Suddenly Corfu finds itself in summer! The weather is hot and sunny by day and cool at night and the little flashing fireflies in the olive groves and along the beach are just magical.
Walking home through their blinking lights makes you believe in fairies. The island sprung to life from its winter hibernation, as it does every year, on 1st May.
It seems like only yesterday our stomachs were groaning after the annual excesses of Greek Easter, at least it was a little earlier than last year so we could enjoy ourselves without the worry of going to work the next day!
For those lucky enough have visited it was fortunate that UK Easter was only a week earlier so were able to fit in both Easters in their break.
Just in case we have aroused your interest in 2010; both Easters fall together on the 4th April. Easyjet normally start their Gatwick service on 1st April, this year they have started flying from Bristol and Manchester so maybe they will start those flights in time for Easter.
(We have a sheet detailing all the traditions and parades like the pot throwing ceremony from balconies in Corfu town on Easter Saturday, for any one who is interested we can e-mail it to you.)
We all love the build up to Easter through the three Sundays of Carnivali to Clean Monday at the beginning of lent with it’s tradition of kite flying and picnics; though this year’s event was rained off so we had our picnics at home on the kitchen table and still had a good time.
To culminate in the “great” week full of mournful music and liturgies until the excitement of Easter Saturday, candle lit vigils, fireworks and reunited families clinking glasses with declarations of Christos anesti, Christ is risen.
Easter itself was a lovely weekend weather wise, perfect for those of us who spit roast their lamb outside.
Sue’s family prefer suckling pig, this years was a really good one and this years wine a record breaker. Not least for lasting until Easter! Our (greedy Labrador) dogs have learned where to station themselves for well aimed tit-bits chucked as appetizing pieces of meat are sliced off to nibble while watching the hot work of the turning of the spit.
Chocolate Easter eggs have now arrived in Greece so of course there was far too much chocolate in evidence too. Chocolate eggs do not however mean the old tradition of dying chicken eggs red on Maundy Thursday has been lost. It hasn’t and our tables were all adorned with shiny bright red eggs for every one to knock together, the last person still with a whole unbroken egg will have good fortune for the rest of the year.
Winter flew by, despite the common belief that we must just laze around all winter, it is not true. Sue keeps busy being a “home-worker” taking Travel with Friends bookings, working with “web-site Kev” to update the web-site and answering calls from Castaway Travel’s customers in Acharavi. Carole has had a VERY busy winter picking her olives which she declared is the best and most abundant crop ever (I am sure she said that last year!)
Interestingly in the Acharavi area olives dropped prematurely in many areas due to the appalling weather of horizontal rain and wind and then were of poor quality. Corfu’s olives are small and mainly used for pressing for oil; they are collected by letting them drop into nets laid in the autumn to cover the olive groves. (Except at Carole’s house where her husband, who is a great arborist, chose this year to heavily prune his trees which involved a more time consuming picking off the little olives directly off the fallen branches!)
The larger olives such as the well known Kalamata olive have to be picked off the tree before they fall to avoid bruising and ensure the right degree of ripeness, which is why those trees are kept much shorter unlike the very tall trees of Corfu.
Carole’s daughter Xenia keeps Mum busy with extra curricula activities such as Dance and Hwa Won Doo (a form of Karate). Sue who should have felt at a loose end now that Elena is in England still found that the days were not long enough to do everything. She did manage to fit in lots of walking in between the rain storms; enjoying the old mountain stone paths that criss-cross the island.
It did ensure that one young energetic Labrador puppy was too tired to redesign the garden, though sadly as Sue is now back in her position behind the desk, little is safe, score so far in one week; 3 solar lights, one dog bed, one rosemary bush and 4 terrorised cats.
Carole’s new arrival this winter was rather larger; they adopted a donkey from the donkey sanctuary.
Her name is Izzy (pictured right) and she had been very badly treated.
Her life now is one long graze, keeping Carole’s other very old donkey company, and driving Spiro mad by eating the oranges and olives from the trees.
Her party trick is walking into the house after the dogs!!! Carole’s new puppy, Lily, has a favourite game of being able to open all the doors in the house, including the front door, which became rather chilly in the winter!
Speaking of winter; it must have broken all records and should mean no water shortages this summer! We have never known such a long wet winter; the upside is that everywhere is so green and lush and the flowers are abundant.
Dear Friends.........
Resort News
Acharavi:
Even though we all know this year will be a quiet season as everyone draws in their belts through this economic crisis, it has been a pleasant surprise to see so many familiar faces.
