Corfu Chronicles

Corfu Event Calendar Now Available On This Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:25:00 +0000

Visitors to this blog can now stay updated with what is happening in Corfu throughout the year. You will see at the top of the page a link to Corfu Calendar, which shows all this year's important events. If you're coming to Corfu on holiday, you can see what is available at the time of your visit.

This is an ongoing project, so if you have an event to add, then please contact me with details using the Contact Us link at the top of the page.

Merry Christmas From Corfu!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:14:00 +0000

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas! Below is the choir singing Corfu Christmas Carols - enjoy!

'The Island' Author Chooses Greece Instead Of Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:47:00 +0000

A much-awaited TV series started in Greece this week. It is the serialisation of Victoria Hislop 's novel The Island. What makes it especially gratifying is the fact that the bestselling author rejected six-figure offers from Hollywood to turn her debut novel about a leper colony off Crete into a blockbuster film.

The Island has sold more than 1m copies in Britain alone, won several awards and been translated into more than a dozen languages, but Hislop chose Greek TV to dramatise her story for a fraction of the fee. She said, "What I wanted, and will now get, is a chance to have a say in the TV series. I feel much happier with some of my input and knowing that the Greeks, who took the book to their heart, will care about making the series and keep loyally to the plot. I was simply not happy with the approaches from America. I was worried what might happen to my story and my characters."

The island of the title is Spinalonga, just off Crete. Schoolteacher Eleni is diagnosed with leprosy and is exiled to Spinalonga, leaving behind her husband and two beautiful daughters on Crete. Years later, Eleni's great-granddaughter Alexis returns to Crete to find answers to her family's mysteries.

The 26-part TV drama employed about 300 local actors and Hislop herself owns a house on Crete with her husband, Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye magazine.

Kudos to Victoria Hislop, I say!

Mouseover the image for details.

10 Corfu Tavernas And Restaurants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:35:00 +0000

Continuing our series of Corfu Lists Of 10, below are 10 traditional tavernas and restaurants in Corfu, including one on the nearby small island of Paxi.

Prices listed are for a 3-course meal for one, including a half bottle of wine and all taxes and extra charges. These are just to give you an idea of the prices of each establishment.

AGNES RESTAURANT, Pelekas

www.agnesrestaurant.com

€40-50

CHRISI TAVERNA, Corfu Town

26610 46175

€40-50

REX, Corfu Town

www.rexrestaurant.gr

€40-50

TAVERNA VASILIS, Paxi

26620 30062

€40-50

TOULA'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, Agni Bay

www.toulasagni.com

€40-50

JANIS RESTAURANT, Kassiopi

www.janisrestaurant.com

€30-40

PANORAMA, Peroulades

www.panoramarest.gr

€30-40

TAVERNA KARBOURIS, Perithia

www.karbouris-corfu-taverna.com

€30-40

TAVERNA SEBASTIAN, Agios Gordios

www.sebastians-taverna.gr

€30-40

TRIPAS TAVERN, Kinopiastes

www.tripas.gr

€30-40

Corfu 1962

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:26:00 +0000

I came across this British Pathe short film of Corfu from 1962. Tourism on the island was quite different at that time! Notice the empty beach and the lack of cars on the roads! It also shows some villagers collecting prickly pears - something that hasn't changed, see our previous post here.

CORFU

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Your browser does not support iframes.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Guide To Corfu And The Ionian Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:35:00 +0000

I can highly recommend this guide in the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Top 10 Guides series. Not least because I was personally involved (in my own small way!) in the preparation of the guide.

The guide contains dozens of Top 10 lists for Corfu and the Ionian Islands - whether you have plenty of money or are on a limited budget. From the Top 10 bays and beaches to the Top 10 myths & legends, picture postcard villages and outdoor activities. To save you time and money, there is even a list of the Top 10 Things to Avoid.

The guide is up to the usual excellent standards of all Dorling Kindersley publications and I suggest you obtain a copy before you visit Corfu and / or the other islands.

