It always surprises me how relatively unknown the island of Corfu has remained outside of Europe. In 2005, when I visited the island for the very first time in April, I was really impressed by the beauty of Corfu Town, so much that for someone who usually is far too lazy to write anything while one holidays, I sent several postcards to friends all over the world telling them how enthralled I was by this beautiful city. A few weeks later, I got a reply from one of those on the receiving end of my mailing list. In her letter, she - a travel-savvy Japanese lady - thanked me for the postcard, and said she had never ever heard of Corfu before, and had to look the name up on a map to determine its exact location. Now that was really some news.
And the Japanese are not alone when it comes to the 'never heard of Corfu' crowd in the Far East. While most Asians would have known the likes of Santorini, Mykonos, or even Crete, Corfu is outside the range of their surveillance radar. Which, I must concede, is not such a bad thing after all. The reason I detest Santorini of now is, the whole island has become such an over-priced Disneyland-sque playground for tourists of all breeds and colours, who seem to think that Greece consist of only Athens and two other islands - Mykonos and Santorini. In addition, there is nothing more frustrating in the world when all the menus and signposts on a supposedly Greek island are written in English, Russian, French, Japanese, or even Korean and Chinese. What is the point of visiting Greece if you meet no Greeks at all but only fellow foreign tourists?
Which is why I really like Corfu, as this town and this island have at least until now managed to escape the awful hype and the even more awful price hike that seem to surround anything that has this 'UNESCO World Heritage Site' trademark laurel branded on them. Granted, Corfu has its fair share of tourists and tourism revenue, but so far its status of being a UNESCO world heritage site has not yet had the detrimental effects of pushing up prices all the way through the cosmos. Corfu Town remains by and large an affordable holiday destination to many people who are not earning more than 1 million euros a year. Unlike Venice or Paris where a decent cup of coffee and a small croissant at one of the more famous cafes frequented by tourists will set you back at more than 10 euros, here in Corfu Town you can enjoy a sundowner or a cocktail at the bar of one of the premier hotels in town for less than the price of a latte in Paris or Venice.
And to top it off, a less than 10 euro sundowner or cocktail in Corfu Town comes with a view to die for. Corfu Town is by all means a serious contender for the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site in Europe, with a picturesque old town full of colourful Italiante architectures and photogenic little square; a natural harbour that has some of the best views of the Ionian Sea and one can even see the silhouette of the shorelines of the Albanian coast when the weather is clear; and a collection of wonderful cafes ranging from the ultra-modern chic to the timeless classcial setups. There is something for everyone in this place. What could be the better way to enjoy your holidays in the sun than to have some tasty Italian ice-creams while walking down the scenic harbour front towards the seaside park with a view of the impressive Venetian fortress castle?
The fact that Corfu, as well as
several other Ionian islands, was under Italian rule for a long time
gives the townscape of Corfu a very distinctive Italianate ambience. It
certainly does not feel 'Greek' at all, if the term 'Greek' means those
kitchy cliffside tourist-oriented villages consisting of nothing except
blue-and-white stone houses. Corfu Town has a very cosmopolitan, elegant
yet 'smart-causal' touch reminiscent of the beautiful coastal port
cities along the Adriatic coast of Italy and Croatia. One would not feel
out of place here in Corfu Town when going round the beautiful
classical arcades of the old town in high heels, with expensive designer
leather handbags sling over their shoulder, and dressed up in smart
dinner party gowns. It is a place for those who are not eager to flash
their wealth; those who know about good things in life, and how to enjoy
life as it is.
Corfu Town is amongst the very few places in Greece where a cricket field, a heritage from the short-lived British rule in the early 19th century, co-exists side-by-side with a Venetian fortress castle and plenty of Italiante-style architectures. There is also a Museum of Asian Arts, which opens its doors to visitors in 1974 and is the only one of its kind in Greece with collections of East Asian, South Asian as well as Southeast Asian arts, sculptures and other artefacts. The Museum is housed in the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, an impressive neoclassical building built by the British between 1819 and 1824, which started its life as the residence of the British High Commissioners of the Ionian Islands, before becoming the seat of the Ionian Senate and later on the Ionian Parliament. The building also once served as the summer residence of the Royal Family of Greece when the country was still ruled by a monarchy, although it seems the king had preferred to spend his summer days at the nearby Mon Repos Palace, where the current Duke of Edinburgh was born, instead of in downtown Corfu.
Just a short walk away from the Museum is a beautiful cape with some bars and cafes where people can order a drink, sit back, and busk in the glorious scenery of the Ionian Sea, the fortress, the old town and the shorelines of Albania in the back of the horizon. On a hot sunny day, this place is full of people eager to escape the summer heat by indulging themselves in the soothing sea breeze that provides such a welcoming relief to the long hot summer afternoon. In the evenings, younger crowds gather here for the music and the disco, while its spectacular night views of the harbour and the fortress makes here a popular place for some romantic dinner dates.
Of all the Greek holiday islands, Corfu ranks amongst the top of the culinary excellence list, together with Lesvos in northern Aegean. On both islands one finds a fascinating selection of restaurants and bistros, serving delicious foods - sometimes with an international twist - using fresh local ingredients at affordable prices. One does not need to pay a hefty sum for a good lunch or dinner. In Corfu Town, for less than 15 euros per person one can eat really divine. Thanks to its Italian heritage, the restaurants in Corfu Town serve very decent Italian fares, together with some of the best Italian coffees and desserts available in the whole of Greece.
If you prefer to stick to the local Greek fares, the selection is quite bewildering really, as Corfu Town is also home to the Ionian University and a considerable student population. And the golden rule of thumb is, no matter where you are, if there are a good number of students around any town or city, there sure will be an abundance of value-for-money eateries catering to the discerning demands of the students. As a matter of fact, it seems each and every restaurant inside the old town, and near the town square from where local bus to various villages all over the island depart, all compete with one another to capture the student market by offering 'authentic home-made' Greek food. And of course there are the ubiquitous pizzeria selling delicious thin-crusted Italian-style pizzas for less than 5 euro a piece - such pizzerias are a must-have institution for any self-respecting university campus in Europe -, and countless small cafes tastefully decorated with books and patronized by intelligent-looking students hanging out in groups after/before their lectures.
Finally, no matter you like chewing on salad leaves or not, fresh salads are a must-try in Corfu, as the island produces some of the best olive oils ever to come out of Greece, and on a hot summer day, nothing beats a hearty bowl of green salad, with lettuce, rocket leaves, grilled chicken breast in stripes, ripe juicy flesh tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, aged balsamic acid etc. all thrown in and doused in a generous serving of local olive oil, for lunch. Order a glass of chilled white wine, and spend the next three hours enjoying the scenic views of Corfu's old town in action. That is how ideally life on a Greek island should be like.
Copyrights@2012. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment