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Collecting olives - the British way

Despite the fact that I have lived in Corfu for more than twenty years, one activity I have never been involved in is picking olives - until yesterday! But as my loved-one was keen to point out, we did it the British way.

Not for us the laying of nets under the trees and waiting for the olives to drop off. This way takes months and involves going to the nets regularly to collect the olives. We decided to go for it in one shot, wanting just enough good olive oil for our house and to give some away to selected lucky friends. So we wandered around to choose which trees had the most fruit, then laid the nets underneath and used rakes on the end of broomsticks to drag the olives off. Sounds easy but we really needed the regular coffee and mince pie stops to keep us going.

A whole day's labour yielded four sacks and this should give us about twenty litres of oil - more than enough for our summer salads.
Sarah

We took a long time to decide on our Christmas Card this year - in fact we took so long it is now virtually a New Year card.

We went through all the ideas of Corfu in the snow, beaches in the snow, Santa fishing off a jetty - you name it, we considered it! In the end we decided the best greeting is the one which shows the Corfu so many of us know; the one you see when you arrive by boat and which makes you give a little sigh of happiness at being 'home'. A bit sentimental probably, but there you are.

It comes wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Corfuhomefinders and Corfu Premier Property, including Lorraine and Wendy in the Corfuhomestore shop who are often the first contact people have with our company and who rarely get a mention! There are also too many people to mention - lawyers, civil engineers, builders - who support us in helping our clients throughout the year and I know they share our sentiments.
Diana

The view from the roadside as we were at work on Friday last week! And yes we do realize how lucky we are that it isn't the M25.
Susan

Christmas Carols

On Sunday evening, the Holy Trinity Anglican church in Corfu Town was packed with those of us eager to join in the Nine Lessons and Carols. The new vicar, the Rev. Canon John Philpott, led the service, (both in voice and spirit!) with readings in English and Greek from members of the congregation.

Afterwards, refreshments in the form of mulled wine and lots of goodies were served in the library, giving everyone the chance to chat and pass on their news.

On the evening of Tuesday 23rd, there will be carol singing around the town, meeting first at the church at 5.30pm, followed by more mince pies and mulled wine.

World War Three Averted

My kids are both coming home for a short time this Christmas holidays and, naturally expecting all the comforts of London, they want Sky TV, not just in the house, but in their rooms! In the past I have spent hours connecting Sky boxes and cables, only usually to find that something has happened and at least one box doesn't want to work.

No more. Having had new roof, bathrooms etc. I decided no more wires and arranged to have at least three rooms permanently wired for Sky. And, unlike most plans made during our building project, this one worked. Friendly satellite engineer arrived, climbed up into the loft and 30 minutes later, not only all three rooms wired to satellite with no wires across the floor, but all boxes tuned in to extra channels I didn't even know you could receive.

We were talking about the 'early days' around 15 years ago when you could originally only receive BBC Prime and how every time you found it on one satellite it moved, and you had to have the dish moved to find it again. These days I believe it has gone for good (think I have heard people saying that they can no longer recieve it) and the engineer said that he could easily re-align an existing dish and connect to a freeview box with card for 250 euros.

This would give Channel 4, Channel 5, some kids programmes, some news channels - and loads more which I can't remember. More channels seem to be available all the time, so if you are missing your fix of UK TV, just give us a call at 26610 47692 or email us at info@corfuhomefinders.com and we will put you in touch with the engineer.

Everyone should consider 'Going Greek'

A cheering article in Place in the Sun magazine recently highlighted the success of Greece at this year's World Travel Market and linked this with a steady increase in the popularity of Greece as a second home destination. Of course, the small but steady increase of tourism in Greece, particularly in the villa rental market, does favourably influence the potential for holiday letting income for second home buyers.

The current economic climate is, as we all know, fairly dire, particularly the exchange rate suffered by English buyers. But with this in mind, some sellers are realistically repricing their properties to encourage potential buyers, so that with careful selection it is possible still to find your ideal property at a reasonable price and, in many cases, to also receive a comfortable income from your purchase. Shortly, on the blog, we will compile a list of properties we consider now to be our 'best buys', but in the meantime the majority of properties we have available are at corfuhomefinders.com and corfupremierproperty.com.
Diana

Welcome to sunny Corfu! As well as never ending economic gloom, it seems we now have to put up with never ending gloomy weather - a far cry from the days in late October and November when we were smugly talking about 'sitting having lunch in the sun by the sea'.

Today being Sunday, we had planned to go out for lunch and we were not going to let the weather stop us. When we left home (south) the rain was fairly nasty, but by the time we started to go north of Corfu Town it was TORRENTIAL! As we headed up the coast it got progesssively worse until, as we reached Spartillas we were actually in the clouds/fog and driving through what seemed to be a roaring river. The photo above, if you can make sense of it, is the torrent pouring in cataracts from the road on one of the hairpin bends and there were similar ones on each bend. We reached higher up the mountain and in Strinilas had the usual wonderful Sunday lunch at Oasis. By the ime we left the rain was even more spectacular and had reached us in the south.

Much of our journey home along the south coast was spent driving through water that could have been sea or could have been rain water - impossible to see which piece was the road. We also encountered several cars which had given up the ghost in the face of water which reached up to the doors - making me appreciate our sturdy Fiat Panda 4x4 even more.

I also heard two classic comments today. Firstly 'I expect this reminds you of England' - well, no it doesn't. I always think of England with semi-permanent drizzle, not monsoons. And secondly 'We need the water'. No, I think we have had enough now thank you!
Diana

New Resort

An interesting item was picked up this week by Diana on a Google alert.

It seems that Fairmont Hotels and Resorts plans to open the Fairmont Corfu Resort and Spa in 2012 on the north east coast. The property will include 240 rooms, 6 restaurants, banquet and meeting facilities and a Willow Stream Spa featuring 17 treatment rooms and a health club.

There will also be 10 residential villas, a beach club, tennis academy and a marina.

Wow! It seems that Corfu is heading up-market in a big way.
Susan

On Wednesday we celebrated the season by having lunch at "27" on Alexandras Avenue. It's actually not that easy to find restaurants open at lunchtime in Corfu town - lots of tavernas, but we wanted something a bit more special, and this was our third Christmas lunch at this venue which we really like a lot. It's also close to the office so we get there quickly when we shut up shop at 2 p.m. Present were Corfuhomefinders staff and the ladies who work in our shop - Corfu Home Store (English Imports as was).

We had a selection of starters, including chicken and feta dumplings, stuffed mushrooms, and camembert with redcurrant jelly. Main courses included chicken breast with parmesan and baby tomatoes, linguine with prawns and ouzo, penne with cashews and balti sauce and meatballs with yoghourt sauce. All accompanied by a very palatable dry white wine.

None of us were able to manage desert - very unusual that, so we must have eaten very well indeed!
Susan

December 12 can be an expensive day if you have lots of friends or family called Spiros or Spiridoula.

