July 2010 Newsletter

Introduction
It’s not long before the arrival of Louise and Steve. Suffice to say, we are working flat out to get everything ready. As will be seen from subsequent entries, we were going to enlist a little outside help!

We still have several friends visiting the island and will be doing our best to see them without hijacking their holidays!

There now, that was short and sweet! Let's get on with it!

July 2010
It didn't take long before our enlisted help got started on the terrace in front of the apartment. The weeds in the flowerbed were about a metre high and some were very well embedded. Enter Doug, a giant of a man!. On Thursday, 1st July Doug cleared the flowerbed of all of those weeds whilst we did the honourable thing. We went out to lunch at the Eucalyptus in Agios Stefanos with friends, David and Eda!

Before we left, I realise in retrospect that there was something that I should have warned Doug about! It didn't take long upon our return to remember. I guess that Doug discovered it a lot earlier!

Upon our return home from a delightful lunch, Tricia and I went to check out the fruits of Doug's labours. We were amazed. We could not remember it looking so tidy. To say that we were pleased was an understatement. Then I noticed that Doug had left his trowel stuck into the flowerbed. I went to retrieve his trowel and then I realised that the trowel had not been forgotten. It was a marker.

"A marker for what?" I hear you ask. Er ... It was a marker for the main sewage pipe from the house and apartment that was just under the surface. I should add that it's a UPVC pipe.

It is a well known fact that plastic pipes and pickaxes wielded by somebody with Doug's strength do not go well together! Yes, there was a gaping hole in the pipe. It was about then that I remembered that there was something that I should have warned Doug about! Yes, it was my fault and Doug was well and truly in the clear!

I set about exposing the pipe with a degree of urgency on two counts. Firstly, it wasn't long before the hardware shops closed and, perhaps more importantly, as we had been out for lunch and had drunk a couple of beers and retsinas, there were certain facilities whose use was becoming more urgent!

"Whatever you do, don't flush the toilets or run water," I said to Tricia. "Of course I won't!" came the terse reply. I had almost exposed the pipe and was rummaging beneath it to check the extent of the damage when I heard a loud gurgling sound. I was just a little too slow! Thanks Tricia!

The problem was made worse by the fact that the total amount of exposed pipe was little more than a metre and both ends were embedded in walls and couldn't be removed without demolishing the walls! It was going to be tricky but I reckoned that if I could get the new pipe and cut out the broken section, I might be able to insert the new section by the judicious use of a blowlamp!

The replacement length was purchased and the damaged section was removed. Fortunately there had been no more lapses of memory by Tricia and the pipe had dried out. Then, as always, things got worse. I was out of gas for the blowlamp!

I did what I always do in such cases. I called Yiorgos! Unfortunately, he was in Kassiopi repairing someone's cesspit! I explained the problem and he promised that he would call in on his way home. We were getting a bit nervous as it was going to be dark in an hour or two.

Yet again, Yiorgos did not let us down. He arrived clutching all manner of bits and pieces but most importantly, his blowlamp. He immediately assessed the problem and took charge. It was fixed in ten minutes flat! That was a relief in more ways than one!

Of course, I had to phone Doug and apologise for not warning him. It didn't stop him volunteering for more work the next day!

On Friday, 2nd July Doug turned up and worked on driveway terrace, clearing it of weeds and boulders. As a show of confidence, we left him alone again, whilst we went shopping in town!

It was getting late when we returned home and having not eaten, we decided to stop for lunch at Dimitris Grill Room in Roda. It was the first time that we had been there. We had been recommended to try it by Darryl and Paula. A truly great recommendation! It was very impressive, not to mention very cheap.

We returned to the house to find Doug still working when we got there. Yet again, he had done a seriously good job and we were happy. The only problem is that we now have to do something with these flower beds!

On Saturday, 3rd July we had just finished breakfast and were having our customary tea when we noticed that the best part of half a row of lettuces had been devoured. Not only that, but upon investigation, I found the guilty tortoise cowering under the leaves of our courgettes. He had left the strawberries alone though!

Later that morning we set about securing the bottom of the fence around the vegetable garden. At least we have a ready supply of rocks to build up the defences!

