Summer Festivals

Under the umbrella of the annual Streetbeat Festival, Pelekas played host in July to over 70 graffiti artists, hip-hop DJs and dancers from all over Greece.
 

The artists were assisted by a financial contribution from the Pelekas Cultural Society, by free meals and accommodation provided by local businesses, and by the local municipal council who allowed walls to be turned into murals.
 

The walls used were just after the crossroads below Pelekas and now provide a bright welcome to the village. The painting took place over two days and was accompanied by music which moved into the village square in the evening.
 

Large numbers of Corfiots came to watch and the festival was deemed to be a great success. It is hoped that it will become an annual attraction.
 

At the time of writing we are in the middle of the Streetbeat music festival with musicians taking part from UK, Italy, Holland, Greece and Spain.
 
 

Safety in the Sun

Local beaches are full of people peeling off their clothes and basking in the sunshine. It makes us feel healthy and of course some sunshine is good for us. But there is a downside. Skin cancer rates have trebled since the 1970s. And new research has shown that the deadliest form of skin cancer is also set to increase unless people change their sunbathing behaviour. We could be three times more likely than our grandparents to get malignant melanoma - a potentially fatal skin cancer - unless we learn to protect our skin properly in the sun.

Specialists advice includes; stay in the shade between 11am-3pm; make sure you never burn; always cover up with a T-shirt, wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses; remember to take extra care with children; and use factor 15-plus sunscreen. This is particularly important for those with fair skin, blonde or red hair, or light coloured eyes. However, this does not mean you should avoid the sun completely. Everyone enjoys and needs a certain amount of sunlight to boost vitamin D levels and maintain good health. But that doesn't mean sunbathing in the middle of the day.

Sunscreen is important and should be applied generously every two or three hours but it doesn't block out all the dangerous rays. The risk of melanoma, as with most cancers, increases with age. Men and women born in 1970 - now in their mid-30s - are being diagnosed with melanoma at the same rate as people who were born in 1930 and didn't develop melanoma until their 50s. In the short term, early detection is the key to bringing down mortality rates of melanoma. Checking moles and reporting any changes or unusual skin growths promptly to the doctor can and does save lives. Signs to watch out for include a mole getting bigger, a mole with a ragged outline or one with a mixture of different shades of brown and black. If a mole gets inflamed or starts to bleed or itch, then get it checked out.

Finally, ensure small children are properly protected in the sun. Tell the teenagers that safe sun matters as well as safe sex. Pack hats and T-shirts and stay in the shade at lunchtime. Take the proper precautions. It could save your life.

Cookery Corner

Beef Pastisada - a favourite Sunday lunchtime meal in Corfu. (This dish is also made with chicken or cockerel.)

Ingredients

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced. 20 gr. butter. 4-5 onions, finely sliced. Half teaspoon ground cinnamon. Quarter teaspoon cloves. 2 tablespoons tomato puree, diluted in a little hot water. Salt and black pepper. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar. 1.75 kg piece of top rump, or rolled brisket. 4 tablespoons olive oil. 500 gr. spaghetti.

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Make frequent deep slits around the meat and fill them with some of the garlic mixture, pressing it down inside the meat until it is all used up. Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof casserole and seal the meat until lightly brown all over. Take out the meat, add the onions and stir until they start to colour. Put the meat back into the saucepan and add enough hot water to come just below its top surface; then add the tomato puree and salt and pepper. Cover and cook slowly, turning the meat over frequently and stirring the onions to prevent them sticking, until the meat is tender - about one and a half hours. Alternatively, cook in a pre-heated oven, at 170 degrees Centigrade for 2 hours, turning the meat and the onions occasionally. When the meat is tender, put the dish on the hob, slowly pour the vinegar over the meat and let it bubble uncovered for 5 minutes, guarding against the onions sticking. By then, there should be a deliciously reduced sauce, smooth and sweet with the melted onions. If not, take out the meat and cook the sauce, uncovered, rapidly until it is reduced. Discard the string, slice the meat and put it back into the sauce. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Serve immediately with the sauce over the pasta and the meat on the side.

Weather	Archive
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Editorial

If temperatures in Greece rise by an average of 2 degrees Celsius (6F) over the next 25 years, there will be a worryingly negative fallout for tourism, agriculture and energy conservation, according to a report made public by the National Observatory.
The study, commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), examined the consequences of climate change around the globe for the period between 2030 and 2060. It found that the Mediterranean would be one of the most severely affected regions.
According to the observatory's research, summer-like conditions could be stretched by up to seven weeks. However, contrary to what might be expected, such a change would not necessarily boost tourism. In fact, throughout Greece and the Mediterranean, a longer summer would mean less annual rain, which in turn would lead to a scarcity of drinking water and an increase in desertification and the number of forest fires. This would no doubt dent the allure of many tourist spots.
The Mediterranean coastline is the world's most popular tourist destination, attracting 30 percent of the world's tourists (115 million visitors a year).
In Greece's case, one of the most profound consequences of the rise in temperature will be the splitting into two of the peak tourist season between the end of spring and the beginning of autumn, said a researcher at the National Observatory, adding, The middle of summer will probably be too hot for the average tourist.
The lack of rainfall brought on by global warming will also have a severe impact on agriculture. Experts estimate that almost 90 percent of total water consumption in Greece is used for irrigation purposes. WWF said that higher temperatures and longer droughts could also cause a 40 percent drop in agricultural yields and that crops depending on rains would be severely affected.
Meanwhile, the use of electricity is expected to shoot up as more households turn to air-conditioning systems to keep cool, prompting doubts about whether the power grid can meet demand.

Pictures of Pelekas Past

We have recently come across a collection of photos, originally on the wall of the Ghetto bar, dating from the late '80s and early '90s.
Lots of people looking scarily young and slightly drunk! Maybe you'll recognise yourself.
The pictures can be seen by clicking here.

OOPS!

Due to a computer mishap we have lost the most recent additions to our Pelekas database.
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