Beachside Restaurant now has its own web-site, we have been having some spectacular sunsets since the start of the season and this is a great spot to watch the great orange orb drop into the sea behind the little island of Erikoussa.
Beachside Bungalows have been freshly painted and are fresh and ready for the summer ahead.
Vento which became Soho is closed. Spiros and Armelle (simply the best) will be in a new shop opposite Salvanos supermarket, (not open yet as shop is being renovated) next to Pretty lady clothes shop with the huge T-shirt outside.
Kostas who long ago had the old kafeneion on the old village road has taken it again, given it a good scrub and serves with his own brand of humour. An old fashioned Greek haven and good place to people watch. Corfu Estate agents have moved from behind Freddos to new premises opposite the Alpha bank. Apologies to Yammas Bar; Sue’s source was misinformed…..Yammas bar closed only for the winter… not forever! Panos and Jo will be there with a big smile and big drink as usual.
A couple of useful local shops have opened an electrician next to Taurus Supermarket and a Christening shop next to Sports outlet… shops that add to Acharavi’s all year round appeal and means that we rarely have to go to Corfu town for anything anymore. The local council must have been given more money by the EU as we now have nice park benches strategically placed along the high street. Some of the mountain walks have also been way marked with EU funds, with the addition of picnic spots and rickety railings!
The main road has been roughly re surfaced after the laying of the pipes for the new sewerage system which will eventually mean the end of Greek loo bins in the area! Acharavi is feeling rather smug as by working late into the night they managed to get the trenches filled and resurfaced before Easter whilst entrance to Kassiopi is still on foot at their roads are still dug up!
The new hotel “Restia Suites” at the beginning of Almiros beach is open and means that part of the beach is busier. Yet another attempt to develop the Nature reserve was foiled, though the feeling is that the battle is won but the war is not over.
Kaminaki:
....is just waking up now and Spyros is opening the taverna this week (15’th May). The beach is being cleaned after the stormy winter which saw the sea rise up as far and into the taverna this year.
The kafeneion opposite the petrol station on the main road is getting a new look. You will now be able to sit and watch the stunning panoramic views from the balcony, with drink in hand, and in more comfortable surroundings.
Aphrodite supermarket has also being busy in the winter, revamping the supermarket, so there will be more choice this year. The new taverna on the main road is gearing up for the summer and will be open all day, including offering breakfast!
Agios Stefanos:
....is also expecting a quiet year, as many of the apartments that were contracted to tour operators have not had their contracts renewed. Luckily most of the local tavernas are all family run and are well established so will open as usual. Vangelis has been working on his houses and Mihalis house now has air conditioning installed. Helena remains well and is still busy on the land planting potatoes and vegetables for the summer. Visitors this year will have a nice quiet time on the beach, rather like it was years ago!
Just a note on our new arrangements regarding transfers; for those who avidly read our newsletters, the fact that we have made transfers an optional extra will not be a surprise.
We know many of you are unaware what a big part of the holiday cost your taxi transfer was. We made this move only so you can chose the best method for you; some may prefer to rent a car, or have friends who can meet you, or for the cost conscious you can opt to share a taxi with others on the same flight.
We are painfully aware of how the value of the pound against the Euro will affect British holiday makers and felt that any way we could give people a chance to cut costs would be appreciated. People discovering us for the first time are familiar with this arrangement. For our “regulars” we hope that, just as the transition from booking a package holiday to booking your flights and accommodation with us was a leap of faith, having transfers as an “extra” will soon become routine. To reassure you; we are happy to book taxi or minibus transfers as we always have and you will be met by our taxi driver. If you book your transfers with us you will have the security of our emergency telephone contact number so should you be delayed, miss your flight, or suffer some other calamity we will make sure your taxi is still there to meet you.
The other change which people have found easier to accept is our working in Euro. Though we still accept pounds in the usual way we convert your holiday cost at the time of payment. Sadly last year we lost money as we felt honour bound not to add currency surcharge despite the dramatic drop in the value of the pound. Working in Euro was also a necessary step for us to open up a market within the Euro zone. Those of you who already know us will have smiled when we said we wanted to make an online payment system, of course WE were too naïve to think that banks might think we were money launderers because we live in one country and work from another so unfortunately we could not do it. For those who do use the Internet for all their payments can however make payments by bank transfer. We will give bank details on booking.
So now we see the days getting longer, the sun feeling hotter, the sea warmer and before we know it August will be upon us.
We are looking forward to seeing you sometime soon.
