San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu

No. Travelex. Handy, but probably very bad rate at the airport. Much better to buy in advance.

Best ask him to show his credentials then, before purchasing?

That was always my advice to my daughters.

July 15 to 29 2013

Travel:

We flew from Leeds/Bradford on Jet2. The flight times are not brilliant - didn't get to Ag Stef until 11:30 pm. Coming back, bad weather in the UK delayed a lot of flights - ours 40 minutes, one EasyJet Manchester flight due to leave at 10 pm was rescheduled for 3 am the next morning! However, LBA staff were friendly and efficient. Through check-in and security very quickly, and flight crew very pleasant.

But coming back, landing at just after 1 am, getting through immigration and baggage meant facing at 1.5 hour drive at what was effectively 3:45 am body-clock time was not something I'd choose to do again.

Accommodation:

We stayed at Anatoli, owned and run by Michalis at Kamini Bar. Our taxi was very efficiently ordered by Michalis, and airport to village was about 55 minutes.

The rooms at Anatoli are fairly small, with basic furniture and a "wet-room" approach in the bathroom. But the views from the balcony are superb, facing north east toward Erekusa.

Michalis and his English/Greek bilingual sons Petros and Vassilis were always friendly and helpful. We would certainly recommend Anatoli to those who appreciate the peace of the old village.

The distance down an easily-managed incline to Kamini and Nafsika is about 25 yards, and the distance from there to the beach beside Mistral and Manthos about another 25. If we were feeling energetic, we made it to the beach. If less so, to the Nafsika pool, which is a favourite of ours.

This was the laziest holiday we've ever had. We did nothing, went nowhere, didn't even make it up to Akrotiri on the grounds of it being pretty hot and sweaty weather.

Eating:

As always, great food and atmosphere at Zorbas, Little Prince, Beachcomber and Nafsika. Theodora's mousaka was on top form!

We had a pleasant meal at Olympia. The big surprise was the evening when we went to the Chinese - I'd been ill in the night and wanted something a little lighter. The food was outstanding - tasty and beautifully cooked, with very good service. Met Jaxbubbles and Hubby there, chomping their way through a mountain of spare-ribs - and that was just for starters!

Lunched at Mistral and Nafsika mostly. Always good. Mistral's chips are excellent hand-made events, like Beachcomber - not the frozen variety served in most places.

Very nice souvlaki at Elias in Avliotes.

Social:

Met lots of old friends and some new ones - too many to name here. The usual accidental bumping-into in streets and bars, and of course, plenty of late-evening chatter in the Nafsika bar.

Friendship and good company is a vital ingredient of the Agios Stephanos magic potion.

Second week, lots of kids about - making the atmosphere slightly less like a retirement home.

Other stuff:

Went for a spot of beautification in Patricia's very posh salon next to Beachcomber. She's doing well, she says, and deservedly so. Go and get your highlights done - mine are tasteful white with hints of - err - white!

The ceramics in Hippopots next to the ice cream parlour (ooh - that ice cream is very yummy) are beautiful. We just had to buy some for presents. Very reasonably priced, and many items small enough to pack easily. They have vast rolls of bubble-pack. Brought back pretty lizards, and a lazy-looking frog for my grandson!

Weather:

Unusual for July. Very misty, with quite thick early-morning fog. Albania was hardly ever visible, and then just a hint of water-colour brushed across the horizon.

Zero rain - in fact almost zero cloud.

Mozzies:

Never saw one. Never got bitten by one. Gillie got one insignificant bite.

Jellyfish:

Zero.

Seaweed:

Constantly drifting in on the tide. But it's nice, fine seaweed, like coarsely-chopped herbs for Dionysus's lunch. It's not UK tangle-your-feet tough old stuff full of crabs. Dunno why people moan about it.

Best view:

Sitting at Olympia at 10 pm seeing Cerys dressed in an outstandingly pretty frock with a little bag on her shoulder walking up to see the Kylie tribute. Beauty incarnate, that's our Cerys.

Conclusions:

As always, relaxing, stress-reducing, life-enhancing lazy enjoyment. Need some more. Soon. But next time, we'll take the Thomson from Doncaster option and avoid Kerkira Airport in the small hours - which is not the way it should end!

I used no repellent at all and did not bitten once in two weeks. In fact, I didn't see a mozzie. So I'm a bit sceptical about these doom-laden reports of squadrons of mosquitoes bombing the place!

Trip to Corfu town is nice. But in this hot weather the town will be pretty unpleasant.

There's nothing cliquey about Anatoli. I'm sitting on the balcony now at 7:30 in the morning looking out over the sea, and there isn't a clique in sight!

Mind you, Albania's not visible, either. Still fog on the horizon.

Seems to depend where you are. I have zero bites, Gillie has three - probably because we ventured from the old village into the new last night.