Happy New Year!

May the new year bring peace and happiness to everyone on the planet...

Corfu is quiet and chilly; some gray clouds show that snow will fall, but eventually the snow travels to the mainland and we remain with the overcast sky. The view is artistic but some people feel it is too much for them; you see, Corfiots are used to two things: sunshine or rain. It is going to rain tonight, though as the weather forecast says.

Last minute shopping is done and few people are outside. Life radio will be live for the next few hours keeping company to those who love listening to beautiful young voices and pop music. Now it is Vasilis and Tatianas broadcast on air; you can listen to them live at www.liferadio.gr

Have fun!

Best wishes,

Liana

Listen to Life radio now!

Life radio street party on 23-12-2008

In Corfu town

Here is the link:

http://www.corfuland.gr/corfu/portal/video/online-web-cam-broadcasting

Listen to Christmas songs and join us!

Best wishes,

Liana

Music party in town!

Live now!
The music party by Life Radio station, at www.liferadio.gr
is now on air via a web camera.

The party it taking place now at Plateia Georgaki, in the centre of the town, where all the members of Life Radio take part offering to locals live music.

You can listen to the live party by clicking on www.liferadio.gr.

(On the right side there is a button, it says 'live'- just click on it to download the device needed to listen to the radio).

The party will last till 8 in the evening. They will give away some presents to the people who come to listen to them.

Enjoy!

Sunny Sunday full of fire wood

After a stormy week we've got a sunny interval. This morning though we had sudden rainfall, but the weather is mild-not like two days ago when a tree trunk fell off in front of my flat!

It was after an extremely windy night that the tree finally collapsed, and it was sheer luck it did not hit either a car or a passer by! The bakery owner, who opens her shop just after seven am, had a lucky escape! Minutes after walking under that hollow tree, and as soon as she had reached her bakery in the next block, the tree fell down!

The workers cut down the trunk and filled two trucks of fire wood. The twin trunk is still standing up and I wonder why they did not cut this down. I suppose they are waiting for another storm to do the job. Fifteen years ago, another trunk-at the same place-had fallen down and truncated the edge of my balcony. The workers had come to collect the firewood but they never cut down the other hollow trunk. They always let nature take care of the rest.

I wonder: Is that called an eco friendly spirit?

A new Publishing Company

Vasilis Savvanis Publications has been set up!

The first book will be released soon, and it will be a story for kids.

The theme of the story is self esteem and offers a positive and humorous look into the way we face our own image. The characters are animals, and this version will be in Greek.

You can read the English version at www.lulu.com/lianametal.
Title: Storytime (the first story in this book)


(The photo above shows a part of Alexandras Avenue, in Corfu town).

Last Sunday's celebration

The procession of Saint Spyridon, the protector of Corfu, took place last Sunday morning in the town of Corfu.

Corfiots celebrated the miracle of the Saint that happened in 1673, when a plague epidemic hit the island. Then, Saint Spyridon sent the plague away and the Corfiots were saved.

An old local tale says that as the plague was leaving the island, she scratched with her nails the rock behind the old castle of the town. The signs are still visible to those who sail around the castle. You see, the plague was thought of as a monster who had iron nails and huge strength.

The procession was, as always, great and colorful. It was a sunny Sunday, as most days on this island are, and there was a crowd of people attending the ceremony.

The Durrells in Corfu

(Picture: The old Palace)

In Bosketo gardens, at the lower square of Corfu, the bust of the Durrell brothers were exposed to the public for the first time. The Durrell brothers were two authors who wrote about the beauty of Corfu and thus helped people all over the world to get to know about this small beautiful island.

At the celebration that took place in September, Lee Durrell, the wife of Gerald Durrell, thanked the authorities for the great honour, while the representative of Durrell School, the representative of Louis Group who were the sponsors of the busts and the nature expert David Bellamy and Spiros Giourgas delivered speeches about the authors.

