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For most of us Corfu means the lazy, hazy, somewhat misspent days of Gerald Durrell’s youth, as described in his immortal work My Family and Other Animals. Does that image of sun-drenched relaxation still hold true in the 21st Century? Corfu is surprisingly different to the brown, slightly singed hues
of the Greek mainland, and juts out of the dazzlingly blue Ionian waters like an emerald mirage, and that plethora of luscious flora that Durrell described can still be found, as can the remote sandy beaches and craggy bays that he frequented. Corfu’s history has been touched by the hand of almost every European empire or dynasty. The towns and villages and country side reflect the fact that from the Romans to the British via the Venetians no one ignored this oasis of calm. This mixed history is perhaps also recognizable in the people who seem more than a little different to those just over the water.
Of course a popular destination such as Corfu doesn’t offer just peace and quiet under the shade of the cypress tree, however tempting that may seem. There is also a wealth of modern tourist infrastructure, ranging from hotels to nightclubs and beach bars.
Should the party atmosphere prove to be too much for you and the call of that shade under the cypress to strong to ignore, getting away from it all is not such a big deal. There are plenty of beaches along the northern shores where you will not meet another soul, or for the slightly more adventurous the central mountains will provide plenty of opportunities for walking and gazing out over the blue sea to the dark mass of the Albanian mainland beyond.
Evenings will provide you with chances to sample the local fare, a cross between Italian and Greek just as you would expect given the island’s location. What you might not expect however, is the welcome you’ll encounter in the taverna of you choice as you get plied with plenty of local wine and inducted with a smile and joke into the family.
Happily, it would seem the last hundred years have not brought that many changes to the island of Corfu.
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