San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu

The photos are stacked up in the back open room, by the lobster tank, for all to see.  Manthos likes people taking interest in them so just go and do it.  Take the years on the front with a pinch of salt as some books seem to have got mixed up in dates!

I tried Gatwick Worth.  Yes, its 20 mins out and they only pick up every hour but found it adequate and well priced but not if you need luxury.

Returned early 3 August.  Weather great.  Two fairly short Mistrals but it just breaks the holiday up and do something different.  It's a bit of a shame when it's windy that Manthos, Waves etc have the clear blinds down but that is a small problem.  Have another Retsina and Mythos and relax, it looks like the good weather is continuing this week.  Have a peek at the web cam to whet the appetite.

PS. Wondered if anyone on the forum was delayed by 8 hours on Viking to Manchester last Monday night.  Sorry for you but glad it wasn't us.

The Darling Buds of May

Holiday (H) -130 days.  Thought it would be a nice idea to have a break with my wife in SS in May in addition to July. Booked flight from Gatwick due to Bristol not having a Monday flight.
H – 100. Easyjet decide to fly out of Bristol at a cheaper rate than booked for Gatwick
H -42  Wife suffers from serious disease and is in hospital for five weeks. 
H -30 Family say I need a break before caring for wife in recuperation.  Asked a daughter in law (DiL) and baby son to join me. Paid the extra £95 to change names.
H - 7  DiL informed that the passport for baby son will be delayed beyond departure date.  Many tears from DiL touched heartstrings of someone in Cardiff and passport arrives on the Friday before we are due to depart.
H -4. Baby develops D & V and DiL flags up that it may prevent them travelling.
H -2.  News that the Ash Cloud will disrupt flights all over UK.
H -12 hr.  DiL needs Doctor to examine baby to give the final OK.  All is well so set off for Gatwick.
H -6hr. Just arrived at hotel and see Breaking news that Gatwick is closed from 0100 to 0700. Our flight is at 0600 and now preparing for a nightmare wait at the airport.
H -2hr.  Arrive at Gatwick and find flight is only 1 hour delayed.  Flight goes well.
H +2hr. Arrive at SS.  Mistral blowing and water nearly up to the Waves steps, but the sun is out and time for first lunch and meet a few old acquaintances.
 
Olive Press looks very closed and no one has seen George.

Sandra and Shane are back at the Juice Bar to help Kerry.

The Beach
Costas and his lady friend have moved his pitch to east of the stream to get away from the seaweed. Price maintained at €2.50 a piece
.
The Canteener was washed away in the winter storms and, due to some planning problems, is not likely to replaced. Shame.

The pontoons look like they have been tossed onto the bank by Athena, with the old fridges from the Canteener strapped to the top. There is a pedola  split in two by the side of the pontoon.

Many expert local opinions about the sand movement, with varying outcome.  It looks like a fair amount of sand has been taken out to sea and beach area will be a bit smaller this year.

Did I miss that  ‘Bar Code’ is now ‘El Greco’ last year or has it just changed?  Under the same management I understand.

Mistral opened again by Greeks from the mainland who seem very nice but no chance to try it out.

Beachcomer is experimenting with Sunday roast lunch.

A well wrapped up shop that is said to be called ‘A taste of Corfu’ starting up in the old San Stef travel shop next to the juice bar.

Nuala’s apartments in the Margareta area are just being finished off and look very smart.

Every local says it’s quiet and worse than last year – but I seem to have heard that for over 20 years!

H +2 Baby recovers and the sun is out but temperature low. Take a trip to Peroulades and see the great effort 7th Heaven have made to the facilities over the years.  Have a great lunch at Ileas Bar on way back. DiL starts suffering similar symptoms to baby.
H +3 Cold, Mistral and dull.  DiL not well
H +4 DiL a bit better and a walk in dull and cool conditions into the village turns into a deluge that persists for the day and night with thunder and lightening – but electricity remains on. I now start to suffer the same baby symptoms!
H +5 Apart from the occasional self induced upsets in SS I have never been ill but this made up for it.
H +6 Recovering we sit in the cool sun at Nafsika pool but do not feel like eating of drinking alcohol.  Baby fine and DiL recovering.
H +7. Cloud first thing but the sun burns through so we make it to the beach for babies first dig in the sand.  Its getting better!
H +8. Packed and ready to leave under a stonking blue shy. Drive to the airport and then find that our flight has to pick up some stranded passengers on another island.  Chose to have the alternative of staying in the airport for another 3 hours and catching a later flight rather than spend more time with in the plane.  More tears from DiL but then all arrangements are as you were.  Flight left on time and the view from Venice to Gatwick was more clear than I have ever seen it with fantastic views over the alps and across the continent right to landing, where the temperature was 10oC higher than when we left Corfu. Nice easy drive back with all three of us feeling fine!

Needed to practice a suitable reply to the question. Did we have a good time?!

What is the moral to all of this?  Maybe expect variable conditions in May but booking 2 weeks should mean you will get some good days.

Roll on July! 
 

Been to San Stef for the last 22 years in July/ August, mainly staying at Anatoli.  In addition spent a week in May two years ago and decided to go back for another week this year before returning again in July.  We loved May; the freshness of the fields (and the people in the Tavernas who have that extra bit of time to chat), the wild flowers that are long gone in the heat of summer, time and enthusiasm to take walks when the summer heat is a deterrent to anything more than a Retsina and doze on the beach - great.  The weather may not lure one down to the beach every day but there is always something to do, and if the isn't we go and sit and watch the sea roll in at Manthos or The Waves. Yes, look forward to it, even if we have to make the 600 mile round journey from Cornwall to Gatwick rather than the more convenient Exeter or Bristol