Perhaps more worrying than the tortoises was that Tricia discovered a couple of dying tomato plants. On inspection, we thought that we may well have had a case of tomato blight. If we were right, it looked like we would be saying goodbye to what looked as if it was going to be a good crop. We were decidedly unhappy.

The courgettes were beginning to overwhelm us! I had deliberately not picked any for a few days as we had so many. Unfortunately, this meant that we now had courgettes the size of marrows! Large courgettes are prized amongst our Greek neighbours. Unfortunately, everyone has a glut! Never the less I picked them. It was the first time that we had to transfer our produce to the house in a wheelbarrow!

We made one positive discovery whilst in the vegetable patch. The French beans had produced more than sufficient for a meal. We hoped that this was going to be the start of a long growing season as this is one crop that we have planted in succession.

Having finished in the garden, I made my way to Platonas to get some lamps that I will hopefully have fitted before the arrival of Louise and Steve. I was also charged with buying a chicken for Sunday dinner. I mentioned our glut of courgettes and discovered that Darryl and Paula had not planted any this year. That made a temporary dent in our glut!

Sunday, 4th July started early for us. Tricia wanted to finish cleaning shutters downstairs and putting the finishing touches to the apartment. At 7.30am it was 28°C in the shade and the temperature crept up throughout the day.

For my part, I first decided to catch up on outstanding emails before checking out the garden for any damage by tortoises! Our defences seemed to have worked, for the time being anyway! I also picked our first cabbage for dinner. We were really pleased with it.

I also made a start on wiring up the couple of lights near the garage which should ultimately be connected to a 'dawn to dusk' switch once finished.

During Monday, 5th July we worked around the house and in the garden for most of the morning.

We went to Taverna Nikolas in Agni at lunchtime to get together with David, Eda and friends to help celebrate (belatedly) David's 70th birthday. It was a great afternoon spent in good company. Periklis laid on a really good meal which was met with much acclaim and comments such as, "This should be on your menu!"  We also said farewell to David and Valerie and their daughter, Sara who were due to return to the UK the following day.

Tuesday, 6th July saw us finalising everything for the arrival of Louise and Steve the following day. For my part, I finished installing the outside lights by the garage. Unfortunately I hadn't got the 'dawn to dusk' switch wired correctly and so had to bypass it until I had more time (and inclination) to play with it.

We were up early on Wednesday, 7th July to make our way into town to collect Louise and Steve from the airport. Their flight wasn't due until 11am but, as always, we had to stop at a few supermarkets for those elusive, essential items that had not been available locally!

Their flight was on time and we made our way home, stopping briefly for coffee at Gelati's.

That evening we all returned to Gelati's for dinner and to watch Spain beat Germany in their semi- final of the World Cup. This left us (well Tricia and I) in a bit of a quandary as to who we should support in the final. Spain or the Netherlands. It was a tough call. In the end, we decided that we would go with Spain.

Tricia and Louise were up early on Thursday, 8th July as they had decided to go swimming first thing. Steve and I had a quiet start to the day! However, we made up for it by making inroads into erecting a carport at the side of the garage. It was nowhere near finished but having Steve to assist with the long sections meant that I didn't have to cajole Tricia into getting up the ladder!

During Friday, 9th July, Tricia and I worked around the house and garden during the day. Louise and Steve managed to squeeze in more than a little beach time and we can report that Steve's tan was coming on well even at this early stage of their holiday!

In the evening we took Louise and Steve to Taverna Nikolas in Agni Bay to meet up with David and Eda. It was David and Eda's last night on the island and it looks like the last time that we will see them this year. South Africa and Namibia beckons them later this year. Jealous? Us? You bet!

It was a nice evening and yet again, I got it right by going for the 'Special'! It was pork in Madeira sauce with Greek style roast potatoes. Granted, it may not be considered Greek but it was certainly Mediterranean and jolly tasty. Oh yes, the price was right too! As always, the location was perfect and the evening came to an end all too soon.

