Colin and Lynn Dodd swopped life in Wem for the Greek island of Kefalonia. They have lived there happily for the past 10 years, and here Mr Dodd writes about their island life.

Kefalonia - warm and sunny in the long summer months

At the time of writing it is 11-30am and the temperature is already 33 degrees. We have a nice sea breeze keeping the heat at bay a little; without that we could be sitting in nearly 40 degrees, which is about average for this time of year. Come August/September it usually gets much hotter.

The tourist season is in full swing now and we have flights from the UK every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. The number of  taxis and coaches ferrying people from the airport to the various resorts makes driving here even more of an adventure.

Despite the massive financial problems Greece is having, people are still coming here for their holidays. Many of them are return visitors who keep coming back because they know they will have a good, relaxing stay.

The government has imposed tax rises to help pay off the country’s debt, but most bars and restaurants have opted to absorb the rise rather than pass it on. As a result prices are much the same as last year. Fuel and tobacco products have gone up – the sellers have no option there – but overall the cost of a holiday is little more than it was last year and there are some very good last-minute deals to had.

Having said all that, the cost of a night out is dependant on where you choose to spend it. There are bars and tavernas where you can pay top dollar for basic items and if people choose to do so then that’s fine, but don’t complain afterwards that you have been ripped off.

There are many smaller places where you can get the same drinks, a meal of equal quality and the same service for a lot less money than they charge in the up-market places. It pays to look around. Remember that cheap does not mean nasty.

While the village resorts are busy with their guests, the ordinary villages, like mine, carry on as normal. Everyone knows everyone else and the community spirit that exists in these villages is truly amazing. Older folk who live alone are actually never really alone as their neighbours will cook, clean, shop for them, or take them shopping, and generally make sure they are always well looked after.

The thing that makes life here so enjoyable is the Kefalonians themselves. They are a breed apart. We can go out for the day and leave our front doors wide open, cars can be left on the street with the keys in and personal items in full view and nothing goes missing. The Kefalonians say, “Why would I steal it? I can buy one or borrow it.” If only we could export some of that philosophy to the UK.

Working villages are very self-supportive. Nearly everybody grows grapes and olives, and vegetable plots are used to their full capacity. Ninety-nine per cent of villages have what is called a ‘kefenion’, a blend of bar cum shop, with some doing meals too. These are very basic places but they provide a central meeting point where the locals gather to play cards, discuss politics (very, very loudly) and generally socialise. Many villages have a contractor who works the various plots of land for the owners and much business is done at night in the Kafenions, again very loudly. It seems to be a Greek thing.

I am often asked how the locals feel about us Brits moving in and the answer is very simple: they treat us as one of them, with friendship and respect. All they ask is that we return the compliment, a very fair exchange in my book.

We all contribute to the local economy, paying our taxes, using the local shops, bars, filling stations etc., so we are helping to preserve the way of life that exists here. While the Kefalonians are more than happy to accept us as their own they do tend to close the doors if anyone tries to take advantage of them. They do not like ‘being taken for a ride’, and who can blame them for that?

We do not have the traditional dustbin here; instead, the local authorities site numerous wheelie bins around the island. We bag our refuse and take it to one of these bins. Any scrap washing machines, fridges etc can be left here for collection and authorised disposal.

How much does this cost? Every two months we pay our electricity bill ( mine averages about 50 euros for the two months) and attached to the bill are the local taxes, TV licence, council tax etc, which to the average household is about 10-15 euros for two months. Is that cheap compared to the UK? Our water rates are in the region of 25 euros per two months; again, I’m not sure what you pay over there now, but I would be interested to know.

Still on taxes, I run a small car, a Daihatsu Cuore, (I know, sad isn’t it?) and my road tax is 130 euros for 12 months while third party insurance cover is 300 euros for the year.

I would like to know how my cost of living compares as I have been away 10 years and have lost touch with most things. I must say I was less than impressed when I was charged nearly seven pounds for 20 cigarettes the last time I was in England. I pay three euros and 20 cents for 25 cigarettes here.

Damn it’s hot. Time for a cold one methinks.

I hope there was something of interest for someone in this.

Enjoy your sunshine, see you soon.

Colin