“Just half an hour away from Corfu Center, near a sea side village, I found a palace”, said my dad, and the next day we went all together at Achillion. And I can guarantee, when he said “Palace” that’s exactly what he meant. There, is situated the palace of princess Sissi of Austria. Its beautiful location lead princess Sissi to choose to built there her summer residence, which, up to now is an ode to Achilles, thus the name Achillion. Influenced by her love for Greece and her admiration towards Achilles, she turned Achillion into a palace to honor his name. Today, Achillion is a museum, permitting each and every one of us to have a small taste of the glory of that period. Passing through the main entrance, I was mesmerized by the greatness of the place, and I could only imagine what was next. On the left and on the right there are rooms used either as secondary rooms, or as rooms for pray. Straight ahead there is a pair of stairs in red carpet, and a mirror. And the magic of the place doesn’t stop here…I lift my head up and what I see is a ceiling […]
One of the most famous destinations in Corfu is the monastery of Palaiokastritsa. A monastery built in 1225, then destroyed by the Genevans in 1403, and rebuilt in 1469, so that it was destroyed once again by the Turkish in 1537. Despite all that it was rebuilt again in 1572 and is still working until nowadays. A pole of attraction to many tourists as well as locals, so that they can make a wish and throw a coin at the main entrance of the monastery. Why it is worth visiting The reason why this monastery is a pole of attraction is its magical location, built on the verge of the mountain of Palaiokastritsa, making it one of the best places of the island. The mesmerized guests are always coming back to see this idyllic view. How to get there The monastery is located about 25 kilometers away from the town center. You can go there either by organized excursions, or by renting your own vehicle from a “rent a car” of the island. But, if you are already in Palaiokastritsa and enjoying your time at the beach, you can organize your own excursion, since you are extremely close to your […]
The decision to walk down the path of Porto Timoni was one the wisest I ever made. The route was actually a magical journey to another era: back when the wild nature would show its dominance by creating the most amazing landscapes. That summer morning in the middle of July, I suggested to my friend who had come for holiday in Corfu, to show her the secrets of my island. I feel so lucky to have chosen studying here, but the truth is that I never had the chance to explore the whole island myself. The walk down the beach of Porto Timoni was the ideal opportunity. We drove ‘till the end of the Village of Afionas, located in the northwest side of Corfu, of course using our GPS. The whole route drove us crazy; the road was narrow, full of holes and dangerous turns. However, we didn’t in the least bit regretted it. The view from our windows was magnificent; tall firs, cypresses and age-long olive trees. We could feel the sea breeze and a scent of wild aromatic herbs was all around us. A wild, virgin landscape was waiting for us to explore it. By the time we […]
I’m in the mom’s kitchen and I try to think of something to eat. Knowing that the traditional Corfu food is full of pasta, spices and vegetables I notice that the kitchen cupboards are full of all those things. As I am characterized by my indecisiveness and I am not down to hearing my parent’s complaining about anything I decide to write down my thoughts about the famous traditional corfiot cuisine. Being a typical Corfiot family we enjoy food at its best, like every Corfiot has since the beginning of time and we always enjoy having a good company of people over for lunch or dinner. The citizens of Corfu are famous for being welcoming and generous when it comes to matters such as food and taking care of their guests. Also, Corfiots are the first who ever tried potatoes, legumes, cocoa and spices, thanks to the Venetians. During the Renaissance, Venice was the main merchant of spices in Europe, something that caused great influence on the corfiot cuisine and the culinary habits of the natives of Corfu. Corfiot cuisine is mostly Mediterranean, with its main characteristics being olive oil, vegetables, pasta and spices. Everyday dishes are often accompanied by […]
Born and raised in Corfu Town myself, one of my favorite places is Liston. As most of Corfu Island residents, I as well have enjoyed, and still enjoying at any chance given, beautiful walks at Liston, which is point of reference for both tourists and natives. Just a few meters away from the North part of Spianda square, Liston is there waiting for us to walk by, drink a coffe, admire it’s architectural line which in a majestic way combines harmonically 3 different cultures. The Venetian, the French and the British. Liston is a wide and straight pedestrian street, just like its name reveals, according to one of the most prevalent accepted versions of the story about how Liston was named. Nobody knows the real and precise story because it is missed through the timeline of it’s existence but I am going to mention the two that are the most prevalent today, or if you prefer, the two most prevalent in my mind and by my own criteria. Lots of people claim that the name “Liston” comes from the Venetian word “lista”, which used to mean exactly what I mentioned before, “a wide and straight pedestrian street”. On the other […]