Tricia and Louise went for another early morning swim on Saturday, 10th July. That meant that Steve and I had a bit of a 'lie in'. To be truthful, I spent the time catching up with the newsletter. Louise and Tricia returned complaining that the old Ford kept stalling. This is not the first time that it had displayed these symptoms and so I promised to take a look. I needed to go to Acharavi and decided that this would be a good chance to check it out. Needless to say, it didn't stall once! I won't make any comments about women drivers, because it has done it to me in the past!

Again, Louise and Steve were off to the beach later in the day before going for a meal later at Skondros Taverna in Acharavi. They reported good food at reasonable prices.

For my part I planted thirty five dwarf bean plants and replaced three or four ailing tomatoes with some weedy looking plants donated by Philipos. Don't get us wrong. We were pleased to receive this donation as the plants were from (allegedly) 20 year old seed and were from a local variety of tomato that both Philipos and we had been unable to find. If they grow, the fruit are the most ugly specimens that you will ever see! Tricia assures me that they are seriously tasty and will make great salsa. The most important thing though is to get more seed! It will be interesting to us to see what transpires.

Sunday, 11th July was a day of feasting for us all! We decided to travel into Roda to 'Maggie's Bistro' for full English breakfasts all round! Okay, vegetarian Louise had a full English breakfast without bacon and sausage but still enjoyed it.

The food was excellent but sadly, Maggie wasn't doing a lot of business. She told us how dire things had become this year and was almost certainly going to stop opening during the mornings. It was very sad but, in truth, a sign of the economic climate. We hope that things improve soon or there will be many businesses going under. It is not as if Maggie and her husband don't know their trade as they have been there for over 20 years. Ho hum!

During the afternoon, Tricia and I worked in the garden whilst Louise and Steve went swimming. I think that I ought to confess that barring accidents, our crop of dwarf beans are going to be a success and my initial doubts about them seemed unfounded. They are cropping so well that Tricia was now blanching and freezing them.

I mentioned a day of feasting. In the evening we went to Gelati's where we had booked a table for dinner. It was also the evening of the World Cup Final between the Netherlands and Spain. The place was packed and we were pleased that we had booked. Spiros had a bumper evening!

We managed to finish dinner before the match started, thankfully, and settled back to what turned out to be a pretty brutal match. Spain's classy football was stifled to the greater extent and a record 15 (or was it 14?) yellow cards were shown by English referee, Howard Webb. (The previous record for a World Cup final had been 6!) In the end, justice was done as we are sure that you all now know. Spain won by a single goal during the final fifteen minutes of extra time.

Not a bad day all in all!

Tricia was out swimming with Louise early on Monday, 12th July. My first job was to do some running repairs on the central heating system which had decided to start warming the radiators up in the apartment. That was just what Louise and Steve wanted in temperatures of around 32°C! Not!

With that mission accomplished I went down to Peritheia on a further mission to pay the phone bill. I can't go past Spiros Gelati's without being implored to come in for coffee. This day, I succumbed! Poor Spiros was worn out from the previous night. The World Cup Final had drawn in a lot of customers, many of whom were apparently still there until nearly 3am. Still, I imagine Spiros's bank manager was pleased!

The highlight of Tuesday, 13th July had to be our evening meal. We had decided to visit 'Petrino's' in Kassiopi. We had been there during previous summers but they have since moved location to a site down by the harbour. We took a chance and did not book. As it turned out, there were tables available but it was far from empty.

It has all new furnishings and fittings and we recognised staff from their old location. The food was first rate at very reasonable prices. Given their new location, we were expecting an enormous price hike. We are pleased to say that they have resisted the temptation and we came away having had a good meal at a reasonable price in an excellent location. Recommended!

We can't leave our visit to Kassiopi without commenting on how quiet it was. It wasn't quite a 'ghost town' but like so many places on the island, it was exceedingly quiet. The tourist trade is going to be seriously affected this year. Despite the protestations to the contrary from several quarters, we consider the situation dire. It there is an upside to this, we would say that it is a great time to come to Corfu as a visitor! Great weather! No crowds! Wonderful!

Wednesday, 14th July seemed to fit into a pattern. This was our day at home between days when we go out with Louise and Steve. I don't know how others feel but we always consider that when we have visitors, it is their holiday, not ours, and so try not to take over. We know others who have their family's holidays planned on their behalf before they arrive and then spend a fortnight chasing around like blue-a**ed flies.