New Corfu Website - Green Corfu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:20:00 +0000

I've just come across this new Corfu website, which I think is a great initiative. It's called Green Corfu and as the name would suggest, it aims to promote a 'greener' side to Corfu than that known to most people.

As the site says in its introduction - Corfu is a green island, because of its lush vegetation all year round, full of olive trees, cypresses, and a wealth of other plants, insects, birds and animals. It’s an island that is ideal for tourism all year round. You can walk through the beautiful countryside, go horse-riding over ancient paths, cycle amid awe-inspiring olive groves, taste traditional local products, visit traditional wineries, olive presses, picturesque churches and ancient castles, relax and come in contact with pure natural beauty.

You can find sections on Nature, Eating, Healing, Corfiot Products, Recycling / Green Energy, Walking and Accommodation. It's well worth a visit and I wish them all the best!

Using The Prickly Pear Cactus To Purify Water

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:11:00 +0000

I have just been reading that research has shown that the Prickly Pear cactus can be used to purify water up to a degree of 98%. I've written a post about it in my other blog Be The Change.

I previously wrote about Prickly Pears in Corfu here - we have several cacti around the house and they are extremely prevalent on the island as a whole. So, I'm going to investigate and see exactly how it is done and give it a try - apparently, it's quite simple and was common practice amongst 19th century Mexican communities.

It is the actual cactus that is used, not the fruit, and you need to cut it up and boil it, but I'm going to try and find the exact method. Hopefully, I'll be able to publish the results here soon!

Corfu Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 09:52:00 +0000

Today is the final Sunday before Lent, which means it's the day of the final Carnival here in Corfu as well as in the rest of Greece. Unfortunately, it's cold and rainy today, which is a bit of a dampener.

The Carnival has its roots in Ancient Greece and in Corfu especially there is a strong Venetian influence from the time of the Venetian occupation. Originally, the carnival developed from the ancient Greek festivals in honour of Dionysios, God of Wine, which took place at the beginning of spring in order to have a good harvest and successful breeding among the animal stock.

Thursday was Tsiknopempti, when everyone eats meat before the forty days of Lent leading up to Easter. In Corfu, we also have what is known as Petegoletsia (The Gossip) which is an old form of street theatre in the Old Town, in which women leaning out of windows overlooking the narrow alleyways exchange gossip about what is going on locally.

In the final carnival (today), King Carnival is 'he who takes on the burden of sins' and is held responsible for whatever bad has happened in the previous year. He is brought to trial and sentenced to death by burning, so that all evil is burnt with him. So, the carnival procession concludes with a bonfire in which King Carnival is burnt, his will is read and music and dancing follow.

Monday is what is called Clean Monday , which is the beginning of Lent. You can find recipes for some traditional dishes that are eaten on Clean Monday here.

Images: Terra Kerkyra

10 Corfu Museums

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:22:00 +0000

As part of our series Corfu Lists Of 10, we have here 10 museums on the island.

Archaeological Museum

Built between 1962 - 1965, its initial purpose was to house the archaeological finds from the Temple of Artemis in Corfu. In 1994 it was expanded with the addition of two more exhibit halls that display the more recent finds at the ancient citadel of Corfu.

The Gorgon just before being beheaded by Perseus, as depicted on a pediment from the Artemis Temple.

Image: Wikipedia

Byzantine Art Museum

The Byzantine Museum is housed in the Panagia Antivouniotissa church. The church is dedicated to our Lady Virgin Mary Antivouniotissa (Antivouniotissa = opposite the mountains) and is one of the oldest and richest ecclesiastical monuments of the city.

Image: Wikipedia

Historical and Folkloric Museum

This museum is housed in a traditional house in the village of Sinarades. The first floor is a reconstruction of a typical village house from the 19th century and the upper floor has a collection of Corfiot costumes, musical instruments, agricultural and artisan tools as well as other implements and items.

