Corfu

We arrived on Sunday lunchtime - finally! Had a nice walk along the coast from the hotel. It's so quiet here. Very peaceful no shops really just the occasional taverna on the water's edge.  I went swimming in the sea, which was refreshing! Then went for a 3 mile walk to the next village - Petritis - to find a supermarket. Just heard the occasional lizard scuttling back to the undergrowth at the side of the road and passed a few Greek old men on the road. Definitely not touristy at this time of year. But the locals are incredibly friendly and very accommodating, they are eager to please.  

The hotel (Hotel Penelope) in Boukari appears to be a family business. Kostas and his brother run the hotel and restaurant (10 minutes' walk away) between them, the wives do the cooking and the dad oversees it all to check guests are happy. I booked car hire for Monday and J and I headed over towards Benitses, saw the Kaiser bridge and then up the mountain to Achillios palace before going down through several villages and finally arriving at Paleokastritsa on the north west coast.  Such a stunning coast line!

We had lunch in the only place open and then went on the beach for several hours where I swam.  Yes it was cold but after a few minutes it was perfectly bearable. 

Today we have been on a boat trip to Corfu town - we hired a boat with two other girls who are staying in our hotel and went up the coast for an hour then had a few hours to wander round the old town. Had a nice coffee and lunch in an outside cafe and really felt the hot sun on my arms.  Then back towards Boukari again by sea.  Just so relaxing.  J wanted to go back to the room to play on the keyboard (yes. The only hotel I've ever stayed in to have a full size electric keyboard in the wardrobe!)  so I joined the girls for a drink at the local taverna by the sea.  We head home in the morning but it has been a lively few days away and I would definitely return here. Apparently it doesn't get much busier in summer but the sea is warmer.