St Spiridon is our island's patron saint, and apart from the celebrations in the church which houses his bones, there will be smaller celebrations going on in very many homes on the island. A day off for all, it marks the beginning of the Christmas festivities for many of us, and I usually put up my Christmas decorations on this day.

Spiros' and Spiridoulas all over the island will be "at home" ready to recieve any friends or family who would like to pop by to wish them "Xronia Polla" and share a drink and a bite to eat. I have three friends with this name, who I visit in turn during the evening, ending up with the one closest to home.

My car, as you see, is loaded up with their gifts!
Sarah

Chaos

Impossible to ignore the national news this week, and we have all been watching television coverage of rioters in Athens who are setting fire to shops, banks and office blocks and cars. There have also been incidents in Thessaloniki, Larissa, Patras, Corinth, Chania, Iraklion and many other Greek towns. We even had a minor riot in Corfu - with paint bombs being thrown at the local police stations.

The trigger for all the violence was the shooting of a 15 year old student by police in Athens on Saturday evening. Blame is being laid squarely on the policeman who fired three shots, one of which fatally wounded the student. The incident occurred in an area of Athens renowned for violent incidents between students and the authorities and no-one seems to be asking why there was a gang of young people throwing stones and bottles at the police in the first place. However, the results of the inquest will - one hopes - bring some answers. The police have obviously been instructed not to intervene in the present riots in order to avoid further fatalities, but the result is anarchy in the streets.

Greece holds its students and young people in great respect - with the result that it is anti-constitutional for police authorities to enter the University and Polytechnic grounds, and nobody seems prepared to intervene when these young people express their opinions in a violent manner. It has always been perfectly acceptable for high school students to lock themselves in their schools whenever they feel the need, and teachers seem not only to allow this behaviour, but to approve it. The present rioters are obviously not, in the main, ordinary students, but they are being treated with kid gloves in just the same way.

I'm glad that I don't have to find the solution to bring normality back to the streets, but somebody needs to take action, and maybe start by explaining to those students who are involved in the riots that respect has to be earned, and that whilst believing in something enough to join a protest is admirable, it is possible to protest in a non-violent manner.
Susan

This week we have been out and about (in a variety of weathers including near hurricane winds!) to catch up on looking at some of the properties just coming on to the market for sale. Property on the north-east coast tends to be at the higher end of the scale, so it was a pleasant surprise to find three all with great locations, two with amazing views, the other in an absolutely prime location, and all three with reasonable price tags.

Geranium - this is a new apartment with STUNNING VIEWS, two bedrooms, open plan living room/kitchen, bathroom and balcony. It is on a very small development, and is just a few minutes drive from the beach, shops and restaurants. Completely ready for occupation, and ideal either to live permanently, or to visit as a holiday home, and perhaps to let in the periods when you are not in residence. The ideal home in every way, and only 165,000 euros.

Nissaki Bay View - this is a traditional 200 year old Corfiot house, situated in the tiny hamlet of Apolysies in the hills above Nissaki. The upper floor has the master bedroom (wake in the morning, and the first thing you see is the VIEW!) and living room with balcony. Stairs lead down to the middle floor, with a large kitchen, bathroom, double bedroom, plus a further room with mezzanine floor and utility room. Outside steps lead down to a spacious area, currently being used as a workshop, but which could be easily converted into further living space. Also outside is a small plunge pool situated at the corner of the paved patio - another place from which to enjoy the views. The house also has parking. Currently the house is let during the summer through a major tour operator, which means that as well as a great family home, or holiday home, it also offers a commercial opportunity as a letting investment. At the price of 249,000 euros, this is an exceptional property and could qualify for the title of Bargain of the Year.

Last but not least is San Stefanos Cottage. It is incredibly unusual to find economically priced property in this area, especially so close to the centre of the "film set" pretty harbour at Aghios Stefanos. The house is situated approximately 100m along a pathway leading inland from the centre of the harbour. It has a small entrance patio, with the front door leading into a basic kitchen/dining area. From here a door opens into the large living room, and two bedrooms, one double and one single. The living room and double bedroom have French doors leading out on to an attractive paved patio, and access to the bathroom. The house is in generally good condition, and although it would benefit from general updating, particularly to the kitchen and bathroom, it is an absolutely charming house and could be an extremely good source of rental income. At 198,000 euros this will sell really quickly!
Susan

Today was a really wild one. Force 10 gales buffeted parts of Corfu, particularly the south - according to the local TV News this was the first time such strong winds have been recorded.

Out and about in the north, three of us - Diana, Helga and I - were forced to retreat to a local coffee shop from where this photo was taken!
Susan

Now that the weather has turned so totally vile here, and we can watch UK television with its scenes of snow (nice to watch, not so nice to go to work in?) we can all start to feel a little 'Christmassy'.

In the spirit of this, the British Vice Consulate would like to invite everyone to a mince pie and mulled wine morning, between 10 am and 12 midday on 11th December.

This is a chance, for people who don't already know them, to meet the Vice Consul and her staff at the Consulate. We will defnitely all be popping in there.

Since we all have to work Christmas week, we have decided we might as well enjoy it, and will be offering mulled wine to all our Corfuhomestore and Corfuhomefinders clients from the Monday of Christmas week until Christmas Eve in our shop/office. Look forward to seeing you!
Diana

Currency Update

We have received the following email from our contact at Foreign Currency Direct and thought we should pass it on to as many people as possible:

Apologies for the informal nature of this e-mail but given the recent volatility on the currency markets and the massive shifts in the value of the Pound, I thought it was important to make sure all of my clients were aware of the impending interest rate decisions for both the UK and the Eurozone on Thursday.

The anticipation of interest rate cuts have seen the GBP USD rate fall by 5.5 cents and the GBP EUR rate to fall by 3.75 cents today alone- both of which are very sizable movements. Given the scale of the rate cut at the November meeting of the Bank of England, and the fact that no-one can be certain of the size of any potential cuts, many of you may wish to consider getting something done before Thursday to avoid possible volatility.

If I have not spoken to you recently and you would like to update me with any pending currency requirements (either near or long term) then please feel free to get in touch.
Susan

Christmas is Coming

Despite the unseasonally warm weather (with heavy rain at the moment) Christmas is indisputably on the way. Starting last weekend with two craft fairs, the local shops are now full of Christmas gifts, decorations and party wear. Christmas trees are springing up all over the place, and advent calendars are being opened, counting down the days to Santa's arrival. Of course, in Greece, we are awaiting the arrival of St. Basil who brings presents on New Year's Day, though I think most half-and-half families still celebrate Christmas with their children and leave mince pies out for St. Nicholas.

The three-day annual Craft Fair, held at Casa Lucia in Sgombou, was as usual an opportunity for friends - kept apart by the activities of a busy summer - to meet again, arrange coffee mornings and exchange news and views.

Contributing to the Christmas cheer, mulled wine and nibbles were on offer, and tempting displays of brilliantly made Christmas cakes, chutneys, cards, jewelery, knitted items, olive wood sculptures, painted tee-shirts and lots lots more.

