hope you will like what they have chosen for us. Maybe we’ll start with the dolmades.They’re stuffed vine leaves. Then, these are mini lamb souvlaki, which go well with the tzatziki, the cucumber and yoghurt dip. But I’ll stop. Discover the tastes for yourself,parakaló.’
Eléni was amazed at the variety of foods to choose from and tried a little of everything, even the olives which she’d always said she hated!
‘Well, what did you think?’
‘I loved the variety. A bit different from the prawn cocktail I always choose back in Wales! I think my favourites were the vine leaves stuffed with rice and the lamb kebabs. The dish I wasn’t keen on was that one.’
‘Ah. It’s octopus. Disguised in a tomato sauce.’ Simos laughed. ‘Perhaps it takes some getting used to.’
It was dark now and each restaurant was lit with twinkling fairy lights. Moonlight reflected on the sea to give the whole place a magical, romantic feel. Eléni looked across at Simos and her heart skipped a beat. The contours of his face were accentuated by the light from the lamp.
‘I’ve told Stephanos to give us a few minutes before serving the main courses.’ Simos smiled. ‘You will have room, I promise. Let’s plan the next steps in your search.’
He took out a folded piece of paper and passed it over to Eléni. ‘From the 1971 census, I’ve made a list of all the men with the surname Koulouris living in Argostoli. So many went northto Fiscardo, as it was relatively untouched by the earthquake, so I’ve included a list from there too.’
Eléni unfolded the paper. ‘There are so many! Where do we start?’
