One week at Kerkyra (Corfu, 17.-24.9.2023)

September 25, 2023

One week at Kerkyra (Corfu, 17.-24.9.2023)

It has been ages that I visited the island where my father was born: Kerkyra

(source: google maps, 1.10.2023)

In the next days I'll show you impressions I took from various places on this beautiful island

First of all let me introduce you to the villa we rented for a week

and at night

7th Heaven Café, Peroulades

I am addicted to iced coffee and found "iced latte" which is, in fact, cold mik with a double shot of espresso, a few ice cubes and cream on top. It is important to add sugar to the espresso, not to the cold milk... ;-)

There's a small skywalk where you can watch families, couples and content creators taking endless pictures. Just try and watch those incredible portraits on Instagram

Calamari

Canal d'amour, Sidari

You can see the entry to the Dionysus cave here

Blue sky, +32°C at the Kaluha bar

Spartilas

One day we went to Pirgi and up to the hills to visit the small place called Spartilas. Going up by car might be fun for those who are not afraid of height... I am and the way up the serpentines without guardrails are challenging (and frightening). At least we were rewarded with an overwhelming view. The place is called "balcony of Corfou".

Asteras *****

Epar.Od. Pirgiou-Acharavis, Spartilas 490 83, Griechenland

Olive trees whereever you look

Looking to the west you'll see the highest mountain called Pantocrator

A tree with quinces

Going back down wasn't much frightening anymore

- as long as I don't look down the steep slopes... ;-)

Gouvia Marina

There are several restaurants and bars here

a nice place to relax

Callistemon speciosus

Calamari at the "Argo"

Apple Pie with honey and vanilla icecream

at the Skippers Café and Wine Bar

Some more delicacies

Fruit stand in Corfou town

Puff pastry at the Airport - ready to go

Another iced latte at the Liston, Corfou town

Fruits at a supermarket

deep frozen puff pastry in a super market

a "slaughtered" water melon, fresh from the field. Delicious!

Uncomparable to the ones we buy in Germany.

Make the best of it: if a family member celebrates birthday,

there has to be a birthday cake!

That's the way:

Corfou town nearest to the airport

Restaurant: Flisvos The Seaside Experience

We saw planes at their landing approaches. It is said that the airport on the island Corfou is among the 10 most complicated airports worldwide due to the mountains, the sea and the town nearby. Only experienced pilots are allowed to land here...

The iconic landmark in the middle of the bay: the holy monastery "Panagia Vlacherna", built in the 17th century

A silver clad icon of the Virgin

"Our Lady of Blachernae (Παναγία η Βλαχερνίτισσα), is a 7th-century encaustic icon representing the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. It is also the name given to the Church built in honour of the Virgin Mary in the Blachernae section of Constantinople."

And then we saw them coming ;-)

Pondikonisi, the mouse island

from this point of view it really looks like a crouching mouse

Paramona Beach

In the 1970ies and 1980ies we spent our childhood holidays at Paramona Beach on the Westcoast of Corfou. An endless beach, no people during the week, an insider tipp for the residents.

Guess what: not years, but decades that I visited this place. More hotels, more cars, more tourists

from this point, approx. 150-200km to the West = Italy

From the Restaurant "Sunset" to the South

Beach vibes

Kassiopi, Corfou by night

One of endless small shopping boothes where you can buy almost everything you might need day or night: cigarettes, sweets, books and magazines, icecream, stamps (sometimes), games for children.... and so on and so on. This booth is near the "Anemomylos"

View from the promenade at Anemomylos Park to illuminated the Old Fort

The Promenade

The new port with three cruise ships

Who was Saint Spiridon, patron-saint of Corfou?

Photo of an icon taken outside Saint Spiridon church

Spyridon was born in Askeia, in Cyprus. He worked as a shepherd and was known for his great piety. He married and had one daughter, Irene. Upon the death of his wife, Spyridon entered a monastery, and their daughter, a convent.

Spyridon eventually became Bishop of Tremetousia, in the district of Larnaca. He took part in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325).After the council, Saint Spyridon returned to his diocese in Tremithous. He later fell into disfavor during the persecutions of the emperor Maximinus, but died peacefully in old age.

When the Arabs took Cyprus, Spyridon's body was taken to Constantinople. The relics were found to be incorrupt, and contained a sprig of basil, the "royal plant," both of which were taken as a sign of divine confirmation of his sanctity.

When, in 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, Spyridon's relics were removed again; this time, to the island of Corfu, where they remain to this day, in Saint Spyridon Church.

View inside the church from a place far behind. It is forbidden to take photos inside the chapel with the huge silver sarcophag which is on the right side of the white iconostasis.

The chapel is cooled and three monks were singing hymns to worship the saint. The greek-orthodox christs take a huge bow to touch the sarcophag and make several signs of the cross on their forehead, shoulders and chest. I preferred to stand upwards, made the cross and a small bow with my head.

Outside the church was a place to light candles and send prayers. I bought three candles before I visited Saint Spiridon and lighted them for family and friends, for all mankind and for peace.