The other fair - at Holy Trinity Anglican church - also an annual must-go, must-be-seen-at event, was on Saturday morning and included tombola, white elephant stall and a raffle.

Before we know it we will be into carol-singing, Christingle service, and all the Corfiot pre-Christmas celebrations. There is one notable exception this year - no Christmas charter flight, for the first time in sixteen years. I'm going to miss the social event of waiting at the airport for loved-ones with the arrivals hall full of familiar faces. This year everyone is coming in dribs and drabs, spread over Olympic and Aegean flights so it won't be quite the same.
Susan

Just when you think you have seen all kinds of property in Corfu, something pops up and surprises you!

This week, on our ‘out and about day’, we were asked to go to Vatos to have a look at a trio of stone houses which were regretfully being put up for sale by the owner, due to ill health. We made our way up there, expecting the usual Corfiot style stone house, and what a surprise when we arrived.

Three houses, constructed of stone, with galleried upper floors, vaulted wooden ceilings, stone floors, and in the two guest houses, stunning bath and showers in the main living room. (Loos and auxiliary washing facilities in privacy as well, of course!)

The main house has an open plan lounge/kitchen area with the main bedroom and bathroom leading off to the side. It also has an amazing auxiliary room, off the kitchen, which almost looks like a small chapel. Upstairs is a large gallery, great as a second bedroom, office or extra living space.

The small houses are rounded in shape, with living room on the ground floor and small kitchens and spiral stairs leading up to the ‘loft style’ bedroom. Each of the houses has a paved outside area, and views across the Ropa Valley. Each house also has a piano!

Three totally unique properties, just when we thought we had seen it all.
Diana

Telegraph Travel Awards

Nice to see that in the annual Telegraph Travel Awards, Greece is voted the second favourite European destination. Seeing this makes me feel that here in Greece do not 'blow our own trumpet' enough. The second best tour operator was Kuoni, of which CV Travel is now a part, so more kudos to Corfu.

Perhaps this last year we will be best known for Mr. Mandelson and George Osborne's 'Corfugate', but bearing in mind the adage that 'all publicity is good publicity' perhaps we will see a great increase in our upmarket visitors in 2009.

As an island where the main source of income for most of the population derives from tourism, the debate at present is very much based on looking ahead to 2009 with a certain amount of trepidation. One school of thought is that almost no one will go on holiday (What? Will they all stay and suffer in the U.K. in the rain?) or they will go to Turkey or Bulgaria because they are cheaper. As for Turkey, some friends on a trip from Corfu to Istanbul, returned saying that it was far more expensive than they had anticipated, and as for Bulgaria - well, just the sight of tourists lying on the beach like sardines waiting to be tinned, makes me think that they are almost certainly not the kind of tourists we would have had anyway!

Our own feelings are that perhaps people will be more careful with their holiday budgets, but there is no doubt that Greece, and Corfu in particular, offers excellent value for money both in terms of both accommodation and entertainment and eating out - well eating out IS entertainment isn't it. Adding that to the relatively short flight from the U.K. and hopefully Corfu will still remain one of the popular destinations for Brits for their holidays.

And of course, as estate agents, we cannot help being optimistic that many of them will earmark Corfu as one of the places they would like to live, if and when they decide to escape the gloom and doom of the U.K. Of course, we also have a certain amount of gloom and doom, but then the sun comes out and you walk the dog on an empty sandy beach in December and everything looks better!
Diana

Usually, when we go to see and old village house for sale we have to pick our way through old cookers, fridges and furniture that 'might come in useful' or mounds of potatos and onions, so this trip was a complete surprise.

An English owner came in to the office and discussed selling her house in Xlomos - an old village house needing almost complete renovation.

There were three surprises awaiting me when we arrived.

Firstly it was in fairly reasonable condition by 'renovation' standards.

Secondly it has three floors - not terribly common in Corfu - and opening the possibilitiy of a roof terrace.

And thirdly, it was virtually empty!

When I commented on this, the owner said that it had been used for storage by several of her neighbours and up until last week had been full of various bits and pieces, but when she told them she was selling the house she also told them that if they did not remove their valuables she would do it, as she wanted the house clean and empty.

By the time we went to take photos it was empty of all valuable bits of wood, old sinks etc. As I say, that really is a first!
Diana

The other day I was sorting out this summer's photographs of the villa we let through Meon Villas, to pick out some more up to date ones for their website. They were all sunshine and blue water and made it all look just like paradise.

On Sunday I went back over to Halikouna to measure up for some new curtains and upholstery.

The wind was so strong I had trouble opening the double gates as they kept blowing back on me, then it began to rain and the water was being blown so hard it felt as if you were being attacked with needles.

The sea was higher than I have ever seen it, it seemed to be almost halfway up the cliff underneath the house and it seemed incredible that only two weeks ago we opened up the house to air it in the warm sunshine. Such is Corfu!
Diana

The Pomo D'Oro restaurant in Corfu Town is hosting themed evenings again this winter. I was there on Thursday with some friends to enjoy the Beaujolais Nouveau evening - advertised at 22 Euros all inclusive of food and wine. There will be a themed evening each week, on a Tuesday or a Thursday evening, and the details are available in Mesogio shop (newsagents/tobacconists), next door to McDonalds, as well as at the restaurant.

In a lovely setting just behind the well-known Serano coffee shop, Pomo D'Oro has a lovely warm welcoming atmosphere and tasteful decor. We took our seats and the evening began.

Our chef poured us all a glass of Beaujolais and served a tasty first course of chicken terrine with mixed salad. Then followed the main course, slow roasted pork with mushrooms and another glass of Beaujolais. The dessert was a French classic - mille-feuille with creme-patisserie and a kind of fudgey sauce. All totally delicious and beautifully presented. Not having to choose from the menu and the wish I'd chosen something else was an added bonus for me.

We waited for the bill, expecting some hidden extras like the bottles of water and the extra glasses of wine, but sure enough, it was 22 Euros per head. All delighted and having spent a very enjoyable evening we donned our coats and the chef held the door open for us. As we left, we were each presented with a bottle of Beaujolais to take home - I am drinking mine as I type this.
Sarah

Some time ago I wrote on the blog about the accident that resulted in the arrival of a second dog into our family. According to my husband it wasn't just a case of me running the dog over. Apparently the dog was lying in wait for me, and with polished precision leapt in front of the car and triple somersaulted out of the way of the wheels and then lay in the middle of the road acting its heart out to resemble a mortally wounded creature in need of rescuing. Yeah, yeah, I said - at the time. However, there is now a second installment that makes me wonder...