Kapodistrias Museum

This museum is housed in the summer home of Ioannis Kapodistrias - first Greek prime minister after independence in the early 19th century - in the area of Koukouritsa in his birthplace of Corfu. It has exhibits commemorating his life and accomplishments.

Mon Repos Museum of Palaeopolis

The museum contains fascinating archaeological finds, historical documents, prints and lithographs concerning the use and history of the Mon Repos Mansion as well as a collection of watercolours and botanical samples representing the natural heritage of Corfu.

Museum of Asian Art

The Museum was founded in 1927, when the ambassador Gregory Manos donated his collection comprising some 10,500 works of art. It operated until about 1974 as Sino-Japanese museum. Later the museum was enriched with other collections mainly from mid-Asia and since then has operated as the Museum of Asian Art. The museum often hosts periodic exhibitions.

Museum of Ceramic Art

The Museum houses numerous surviving samples of Corfiot ceramic art, which flourished in earlier times. These samples are valuable works of popular art, distinguished by their simple form, the variety of shapes and their austere painted decoration.

Olive Oil Museum

Located in the traditional village of Kinopiastes, this small museum has a well-maintained traditional olive press as well as authentic items of village life in Corfu.

Serbian War Museum

The Serbian Museum exhibits rare material from the First World War. The Serbian Army, (about 150,000) together with the government, found refuge and compassion in Corfu, after the collapse of the Serbian Front in 1915. The visitor can see photographs from the three years that the Serbians stayed in Corfu, together with other exhibits like, uniforms, arms and ammunition of the Serbian soldiers and officers, Serbian regimental flags, ecclesiastic canonicals and other items of the Serbian priests, surgical tools of the Serbian doctors from the island of Vido in 1916, medals of honor and other decorations of the Kingdom of Serbia and various other items.

Solomos Museum

The National Poet of Greece, Dionysios Solomos, spent the greatest part of his life (1798-1857) in Corfu, where he wrote the greatest and most important part of his work. The house where he lived, worked and died was restored by the Corfiot Studies Society after the Second World War and today functions as a Museum and Centre of Solomos Studies.

Greek Vegetarian Recipes - E-Book

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:14:00 +0000

For those of you interested in Greek cooking, I would recommend the new e-book 50 Greek Vegetarian Recipes. Greek cooking is not just roast lamb and souvlaki - there are many delicious dishes that are vegetarian. Follow the link below to download the e-book for just 3 Euros.

Roggia Farm - Corfu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:16:00 +0000

The area of Roggia in North Corfu had been abandoned over the last 30 years until the idea of Roggia Farm eventually came to fruition. Roggia Farm has newly built houses with modern facilities and comfort inside, but which blend into the existing environment. The owners claim - rightly, I believe - that their building intervention did not dramatically change the scenery of Roggia but, on the contrary, added new aura and fresh life to the area.

It is an organic farm with a range of local trees, plants and animals with the aim of applying biodynamic farming in the future. Since 2008 visitors have been able to come and stay at the farm and have the choice of helping with the animals and land or just watching; helping with the cooking or just eating!

The farm consists of a main building plus 3 maisonettes / studios for guests. For those who wish it, daily activities include feeding and cleaning the animals and cultivating, collecting, watering and pruning the vegetables and crops. Other activities, on request, include cycling, walking, horse-riding, yoga and massage and aromatherapy.

On my recent visit to the farm, I was much impressed by the whole environment and the enthusiasm of Nikos and his mother Lina who run it and for whom it is indeed a labour of love. For more information, visit their site here.

Greek Cookery Lessons - Corfu 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

As those of you who read my blog Authentic Greek Recipes may already know, we are offering Greek Cookery lessons in Corfu next year. You can now get full details of the programmes at the blog Greek Cookery Lessons - Corfu 2010, which will be regularly updated with the latest information.

Early Bird Registration
There is 100 Euros discount for those who book before
31 December!