We consider that a holiday should be leisurely and conducted at the pace that those on holiday want. Fortunately, our immediate family have all been here before and know what they want to do and see. That doesn't stop us making suggestions but that's all they are. In the main, our kids and certainly the grandchildren are happy with a good beach and good weather. The occasional excursion breaks up things but if you take my driving out of the equation, things are generally leisurely! This is Greece after all - a country not renowned for high speed pursuits!

One thing that has broken the mould - for Tricia at least, is that she and Louise have been taking themselves off for an early morning swim some mornings. Sorry, but 7.30am to 8am is too early for me ..... and Steve!

We had arranged to visit our friends, Neal and Bev, who were over for a week on Thursday, 15th July. We had arranged to meet them at their house in Agios Nikolaos, just outside Petriti, in the south of the island, before going for a meal at Savvas’s fish taverna in Notos.

We are pleased to report that Neal and Bev were in good form and their choice of eating place proved first class. Tricia and I had previously visited another taverna in Notos called the Panorama Taverna. Our memories of it are distant but we did recall that the view was spectacular. We also recalled a T-shirt that the waitress had worn! We are no prudes but it won the award for the most vulgar t-shirt that we had ever seen on a woman! We can only imagine that she could not read English and no, we aren't going to repeat what it said!

The view from Savvas's Taverna was equally as spectacular with a shady seating area and gardens that led down to a small cove. It was very picturesque and perhaps as important, the food was excellent. As we have now come to expect, the prices were far cheaper than in our area. This is yet another place that we will revisit. A good choice by Neal and Bev. For us, the only downside is the journey. It was a particularly hot day and even with the air conditioning going full blast there and back, it was very tiring. It was definitely worth the effort though!

Tricia and I worked at home for most of Friday, 16th July whilst Louise and Steve had a mammoth session on the beach. We have to confess that we were really worried that they may have overdone it but can report that they returned pretty much unscathed. They take their tanning seriously but unlike so many visitors, they realise just how easy it is to burn. We didn't fancy having to nurse a couple of sunburned casualties. Can you imagine what all that whining would have been like! In all seriousness, the temperatures had reached somewhere in the 36°C region here and was undoubtedly a lot hotter in the sun on the beach.

Louise and Steve went out that evening with the intention of visiting 'Harry's Taverna’ in Peritheia but had difficulty parking as it was so busy. Good old Spiros Gelati recognised their plight and ushered them into a parking space - right outside his restaurant! They felt obliged to eat there! Spiros never misses a trick! As it happens, they reported that they had excellent meals at unbelievably low prices.

The hot weather continued through Saturday 17th July and Louise and Steve confined their sunbathing to around the house. Tricia and I worked in the garden for a bit and Tricia also worked in the house.

That evening we went for a meal at the 'White House Taverna' in Kalami. We had suggested it on account of a couple of recent good meals there. Being a Saturday, we felt it advisable to book a table. The only problem was that the phones were all out at the White House. It appeared that they were suffering the after effects of a recent lightning strike. Fortunately, friends Alan and Pauline came to the rescue by booking in person on our behalf. We had been trying to get through for two days!

We are pleased to say that the meal was a success. There were some interesting choices to be had and the table, next to the sea was 'spot-on'. I think that we have made this comment before about the 'White House' but it is worth repeating. Their menu is not the cheapest but everything that we have had so far has been excellent. If one was on a tight budget, it is perfectly possible to eat well there at a reasonable price by being judicious in your selection.

We were pleasantly surprised by the bill and will definitely be returning. Given the historical connection with Lawrence Durrell, the author, poet, dramatist and travel writer, along with it’s prime location in a stunning bay, it should be on the list of places to eat, if only once during a visit to the area. We just wish that they would learn the correct spelling of 'Durrell' IT HAS 2 'L's IN IT!

The hot weather continued on Sunday 18th July and as I hadn't checked the vegetable patch the night before, I decided to take a wander down there to make sure that the recently altered timers for the automatic watering had done their jobs properly.

