Yet More Low Cost Flights to Corfu

Low cost airline Ryanair have announced new routes to Corfu in 2012. They will be flying from the UK (Stansted, East Midlands, Glasgow and Leeds/Bradford), Norway (Oslo), Belgium (Brussels) Italy (Milan), and Denmark (Billund). Flights are from March until November, meaning that it's now possible to fly direct to Corfu for eight months of the year. Tickets are already available for purchase online with fares from as little as 20 euros.

In addition to Ryanair, EasyJet now flies from UK (Gatwick, Luton, Bristol and Manchester), Germany (Berlin) and Italy (Milan and Rome). Monarch and BMI also have direct scheduled flights in the summer.

All this is of course great news for independent travellers heading for destinations such as Pelekas which don't work with package tour operators.

Whales Washed Up on Local Beaches

Biologists are investigating the recent mass stranding of beaked whales in the Ionian Sea. At least seven stranded on Corfu. Several washed up at Pelekas, Glyfada and Ermones. As one of the biologists has observed, it seems reasonable to think that other animals died at sea and did not make it to shore. It is believed that the whales stranded around the time that a major Italian naval exercise was taking place in the Gulf of Taranto, in the Ionian Sea directly across from Corfu. One theory is that the whales' were disorientated by sonar emissions. Other suggestions include explorations for hydrocarbons, which use seismic waves similar to sonar that can affect regular neurological function in marine life, lax pollution controls in countries along the Adratic and Ionian, and the possibility of a disease epidemic. Read more about this story.

Baby Boom in Pelekas

After a decade which saw few births, Pelekas has experienced somewhat of a boom in the last 18 months or so, with seven new additions. This will go some way to redressing the balance in a village where deaths have been outnumbering births by about 20 to 1 and which has seen the population shrinking year on year.

We were hoping to have taken a "team photo" of the babies with their mothers, but each time it was arranged the weather was against us! Hopefully we'll manage it in the spring. Meanwhile we have a picture of Vassiliki Martinis who was born in January 2010.

Vasilis Hondrogiannis 1965 - 2011

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Vasilis, who owned the Stavrodromos Restaurant, situated at the crossroads below Pelekas. Many will also remember Vasillis and his wife Eleni from their days running the souvlaki shop in Pelekas. Our thoughts are with Eleni, her daughters and family at this time

Pelekas Taxi Service

There is now a private, locally operated taxi service to Pelekas available from Corfu Airport and Corfu Ferry Terminal. You can pre-book online up to 24 hours in advance and when you arrive a driver will be waiting to take you and your luggage to an immaculate, air-conditioned Mercedes taxi. Within minutes you will be on your way to Pelekas in comfort and safety, and when you arrive you know exactly how much you have to pay - none of those nasty 'surprises' that some passengers receive!

The fare from the Airport or Port (day or night for a maximum of 4 passengers including luggage and all taxes) is 25 euros to the village or 30 euros to Pelekas Beach or Glyfada Beach. More information can be found here.

Pelekas Cultural Society - Can You Help?

The Cultural Society organised a highly successful summer programme this year which included traditional and modern music, dance, theatre, shadow puppets and workshops.

In the past the Society has been financed by annual membership fees; raffles; private donations; and grants. Due to the current economic situation in Greece, state funding has virtually disappeared and it is proving increasingly difficult to find the money each month to pay for the dance and choir teachers. If you would like to help Pelekas Cultural Society with its work you can make a donation (via Paypal) by visiting the Society's website.

As an extra way of raising funds, the Cultural Society has produced a calendar featuring Doors of Pelekas. This A4 size calendar costs just 7 euros which includes postage and packing and is available from the Pekekas Cultural Society website.

New Look in Pelekas Square

Those of you who were here in early summer can't have failed to notice the renovation work being carried out on the building pictured above. The result has quite transformed that side of Pelekas Square.

Recipe Corner

This section gives you the opportunity to re-create some of your favourite Corfiot recipes at home. This time, Psari Plaki (Baked Fish).

Ingredients

One and a half kgs of any white fish - cut up or whole. Half kg onions. Half kg tomatoes. Half kg sliced new potatoes. A chopped head of garlic. Half a cup of chopped parsley. A third of a cup of olive oil. Half a cup of red wine. Lemon. Salt and pepper.

Instructions

Clean and wash the fish and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over it, and let it stand for an hour. Thinly slice the onions and rinse with cold water. Pour half of the oil into a flat oven dish and spread the onions and potatoes over the bottom. Sprinkle with half the parsley and half the garlic. Lay the fish on this and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and garlic. Pour the remaining oil over the dish, then the wine and tomatoes. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.

Archive

Editorial

The current economic woes in Greece have been well documented. Due to its influx of seasonal visitors Corfu is, to a certain extent, better off than other parts of the country, but businesses are closing, unemployment (especially amongst the young) is up, and for most, daily life is tough.

Against all the odds, the number of tourists visiting Greece rose to a record high of 16.5 million visitors this year. A number of factors contributed to this rise, most notably the political unrest in the Eastern Mediterranean. and North Africa. Another contributing factor to this season's boom was the agreement by hoteliers to keep their prices competitive despite the current difficulties, as well as the government's decision to decrease value-added tax on accommodation, both moves that made Greece attractive in terms of cost. A third factor was the speeding up of the visa-issuing process for visitors from new origin markets such as Russia which resulted in a major influx of visitors from that country. And here in Corfu, the most significant single factor was growth in the number of charter and low-budget flights.

Exactly what will happen to Greece in 2012 is a bit uncertain. But what we do know is that the sky will still be blue, the sun will still shine and the sea will still be warm. And nothing much in Pelekas will have changed!

Seasonal Wishes and a Happy New Year to all of you from all of us.

Website Makeover

At long last we are planning a redesign of Pelekas.com. We would welcome your input concerning improvements or additions and will try to incorporate them into the new design if practical. Please contact us with any ideas.

A Star is Born?

A 22 year old Pelekas resident, Spiros Pantelios (above left), recently starred in a Greek TV programme called Kati Psinetai ('Something's Cooking') which was filmed in Corfu during the summer. There is a version of the show in most countries and involves five contestants each cooking in their home for the others and being judged on the results. Although Spiros didn't manage to win, he made quite a name for himself on national TV!

Pelekas Festival - 23 August

Durrell Stories Reissued as Ebooks

Gerald Durrell's books are to be given a new digital lease of life after years out of print. Fifteen titles from his back catalogue are to be released as e-books, introducing his work to a new generation of readers. Durrell is best known for My Family and Other Animals, a memoir of his eccentric childhood in Corfu. But while that book continues to sell - five million copies, at the last count - and has been translated into 31 languages, most of his back catalogue has disappeared from view. Pan Macmillan has launched a new digital imprint offering 10 Durrell titles as e-books, with five to follow in the New Year. The mixture of fiction and non-fiction includes Beasts In My Belfry, Catch Me A Colobus and Ark On The Move.

Agiotfest 2011

Agiotfest is held each summer in the nearby village of Agios Ioannis. This year's entertainment took place on Saturday 27 August with Soul legend Jimmy James and the Vagabonds (above) the headline act. Around thirty musicians from five bands filled the stage for seven hours or so, letting rip to an audience estimated at between three and four hundred. News of next year's festival will be announced on the Agiotfest website.

Current Pelekas Weather