The Summer months can see temperatures as high as 90 degrees, but the average temperature is 85 degrees. The Summer months are during May through October. The Winter months are from November through April. The temperatures have been as low as 10 degrees but only at night. The average temperature during the day is 78 degrees which is not much different than the Summer months. Yet, during the Winter Hawaii will experience the most rain. Flooding is not uncommon.

There are several little islands that belong to Hawaii. Depending on which side you live on will depend on how much dry or wet weather you will get. Typically, when you live on the windward side which is the northeast side you will get the most rain and the coolest weather. This happens since the winds are coming from the northeast. The driest parts of the island will be the southwest area of the islands. The southwest side is called the leeward side since the winds die down and the rains tend to lighten by the time it gets to the southwest side of the islands.

Hurricanes do not happen as often you may think. The last major hurricane that hit Hawaii was in 1991 which was the most severe hitting Inko, Kauai, and parts of Ohau. For the most part, hurricanes do not hit Hawaii. They may get heavy winds, but nothing too strong to destroy the islands.

If you are looking for a place to go on vacation that has the most reasonable and consistent weather then think about going to Hawaii. If you want to visit the higher elevations of the island then be sure to dress appropriately with pants and a sweater since it can get rather cold up there depending on what time of year you go. It doesn't just have natural beauty but it offers great weather.

However, summer isn't the only time of year when things happen there. The Island doesn't hibernate all winter just waiting for the next season to begin, well not completely anyway. Some of the months there, outside of the normal tourist season, are still warm and sunny, especially November, March and April. The latter is our springtime when a vast numbers of wild flowers, such as, the Campanula versicolor and the Wild Orchid, Ophrys tenthredinifera are plentiful and blanket this exquisite isle in a myriad of color.

The winter months of December, January and February are particularly cold and rainy but can still boast the occasional sunny and warm day. I have found myself sitting in a friend's garden, enjoying a local beer in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans in the middle of January. You wouldn't catch me going for a swim though. The temperature of the surrounding sea drops quite a bit and even on the warmest of days can be very chill. There are some, however, who are not put off by the chill.

In the year of 2006 the small historic town of Lixouri, on Kefalonia's western peninsula hosted Greece's, 2nd most popular, winter, open-sea swimming event. Mentor is a 5km marathon from the harbor of Lixouri across the gulf to the Theodore lighthouse in Lassi and back again. The event itself was the brainchild of local government and is sponsored by many local businesses. It was introduced as a means of bringing people from different nations together and to promote the Island itself.

In its 3rd year, Mentor sparked interest from swimmers all over the world, including Hungary, America and Turkey and this year also boasted the first female contenders. So, on January 6th 2006, at 9.30am, 19 swimmers decided to throw themselves into the chill waters (at 13C) to test their endurance. On this day also falls Epiphany (Holy Light), a religious Greek Orthodox celebration, where a small group of young men also decide to throw themselves into the chill waters in order to catch a holy cross thrown from on high by one the local Priests.

The day itself was cold and cloudy with the occasional peep of sunshine and the very real threat of rain from the dark Cumulo Nimbus clouds circulating around the top of Mount Enos (our highest peak). Needless to say, because of the cold conditions a number of support boats accompanied all the swimmers throughout the duration of the event and warm blankets and drinks were on hand for them on their return. The harbour side was filled with spectators, local dignitaries, journalists, photographers and ET1, one of Greece's national TV stations. All had come to watch the Mentor swimmers make their first jump into the chill harbor waters. The cold proved too much for 3 contenders who were rescued by 1 of the 2 safety boats on call that day.

The first to finish was America's World Champion, Jay Benner, in a time of 1 hr 20 mins, second was the lone Hungarian entrant (who won last years event) and third, Aristo Lassus from Larissa. The first female to finish came in sixth. All in all 16 out of the 19 entrants finished, the last few, unfortunately being caught in the sudden downpour as the heavens finally decided to open. The rain continued to fall for the rest of the afternoon as rivers of water flowed down the streets, at least the rental car had a good clean, which was well overdue.

We all met up for lunch at the Apolafsi Hotel and Restaurant, just outside of town and very close to, Lepeda, one of Lixouri's finest beaches and it was here that I managed to catch up with the winner, Jay Benner. From Tacoma in Washington State where he lives with his wife and little girl, Jay started swimming competitively from the age of 10 and spent 8 years on the World Champion Pool Racing Circuit, which is where he gained his World Champion title. It wasn't until 1993 that Jay decided to move his swimming from the pool to the open sea. He has visited Greece 9 times for summer racing events, including the 30km marathon across the Messinian gulf at Kalamata, which he has taken part in 4 times.