I was pleased to find that things appeared okay but decided to do a bit of weeding and provided the latest lot of beans with a supplementary drink. Yes! I was careful not to water the leaves, even though they were still in shade! I also took the opportunity to clean up around the courgettes and cucumbers before returning to the house for breakfast.

Then the power went. This was followed shortly after by the water. Ho hum! The power returned first. When the water returned we were treated to all manner of gurgles and splutters but the worse thing was that it came through a nice shade of brown! Thank heavens for bottled water. Thankfully, unlike the UK, it is cheap here. Around €1.50 for six 1.5 litre bottles. At least we had decent frappes that morning!

Louise and Steve went off to the beach whilst Tricia and I caught up with our emails. It was only then that I realised that the router was playing us about. One minute we had a connection and the next it had dropped. We can only assume that the power outage had messed something up at the exchange.

On Monday, 19th July Louise, Steve, Tricia and I went into Corfu Town for the evening. We were surprised at how easy it was to park. We stopped off in the Old Town at the Silver Star jewellery shop and renewed our acquaintanceship with Peraskavi, the owner. Louise had a birthday approaching and we all took the opportunity of sorting out a couple of presents for her! She was a happy bunny!

As we approached the Liston, we could hear music. It was a small brass ensemble playing popular tunes on the Liston. Magical! They were exceptionally good.

We made our way back to the Old Town for a meal. Our choice of venue was La Famiglia, an Italian restaurant. People were sitting outside but Steve suggested that we went inside because it was very hot and he had spotted the air conditioning! What a good move. It wasn’t long before other customers were asking to be moved inside. We had a terrific meal!

With our meal over, we made our way back to the Liston and The Olympia. Be fair! You can’t expect us to go into Corfu Town without visiting the Olympia, can you? It was really nice watching the world go by with Steve and I sampling Corfu’s finest ales whilst the girls tucked into their ice creams!

We walked back to the car through the narrow side streets of the old town past all of the souvenir shops. If you get the opportunity to do the same, do it! It is a real spectacle of colour and well worth a few photographs. We do hope that you enjoy the couple that we have included.

We eventually arrived home shattered but it had been a really enjoyable evening, so we didn’t care!

The highlight of Wednesday, 21st July was our evening meal. We had been told of a new taverna that had opened in Sinies. To be truthful, Sinies is not the first place that I would think of for dinner but we had been assured that it was worth the visit. I overcame my scepticism as Tricia was very keen to try it. Am I glad that we did try it!

The place is called 'Tavernaki,' which means small taverna, and that is exactly what it is!

Tavernaki has only been open since May 2010 and if those serving you look familiar, it is probably because you have previously seen them at the Eucalyptus Taverna in Agios Stefanos!

What a find! If you are visiting the island you should, (no, must) give it a try! Yes, it is a small establishment. Yes, the menu is relatively small. Don't let that put you off. The selection is good and we would defy anybody not to find something that they did not enjoy. Louise is vegetarian and generally she finds menus restrictive. This is not the case here where food suitable for vegetarians and hardened carnivores like us can be found.

If you want traditional food, it is there. If you want something slightly different, you are sure to find it. We particularly enjoyed the Rustic Mushrooms from the starters menu and the Garlic Chicken from the main courses. The prices are outstandingly cheap and if they maintain the level of quality at these prices, they will 'wipe the floor' with the competition! They also do take-away!

With Louise and Steve's holiday drawing to a close, it was nice for us all to go somewhere new and for it to be a success.

Some might say that the highlight of Thursday, 22nd July was Tricia and I both going for haircuts! It probably wasn't the event that you might imagine but we both feel a little lighter. At least, Louise and Steve didn't snigger in our faces! Dinner was at Gelati's that night and as always was the consistent quality and price that we expect there.

Friday, 23rd July was Louise and Steve's last day here and as they weren't leaving until late, we all decided that a nice lunch would make a fitting end to their holiday. At least we wouldn't have to eat early and then make a dash for the airport. We went for lunch at Eucalyptus Taverna in Agios Stefanos. The meal was superb and made better by the fact that Louise and Steve treated us!

That night, we took Louise and Steve to the airport and said our farewells. We had just one last mission before we returned home.