Yesterday morning I got bored waiting for the two dogs to finish eating grass 20 yards up the road from our house, expecting them to follow me home. They didn't, and this morning, more than 24 hours later, they were both still missing. Driving, with Sarah, to our first appointment of the morning we found senior dog heading for home but no sign of the second one. Ten minutes later we met our first client and followed his car to the house he is trying to sell - up a back street in a nearby village. He pointed me into a parking space on the side of the road and as I opened the car door a small woolly head appeared and - yes, you guessed it - there was dog number two. If we had been two magnets we could not have come together in a more precise meeting place. Coincidence? Or a VERY clever small dog?
Susan

It may be just a glorified shed, but this sweet little building could be turned into a country style cottage within walking distance of shops and buses, and only a short drive from the northern beaches at Arilas, Aghios Stefanos and Sidari. Newly reduced in price to only 20,000 euros.
Susan

Last weekend we went for lunch in Petriti, sat by the sea and got too hot in the sun. This weekend, in the rain, we took delivery of Christmas stock for our shop, Corfu Homestore (formerly English Imports). For the first time in ages I wore my 'shop' hat and even though we have unpacked stock for the shop every year for the last 14 years, unpacking christmas bits and pieces is still as much fun as ever!

It took 47 boxes and 7 hours but eventually it was all done and we do actually look like Christmas is coming - no actual decorations up yet, I think 1st December is soon enough for that - but loads of cards, wrapping paper, calendars, gifts, mince pies, icing, marzipan, christmas puds - all the usual goodies. For some reason some boxes of carrot cake slices sneaked into the food order, so of course we had to open one to check they were OK - and yes, they were very nice!
Diana

The Old Pharmacy in Magoulades has always been a top favourite of mine and Susan's, epitomising all the best points of a traditional Corfiot village house. Tastefully and lovingly restored, there is still potential for some personal touches to be added and for the various outbuildings to be utilised. With its faded grandeur and jasmine strewn bodzo (covered balcony), this is like stepping right into one of the Frankie Cranfield paintings we feature on our website!

I almost got carried away with the beauty and atmosphere of this house, and forgot to mention that the price has now been reduced to 260,000 euros - not a lot for a real slice of history and a comfortable family home too!
Sarah

Sorry Di, I disagree, in my house builders and dogs DO mix!

As you can see, Roma made herself very comfortable while loved-one (my favourite builder) spent two days installing my new wood-burning stove. She's even more delighted to be able to curl up infront of it in the evenings now that it's lit!
Sarah

The topic of the moment is how to save money in today's economic climate, with articles in newspapers and magazines everywhere giving hints and tips on household economies. Trouble is, I'm already doing all of it! No one has any suggestions for someone who already cuts the toothpaste tube in half to get to the last of the contents, and has shopped at charity shops for years. I always use half a tablet in the mozzy machine, clean the windows with newspaper, cut out zips and buttons from old clothes before recycling them to the dog's bed, or using them as dusters. We put on an extra sweater rather than turn up the heating, and always dry the clothes in the fresh air. My cellar is full to the brim of suitcases and boxes stuffed with clothes that might one day come back into fashion and, yes, they do! My today's ensemble consisted of a raincoat bought shortly before we got married, a mere 32 years ago - and it was admired!

My grand-daughter is about to inherit all my original Winnie-the-Pooh books, plus a wonderful Edmund Dulac Fairy Story tome inscribed with my father's name and the date 1922. This one has travelled from his native Australia, via New Zealand, England and Athens to Corfu.

I have extracted an enormous amount of pleasure from these economies - especially the shopping at Oxfam, Help-the-Aged, etc, but I admit to being a little bit concerned about my sanity when instead of being horrified for the gypsies who earn a living by scavenging from the city tips, I found myself thinking .....mmm, that might be fun!
Susan

Of course, if you look at the photo above you will realise immediately that the property concerned is in need of considerably more than 'a little DIY' and if we truly advertised it in this way, our credibility would definitely suffer.

In fact, we often have discussions on how to describe properties, since one man's ' in need of DIY' is another's 'total ruin' and even amongst ourselves, the definition of 'habitable' is open to many interpretations. So in most cases we prefer to err on the side of caution rather than oversell - in fact one client the other day looked at me very hard when in answer to a question of 'What is this one like,' I said 'Aabsolutely vile'. It is, but in fact with some work (serious work, not DIY) it could actually be a great investment and a lovely spacious house, but if I had said that first he would have been disappointed when he saw the house in its present state.

However, it seems that not all estate agents share the same philosophy. I looked today at a handout from a local Greek agency and recognised a property which we also have on our books. The property description was of 'an estate' with main house, stables, etc. 'in very good condition' and a very nice photograph, making the property look like the bargain of the century. Don't misunderstand me, I love the property, it is one of my favourites and it is indeed a very good price for what it is. But the photograph must be more than 20 years old, many of the buildings shown on it have virtually collapsed and it needs a massive investment to restore it to its former glory. Once restored it will be fantastic - but anyone travelling to view it on the strength of that agency's description and photo will feel completely deceived when they arrive. On the other hand, with the right information and expectations, at some point I am sure the right buyer will appear, knowing what to expect, and able to fall in love with it as we did.

On reflection, I think we will continue with our rather more factual descriptions.
Diana

Corfu Is All About Fun, Not Funds

After my last blog thank heavens for a wonderful Corfu article!

This is by Justine Picardie and was published in The Sunday Telegraph. We think it presents Corfu as we know it - something for everyone!

"If you followed the recent yachtgate scandal, you might have the impression that Corfu is overrun with British politicians, Russian oligarchs, international media moguls, hedge-fund managers and members of the Rothschild dynasty. All of which could be a little off-putting if you are in search of a quiet Ionian idyll for next year's summer holiday. But Corfu defies categorisation, and that is why I keep returning, from my summers as a student backpacker to nowadays, as a mother of teenage sons. If you arrive on a charter flight in August, and fight your way through its heaving, humid baggage hall, all human life is here: cheerful hordes on their way to the southern tip of the island; legions of middle-class families heading north to the quieter coastal villages; and the occasional, incongruous politician or other celebrity."

Read the rest of the article...

Diana

Third time lucky maybe for this little terraced property with wonderful south views? Almost sold twice, the paperwork is ready for immediate completion and quotes are in place for renovation into a two double-bedroomed house with courtyard garden. Only 20,000 euros.
Susan

The phrase "before and after" is one we quite often use - with illustrations - in our line of work, usually to show how an old wreck can be turned into a lovely village home.

The two photos here could also be entitled "before" and "after", but in this case to illustrate how NOT to restore a neglected stone property. I leave everyone to draw their own conclusions as to how well smooth plaster and aluminium windows look in a traditional village.
Susan

Spent the weekend in Brussels with friends, and during an after dark photography session at the Chinese Pavilion, where the weather was distinctly chilly, I happened to remark that I was glad not to be alone in the ghostly atmosphere created by a combination of evening mist in the floodlights, the elaborate and unoccupied building and a background singing noise coming from the basement. Whilst the photography enthusiast in our midst set up a tripod and experimented with different light effects, I took a couple of snapshots, one of which is attached. It really isn't a ghost...I think!
Susan

Just in case it passed you by 'Corfugate' has been the main topic of conversation/newspapers/TV in the UK for the past two weeks. Never mind the collapsing world economy, US elections, disaster in the Congo - a supposedly private conversation on a boat and in a restaurant in Agni, have held the British public spellbound. This has then opened the door for the British press to salivate over the 'rich and famous' who have homes here.