Sotiris Mikalef, the Mayor of the island mentioned the following:

“When the Durrell family settled down in Corfu in 1935, the two young brothers, Laurence and Gerald get extremely influenced by the island. In Corfu they discover Prospero’s Cell, which, like in Shakespeare’s Tempest, is a personal Odyssey of every man.

Durrell family has been one of our families since long ago, and I am happy I present today to the public the permanent presence of Durrell brothers on this island.”

The celebration ended with the National Hymns of Greece and England performed by Kapodistrias Band and a reception followed at the old Palace near the gardens.

September storm

Today there is a rain storm!
Big news for Corfiots who were looking forward to some rain after the non stop heat during this summer. Last evening there were too many mosquitoes in the town and my walk along Garitsa bay ended in insect bitten feet and arms! Terrible feeling, and it goes away only with some gel. Well, this morning I saw an awesome cloudy sky and I was truly happy (I know, people get usually happy at sunshine) and we all asked: "When is it going to rain?" It delayed a little bit, it was noon when it started and it is still going on with a lot of clatter that accompanies it.

Time to get our autumn outfits, and tidy up the wardrobe. At last school children will get inside to start studying as the schools have started too. This year it was the perfect timing, school and rain.
Today we have all enjoyed the rain; let's hope we will keep enjoying it in the following days too!

Art exhibition

Art exhibition in the old palace at the square.

At the Municipal Gallery in Corfu town there is an art exhibition that is worth seeing. Giorgio Turchetti, an Italian artist who is residing in Corfu many months a year, exhibits his paintings under the theme of ‘Kind of Blue’.

The exhibition theme is divided into several parts.

The first part includes paintings dealing with the Interiors, where the visitor can see figures, fruit and the artist’s room, all in oil on canvas.

The second part has got Portraits in oil and tempera on paper. The third is about Nudes, displaying intriguing figures that show the passion of the artist for women. The fourth part is dedicated to Landscapes. Fantasy backgrounds and soft colors are the main features of his work.

Then comes the fifth part with The divided self figures, where the viewer will find themselves studying asylum figures in oil and tempera.

The sixth part includes Recent work in oil on canvas, such as Venice, flowers and sky images, while the last part has got Sketches, mostly portraits.

Giorgio Turchetti was born in Rome in 1925 and at first he was engaged in scenography. After 1960 he dedicated himself to painting. His works are found in Italy and other countries while his latest exhibition in Corfu was held in Corfu Gallery in 2006.

The exhibition will last till the end of August and visitors are given a booklet free of charge containing the art exhibits.

Traditional costumes

My grandma in the early 30s looked like that. She is wearing the traditional costume village women of Korakiana used to have. This painting is in oil and the model was a black and white photo I found at my grandma's wooden trunk. Among her clothes there were some almonds (!) and her colourful cotton belt.

I also found a tall clay pot they used as a toilet facility at nights. Unfortunately, it did not survive long.

August in Corfu

Hot, too hot! The island is in a blaze of heat and sunshine, but the sea breeze is soothing on the beaches. A lot of tourists have come and wander around the alley ways of the town or rent a car or a bike and drive to the beaches. Today is a special day for the local people: The celebration of Pandokrator (like the mountain). All those whose name is Sotiris celebrate too.

The monastery at the top of Pandokrator mount celebrates God the Saviour (Sotiras in Greek). The feast (paniyiri in Greek) starts on the eve of the 6th August.

What can you do there?

See the monastery and the ancient icons

light a candle and pray

enjoy the magnificent view

eat souvlaki

buy trinkets


Today Corfiots cook a special dish, fish and garlic paste (bakalaos skordalia in Greek).
Here's the recipe:

Skordalia (garlic paste)

2 or more cloves of garlic (the stronger the better)
2-3 boiled potatoes
olive oil
salt
lemon juice
-------
crush the garlic and mix with crushed potatoes. Add slowly olive oil and lemon juice till the taste is good and the texture firm enough.

----------------
Fry some cod fillets (frozen or fresh) previously dipped in a mixture of flour and water, in ample olive oil and serve immediately.