Tricia had promised someone that we would provide detailed directions on how to get to Taverna Yiannis in Garitsa and so we diverted in order to go past it. We couldn't believe it. It was closed and it looked as if it was closed for the duration! We were devastated. Taverna Yiannis is (was) one of the most famous and well respected tavernas in Corfu. Its closure will be a sad loss for many. Whatever the problems, we hope that they are soon resolved.

To console ourselves, we parked the car and went for a promenade along the seafront!

With Louise and Steve back home in the UK, things seemed a bit empty following their departure. During Saturday, 24th July I decided to do a little work on www.thecorfiot.com before going to help Tricia tidy downstairs. Not that it was untidy, I hasten to add! We had a pleasant surprise when we went to clear the fridge and found that Louise and Steve had left a 'tip' - some bottles of beer and retsina!

We did little during the day on Sunday, 25th July. We went for dinner at Gelati's in the evening before going to the village panieri in Loutses. It was a good evening but we both agreed that it seemed to lack something this year. We're not sure what.

On Monday 26th July we heard about the now famous trucker's strike in Greece. Rumours were already flying around about all manner of shortages. I decided to make sure that both cars had their tanks full and I was ordered by Tricia not to make any unnecessary journeys!

I stopped off for coffee at Gelati's and clearly Spiros was of the opinion that there could be problems if the strike wasn't dealt with firmly and quickly. We were just going to have to see.

That evening, we attended the funeral of our former neighbour, Andreas. It was a very sad affair and as you would imagine his poor widow, Marika, was devasted.

The funeral started at around 6.30pm and by the time we had finished at Loutses cemetery, it was so late that Tricia and I decided to go for dinner at Tavernaki.

The strikes continued and things were getting ugly. It makes you wonder how a few thousand can make life hell for 12 million of their fellow citizens. I won't pretend to understand all of the arguments but in a time of national emergency, it is time to pull together. Clearly the government felt the same way because on Thursday 29th, July, the hauliers were effectively enlisted in the army! This meant they were subject to military law and were obliged to follow military orders.

Suffice to say, things have since got back to some sort of normality and concessions have been made. I don't think that we have heard the last of this.

People, in particular prospective visitors, have been understandably worried. However, on Saturday, 31st July, I drove into Acharavi from Loutses. There were trucks on the road. There were transfer buses on the road. There were taxis on the road. There were tour buses on the road.

The two major supermarkets in Acharavi had full shelves. The bakers were producing bread and whilst I was leaving Sconto Market, the Nou-Nou truck was delivering milk and dairy produce.

Our local supermarket in Peritheia had just taken delivery of bread, cakes and croissants from the bakery in Kassiopi and I have never seen his chiller cabinet so full of milk.

However, he was nearly out of eggs. They come from Ioannina and so I guess could have been affected by the strike. There were plenty of eggs in Sconto. (I just happened to notice that!)

At least two petrol stations were open. There were probably more but I didn't notice.

Did I fail to get anything that I went out for? Well, yes! I wanted a dozen cabbage plants from the Zootrofes and found none available. They were hit by the strikes! I then had to endure a five minute tirade from Spiros about the truck drivers whom he considered an embarrassment to all the hard working Greeks!

Oh yes! I also forgot to get a ball of string but that's another matter which I will pay for when Tricia finds out!

That evening Tricia and I went out for a really nice meal at Petrino's in Kassiopi. That wasn't a bad way to finish the month, I guess. As it was Louise’s birthday, we thought that we would celebrate it - even though she was in the UK!

Conclusion
Another late finish to a newsletter which, by now, should surprise nobody!

July was a busy month with friends and family visiting the island. Louise and Steve appear to have enjoyed themselves and the slightly longer than usual break (16 nights) seemed to make it just that little more chilled out. Who knows? We may get them up to three weeks yet.

We are sorry that Corinna and Dave and our grandchildren won't be able to make it this year but they have just started a break in Ireland which should be fun.

We were saddened by the death of our old neighbour, Andreas, but not entirely surprised. We had thought it imminent for a while now. It doesn't make it any easier though. On that sad note, I think I am going to end. I just have to sort out the photos for the month and convince my chief proofreader to spring into action!

All the best,

Bob & Tricia.