Further Afield

It's hard to believe that Pelekas may not provide everything you need from a holiday in Corfu, but just in case, we thought we'd give you some suggestions for excursions to nearby places of interest.

Parga is about 50km south of Igoumenitsa in the region of Ipirus (the part of the Greek mainland opposite Corfu). Parga rises like an amphitheatre up the slopes surrounding the small secluded bay. The harbour, the promenade, and the narrow traffic-free alleyways, give Parga its own intimate atmosphere. A string of small rocky islands protects the bay. The largest island has a whitewashed chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, another chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and a small fort built by the French in 1808. You can swim from the beach here or in the smaller bay along the shore to the east.

Paxos and Anti Paxos can be found 14km south of Corfu. Paxos covers an area of some 19 sq.km and can only be reached by boat. It has been able to protect itself from the strain of modern tourism. You will find the pace is still unhurried, very relaxing, with genuine, friendly Greek hospitality at its best.There are three main villages in Paxos - Gaios, Lakka and Loggos.

Anti Paxos is surrounded by some of the finest sea in the world and is only 15 minutes away from the southern point of Paxos. Boats run frequently from Gaios, Lakka and Loggos during the summer.

The Diapontia Islands (Erikousa, Mathraki and Othoni) are three small islands with beautiful beaches and crystal waters, situated a short distance off the north coast of Corfu. The largest, Othoni is considered by some historians to be Homer's Ogygia, the island where Kalypso held Ulysess. The islands can be reached from Corfu or Sidari by small boats and caiques. On the islands, small hotels and apartments are available, but before one pays a visit it is wise to book a place to stay in advance.

Butrint is one of the least known of the great Greco-Roman cities. The reason is its position. It is situated in Albania, just opposite Corfu, and until recently it was rarely seen by travellers from the West. With the collapse of the Communist regime in Albania a team of archaeologists with funding and support from Lords Rothschild and Sainsbury and their Butrint Foundation, have turned Butrint into a splendid National Park. It is relatively easy to reach Butrint by sea and/or road, via Saranda, the main port for the area. Ferries leave Corfu for Saranda several times a day. However, driving in Albania can be an adventure so check with your Embassy first for advice.

All these excursions can be booked at Papanagiotou Travel in Pelekas.

Cookery Corner

We thought maybe you'd like the opportunity to re-create some of your favourite Corfiot taverna recipes at home, starting this month with Rabbit Stifado.

Ingredients

A large rabbit, jointed, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 bay leaves, 4 tbsp red wine vinegar, 150ml. olive oil, 1/4 teasp sugar, 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, 1 small cinnamon stick, salt and black pepper, 4 whole allspice, 1 sprig rosemary, 150ml. red wine, 300ml hot water, 675g button onions, whole.

Instructions

Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar. Mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry until quite brown on all sides. Add the garlic, bay leaves, spices, rosemary, wine, tomato puree and sugar and the hot water. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over. After the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan. Mix, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Some Useful Links

Allcorfu.com
Ferry Timetables and Booking
Olympic Airways
Aegean Airways
Corfu Airport
Route Planner
Currency Convertor

Editorial

Here in Greece there has been much talk - and some not inconsiderable protest - about the rising cost of living since the introduction of the euro. Consumers have held boycotts, especially of markets, where a combination of extreme weather conditions and general price hikes have pushed up prices.
There's also now a perception that it's not as cheap to eat and drink in Greece as it used to be. How true is this?
Certainly, here in Pelekas, tourist related prices have remained stable in recent years. Local restauranters and owners of accommodation, feel that by pegging prices, they will continue to attract more customers. Where differences are felt is in the purchase of those everyday holiday neccessities such as soft drinks, ice creams, taxi rides, cigarettes, sun cream, etc. If you are self catering, then the price of fruit and vegetables has doubled in the last years and even olive oil has risen by 15%.
The government is trying to force shops to follow the suggested prices for items like bottled water. It is certainly now worth shopping around rather than accepting the first option.
One positive result is that due to a number of factors, including travellers looking for cheaper destinations, there are still lots of discounted plane seats and package holidays to Corfu available throughout the summer!
 

Pelekas Festival

One of the highlights of Pelekas Festival this year is the chance to see a performance of Shadow Puppetry.
"Karagiozis", as it is named in Greek for its main protagonist, was very popular during Ottoman rule. The puppeteer stands behind the illuminated screen and moves the paper or leather-made puppets, bringing them to life by altering his voice according to the character.
Through the main character, Karagiozis, a puppeteer would satirise authority figures and situations. Ugly and hunchbacked, Karagiozis represented the common folk, in a collision with everyone and everything unjust, whether it be a social or political injustice. He often pretended to be a man of all trades in order to find work and sought silly but cunning solutions to the various difficult and strange situations he'd get into.
There are three types of "Karagiozis" plays, including comedies inspired by every day life, those influenced by fairy tales and traditional folklore and heroic themes inspired by the years of oppressive Ottoman rule followed by the Greek War of independence (1821).

The full Festival line-up is;

9th August   - Dramatic Production
10th August - Shadow Theatre
16th August - Choir and Dancing
22nd August - Folk Dancing Display
23rd August - Music and Dancing

(The first three productions take place outside the former school in the old village. The last two in the village square.)
 

Scuba Divers Hold Their Breath

The Greek Government has announced proposed new regulations concerning marine tourism. The new legislation is expected to double the number of diving centres and if we have underwater parks, and if the Ministry of Culture approves underwater parks in the antiquity-laden seas, it is believed that there will be between one and three thousand diving centres in Greece. Currently there are about a hundred.
The opening of underwater parks would increase the number of places in which people could dive. Such parks would comprise both natural and perhaps manmade exhibits, as well as shipwrecks less than a century old - there are an astounding 408 of them.
The opening, however, of more areas will prove tricky, as Greece has to strike a difficult balance between preserving its vast archaeological legacy and meeting the demands of modern tourism.

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