nostalgia, Author at Nostalgia Apartments

Things to do in Corfu

nostalgia — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 07:22:58 +0000

Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea and forms the margin of the north western frontier of Greece. Its climate is the Mediterranean and is characterized by dry summers and mild, wet winters. With the passage of time the island may have changed, but we can still feel the spirit of a distant glorious past.

Moreover, the old city of Corfu has been added to the famous list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The “historic city”, with its picturesque cantons and high-rise buildings built close to each other, with their small inner squares and cisterns, is essentially the once walled city, as it had developed until the end of the Venetian period, in the 18th century. Corfu has something to offer to everyone. The families choose it for the hospitality and warmth of the locals, the couples for the romantic, fairytale capital and the “explorers”, for the enchanting landscapes and the variety of activities it offers.
Above we display you 4 +1 reasons why you should visit our island.

Green hills, golden beaches and turquoise seas

Blessed by nature, with its slopes flooded with pines, cypresses and eucalyptus, flowing into the clear blue waters, Corfu is every nature lover’s dream.

North of Corfu you can find more rocky beaches in combination with the beauty of the green.

To the south part you will find sandy golden beaches, while in the center you will be able to enjoy your bath overlooking the beautiful historic fortress or visit the beach of Kanoni, where the famous mouse island is located. Wanna know more? Every beach in the Corfu Town is approachable on foot.

Villages taken from Film or Fairytale

The green northeast coast invites you to visit its unique coastal villages, which are beautiful and picturesque offering stunning views of the lush valleys and the deep blue sea. Don’t forget to enjoy your coffee in one of the traditional village cafes.

Corfu town

Once you set foot in the atmospheric Old Town of Corfu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will be transported to a fairytale world. Corfu town, especially for its oldest part, is one of the most charming and romantic places of all the Greece.
In the well-preserved neoclassical mansions one can distinguish the Venetian and English influences.

Discover handmade creations and traditional products and do not miss the opportunity to try local delicacies such as honey, oil and kumquat liqueur.

An island full of History

The port of Corfu, one of the best fortified ports in the Mediterranean, is dominated by the Old and the New Fortress. Ideal locations to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and of course the Ionian Sea.

Visit Pontikonisi, the monastery of Pantokrator and Achillion, the fairytale palace of Empress Sissy. Go to the imposing neoclassical Mon Repo, built as a summer residence of the English commissioner Frederic Adam for the benefit of Corfiot Nina Palatianou.

Rich gastronomic heritage

The people of Corfu –fairly enough- are very proud of their gastronomic culture. If you are a food lover, one thing is for sure. In Corfu you will enjoy special gastronomic creations.

You can taste all the traditional local foods like Pastitsado, Sofrito, Bianco or try fish food where the fish of the day turns into a delicious delicacy. Finally, in the Old Town, enjoy the sweetest creations with traditional sweets.

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Beaches in Corfu Town

nostalgia — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 07:17:51 +0000

Corfu town, especially for its oldest part, is one of the most charming and romantic places of all the Greece. It is a perfect example of ancient Venetian and Byzantine art that will be able to fascinate you with its little streets and its panoramic points. The old city of Corfu has been added to the famous list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Surrounded by the sea, the old town of Corfu is closed between the two ancient fortresses. All beaches, close to the center of the town, are approachable on foot. Above you will find more information!

ANEMOMILOS

Moving a little further from the historical center of Corfu Town, a bout 2km away, lays the old Windmill which was used in the past to produce the essentials for the locals. The old windmill is built on a mole with clear blue waters, easily accessible either on foot or by car. Ideal choice if you don’t have all day to spend on the beach.

MON REPOS

If you reach the Windmill and you want a little more space to spread your towel and enjoy your sunbathing keep walking for about fifty more meters and visit Mon Repos beach. Sandy beach with crystal clear waters which combines ideally almost every colour of nature’s palette. Blue water and yellow sand, along with brown tree trunks and green leaves of the forest right above the beach. Highly recommended for playing, having fun, diving from the platform but also relaxing and enjoy the
sun and the nature’s beauty.

OLD FORTRESS

If you enter the Old Fortress and start walking around to explore, it shouldn’t take long for you todiscover one of my favorite spots for a quick swimming session, the small beach at the East side, inside the Fortress. Right next to the Corfu Town Sailing Club you will find a small and quite place to swim and enjoy the sea facing the beautiful Vidos Island. Of course, you are able to buy anything you need at the Corfu Sailing Club’s bar, about fifty meters away.

