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It seems our annual ‘gossip’ update has become very popular, so we will try here again to help you keep abreast of the times.
Once again, life conspired to prevent us getting our brochure out as early as we intended. This year was made more complicated by changes that you will see inside.
It was a shame that our “ Options” brochure did not generate as much interest as we had hoped, so we decided to stick with what we know that you like. We are very sad to have lost some our houses, like the much loved Spiridoula in Acharavi, owing to the owner deciding to sell. In Aghios Stefanos we “down sized”. We hope the result will mean that you will still find the holiday that you want at a price that you can afford.
The subject of houses for sale has become a hot topic! Is there going to be anyone left in England? There has been an incredible upsurge in interest in house buying in Corfu this year, which is making prices move skywards. This is all before the programme “Place in Sun” filmed here this summer, is aired! Bear in mind that if you decide to buy here and want your house to help pay its way; perhaps we can help to rent it for you when you are not here? We should, however, before you all ask how much money it will make you, point out that house rental will not make you rich. It will pay for maintenance and keep the house running, (unless you move into the luxury market with pool). The attached “10 Important Points When Buying a House” is brought to you courtesy of Hilary Whitton Paipeti editor of the “Corfiot “magazine. We thought that as we have been asked so often this year this may be useful!
Acharavi saw a surge of new buildings this year; a new shopping area at the Pump, some more apartments with a pool below Toula and Eleni, but luckily, we can still honestly say that the village continues to grow in an attractive way, which has not caused overcrowding.
September sees us in the throes of local elections, the only mayor that Acharavi has known, since becoming a “municipality,” is moving on the higher planes. Let us hope that the new one will carry on his good work…we all are still waiting with bated breath for the opening of the much needed dog pound…..anyone know a vet who will work for peanuts? That is all we need now!
Changes a foot, Brads Pitt will close at the end of this summer as Brad is moving back to England with his wife, Thea. Escaping the rat race in reverse?! Good luck Brad! At least the rain will not seem so foreign to you after all the rain we have had this autumn! Yes we, along with most of Europe suffered some terrible storms and floods this year, it will certainly go down in the record books. Most unusual. (At least we did not have to water gardens and the flowers really coloured the landscape beautifully in the extraordinary second spring)
On the other hand, Kev and Rob, old TWF clients, have taken the plunge and moved here, opening Planet Olivewood, the bar next to the Pumphouse. Kev was in the computer technology business in the UK and has great plans for the new www.planetolivewood.com, he also has a computer station in the bar fore those wanting to surf, or just check their e mails. Good luck to you two too!
Well, inevitably christenings follow weddings! Congratulations Natalie and Andreas of Sonic bar, they are due to become parents for the first time in January. Congratulations too, to Nikos and Victoria of the Stars restaurant on the birth of their bouncing baby boy.
Sue at Castaway gained a new canine. (We do apologise to everyone who has to step around her on the way to their safe deposit boxes! She has not learnt the rules yet!) Riley is a black lab, whose story is rather sad. She was brought over from America by a young couple who also planned to make Corfu their home. A tragedy back in the States meant that they had to return and could not take Riley back with them. Riley seems to have settled in well and is glad to be living near the sea, a real water baby. Again apologies to anyone who has kindly thrown her toy for her to fetch! Once is definitely not enough, and she never gets bored of bringing it back to you. A word of warning then; the beach near the Skondros is her patch, and no eye contact is the trick to avoid hours of play! Many thanks to those who have succumbed though, she does need the exercise!
Acharavi’s Hydropolis waterpark added a couple more slides and provided hours of fun for many families who found they could buy discounted entrance tickets at Castaway Travel.
Friends of Nikos from the Acharavi restaurant discovered he had moved . He converted his old family olive press in the foothills behind Acharavi, and opened a new restaurant called Monolithi. He has done a fine job in traditional style using stone and keeping the single stone press in place. The stone terrace has views over to Albania by day and at weekends he had live greek music.
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