Mentor, however, was the first winter event he had taken part in and marked his 10th visit here and his return to swimming. To have a World Champion like Jay Benner and also entrants from neighbouring Turkey (whose relations with

Greece have had there problems in the past) come to Kefalonia and take part in Mentor has given the Island and the people here a real boost.

There are other celebrations that take place before May, when the main tourism season starts. Greek Independence Day, which falls on the 25th March, is one. One this day there is music and festivities all over the Island, the biggest of which, happen in Argostoli and Lixouri, the two main towns. Each town has a Parade in celebration of this day, which all the children take part in.

Easter is another and probably the biggest event of all but often prior to this religious celebration is the Carnival. All the surrounding villages take part; each has their own themed float and all participants are in fancy dress. This tradition arose from the period when the Turks occupied the Island. The Greeks were banned from conducting these celebrations during this time and so any religious festivities had to be celebrated in secret. Because the locals were driven under cover they were forced to disguise themselves, lest they be recognized. And so fancy dress became a part of the custom and tradition of many Greek events. It is a wonderful event with children and adults all dressed in a variety of colors, there's music and traditional dancing and generally an air of excitement and joy, a must to witness for any visitor.

The 23rd April is another important day in the Greek calendar and elsewhere. This is St George's Day but also happens to be the National day of Greece. Again there are celebrations, music and small marches to commemorate this day.

So, as you see, life after tourism does exist on this somewhat sleepy Island and it is still possible to get here during the winter. Ok, so it means taking 2 flights, one to Athens and then a hopper to Kefalonia but with the price of Easy Jet flights these days, this can be done for about the same money you would pay in the summer.

The other alternative of course is the 1 flight option to Athens, then a 3-hour coach drive to Patra, a 3-hour ferry ride to Sami (on Kefalonia's East coast) and then no more then an hours coach drive to any part of the Island you may choose. A long haul you may think, but I have made this journey and it's not as bad as it may sound, it's much cheaper for a start. The coach, plus ferry fare is about 32 euros one-way and at least this way you get to see some of Athens and its surrounding towns and countryside.

The ferry is also very comfortable, with good, large couches to lounge on and food and drinks available from the café-bar on board. You get to see some of the wonderful small islets that abound the Ionian Sea and coming to Kefalonia out of season can give you a much better insight into the lives and culture of the people here. Life on a sleepy winter Island can be a wonderful experience. Kefalonia is an Island to be enjoyed at any time of year.

We've planned this trip for a while now, and it was already time to make the move. My cousins' Ford Fusion, was perfect to go such distance. It was his brand-new car, red, and very sophisticated. We also had a police radar, because if we were getting there on scheduled time, we had to speed every now and then to make up for the awfully inevitable traffics that I-95 was famous for.

Now that we were ready, suitcases thrown in the trunk, and blankets and pillows in the back seats, my cousin flew in head first inside in the passenger seat. Delilah and Kate, the two women in my life, my girlfriend and my best friend were finally ready to jump in. Obviously, everyone was sleepy. But the driver, that would be me, had a very enormous disadvantage. I had to stay awake the whole time, or all of us would put an end to the press' silly season.

It was time to go now, but not quite in the direction we were supposed to. Feeling as drowsy as I was, I drove to Dunkin Donuts and got two cups of coffee so I'd keep awake. Looking in the rear-view mirror, the only thing I saw of those girls was their heads. They were all covered up in their blankets, sleeping as soundless. It was late winter, and still chilly in Florida. I looked over and so was George, his head cocked, leaning against he window, and was sleeping, but not as soundless as the girls. However, we had a schedule to keep, and I was ready to hit the road.

11:13AM

After making a couple of restroom stops, we finally made it to Georgia. Florida is not as scenic as the other states, nevertheless, some interesting things had caught our eyes here and there. For instance, it was kind of like tradition to count up all the accidents we'd see, and how many cars are pulled over by the cops. So far, the score was 4:7. Another things that caught our attention was the Fuller Warren Bridge, since we went over the Acosta bridge instead which was more parallel than perpendicular to the Fuller Warren. This is where we had stopped for our second bathroom break, in the heart of Jacksonville.

The Italians call the winter season, tempo da lupi, wolf weather, when it is cold and wet outside. Italy experiences a wide variety of weather during the winter season: Italy's far north is a wonderful place to go skiing, as snow falls on the Alps in November but has been known to happen much earlier in the fall. Northern Italian winters are similar to those in the northern United States, as they are very long and cold. Yet if you travel further south to an area such as Rome, snow is a very rare occurrence there. However, an area which allows you to avoid the winter blues altogether and experience the rich and warmth of La Dolce Vita is the island of Sicily; it enjoys mild temperatures year round.