Of course, anyone who is anyone has their home ONLY on the stretch of road north of Barbati and 'not for them the cheap, ugly apartment blocks and mass-tourism hotels of the island's south' (this is from the Sunday Times this week). Earlier in the week, in another newspaper article, a local agent quoted the south as an 'aesthetic no-go zone' and mentioned 'destroyed parts of the island, particularly in the south'. Are they all too afraid to venture down to Boukari or the deep south-west coast and its spectacular drive down to Asprokavos?

Presumably these people never drive up to their luxury villas to appreciate the stunning architecture of the hotels and apartments of Dassia and Ipsos, or the supremely unspoilt area of Barbati. In fact most of Corfu is much like anywhere else - stunning areas, mildly pretty areas, and areas you wish you hadn't seen,(and all parts of the island have their fair share of all of them) basically a mix of all the good, and not so good, all over the island!

Some other areas are as stunning as the famous 15 mile stretch, some less so, but I personally do not think that there is any part of the island where you can't find, very close by, some stunning views to appreciate.

We understand the appeal of the north-east coast, but at Corfuhomefinders, and Corfu Premier Property we have great properties all over the island. For example both this villa near Karoussades (above) and this one at Paramonas are stunning - and neither is on the north-east coast.

Incidentally, apart from name-dropping, (which I believe is one of the things our visitors come here to avoid) the one sensible thing in the article was that these people come are here because of the 'great natural beauty, friendly locals and relaxed atmosphere, where 'you don't see many high gates and security cameras'. She got one thing right then - and perhaps it is something we take so much for granted, that we forget to emphasise it to people considering purchasing property here.
Diana

Is this winter?

Sunday 2nd November and there were still swimmers at Ipsos as I drove through on my way to Spartilas.

Up in the village, it was my friend's birthday, so we sat outside in her garden to have coffee and cake and we all got TOO HOT and had to move into the shade!

Later on, we spent the afternoon gardening, and again sat outside in a t-shirt and jeans to have a cup of tea. It was bliss, there were robins chattering to each other, eagles shrieking, and to top it all, we found a baby tortoise. For me, this is as heart warming as seeing a dolphin; one of those happy moments to cherish.

After a hard day's gardening we came home and barbequed a couple of fresh fish bought from the new fish shop at Tzavros. This is a godsend for me, as I love fish, but hate cleaning it, and the lady in the shop does this as part of the service.

What a lovely weekend.
Sarah

Last week we did a quick trip back to London to see the kids. Actually we saw them for a short space of time, just to be given the list of 'work that needs doing' including shower hoses, bulbs, loo seats, heating timer, window cleaning, boiler servicing, fill the fridge with food - all the things you would consider normal to do on a short holiday! After that they disappeared, one to New York, the other one to uni/work only to re-appear at intervals to see what there was to eat.

However in between the chores, we did fit in a variety of things On our first day we went to the local 'Broadway Market' to check out the wonderful food stalls. As we crossed the park we were given a leaflet for a 'ballet with a bulldozer' which was so intriguing we waited to see what it could be. And it really was, a shiny yellow bulldozer in graceful movement with members of a French ballet company. Incredible.

Couldn't resist looking in the estate agents windows locally to see how much the value of our flat has dropped - but there doesn't seem to be any difference in price from last year - maybe it is just that no one is buying at the moment.

Next day a walk along the South Bank of the Thames, past the London Eye and Tate Modern, to have a look at the second hand book and print stalls - relieved by lunch in a riverside pub where you can sit outside and, if you feel cold, there is a pile of blankets and you are invited to wrap yourself up warm whilst you look at the view.

Two days of chores, then a trip up to visit family in Suffolk, staying in the wonderful Brudenell Hotel on Aldeburgh beach, where you sit in the warm while fishermen apparently enjoy themselves sitting in driving rain and gale force winds waiting to catch small fish on a line which they then throw back. We did a quick bit of driving around to see how much the villages had changed since my 'growing up' days and as we were driving along a large pheasant appeared from nowhere, swooped on the car, collided with the windscreen and veered off.

Later on we went through Aldeburgh cemetery and saw squirrels and rabbits playing hide and seek amongst the grave stones. Obviously we had to check out the property market and found that Aldeburgh still has prices on a par with Kensington and Chelsea - so much for the 'credit crunch'.

Returned to London and spent Saturday at the antiques market in Portobello Road (realising again that some of the super trendy 'interiors' shops carried some of the same stock as we do in the Corfu Homestore but at vastly different prices!) and then wandered through Hyde Park, stopping for pumpkin soup at the Lido restaurant on the lake. The minute the food arrived a battle ensued between us and the local sparrows (I think) as to who would have the most lunch - they literally hop on the plate whilst you are eating and will not be deterred!

More chores, a bit of shopping and an easy Easyjet flight back to Corfu and home, reflecting whilse sitting on the flight on the variety of things you can do in one week in England. Very nice for a short visit but wouldn't like to live there again I don't think.
Diana

My boxer dog has been violently scratching herself lately, and closer inspection yesterday revealed fleas. I was absolutely horrified, as she's never had fleas and is always as clean as a whistle. I religiously put Frontline on her in the spring, with another couple of applications during the summer, and that is always enough to keep her bug-free.

This morning I popped into the vets to buy some anti-flea product, and he said that there are more fleas around this year because of the warm weather. So check your animals, they may have visitors!
Sarah

We all know how lovely Corfu is in the spring with the roadsides covered in wildflowers, but the autumn is just as beautiful, in a more subtle way.

The olive groves are covered in the tiny wild cyclamen, which started to poke their little faces out after the first rain in September. They are still going strong, this year undamaged by further storms and wind. We saw a plot of land last week at Vigla, and decided to name it "Cyclamen Land" because of the swathes of pink along its banks.

My favourite is the autumn crocus, usually a pale pink but sometimes yellow, which bravely fights its way through bracken to face the sun. There don't appear to be any leaves, just naked flowers.

This year, my pride and joy is our rose bed, which has been a real joint effort in our garden. I requested it, with the idea of all coral coloured roses, and my parents planted it. They then proceeded to carry bucket-loads of manure from the Trailriders stables in Ano Korakiana in their ancient Fiat with the roof open to let the smell out! I have seemed to take over the pruning and weeding, and am now enjoying the benefits, although the roses are mixed colours, not all coral as they promised at the garden centre.
Sarah

Arches Barn, in the depths of the countryside between Poulades and the Paleokastritsa road.

This lovely old stone barn is a crowd-stopper. Anyone who finds their way down the rather isolated track, which has recently been tarmac-ed except for one short stretch, has their eye drawn inevitably to the beauty of the building. It consists of a huge single space and is begging to be renovated and turned into a country farmhouse-style home.

