Monday, April 29, 2013

Nautilus Daily Cruises, Corfu: Hello from Corfu!A very hurried 'Good evening' ...

Nautilus Daily Cruises, Corfu:
Hello from Corfu!

A very hurried 'Good evening' ...
: Hello from Corfu! A very hurried 'Good evening' from the golden Corfu mountainside on a gloriously sunny late afternoon. I was ...

Hello from Corfu!

A very hurried 'Good evening' from the golden Corfu mountainside on a gloriously sunny late afternoon. I was hoping to put up a photo of  'The 2013 Launch' but it is on another computer...my only just updated (at great length)  phone...some fancy 'cloud' or other; in a nutshell...the photos are 'Elsewhere'...so I will have to upload or download or sync or such like to get them into the right place and then hopefully share with you in full colour one of the most stressful  (for me...Iakis is always remarkably cool and collected) days of the year!  Nautilus perched precariously on a trailer all shiny, scrubbed, and painted as good as new being gently manoeuvred into the sea in Ipsos generally with a small eclectic crowd of onlookers...none of whom are any where near as nervous as me!

As always she skimmed slowly into the crystal water with pure elegance and perfect timing (with the skilled driving of George and his able lorry) and within a few moments came that deep satisfying Bbbbrrrmmmm! as her two engines kicked in and Iakis took her off for her first spin.

It is ridiculously busy everywhere at the moment with Greek Easter just around the corner and all the people working in tourism (just about everyone) furiously painting and cleaning  trying to get everything spruce and pretty for the first major arrivals on Friday.

It is also just about the most beautiful time of year with all the flowers in full bloom, fireflies dancing in the dark quiet evenings the first wheeling swallows twisting and diving between the creamy buildings of the town and the wonderful new fresh warmth and promise that comes with every Spring....

Kali Arhi! as they say...'Good Beginning'

Tuesday, April 2, 2013


Good rather late evening,

I missed posting on 'Clean Monday', 25th March (both big celebrations here) and even European Easter!...my how time flies, and the Summer has not yet arrived....

I have discovered pinterest and Googleplus but am not entirely sure how they work...and I have seen a local expat pantomime, (one has to admire anyone that gets dressed up in silly cossies and performs in front of such an eclectic audience)...we saw a wonderful show of Greek dances in the most beautiful traditional costumes...I had no idea there were so many talented Greek Dancers and schools on the island...about 32 schools in various villages I think.

We also saw several bands in gale force winds on 25th March along with a slightly odd wreath ceremony with the local dignitaries all standing rather windswept and awkward to sombre brass band music and a group of about 30 students chanting something about closure of their university behind well over 30 riot clad policemen looking easily as awkward as the politicians. It left a rather odd sensation of an uneasy balance between old and new.

And Easter here, is yet to come....

Life is rarely dull on this vibrant little island, it houses many hidden talents  and traditions amongst its olive groves and ancient walls....and each year I am here, I discover a few more. The journey continues....