These are going to be small, friendly groups of 6 people at the most, so we may not be able to accommodate everyone - get your booking in!

Looking forward to seeing you in Corfu next year!

Greek Students Win UN Video Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:37:00 +0000

Mariangelina Evilati and Stella Karavazaki - students at the University of Athens - won first prize recently for their short video for the Global Model United Nations contest.

Students participating in the first Global Model United Nations in Geneva were invited to submit a short video highlighting the progress being made in their country, or globally, on one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Students were asked to identify an MDG; outline the steps that have already been taken to meet the 2015 target; identify what more needs to be done; and outline their own plan of action to make sure the target is reached.

Mariangelina and Stella chose "Achieve Universal Primary Education" as their video theme.

Global Model UN 2009 Geneva

United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Lost City Discovered In Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:56:00 +0000

The ruins of a submerged town covering an area of 30,000 square metres off the southern Peloponnese in Greece has now been surveyed by marine archaeologists. Although it was discovered by an oceanographer 40 years ago, it is only now that it can be properly surveyed, thanks to digital technology.

Known as Pavlopetri, the sunken settlement dates back some 5,000 years to the time of Homer's heroes and in terms of size and wealth of detail is unprecedented, experts say. It is believed to have been consumed by the sea around 1000 BC. Some are even linking it with the lost city of Atlantis.

"There is now no doubt that this is the oldest submerged town in the world," said Dr Jon Henderson, associate professor of underwater archaeology at the University of Nottingham. "It has remains dating from 2800 to 1200 BC, long before the glory days of classical Greece. There are older sunken sites in the world but none can be considered to be planned towns such as this, which is why it is unique."

Thanks to the fact that the settlement is located in a protected bay and to shifting sands, the explorers were able to discover a world of buildings, courtyards, main streets, rock-cut tombs and religious structures. Thousands of shards of pottery were also discovered in the seabed.

"We found ceramics dating back to the end of the stone age, which suggested that the settlement was occupied some 5,000 years ago, at least 1,200 years earlier than originally thought," said Henderson, who co-directed the underwater survey.

"Our investigations also revealed over 9,000 square meters of new buildings. But what really took us by surprise was the discovery of a possible megaron, a monumental structure with a large rectangular hall, which also suggests that the town had been used by an elite, and automatically raised the status of the settlement."

More than any other underwater site so far, the find offers potential insights into the workings of Mycenaean society.

It has yet to be understood why the settlement sank. Theories include sea level changes, ground subsidence as the result of earthquakes, or a tsunami. It is, however, the first time a sunken city has been found in Greece that predates the time that Plato wrote his tale of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

Via: Guardian

George Papandreou - The Right Person At The Right Time?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:14:00 +0000

Now I don't normally get involved in politics - I haven't seen much there to really inspire me, but I do get the feeling that George Papandreou, the new Greek prime minister (seen above arriving at the first ministerial meeting yesterday), is sincerely trying to turn things in Greece. Normally I wouldn't use the words 'sincere' and 'politician' in the same sentence, but here I think the optimist in me is getting the better of the cynic.

He seems intent on changing the understanding of the purpose of a government - that it should be there just to serve, support and respect the people. At the first meeting of the new ministers he invited the head of the Citizens Counsel organisation (an NGO which looks after the interests of the citizens) to come and address the new ministers for 30 minutes, telling them of people's concerns - mainly with the public administration. This, to me, was a bold and innovative move which helped underline that the essence of what they were doing was to serve the people.

He went on to ask the ministers to disband the innumerable committees which have been set up and which seem to have no purpose other than to be a 'nice little earner' for some people and a way to do and return favours. This will save the state about 150 million Euros a year - not a huge amount in the general scheme of things, but good housekeeping nonetheless.

The minister for the newly formed ministry of Environment, Energy & Climate Change, Tina Birbila is highly experienced in the field and an author. It was refreshing to see this young lady relatively casually dressed with her backpack slung over her shoulder at the swearing in of the ministers.

