Corfu: Only the Best
The "Island of the Phaeaceans" as it is known from Homer is beloved not only by the Greeks, Italians, British and French who every year in their multitudes descend on Corfu, reminiscent of the Riviera's coast along the Corniche, of Venetian palazzos, of the rue de Rivoli from its Liston street. Where in the colourful winding lanes you hear the sound of the local lilting speech, where cricket is played and English breakfast served at every corner, with Georgian monuments to see, so that the foreign visitors feel at home. Nationals of every country are equally enchanted by the lovely countryside and the warmhearted inhabitants. It is inescapable that a lot of the stunning coastline and beaches should have succumbed to mass tourism, as Sidari, Rods, Benitses and Cassiopi, or become 'tourist Meccas' like Paleokastritsa and Pontikonissi. But a great part of Corfu's scenery is as untouched and delightful as when in the 19th century it inspired Edward Lear or in the 1930s the Durrell brothers. Some of Greece's loveliest beaches are there, many of which are spared tourist coach arrivals because there is nowhere to park. The inner country, always green, is idyllic for botanists and birdwatchers, as well for all nature lovers, whether they dream of bewitching hiking trails or a gentle stroll as far as a pleasant picnic spot. Corfu town, one of the prettiest in Greece and perhaps of the Mediterranean, benefited from generous grants from EU funds for the 1994 Summit conference. It enabled many of the historic buildings to be restored, while it is planned to conceal unsightly public facility wiring underground. The town is being freshened and modernized without losing any of its character. But the walls of multi-storeyed houses in the Old Town are still flaking and peeling, washing is still strung across overhead, neighbours talk softly to one another from their balconies, it's a town with a loveable life of its own, no show-case.