FALIRAKI

The water is clear and you can use the showers and the toilets. Faliraki beach (also known as “Bania t ‘Alekou) is located below the Old Town of Corfu, in a beautiful location with fantastic views of the Old Fortress. Faliraki beach is relatively small and sandy and has a large pier ideal for sunbathing and diving.

ΚΑΝΟΝΙ

The cosmopolitan Kanoni is one of the most famous sights of Corfu. The peninsula of Kanoni south of the city of Corfu. Kanoni has beautiful pebble beaches and offers the most magnificent view to Pontikonisi with the monastery of Pantokrator but also to the monastery of Vlacherna with which it is connected by a small bridge.

VIDOS ISLAND

Vidos island is located opposite the Old Venetian fortress and the old Venetian town of Corfu. It is separated from the old fortress and the old port of Corfu town. You can reach the island by a boat about 10 minutes away. Clear turquoise waters, trees that cast their shadow on the beach, kids, hares and partridges are some of the elements that create the wild scenery of this mysterious island.

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Corfiot Philharmonic Bands

nostalgia — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:00:57 +0000

They say that in Corfu the chances of finding a family, a member of which is not a member in one of the corfiot philharmonic bands are from slim to none. In every family there is at least one person who either plays at least one musical instrument or sings at a local choir ! Besides the corfiot philharmonic bands it is also worth mentioning: the Symphony Orchestra of Corfu , Corfu’s Conservatories, the bands that the locals or the Ionian University of Music students have created, the teams of the Ionian University and of course the local singers that solely sing traditional cantatas.

Let us not forget that after all music keeps us company at any time of our lives. From classical music that doctors suggest to pregnant women and the “happy birthday” song that everyone has been singing ever since childhood to song that are sung about marriages and in occasions of farewells or even at funerals! This type of art is a part of our everyday life (actually right now while i’m writing, I am listening to classical songs played by corfiot philharmonic bands!) in the car on our way to work, at work, at the stores where we go shopping and on TV.

Nowadays in Corfu you will hear music everywhere, on the streets, at the squares and at the little streets in Corfu town! You can even feel the music in the accent of the locals. It should be pointed out that music gives birth to culture and raises the educational level of people and helps makes a place special and different from another and Corfu island owes a large part of its culture to the corfiot philharmonic bands.

The corfiot philharmonic bands, or just “bands” as we call them in Corfu, are a piece of my life that I love a lot because I happen to be a member of a small one and it is like a second home to me after having spent many beautiful and creative moments in its premises all these years, are the cultural ornament of Corfu ! In a small island such as Corfu no one could think there could be this many philharmonics but their number reach to 17 ! Three corfiot philharmonic bands and the most famous ones are based in Corfu Town and are the following (according to date of establishment): The Philharmonic Company of Corfu (or else called “Palaia”, which means the old one), Mantzaros and Kapodistrias. Palaia, like its name suggests, is the first philharmonic band of Corfu and the oldest one in Greece. It was established in 1840 D.C. expressing the new reborn nation of Greece (that was only less than 20 years ago released from being under the control of Turks) and its intentions were to help creating an educated musical community. Some of the most important Greek composers are somehow connected to Palaia.

The famous song “Amleto” is Palaia’s most characteristic song and it touches every single Corfiot soul and every visitor while it is played on the day we celebrate the Patron Saint of Corfu, Saint Spiridon, or on Holly Saturday. On that Saturday morning both locals and visitors follow the corfiot philharmonic bands headed to Spianada Square to accompany the relic of St. Spiridon and feel the awe and the sadness the Week of the Passions Of Jesus Christ represents and get prepared for the first Resurrection (the local custom of throwing pitchers off the windows on Easter eve) and the very special celebrations we have in Corfu for that. Easter is a very big chapter and for that reason I should leave it to that and not talk about it in detail right now.

Watch the following video by mr Spyros Margaritis and enjoy philharmonic band of Kapodistrias drumline showcase.