Papandreou is not (comparatively) a party animal (political party). He is open to working with anyone who can help provide solutions. He is also consulting with international experts to help kick-start the dire economy here.

As I said above, I do not like the world of politics but I have so far been impressed. I know it will take a lot for a change in mentality and attitude to filter through all the levels of public administration, especially, but there is a strong feeling that the first steps have been taken. To me it seems that this may be the beginning of a turning-point in this country and that indeed George Papandreou is the right man at the right time.

Image: www.papandreou.gr

European Mobility Week - Greek Immobility Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:45:00 +0000

16 - 22 September is European Mobility Week. Hundreds of towns and cities from countries across Europe are participating, except for - Greece! Well, actually, one town is participating (in a half-hearted way) - Lamia. But apart from that, the traffic in Athens will most likely be like the photo below - immobile! 358 towns from Spain, 375 from Austria, 155 from France....and Greece?? Perhaps their minds are all on getting votes at the upcoming national election!

During European Mobility Week people are invited to participate in a wide range of activities promoting sustainable mobility. The campaign theme this year is "Improving City Climates", underlining the importance of local level efforts to tackle climate change and improve quality of life through the promotion of alternative transport modes to the car such as cycling, walking, and public transport as well as clever car use schemes such car-sharing and car-pooling.

By adopting "Improving City Climates" as the 2009 focal theme, European Mobility Week wants to establish a link with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009 in Copenhagen by demonstrating that citizens and local authorities have a key role to play in the fight against global warming by fostering a radical change away from private car use and towards more sustainable travel. By doing so, they also help to improve the quality of life at the local level.

Stavros Dimas (ironically, a Greek!), Commissioner for the Environment, stated:
"Private cars are large emitters of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. They also seriously affect the quality of urban life. It is therefore important for public authorities and citizens throughout the European Union to adopt more sustainable modes of transport. Doing so would help reduce the impact of climate change and improve the living conditions in our towns and cities."

Last year, Budapest received the top award for its activities in European Mobility Week 2008. You can see a short video about it here.

Socrates Would Definitely Be Turning In His Grave

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:29:00 +0000

I previously posted about education in Greece here, but some recent reading has made me want to post again. The reference to Socrates is because 2.500 years ago he was teaching people by asking them questions and encouraging them to think and find the answers for themselves. Something which, ironically, is the opposite of what is happening in Greece today. I say ironically, because we are so proud (rightly so) of him and the other great Greek thinkers of the time and yet are doing completely the opposite. As I said, Socrates would be turning in his grave or, as we say in Greek, 'his bones would be creaking'.

The great Greeks from ancient times really were great minds and thought 'out of the box'. Their legacy can still be seen in so many areas in our life today - medicine, physics, mathematics, education etc. And yet that 'thinking' is the very last thing that children are encouraged to do nowadays.

I was reading an article in a British newspaper which was putting forward the claim that children in English schools are not being taught to think. Now this may or may not be true (I'm sure it probably is), I am not familiar with the English school system, but I thought to myself - if this writer saw the educational system in Greece, what would he say!

Learning as a child to question and to think will help us when we are older to have a society where common sense and intelligence prevail. At the moment, children just learn things parrot-fashion and with a view to just doing what it takes to pass exams. This cultivates a society of people who have learnt either how to just work in the system or how to beat or cheat the system.

The second piece of reading I was doing was from the latest report from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) on Doing Better For Children, including the data Comparative Child Well-Being across the OECD. This shows Greek 15-year-olds third from bottom (above Mexico and Turkey) in literacy and mathematics. They are also third from bottom in the percentage of 15-year-olds who have at least 4 of the basic educational tools (a desk to study, a quiet place to work, a computer for schoolwork, educational software, an internet connection, a calculator, a dictionary, and school textbooks). Greece is bottom in the state financial support of families with one person working and two school-age children.

