In the early part of the 19th Century though, scores of young British servicemen and their families flung themselves upon the shores only to end up making the ultimate sacrifice.

A wander round the British cemetary is a fascinating window on the British period of rule on Kefalonia. Wherever you look there are tragic stories of men and women who came to the island only to die within a matter of months. The old headstones and wonderful garden is a most tranquil and intrguing place.

The cemetary is looked after by a British resident, Roy Harrison, who is trying hard to help maintain it after years of neglect. With little or no funding he has made this quiet corner a telling window on the past. In the cemetary itself, there is an information board with the history of the people buried there.

If the history of Kefalonia fascinates you, then the walk out here across the British/Swiss built Drapano bridge, with fabulous views back across town, to the cemetary will be your cup of tea.

The British contribution to world history is, of course, always a mixed bag, much of it sadly destructive. Here, however, is the chance to see what ruling an empire really meant to ordinary British people, many of whom gave up their lives to build and sustain it.

The Koutavos lagoon, once a breeding ground for malaria was successfully drained by the British in the early part of the 19th century. Incidentally, the engineer who built the road to Fiscardo later went on to build one of the greatest train lines across India, from Bombay to Varanasi!

Find out more from the website of the Friends of the British Cemetry http://www.certificates.fsnet.co.uk/Kefalonian%20British%20Cemetery.htm