Situated in an elevated position with south facing views towards a little lake people do actually stop and stare when they pass by. With 4,000 sq.m. of land there is plenty of space for privacy and a pool if required.

The price has recently been reduced from 220,000 to 185,000 euros!
Susan

These villas on the south west coast in Kanouli, which have unexpectedly come back on the market, are an absolute dream - apart from being an absolute bargain! They are literally a few steps down to the beach, in the best possible sense. The garden simply extends itself down to the small sandy bay just below the house.

There are two semi detached villas, one complete and one requiring completion. Both have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open plan living room and kitchen, plus a large covered balcony and lawned garden area.

Since they are on the beach the owner decided not to build a swimming pool, but one could easily be installed. The houses also have individual entrances, and paved parking in the driveway.

The area of Kanouli has hitherto been relatively unknown, except to locals, but it is on the area of south west coast currently becoming increasingly popular for high quality villas - indeed some of the more prestigious villa tour operators are now actively looking for properties on this side of the island. This obviously means that the villas are not only a dream home, but also a lucrative letting investment. What more could anyone ask?
Diana

Too Many Adventures Recently

Obviously I have been living in the safe environment of Corfu for too long and I fell victim to a bag snatcher on a recent visit to Athens. Actually it was only my wallet out of my bag, but it means that I am now running around trying to gather paperwork and pay vast sums of money to get a new identity card and driving licence.

I'm also wearing a giant structure around my neck supposedly to improve back pain, but its main purpose seems to be to attract huge attention in the street. It is almost like being young again (so many staring people!) I am thinking of setting up a company to market neck collars as an advertising tool. It would have to be something unassociated with possible injury to neck, therefore ruling out Bridgestone (car accident?), Nike (fell over), Nivea (violent reaction to face cream?). Something like - I know! - "InterAmerican, for life's difficult moments".

To cap it all I have a brick replica orthopoedic pillow. Supposed to ease back and neck pain. It doesn't, or if it does so far I have only noticed that it makes every other part of my body suffer, through lack of sleep if nothing else.
Susan

Small World

This week we made one of our 'escape' trips back to England to see our kids. Last year we bought a flat in London, in an area which none of us know and where we really didn't know anyone. On our first venture out to check out a local restaurant we had a very nice meal in the Turkish restaurant closest to our house. As we were finishing our meal the waiter asked where where we were from and as soon as my husband said 'Greece' they dragged the chef from the kitchen - a Greek gentleman called Apostolis. Apostolis has since become not only the caretaker of my son's food supply, keeping him in fresh food instead of MacDonald's on a daily basis, but when one of our new beds broke he turned out to be a carpenter as well.

This time we arrived at Luton, having booked a minicab to take us into London. The driver rang when we landed and I could have sworn he said 'Yassas'... of course he was Greek and chatted for an hour on the way home about how much he wanted to return to live in Greece and how lucky we are not to live in London. We parted on excellent terms with the promise from him that should we recommend him to any of our friends visiting London he would look after them 'like family'.

The next day we were on our first trip to Tesco and a small group of people were selling the Socialist Worker in the street and asking for people to sign a petition against the government. A closet revolutionary, my husband of course agreed, and the lady asked where he was from... of course she was Greek, so I went into Primark while they had a long conversation about the current state of the world. We now have a standing invitation to go and say hello whenever we are in Hackney.

Today we ventured up to Camden Market in search of a few antique bits and pieces for the house. Nothing to buy - all designed to tempt the unsuspecting tourist apart from one wonderful shop of furniture, pictures etc. and I was wildly enthusiastic until I looked a bit closer and realised that they bought their stock from some of the same suppliers as we do at Corfu Homestore - only they must have slightly higher profit margins than we do (or Camden is considerably more affluent) as a mirror we sold for 159 euros was priced at £295.00 and the more I looked the more I realised that most of their stock was from our suppliers - with the main difference that their profit margin is about 5 times as much as ours!

Absolutely nothing to buy so we decided to cheer ourselves up with our favourite walk along the south bank of the Thames, past the Tate Modern, National Theatre and, since as usual in London on Sundays a lot of the tube systems are not operating, we called a cab service, the largest in London with a fleet of 2,500 cars.

After a few minutes of discussion with my daughter about her schedule for the coming months, so that we could actually plan to occasionally be in the same place at the same time, the driver said 'Excuse me miss, what work do you do?' and when she explained that she was a 'booker' for bands and DJs, he said 'I don't suppose you know my nephew...he has a club in Manchester!'. Of course she did, so we had a lengthy discussion about nephew, stepdaughter (also involved in the club) ex-partner who Hannah happened to have lunch with in Sweden last week, etc etc.

Small world - absolutely!
Diana

Sometimes a bargain price hides a sad story, and this property is a case in point. Belonging to a family who just didn't manage to live the Corfu dream, these two modern single storey houses are now the subject of a repossession order.

The photo shows what the two bedroomed house used to look like and all the basic features are still in place although most of the fixtures and fittings have been removed.

Located just a couple of kilometres from Roda, the houses are in a large, level, fenced garden. One has two bedrooms and a separate kitchen and living area, and the other has a combined living/kitchen and three bedrooms.

A perfect combination for someone searching for a place to live and a rental property to provide an income, we understand from our lawyers that the properties can be sold separately with some small alterations in the division of the land.

A real bargain at 375,000 euros.
Susan

On Friday a couple of small dogs ran out in front of the car as I was driving into work with the result that I hit one of them. I HATE injured animals (even on TV) and had to force myself to stop the car and go and look. He was writhing in the middle of the road - busy straight stretch near Emeral - and the other one was running in circles around him.

Luckily someone else going in the other direction stopped as well (though most didn't) and with two cars on the side of the road stopping the speed of the other vehicles we (well me, really) managed to undertake rescue operation in the middle of the traffic. I ended up with scooped-up dog in car and took him to the vet in Corfu town.

Miraculously, maybe because he is only a puppy, he escaped serious injury, and his inability to walk appeared only to be as a result of shock. Despite the fact that he took off my number plate, he only had a bloody nose and gums. Still cost 25 euros for antibiotic, but could have been much worse.

Result, however, is that we now have a second dog - a smaller, look-alike version of our existing one.
Susan

We had our first sale this summer to someone who, despairing of ever being able to buy a decent apartment in London, decided to get on the holiday home property ladder instead. She is now the proud owner of a gorgeous little newly built house in the south of Corfu, just minutes walk from the sandy beach at St. George. She has already furnished it and spent her first holiday in her very own place in the sun in Corfu, having spent under 60,000 pounds in total.

There are also several enquiries from more established couples who are giving up on the idea of buying in Britain, and others who have realized that with the cash or loan they have earmarked for an extension in the UK they can afford a whole house in Corfu.