The education - or rather 'non-education' - system needs a bomb under it. In order to qualify for university or college, nearly all schoolchildren have to go to evening classes or frontistiria. Not only is this wrong because they should be taught what is needed in the school, but also because it means children have hardly any free time and have ridiculous pressure to do homework. It also means that most families in Greece have to spend large amounts of money (which they don't have) every month for something which should be needless.

I cannot believe that people are not out on the streets every day demanding the abolishment of these frontistiria! In a time of such financial difficulty, to have to spend so much money every month for something that shouldn't exist is not only ridiculous but obscene! But people don't do anything - they just accept that it is necessary.

Schools are told by the state what books they should use - nothing is done to develop the creation of a variety of materials for the schools to choose from for themselves. Exams encourage pupils to just learn specific sections by heart and then regurgitate them. You may as well just answer like this - Q1. - Answer: page 34, para 5; Q2 - Answer: page 46, para 2 etc. You can get full marks (20 out of 20 in Greece) for composition/essay and history. How can this be? Is you essay so good it cannot possibly be improved on?

Facts, now more than ever with the internet, can easily be found - it's learning to use them that is not so easy. This is what needs to be encouraged - thinking. This is what made great thinkers in the past great. They took themselves beyond the barriers, they thought 'out of the box' as I said above. If we are so proud of the ancient Greek thinkers, then the best way to express this is by trying to do the same and encouraging young people to do the same.

Corfu Prickly Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:07:00 +0000

In a previous post - 10 Corfu Trees - I mentioned the Prickly Pear Tree. We are now busy eating the prickly pears here! Prickly pears here are called either Frangosyka (Frankish Figs) or Pavlosyka (Paul's Figs). The latter name is used only in Corfu as far as I know and, though it is not certain, I have been told that the name comes from Pavliana, a part of the island where they were originally prolific. If anyone has any more information on this, then I would be glad to here from you.

Although we say 'tree', it is really a cactus plant and grows easily and prolifically in many areas in southern Europe. In Corfu you can find the plants all over the island. The name 'prickly pear' comes from the fact that the fruit has large, sharp thorns which make it difficult to handle. The photo above is of a large, sprawling cactus on our neighbour Soula's land.

You can see in the photo below how the fruit is picked. The tin-shaped part at the top of the long handle is hollow so that you can enclose the fruit in it and then twist and pull it off and put it straight into the bucket or basket. This means that you avoid having to handle the thorns. You'll notice it has two sizes to accommodate for different sized fruit! This is the cutting edge of village technology!

This is Soula showing the fruit that she's just picked.

These are some of the Frangosyka that we picked.

Again, when you are peeling the fruit, you have to be careful of the thorns. As well as the large, obvious thorns, there are tiny little hair-like thorns that take an age to get out of your fingers - ask me!

You can see one way of peeling in the photo below, using a fork to hold the fruit and a knife to peel it. The final photo shows the fruit as it is once the skin has been removed. I can tell you it's definitely worth the effort! The juicy fruit is definitely one of my favourites and especially if you keep it in the fridge before eating.

First, cut off the end.

Slice the skin lengthwise.

Peel off the skin to reveal the inner fruit.

The fruit ready to eat. You can see the seeds here as well. Delicious!

Virtual Tour Of Achilleion Palace, Corfu Casino And 12 Corfu Churches

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Digital Innovations has produced these two great sites with virtual tours of the Achilleion Palace and Corfu Casino (see above) and 12 Corfu churches (see below). The Achilleion Palace was built by Princess Sissy of Austria in the 19th century and is visited by thousands of tourists every year. The casino used to be located in the Achilleion Palace for many years, but was then transferred to the hotel Corfu Holiday Palace, overlooking the famous Mouse Island.

The virtual tour of the 12 Corfu churches includes, of course, the Church of St. Spyridon, the patron saint of the island.

