Memories of Corfu

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I am not a traveller. Really, I'm not. One day I hope to see so much more of the world but for now I have my memories. I thought I should write them down. Not for you out there.....for me.
So I thought where should I start and since I remember with great fondness the village of Paleokastritsa in Corfu then the decision was easy.
It was 1987 when I went to Corfu together with my wife to be, Jo, her daughter Joanne and Joanne's friend, Kerry. I seem to recall landing in the dark on a narrow strip of land that fed out into the sea and which was called a runway but could have been a thrill ride in its own right.
We were actually staying in a would-be resort on the south end of the island called Aghios Georgios. There was a road that led out of the hills and into the village which sat on the sea front. There wasn't much there to be honest, a bar and a cafe that sold nothing but pizza, moussaka and Greek salad. Of course, having been island hopping in Greece before I realised that all beachfront cafes sold nothing but pizza, moussaka and Greek salad. Oh, and octopus which every island seemed to prepare differently and calamari (squid).
Back to Aghios Georgios. The beach was sandy and quite empty. I noticed that many of the homes were half built with the top storeys missing and no evidence to suggest that they would ever be completed. I believe it was some sort of tax dodge and the ground floors were all rented out.
We stayed at a beautiful looking apartment with flowers crawling across an arch that framed the entrance to the building. The room was basic and of course there were the toilets that you couldn't flush paper down or you would bring the sewage system to a grinding halt and end the brief life of the tourist resort of Aghios Georgios as the smell would drive demons away. It may sound like I didn't like the place but that would be unfair. It was warm and the sea was lovely and safe for the children. When I look at the photographs I've seen more people on a beach in North Wales in winter. And I had a flat stomach then!
One day we took an excursion to visit the rest of the island. The highlight was the previously mentioned Paleokastritsa which is located on the north west of the island. The north is more mountainous the village itself sits at the foot of steep cliffs around a series of bays. Dominating the skyline is the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary which dates back to 1225 or thereabouts. The current buildings are from the 18th Century. The monastery was open to the public and contained some Byzantine icons. I recall a very pretty courtyard.
Also high on the cliffs is the ‘Bella Vista’ viewpoint which offers a tremendous vantage point of Paleokastritsa and the Ionian Sea.
We hired a small motor boat to visit the ‘sea caves’. These were accessible only by boat as indeed were many of the sandy beaches. The caves created a strange sensation as you rocked gently in the dark, looking out at a point of light.
On another day we headed south via a small ferry to the islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. These are two of the lesser Ionian Islands and as such are off of the beaten track. Therefore, the effect of tourism is less noticeable. The exception was an aquarium on Paxos which featured Charlie the Octopus as its star performer. Charlie's trick was to be fed his dinner inside a jamjar. He would unscrew the lid and devour the fish inside.
We briefly visited Corfu town. I can’t honestly remember much except that it had an ‘old town’, was quite Italian in places but the British had put in an appearance to in the form of a cricket pitch! When I see articles on Corfu town I realise that my memory loss does it a disservice so perhaps I should aim to go again one day. As for Paleaokastritsa, I hope it hasn’t been spoilt…..it truly is a beautiful place.

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