Corfu
More from Corfu
Corfu is full of ex-pats (or, as the British call them, immigrants) in many parts and, in Kavos, a hybrid village, full of drunks.
They play cricket in Corfu Town, though I wouldn't! You should see the pitch.
It's known as The Emerald or Sunshine Isle, but it hammered down, twice, on two holidays. A third outing is extremely dubious - thunder & lightning for six days & nights is a bit of a turn-off. Although fond memories of Sidari abound, especially of the lovely Greek families, thoughts of future visits cause concern, if not anguish........
San Stefanos (The Third Outing)
Imagine my surprise - I'm booking a holiday again in Corfu! The forecast? Crap. Thunderstorms and rain. Who'd have guessed? Well, it is end of season and September & October can be variable. Still, a holiday's a break, whatever the weather. And it's Greece. It had been raining (quite hard) when we arrived (late evening). By the time we got to our hotel it was well-past midnight, so we turned in.
The first day was cloudy but not wet, as expected. By mid-afternoon, the skies started to change and the weather decided to clear. It kept this up for 24 hours until glorious blue skies and brilliant sunshine prevailed. Could our luck be changing? A Corfu holiday without rain? San Stefanos is in the North West of the island, though there is another in the North East. It's got a Greek name, Aghios (Ayios) Stephanos, too. It's quiet, especially in the late season, but has a huge beach and shallow waters stretching for ever. It's like the Gower coastline, but in Greece. There is a difference. The locals are ultra-friendly and the cuisine everywhere sensational. The beach bars are awesome. We enjoyed the hospitality of Waves, near the old harbour, and Havana further up the beach.
the view from the Havana Beach Bar
What a way to spend the Autumn, eh? 27 degrees and inviting waters......How about a late afternoon cocktail, a karpouzi or a nice gin? Cheers!
4 o'clock tipple with a view of the bay
How about a stroll early evening?
take it easy on the way to the taverna
No point in rushing when you've got sunsets like this. That's about 7.30-ish. If you're into spectacular photography, this is the place to be. Our hotel was perched high up on the clifftop, where the views are spectacular. Here's another sunset, from the cloudier first evening, as the weather cleared. This is from our balcony.
room with a view.....
You don't need words with images like these. Here's a typical beach shot, with so many shades of blue it's not true.
just like a postcard......unreal quality of light here
The a la carte food at the hotel, Romanza, was exceptional. But it was no surprise that guests chose to witness sunsets like this as they settled down to eat at their tables.
just outside the restaurant at the Romanza
If you want dining with atmosphere, then you won't beat this. Apistevto! Here's a mucky-weather shot from our balcony. Even this has something interesting going on.
dramatic post-rainfall skies
If our previous experiences of Corfiot weather had been disappointing, this visit more than made up for it. San Stefanos may be too quiet for young people or the Blackpool crowd, but there were many returners there. The hospitality was awesome and here follows a random sample of the local legends who charm, chat and wave as if they'd known you for years.