Add A Twibbon To Your Twitter Profile Image

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:18:00 +0000

Those of you on Twitter may have seen several profile images with ribbons or other small images in the corner. These are Twibbons and show that you support a particular cause. I've just created a Twibbon to support the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

At the moment there are over 6600 causes on Twibbon and the one with the largest support so far has 18466 supporters.

All you have to do is go to Twibbon and create your own cause and add an image - it doesn't have to be a ribbon - to be superimposed on your profile image. You can also browse through the causes there and join whichever one you support and have the twibbon added to your profile.

If you agree that the British Museum should return the stolen Parthenon Marbles to Greece to be displayed in the new Acropolis Museum, then please click below to get your twibbon!

10 Corfu Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:33:00 +0000

Continuing the series Corfu Lists of 10, I have posted here 10 types of tree that can be found on the island of Corfu. This is obviously not a complete list, but gives a good indication of the variety that can be found.

Olive Tree

Olives are the predominant product on the island. From the trees we get eating olives, beautiful and healthy olive oil, olive soap, olive wood and other products. See my previous posts here and here about collecting and preparing olives for eating.

Myrtle Tree

Greek legend tells of a nymph called Mirsine who raced against the goddess Athena and won. Athena, in a rage then killed Mirsine whose body was transformed into a beautiful myrtle bush. Branches and flowers are often used in wedding bouquets and in classical times poets and renowned thinkers wore wreaths of Myrtle. The leaves and flowers contain scented oil, and the leaves are also used as a herb when cooking meat and fish.

Strawberry Tree

The fruit of this tree resembles strawberries and ripens from green to yellow to vivid red. This plant can live for up to a thousand years where older stems are replaced with new growth from its flattened woody base. The Strawberry tree is native to Mediterranean countries and also some milder Atlantic coasts such as western Ireland.
The fruit is edible with a delicate flavour and is used in liquors and jam making.

Judas Tree

This tree, also known as the Redbud, is so named because it is from this type of tree that Judas is said to have hanged himself after he betrayed Jesus, therefore it is said to blush with shame ever since with a display of pink (magenta) flowers. Appropriately, it blossoms around Easter time. See my previous post on this tree here.

Holm Oak

The Holm Oak is an evergreen tree not unlike the olive and is one of the trees still remaining from the primeval forests of Corfu.

Cypress Tree

The Cypress tree is common enough in many countries, but has always been on of my favourites and you can see their elegance in the typical Corfu view above.

Carob or Locust Tree

This tree is evergreen and has brown broad bean like seedpods, which have been used as a substitute for chocolate and also to make carob flour. The Carob seed due to its uniformity of weight has been used to measure precious items such as gemstones for thousands of years, hence the word Carat as in the measure of diamonds.

Prickly Pear Tree

The Prickly Pear is also known as the Frankish Fig and is one of my personal favourite fruits. I hope to write a post about it later in the year when the fruit is ripe and you can see how it is collected and cut and eaten. These cacti can be seen everywhere in Corfu.

Pomegranate Tree

The Pomegranate is supposed to bring good luck on New Year's Day, when you take it and smash it on the ground. The seeds and the juice are delicious and refreshing.

Koumquat Tree

This fruit was introduced to Europe from China in the mid-19th century and Corfu is especially renowned for it. There are distilleries on the island which produce the Koumquat liquor (rather sweet and syrupy) and you can also buy them as preserved fruit.

Twitter Petition To British Museum To Return Parthenon Marbles To Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Following my post on the recent opening of the new Acropolis Museum in Athens here and the post about the number of people who think the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece here, I have just started a Twitter petition.

It's really simple to start a petition on Twitter, and when people tweet it, that is their signature. I have tweeted the petition directly to the British Museum and they will be updated regularly with the number of tweets and also have the opportunity to respond.

So, if you are on Twitter and agree that the Parthenon Marbles should now be returned to Greece and put on display in the new Acropolis Museum, then just tweet below. It's set up so that auto-follow anyone who tweets.