Source: corfudiary.com

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Easter Holidays in Corfu

nostalgia — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:59:27 +0000

Easter is the biggest festival of Greek Orthodox Church and being in Corfu these days is an exciting experience. Thousands of visitors, Corfiots and both Orthodox and Catholic church celebrate together as a huge family. Although the Catholic Easter is not celebrated same days with the Orthodox Easter, Catholic church participates in the festivities too. Experience this Easter in Corfu and you will immediately understand why these holidays are different here compared to any other part of Greece. And to be sure that you will enjoy every moment to the fullest, see what you have to do:

On Great Thursday night, tour the cantons of the old town center. Listen to the Philharmonic Orchestra preparing for the tracks to be played on Great Friday and Great Saturday and walk through Liston, which is decorated in purple. There’s no doubt the music will move you.

On Great Friday, the epitaphs in Corfu start the tour in the city early in the afternoon until they gather in the evening at the Diocese. The Philharmonic Orchestra you heard the day before plays mournful pieces by Albinoni and Verdi, which will make you cry.

On Great Saturday the earthquake that followed Christ’s Resurrection is represented by an artificial earthquake at 6.00 am at the church of Virgin “Madonna of foreigners”. At 11.00 am the bells announce the “morning Resurrection”. The mood becomes joyful and festive! Corfiots make noise while throwing large red clays of windows and balconies, which is a big tradition.

At 12.00 in the midnight the most spectacular and impressive event, the Resurrection Mass takes place at the bandstand on the Upper Esplanade square with many Philharmonic bands and thousands of people.

On Easter Sunday things become quieter. Corfiots gather with their families and friends and roast the lamb. The menu of Easter days includes “red eggs” which are dyed red on Holy Thursday. People crack that red eggs while saying the phrases “Christos Anesti” and “Alithos Anesti” to one another. You can enjoy the quiet Corfu Town and visit one of the traditional restaurants.

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An Unspoiled Coastline

nostalgia — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:58:40 +0000

The decision to walk down the path of Porto Timoni was one the wisest I ever made. The
route was actually a magical journey to another era: back when the wild nature would show its dominance by creating the most amazing landscapes.

That summer morning in the middle of July, I suggested to my friend who had come for holiday in Corfu, to show her the secrets of my island. I feel so lucky to have chosen studying here, but the truth is that I never had the chance to explore the whole island myself. The walk down the beach of Porto Timoni was the ideal opportunity. We drove ‘till the end of the Village of Afionas, located in the northwest side of Corfu, of course using our GPS. The whole route drove us crazy; the road was narrow, full of holes and dangerous turns. However, we didn’t in the least bit regretted it. The view from our windows was magnificent; tall firs, cypresses and age-long olive trees. We could feel the sea breeze and a scent of wild aromatic herbs was all around us. A wild, virgin landscape was waiting for us to explore it.

By the time we had reached the verdant peninsula which separates the St. George from Arillas bay, the hot was unbearable. We sat at the wooden benches, without telling a word to each other. Our only desire was to let the wild wind blow between our hair, let us feel free to discover the next steps of our adventure. We walked towards the small square of Afionas village and took a small path, passing by the small stone houses with terracotta roofs. The path ended near a traditional taverna with a wonderful terrace full of flowers; and that’s when our real adventure begun.

The trail wandered down the headland but Porto Timoni was barely visible at that point. This walk lasts about 20-25 minutes but is very challenging. Sometimes we needed to take an extremely large step to go down the next level. Also the path was really narrow and we would help each other on the way down. Fortunately, we had plenty of water and food with us because we knew that it is worth staying at Porto Timoni sunset.

We soon saw the bay of Porto Timoni. Some locals told us that there were actually two beaches : Limni on the right and Porto Timoni on the left. Moreover, the first bay, Porto Timoni used to be the old port of the village. As the path continues, we saw the dense, green hills, ending upon our hidden destination. Later, aside from the scenery, we noticed some ruins of a 13th century Venetian fortress. A local man told us that archaeologists
thought that a fortification was constructed in 300 BC.

At the end of the route, the glorious beach of Porto Timoni was revealed behind the olive trees. Its crystal clear waters offered a wonderful view and a chance for snorkelling. We stayed in the water for hours, enjoying the sound of waves and the sun. A remarkable fact we noticed, is that each beach in Porto Timoni has different temperature; the first has cooler water while the waters of Limni, the second beach are crystal green and warmer. Both beaches are shallow and with pebbles.

We took thousands of photos to remember this unforgettable experience and after the sunset it was time to go back. We chose to return by boat, to feel for one last time the salty waves crushing on our bodies and the sound of gulls, as we were leaving Porto Timoni, staring at this miracle of nature with awe.

Source: corfudiary.com

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