Far from being depressed, therefore, the market in Corfu seems to be filling a gap. We will probably shortly be seeing the arrival of clients who don't want to leave any spare cash in the bank, and would prefer a rental investment in Corfu that they can also use themselves and have fun at the same time as keeping their money safe.
Susan

The Hazards Of House Renovation

Helga has been very busy lately working on the old house she has bought for herself. Being a perfectionist, she wasn't happy with the finish of the wooden floors upstairs, so decided to sand the whole lot down by hand to get a really smooth finish. This has taken her ages to do.

Imagine her delight today when she reached the last part of the floor in the main bedroom, just behind the door. She shut the door, applied plenty of elbow grease, breathed a sigh of relief at her accomplishment and went to leave the room, only to find that she'd shut the door on herself with no handle to open it. She was locked in the bedroom, with her mobile phone on the other side.

With only very elderly neighbours nearby, her cries for help were eventually heard, and the rescue attempt began. Several screwdrivers were thrown up to her, but they were all too small to turn the lock, and eventually someone unscrewed their own doorhandle, attached it to a rope and she was able to pull it up and set herself free.

I think she will be finding herself the butt of lots of "blonde" jokes from now on.
Sarah

House Prices In Corfu - Another Cultural Difference

We keep being asked why properties that have been for sale for several years are still the same price. Why don't the vendors reduce the price in order to sell their house?

In fact, regular visitors to our websites may have noticed that quite often prices go up rather than down, which makes a change from the general trend worldwide at the moment!

In Greece property is treated very differently from in England. The normal UK pattern of buying a small house and gradually "trading up" is not common in Greece. The paternal or maternal home is normally kept in the family and used by one, or more of the children of the family, who may then acquire a further house on marriage as a wedding gift, resulting in several houses belonging to the same family. This means that houses on the market are often second or third houses and there is no great rush to complete the sale. Owners don't need to sell quickly in order to buy the next house on the rung up the ladder. It also used to be considered rather shameful to sell property - perhaps the neighbours will think you are in financial difficulty, or business colleagues suspect your solvency. This has changed a little bit recently, in part because of the new tax laws that penalize multi-property ownership, but the general rule is that owners are not desperate to sell and will wait, if necessary for years, to attract the price they want.

In the meantime, building materials have almost doubled in cost in the past 12 months, so an existing house of two or three years is comparatively cheaper than an off-plan or new build. Its vendor may well look at new prices and think "My house would now cost xxx euros more to build, therefore I'm going to add a bit to the asking price".

It is logical - in a Greek way, and may help to explain why prices here - so far at any rate - are not dropping.

There are always exceptions. For the next couple of days I'm going to make the "Property of the Day" a house that has recently been reduced in price. Keep a look out for some great bargains!
Susan

Some houses are obviously going to be popular right from the start and this is one of them. Only on our website for a couple of weeks, we have already been asked to show it several times, and have an appointment there tomorrow morning as well.

A traditional stone village house with a garden and a sea view, it is still in its Cinderella state, waiting to be transformed into someone's dream holiday home.
Susan

Can't remember how many times I have been asked what the weather is like in Corfu, and whether September is better than October or vice versa. My usual answer has been - not very helpfully - to say, "If September is sunny, then October will probably be wet, but if we have a lousy September, then October will most likely be glorious." This, of course, is fine for those of us who live here and absolutely no use at all for people trying to plan holidays many months in advance! 2008 has been a case in point, with September being a wash-out (literally) from the 15th onwards, and October treating us to glorious warm sunshine.
Susan

Which Spiros?

I laughed a lot at Susan's blog, it really was very funny when it happened and even funnier to hear Susan mixing up her Spiros'.

I used to live in Spartilas and there were lots of Spiros' - one of them my ex and two more of them with the same surname as well. The problem was got around by each one having a nickname, sometimes inherited from his grandfather (probably also a Spiros) and other times just given to him in the past for some odd reason or another.

So, to name but a few, there was;

Spiros - Voxias. Named because of not being able to pronounce "Panagia Voithia" when he was a little boy.
Spiros - Bolovas. He was a bit silly when he was a boy (according to my old mother-in-law).
Spiros - Boeros. No idea where this came from and neither does he!

There are loads more. In fact there is a whole family who have bird names as nicknames and another called "lemonade" and his son "ginger beer".

Maybe we should start doing the same, but goodness knows what they'd come up with for me!
Sarah

We have a shop of our own, English Imports, recently renamed Corfu Homestore to reflect the wider household ranges - furniture, linens, throws, cushions etc. as well as the usual greetings cards, gifts, china and Christmas supplies. So you would think that when I needed things for our villas and apartments I could supply myself, after all we furnish complete homes for our Corfuhomefinders clients! If only I were that well organised. Theoretically I should plan, list and order accordingly when we order for the shop. However, it doesn't seem to work that way and by the time I get my brain in gear to do my own list, the shop order is already under way. I usually manage to find a few things from us, and a few more from other local shops, but never everything I seem to need.

This time, needing all sorts of bits and pieces for myself I decided a trip to IKEA would fit the bill. A good opportunity to cover the entire range of absolutely everything I would need to finish show houses and get the villas ready for the 2009 rental season. Well organised.

Not so simple. In England we get in the car and drive, and in 30 minutes we have IKEA, B & Q, M & S, Laura Ashley etc. Slightly different here. Plan several days in advance and find someone to feed the dog. Get up at 05.30 to catch the Lefkimmi ferry at 06.30. Drive for 5 hours - quite a bit of motorway but don't believe anyone who says it is 'almost all' the new road to Thessaloniki. Take care to avoid the seemingly hundred of car transporters on their way to Bulgaria. Take note - once you hit the 'new road' THERE ARE NO PETROL STATIONS - you have to leave the road, drive to the service area and then go back on. There are not even any once you get to Thessaloniki, you still have to leave the bypass and follow signs off and then back on. On the way I finalised my list, dimensions for blinds/mirrors/picture frames etc. Spiros, my husband, commented that we should be able to do everything the same day and leave early the next morning to come back to Corfu. (He is not one of life's shoppers and seems to think that everything arrives by magic).

Arrive IKEA 1.30 pm. Shop until 6.30 pm. Manage to buy a small sofa (not on my list), several bookshelves (not on my list), bathroom mirrors, lots of lamps, frames (not the ones I wanted), bits of kitchen stuff, rugs (not the planned colours), and on up to 1,200 euros. No curtains (the ones I wanted, only in stock in black!) no blinds, only the expensive ones and I wanted a LOT! No curtain rails - wrong sizes, and when I found the ones I liked they didn't have the fittings in stock. Quick snack stop - piece of pizza, prawn sandwich and coffee - only 6 euros, not bad! Oh yes, and a chocolate soufflé between us which definitely won the prize for sickly dish of the day - but a great energy boost.