Or use salty dry cod fillets, previously soaked in water (overnight) and fry them the same way.

Accompany with a fresh Greek salad and red wine.

Bon appetit!

Villagers in the 90s.

Here is how villagers in Korakiana used to get dressed in older days.

You can probably still see some of them wearing the traditional suits in celebrations or in folklore dances in the village, but women do not wear traditional clothes any more. Times have changed a lot since the days of my grandmother Katerina (in the picture) who wore her village clothes till her nineties.

Recycling in Corfu town

Do you recycle?

Apart from the recycling blue bins that can be found almost everywhere in town, there is another way to help: Buy and/or sell second hand items.

This is the new trend that is slowing booming in Corfu town. In this way you have less unwanted items cluttered in your house and you can also get some good stuff to use.

Where can you do this?
There is a new place called 'To Pazari" (Bazaar). Here is the extract from the site www.aggelia-online.gr

At the Bazaar of Used Objects 'TAKE IT EASY' you can buy or sell simply anything you can think of at the best market prices. And when we say anything, we mean it! Visit us at Spirou Vasileiou 23 in Karteria (Kefalomantouko) or call us at 26610.21713 / 6936.873700

What can you find there?

Books! Greek and English, old and new.
Drawings and paintings! Old and used and brand new paintings (by local artists)at low prices.
Furniture.
Household items.
Clothes. A wide range of new and used clothes.
School equipment: desks and chairs, tables and bookcases.

It's growing fast and I believe many people will support this move.

Note:
The painting on the top left is on sale at the Bazaar. It's Korakiana village (Acrylic on canvas)

Flowers everywhere!

May is the month of flowers. The gardens, the fields and even the balconies in the town are a piece of art. On the first of May my son gave me some roses. They were so beautiful I decided to draw them the very next day. You can see the picture above. It's tempera on tinted paper.

Easter in Corfu

Happy Easter!

Enjoy the local Easter cookies and 'fogatsa' sweet bread flavored with mastic.

Where can you find them?
In all bakeries and super markets all over the island.

Easter in Corfu started last Sunday with the big procession of St.Spyridon. Today, each church will have their own mini procession (epitaphios), and the last one will take place after 10 pm. and will get through Liston area. Notice the color of the lantern lights along Liston. Tonight they will be violet, but tomorrow they will be white again.

Don't miss the first resurrection on Saturday morning at 11am. People use to throw pots from their windows as soon the bells start sounding. Then the bands walk along Liston and the Esplanade playing joyful parts. The second -and major- resurrection takes place at 12 midnight at the upper square of Corfu. Have a candle with you and watch the spectacle. Fireworks are shot and waves of lit candles move to all directions.

Happy Easter everybody!

Images that resist time

The village woman in the picture used to live in Ano Korakiana. She had a unique personality and lots of friends in her neighborhood. I remember she was amazed at my taking a picture of her-that's what I did first, years ago, and then drew a sketch out of it.

It was spring time when I took that picture and she was at that time looking after her sheep in a field not far from my village house. We used to take the kids there to pick up daisies and other wild flowers. She was making wool thread and looked so serene and lost in her own world. She was one with the nature. She was always wearing a gold chain with a cross round her neck. She is now resting at the cemetery of Taxiarthis, next to the field she used to visit.

The sketch was made in ink and light water color.

On Air!

Corfu island On air!

Radio music is quite popular on the island. Walk into any shop in the town and you will listen to the songs or the commentary of a local radio station.

One of the most popular radio stations in Corfu is Life radio at www.liferadio.gr

You can hear live music any time you are in and enjoy a variety of songs from a wide range of eras. The producer is Dimitris Savanis, a local young man who has a talent in picking up the right music from around the world. Life radio plays 24 hours a day and each music session, which usually lasts for 2 hours, is performed by a small panel of young men and women who select the songs and comment on a variety of aspects from around the world.