Although Italy may not have a lot of warmth during the wintertime, its dishes during this season certainly do. As the temperatures become colder outside during the late fall, Italian cooking greatly changes. It takes on a richer and heavier taste. Dishes that are typical of Italian cooking during the winter are soups, stews, and heavier pasta dishes. Some pasta dishes that one can find in Italian homes and restaurants when the temperatures are low are lasagna al forno, spaghetti alla carbonara and ravioli liguri.

This one is from the region of Liguria, and is stuffed with wild greens and sage. Another popular dish to serve in the winter is polenta, which is the Italian word for cornmeal and is also the name for a dish made by cooking cornmeal in a liquid. After it is finished cooking it has the texture of mashed potatoes. One can serve the polenta with a variety of foods.

The following are two delectable recipes to make on a cold day suggested in the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati. Polenta is a classic winter dish-healthy as well as quick and simple to make and also a great way to end a cold winter day.

Polenta

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Salt to taste

Method

1. In a heavy pot, bring 6 cups of salted water to boil.
2. Add in the cornmeal gradually (use wooden spoon for stirring) about ¼ cup at a time and stirring in the cornmeal each time you add in.
3. Keep stirring the cornmeal mixture for 20 minutes after all has been added in.
4. The polenta is done when the mixture pulls away from the side of the pot.
5. Place individual servings in individual dishes.
6. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

The following Café Mocha makes a great drink after a day of skiing in the mountains or out in the snow:

Café Mocha

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups hot espresso coffee
• 1/4 cup hot milk (fat free or low fat)
• 1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Method

1. Place evaporated milk in chilled bowl with powdered sugar.
2. Whip until peaks form and then place in refrigerator.
3. In another bowl mix honey with powdered cocoa and cinnamon, mix with wooden spoon.
4. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Distribute mixture into 4 coffee cups.
6. Mix coffee with milk, and then pour into cups.
7. Stir and top with whipped evaporated milk and dust with powdered cocoa.

Olives and tangerines

Big hit in Croatia for adults is picking olives or tangerines. If you are adult from big European city you are probably interested in this sort of activity (today is popular active, fantastic vacation loaded with large amount of adrenaline). To me, this looks like Tom Sawyer - kids payed him to paint the fence which he should paint - for punishment.

An idea

During winter there are no olives or tangerines for picking, but there is something else: land mines. Yes, you read it right, land mines. If tourist can pick olives why couldn't they pick land mines? Well not pick them, just locate them. You rent a gear if you do not have your own, sign legal document that you are picking mines on your own responsibility, have short, basic training - and you are ready to go!

Extreme package

If this is not good enough for you, we have extreme package which includes destroying of founded mines, handling with mine machinery and sleeping over at mine field.

Dangers

Sure, it is dangerous. But with good training number of injuries or deaths would not be higher of those in car accidents (summer), drowning in the sea (summer), lost on the mountain.

1. Making a snowman

   A traditional classic and fun for the whole family. You can personalize it for and homemade added touch of uniqueness. Can also be made into many shapes and sizes.

2. Snow Forts

   Your snowy home away from home. How big, how small is all for you to decide. Can be a great addition to a backyard and is perfect for a snowman to watch over.

3. Snowball Fights

   The most used activity to accompany the snow fort (mentioned above). Compete with your friends in a head-to-head competition, and make the most out of your winter at the same time.

4. Shoveling Snow

   A fun way to clean up after a massive snowball fight, clear a driveway, or do something when you are alone. A fun way to keep healthy as well.

5. Ice Skating

   Its not exactly on snow but still a fun way to enjoy the winter weather. Enjoy gliding on ice while others talk. A must do winter event for the whole family.

You can find great beaches on all the continents of the world. What you will choose will depend on your budget and also your time. If you want to go for a short vacation, choose a place close to you. If you want to go far, you should have enough time to spend on a resort in order to appreciate your holiday.

Before you go for the bookings make sure you are happy with your destination. These days, hotel bookings can be made on the internet. Look for the reputed websites. This way you will not get robbed. Also they will have holiday packages which offer big discounts off the listed rates.

The ticket prices offered by the different airlines vary. Budget airlines give very reasonable rates while the others are far too expensive. So get online and check the routes you would like to choose and get the best rates.

Some travel agents will be able to help you with the ticket as well as the hotel bookings. Some even offer bigger discounts for their travel packages than the respective individual ticket and hotel discounts. The travel agent also makes the job a lot easier for you.

Last but not he least, try to make your booking well in advance. This way you will be able to get the best value for your money.