Why Make Things Simple When They Can Be Complicated?!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:34:00 +0000

I would suggest that this should be the motto of the Greek civil service. Anyone who lives in Greece knows full well how it operates – or rather how it doesn’t operate. I had to deal with them again yesterday, which is why I’m writing this post now.

As in every country, there are plenty of intelligent and common sense people in Greece. The problem is that hardly any of them happen to be in the civil service. As I watched all the poor people, yesterday, running back and forth with sheaves of papers in their hands I thought how disrespectfully we treat each other. Most issues that people need to sort out are basically quite simple and yet we have to go from one desk to another, collecting papers, rubber stamps and signatures, whilst desperately hoping that we can get it all done without having to come back again (a forlorn hope).

One of my own particular peeves each time is what they call the ‘protocol number’. In almost every piece of business, the person you are dealing with will tell you that you have to go and get this number before he/she can proceed. You go find this person – usually a woman stuck in a small office somewhere – and they write down your details in a large ledger, with a number, before you can go back and continue. Almost invariably, someone else is now being attended to and you again have to wait.

Why can the person you are dealing with not just put a number in the computer? Why do we have to run off to get a number from someone writing people’s names and numbers in a huge ledger like a throwback to Victorian times? Why do we need to go to what seems like a minimum of five different people in five different departments to get anything done?

Greeks are proud – quite rightly – of the great minds that lived here in ancient times. But these people – Socrates, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Hippocrates etc – were great thinkers that thought out of the box and their ideas and discoveries are still fundamental to so many fields such as maths, physics, medicine etc today. Why can’t the minds in Greece today not think like that any more?

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, the intelligent ones are usually not in the civil service. This is partly the reason why things don’t work simply and efficiently, but the main reason is the political cost that would accompany making it efficient. An extremely high percentage of people working in the public sector are not needed and it often seems that a lot of the procedures have been created just to justify the existence of them all. I don’t know the exact figure, but over 30% of the working population are in the public sector in Greece. This is an enormous figure, and we are basically paying a huge amount of money for these people’s salaries, benefits, pensions etc and they are not actually producing anything. Plus the fact that a large number take early retirement.

However, no government will risk the political cost of reducing the numbers and ensuring that those that remain are efficient and suited to the job. And simultaneously help create work in the private sector. I was thinking, where else is so much inefficiency and bureaucracy tolerated. Imagine going to buy an airline ticket, for example. The employee in the agency tells you that you have to go to another employee to get an application form to buy a ticket, which you fill in and then go to two other people in the office for them to stamp and sign it. Then they tell you that you have to go to the airline office itself to get a confirmation form that there are seats available. Having got that and come back to the travel agent, you have to go to another person sitting in the corner of the office who will write down your details in a huge ledger and give you a protocol number. Finally, you get your ticket! Yet this (and much worse!) happens in the public sector.

When will someone have the courage to create a public sector which is respectful and helpful to people? Wouldn’t it be great if you came to one of the services and a smiling person greeted you as you came in and asked how they could help you. Then they accompany you to one of the assistants who deals with your issue without sending you to anyone else. While you are waiting, someone else comes and asks you if you’d like some coffee. And everything is dealt with quickly and efficiently in a clean and welcoming environment, without you having to get up from the seat.

In the words of John Lennon, “You may say that I’m a dreamer; but I’m not the only one”

James Bond Driving Citroen 2CV In Corfu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Well, I couldn't resist posting this short clip of the Citroen 2CV car chase in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, with Roger Moore (Mr. Sauve).

The scenes are shot in Corfu and very close to where I live in the north west of the island. In the village with the narrow streets (Pagi) there is a cafeneion just where the 2CV turns upside down, where I regularly sit and have coffee. The only thing we never see there is a bus going to Madrid!! In the film this was supposed to be Spain, but those who live on the island or have visited it know that it was most definitely Corfu.

Enjoy the chase through the olive groves and the narrow streets!