Last weekend a new music session started at 4 pm, directed by Bill Savanis and Tatiana Soulani. Bill is the owner and publisher of Aggelia-Online magazine and the site www.aggelia-online.gr, that promote businesses on the island and throughout Greece. He enjoys being on the air and hopes that they will soon be able to run their broadcast on a daily basis.

“If anyone wishes to sponsor our broadcast, they can contact me via www.aggelia-online.gr or contact Dimitri via www.liferadio.gr” Bill says. “Life Radio offers great promoting services for any business on the island”.

You can also join our group at http://www.facebook.com,

http://aggelia-online.blogspot.com

Natural products on Corfu island

The Land of Corfu

Start from the central square of Corfu called Esplanade, which is known as ‘the biggest square in the Valkans’, and Liston, which is the road with the arches that was designed and built by the Royal French after 1807 and is located on the west side of Esplanade, and you will get to St.Spyridon road. Go along St.Spyridon road starting from Liston and you will find yourself in the heart of the traditional area of the old town. At the end of the road there is a junction to Filarmoniki road, and just there is our shop which is located at the groundfloor of the building where Filarmoniki ‘Mantjaros’ is.

At the entrance of our shop which is at Filarmoniki road, you can find all the Greek products that are made from one of the most valuable product in the world, olive oil, which is a product of Greece.

Based on olive oil, plant-based cosmetics and pure traditional soap are produced in the old way they used to get produced years ago, as well as Greek sponges.

You can also find here Virgin Olive oil with acidity up to 0.3%, cold processed, straight from the Corfiot olive groves, as well as the best olive oil from all over Greece, awarded as the best in international competitions.

You can also buy black Kalamon olives, which are the best olives in the world, as well as thyme, oregano and all the spices of Mediterranean cooking.

Finally, here you can find all the Greek sweets and cakes and traditional Corfiot liquor, such as lemon liquor and Koum-kouat, ouzo and the best Corfiot wines.

At the entrance of our shop at St.Spyridonos street you can find Greek traditional gifts such as:

Handmade icons, old copper utensils that are at least 80 years old, lanterns in every shape, a selection of nargile items, handmade alabaster and original fossils.

Our business handles both retail and bulk orders.

We will be happy to meet you!

With respect,

Lygeri Kalogeresi

Carnival in Corfu

Carnival in Corfu is celebrated on the two last Sundays before Lent. The festivities reach their peak on last Sunday when a joyous parade takes place along the main streets of the town leading to the square.

Several floats and bands take place in the parade along with colorful groups from local dancing schools and lots of dressed up school kids who dance and play in the streets. The day ends by burning an effigy of ‘king Carnavalos’ that represents the spirit of carnival.

During carnival time local people use to make 'galactoboureko', which is a special sweet made from milk and semolina, fillo and syrup and it is absolutely delicious! You can find it in local confectioneries, such as Kretikos at Saroco square, or Serano at Solari area.

You can see carnival dancing here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kvStzAltCY

or here

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/corfu-carnival-greek-dance----/721924625

http://www.terrakerkyra.gr/apokries/en/

The Corfiot Market Online

Are you interested in buying or renting property on the island?

Are you looking for a job?

Are you an employer searching for new staff?

Would you like to make your business/services known to the public?

All those interested in the above can now have a handy solution: The online services of www.Aggelia-Online.gr. The site hosts both Greek and English ads from Corfu, other parts from Greece, and from all over the world.

NEW

In January 2008, Aggelia-Online also launched their first print magazine issue (see picture above). This is a bimonthly magazine full of ads of every kind. For the time being the ads are in Greek only, but the owner welcomes ads in English too, for future issues.

Here’s what the owner of the site states:

“Our aim is to connect people and offer a reliable service that will cover the supply and demand of the island. Also, our efforts focus on promoting businesses and services both online and in print, that’s why we launched the print edition. Some people still prefer the print to the online version, and we have to respect their wishes.”

Anyone can publish an ad by visiting the site www.aggelia-online.com.

