Useful Greek Ionian Information

Eating out in Greece is a very sociable experience. Out in the islands, menus are prepared from what is fresh in that day; it is not unusual to be taken into the kitchen to take a look at the day's catch and choose your dinner.
Many restaurants have special local dishes: some will serve huge steaming bowls of mussels, others platters of shrimps and yet others fish fresh from the grill.
For carnivores, local dishes include Souvalaki, (pork or chicken, seasoned and grilled on a skewer) or Stifado (tender beef stewed with tomato and pearl onions).
Starters and side dishes are ideal for sharing "meze" style: Greek salads with tangy feta, garlicky tatziki, miniature cheese pies, shellfish "saganaki" and the heart stopping yet very tasty fried cheese.
Many wines are produced locally and contrary to popular myth, some are very good - particularly those from the island of Lefkas.
Some, but by no means all of the restaurants accept credit cards - cash is still the safest option.
ATM machines are available in larger towns.

Marinas are not widely available in the Ionian; most destinations are town quays in the centre of a village. This gets you much closer to the real Greece - step off the back of your boat and walk a few paces to a taverna for a cool drink and watch the world go by.
In most places mooring is free or for a minimal charge.
The yacht has hot and cold running water, showers and toilets. If you wish to shower ashore, many restaurants have showers for the use of visiting yachtsmen.
Both mains (230v, 50Hz AC) and 12v DC power is available on the yacht, to enable charging of phones, cameras etc.
Shops follow usual Mediterranean opening hours: morning and evenings with a siesta after lunch - generally 0800-1300 and then 1700-2000.
Pharmacies are open similar hours and found in most towns.

If you wish to know more about the area and would like to do some reading before your holiday, the following books may be of interest:

Ionian (Rod Heikell) - an excellent pilot book for the area - ISBN: 0852884230
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (Louis De Bernières) - the book of the film with Nicholas Cage that brought modern day fame to the island of Kefalonia - ISBN: 0749397543

Of course, the ancient Greek Poet Homer wrote about the area (according to some scholars):