At 7.30 having spent an hour paying/packing/arranging transport for the items that wouldn't fit in the car, we were on our knees as we went off to find our hotel, The Royal (above), only about 10 minutes drive from the store. It was supremely comfortable with a massive bath and oodles of hot water to collapse into. It is new and is worth every cent of the 95 euros (including breakfast). The restaurant wouldn't win many stars but the food was OK and the wine better! After a good breakfast and lots of coffee, the next morning we headed back to the store to finish the shopping in what was supposed to be an hour. The shop opened at 10 and 'just a few final bits' took until 12.30 at which point we totally emptied and repacked the car and set off in glorious sunshine, anticipating a quick trip home. Just for a change the weather was against us and after an hour the heavens opened and we got torrential rain, fog and storms far more suited to January than early October. Still, in spite of that we managed to catch the 5.30 ferry and arrived home at 7 pm, totally shattered, but having bought lots of useful things. I hope!
Diana

Easyjet and Aegean are doing well from the Corfuhomefinders team over the next couple of days.

Susan is sending her youngest back to Uni before setting off to Athens herself for a weekend away.

Di's son returns to Uni and work in London, and my daughter goes off to pastures new in the South West of England.

Loraine's daughter returns to Corfu for her half term break from school in Scotland. And then Helga is off to Holland to visit her family.

Then we have to get them all back again for Christmas (apart from my son who is going in the opposite direction). We are all waiting to hear about the possibility of a direct Christmas flight, but in the meantime will be scanning the websites for the best deal from whichever area of Britain they are starting from.

Once we've sorted out our younger generation and Helga has returned, then it's our turn for holidays - our reward for the often 7 day week during the summer.

See you at the airport!
Sarah

It's a well known fact about Corfu that practically every third person is called Spiros and the only way to distinguish one from another is by adding that particular Spiros' occupation (Spiros the plumber), home town (Spiros from Doukades), or the identifying tag used on all government forms - father's name (Spiros of Yiannis).

A while ago Sarah and I experienced what has gone down in memory as "The Spiros Incident". We were on a carefully planned circuit of the north of the island, with various appointments carefully planned to gain maximum use of our time and minimum use of our petrol. We therefore had an arrangment to meet our first property owner - Spiros - on the roadside in Kassiopi, our second - also Spiros - outside our favourite cafe, and the third - yet another Spiros - in Acharavi. So far so good. The situation was a little bit complicated by the fact that we hadn't previously met the second Spiros, so asked for some identifying feature. He told me that he would be wearing a white "thingummy".

So off we set. Just before we were due to arrive at destination number one I received a phone call from "Spiros" to say he was waiting at the cafe. So we made a quick change of plan, thinking that we could stop at the cafe first (to meet the second Spiros who had phoned me) and then turn back to Kassiopi to meet Spiros number one, perhaps a bit late, but never mind. Arriving at the cafe, there was a Spiros, but it was Spiros number one, wearing a white shirt ("thingummy"?). By now totally confused, was this the Spiros who was supposed to be at the cafe but not yet, the Spiros with the white "thingummy", or the Spiros who I thought had telephoned to say he would be at the cafe? In my defence, all three had very similar voices, and the phone reception is not good in the Kassiopi area, but even so... We did finnaly get sorted out. There were two Spiros', in the end, both waiting at the cafe (by pure coincidence) and one waiting in Kassiopi. All three were wearing white!
Susan

A recent visit to the lovely village of Lakones led to Corfuhomefinders being given an old stone village house to sell. Village houses with gardens are rare indeed, and when they come with a sea view as well, as this one does, we feel entitled to get enthusiastic.

In need of renovation, the house could be made into a real beauty. It has not been lived in for some time, though it is still partly furnished, with its contents liberally sprinkled with flaking plaster and spiders' webs. It is quite common to find large stuffed animals, teddy bears and dolls taking pride of place in the "front parlour" of village homes. My photo shows the current occupant of the living room, who gave us a bit of a fright when we opened the front door!
Susan

After a lovely Birthday lunch for my son, we decided to take advantage of the sunny afternoon and enjoy one of our favourite walks from Spartilas.

At the top end of the village is the area locally referred to as "Gabos" which describes an area of gardens and cultivated land. It's the place where all the village have their grapevines and grow their vegetables but on a Sunday afternoon we were the only people there.

To reach "Gabos" you go to the top end of the village,and on the bend at the top of the hill there is a tarmac road going straight on. If you don't fancy the walk back up, you can drive down here and park at the bottom, but we were feeling energetic and walked all the way. Once at the bottom of this road, the gardens spread out before you and you can either stick to the main road or venture off on any one of many little roads to the sides.

I didn't have my camera with me today, but in a couple of months (or weeks if this rain keeps up!) the lake in the middle will be full. The photograph above was taken in the spring when the lake is home to frogs and toads which make an amazing amount of noise calling to each other. At that time of year I would recommend wellington boots so that you can go to the lake edge to paddle and observe the wildlife.
Sarah

On the subject of flowers and vegetables, so beautifully presented by Susan and Sarah, I just have to say that whilst I am definitely not renowned for my knowledge of plants, I actually seem to have managed the ultimate in ideal Corfu greenery - I have a combined Bougainvillea/tomato plant - beauty and nutrition!

Somehow or other some of the sun dried tomatoes managed to fall off their tray into the Bougainvillea and in the spirit that 'anything grows in Corfu' decided that the Bougainvillea plant was a good home - hence a large number of very healthy tomatoes.

Having said that, the downside of my garden is that the Gardenia given to me as a present by my daughter at Easter, having delivered a flower every two or three days for the first couple of months, was then excavated by the dog, rescued by me, replanted, survived about a week but after 're-excavation' by dog finally gave up the ghost. In fact, virtually every other plant in the garden has suffered the same fate. Perhaps next year he will have outgrown this antisocial habit and I can have a garden with flowers (and tomatoes) again.
Diana

1st October - it's now officially Autumn, so we can all get out our winter clothes and start eating "fakes" (lentil soup) again.

September passed by in a blur for me this year, with visitors for most of the month and lots of new clients looking for property. The weather seemed to change from high summer to autumn overnight, so let's hope that October will be more settled and balmy.

I'm not too keen on the darker mornings though, so will be glad when the clocks soon change and it's full daylight at 7am instead of a gloomy start to the day.
Sarah

After more than a week of unseasonally cool weather, today looks like being another proper summer day, so that the house I have chosen to spotlight came into mind because it is the perfect family summer home near the beach.

It is set well back away from the main resort of Sidari, along the beach road and then inland up a narrow, unmade track, so that you feel to be in the depths of the country even though the beach and shops are within easy walking distance of all but the laziest amongst us.

Built for the family who have owned it ever since, this house has always been a home first and foremost and it retains that cosy atmosphere even now that it is rarely used.

Truly a beach house par excellence.
Susan

Not wanting to be out-done by Susan with the lovely salad picked from her garden, here are some flowers picked from my garden.

I may not win the Corfu flower arranging prize, but I am very proud of my yukka blooms and the purple passion flower which grows up the olive tree outside my dining room window.

I wonder what Diana and Helga will come up with?
Sarah

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