Hello again! I’m back with part two of my Corfu adventure!
Corfu is such a pretty island so it would have been a shame to have only stayed in one part of it. Therefore, we rented a car from our accommodation and ventured out to Paleokastritsa. From Arillas it is roughly an hours trip… If you know your way there that is. Even though we had a map with some instructions on how to get there we ended up getting a bit lost. However getting lost in Corfu isn’t without its perks. The roads are winding and potholes make up more of the road than the actual road does (not a perk but we’re getting onto that). Surrounding the winding rounds are rich green olive groves and tremendous scenery.
To reach Paleokastritsa you follow the coastline, going through small towns and villages such as Afiones and Makredes. Following the coastline sounds simple enough right? Maybe I am making it sound overly simple as you still need to follow a few signs. These signs aren’t quite like the signs we’re used to in Britain. For instance, instead of telling you where you are, there’s a sign with the name of the village you’ve just left with a line through it indicating you are no longer there. Confusing and unnecessary or quirky? I’m going to go with quirky, and it seems to work for those that actually live there. As a result of this novel way of signing the roads we ended up taking a detour to Angelokastro castle. When you’re not expecting to come across such as magnificent spectacle it becomes even more incredible.
After stopping by the roadside to take a few pictures we attempted to take on the journey once more. This time we were much more successful. We’d mastered the roads signs and were now used to dodging the potholes, as a result we were well on our to Paleokastritsa. Seeing glimpses of Paleo’s glimmering turquoise and jade cove as we grew closer to our destination built up much excitement.
Finally there, we parked up and found somewhere to have breakfast. Outside of a hotel we enjoyed fresh croissants and cups of tea and coffee, rewarding us after our journey.
After breakfast we took a walk to work off the rich, buttery pastry of the croissants and wandered onto a small, pebbled beach. Seeing the crystal waters lap up onto the shore was extremely calming as the morning sun shimmered on the waves. The welcoming appearance of the sea was counteracted by how cold it actually was. Any inclination to jump straight in was soon quashed.
We later ventured onto the main beach which has much finer sand and softer to spend the day on. There are a handful of tavernas and restaurants at one end of the beach, much to the convinience of those spending the full day there. One particular restaurant was a firm favourite of ours. This place was called Nikos. Run by plump, good humoured and kind owner Nikos, the restaurant caters for everyone. Now, the year before by mum and dad had been and visited Nikos and his small team almost everyday. My dad ordered chicken Souvlaki everytime without fail. This soon gave him the reputation of being the ‘Mr Chicken Souvlaki Man’- he was attributed that name by Nikos. On returning to Nikos my dad resumed his football based banter with Spiros, the quick witted, dry humoured chap on the door. After they had started where they’d left off Spiros led us into the restaurant. Dad said hello to Nikos, who like any other guest greeted him with polite professionalism… until he realised who he was. A wave of recognition swept over Nikos, who then greeted him once again, this time with more familiarlity.
‘AH! Mr Chicken Souvlaki! How are you? Come and sit. What would you like? Chicken Souvlaki yes?’
Nikos and his team were most attentative hosts who only wanted to give you the best experience. These men were highly amusing to watch as we enjoyed our lunch. Just the three of them weaved through packed tables of people from across Europe, making their approachable style of service appear effortless. On occasion Spiros would pull himself away from the door just to have a laugh and a joke with the customers. Nikos would allow this. However, he was not afraid to tell him off and Spiros knew better than to ignore him.
‘Spiros, getbackonthedoor!’ He’d command as he waved his hand in the direction of the door.
Lanky Spiros would immediately go back into his postion, but like a micheivous child, couldn’t help but sneak away from his duties every now and then.
After the amusment and scrumptious food of the restaurant it is worth noting that Paleo has a monestry, which is quite a steep walk but for the views it is worth the slight trek.
By the monastery there is a café, while you can sit there and take in the scenery its worth noting that its fairly expensive. If you’re running low in the euro department then maybe give that café a miss.
There are various points at the top of the hill where Paleo’s scenery really stands out and you can take in the beautiful heart shaped beach and really get a good feel for how special this place really is.
Before I start talking myself into booking another flight for Corfu I’ll quit while I’m ahead. If you have any suggestions as to where to jet off to next, please let me know in the comments, I’m always ready for holiday inspiration.
Ellie
x
Otters and Tea 