Photo ads are the most popular ones nowadays. The site is also open to writers and artists who wish to promote their work.

The magazine is not only about market promotion. It includes articles of general interest. A special issue will come out at Easter, so if anyone is interested in including their services/business in it, now it’s the time! The second issue is in the pipeline and will be released soon.

Tourists/Residents: a new trend

In recent years, many tourists who visit Kerkyra (Corfu for the non Greek) island end up in buying some kind of property on the area. Some of them become permanent residents, while others use their new home as a basis for their family holidays, once or twice a year. But why choose this kind of tourism? Nick, an Englishman, was one of the first to built a small cottage in Korakiana Village, on Kerkyra island. He first visited Kerkyra many years ago with his family, but it was much later when he found out that he could actually get a permanent place on the island he loved. “At first I thought that I would need a fortune to buy a decent house in a village,” he says. “But a friend of mine, who had already bought a ready cottage in Korakiana village, kept me informed bout the properties sold over there, and soon he spotted a bargain.” Nick has got a family of five, and they were all delighted at the prospect of a holiday house on Kerkyra. Nick was able to get a small stone house with a yard in front at a very low cost, and he built a two floored cottage in a year. “When I first saw it,” he admits, “it was a kind of ruined store room with nothing much to attract the buyer, but the scenery all around was fantastic, and that was the basic point. We would live in the nature, breathe fresh mountain air and see a wonderful view every day.” Nick filled the small yard with numerous flower pots with mountain herbs and flowers, and he made big windows to let the sun come into the cottage. “This will be our permanent house when we retire,” he adds. “Meanwhile, we visit Kerkyra 2-3 times a year and our kids come over in between their holidays too. We also let some close relatives to use it and some friends.” Nick is just one of the four other residents of the village neighborhood. A few meters further on, a couple from Holland have rebuilt their own house and visit it every summer. The neighbors keep an eye on it when they are away, and they even take care of their small vegetable garden. Some of the benefits of this kind of tourism, can be listed below: Save on rents of hotels, apartments etc. Save on meals of restaurants Carry no baggage Make new friends Ideal for retired people Ideal for relaxing in a natural environment Learn new lifestyle Try new food Some people object to this kind of tourism though. They think that the village will soon lose its identity as more foreigners than local people will be around in the future. This may be true, but the world is changing fast, more people migrate from their own countries and there will soon be an international mix everywhere. Who can stop the communication of cultures? No one can!

http://rentexpert.com

http://vacationblogspot.com#Vacation%20Rentals

Local cuisine

Greek cuisine is renowned for its healthy ingredients such as olive oil, herbs and fresh vegetables. Olive oil is the top one healthy food that can get included in almost every single meal. Have you tried cakes made from olive oil? It’s worth giving it a try, even if you may not probably notice a great difference in taste-as I do! Olive oil is healthier than butter or margarine, so replace butter with olive oil and prepare your cake mix as usual. You will create a new version if you also add orange juice (or replace milk completely) and a drop of Greek brandy (Metaxa brand, 5 stars is the best). Less sugar than the usual recipe and add dark chocolate pieces or sultanas to enhance flavor. The result is fabulous! Fluffy and aromatic, this cake is the perfect dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth. Go olive oil then and stay healthy! The simple cake recipe: One bag of self raising flour Half a cup sugar 3-4 eggs One cup olive oil 1-2 vanilla essence portions 1-2 oranges (the juice) Some skimmed milk or a yoghurt 2% fat Half a cup of sultanas (optional) One bar of dark chocolate broken in small pieces Some brandy A pinch of salt How to make it: Mix olive oil with sugar and then add the eggs. Add the flour, milk or yoghurt (you can use both if you wish), Add the rest apart from the chocolate. Pour mixture into a tin and add the chocolate pieces one by one so as they are covered completely by the cake mixture. Bake at 150 C (you may need 180 in some ovens) for 3/4 of an hour or until golden. Enjoy it!

Corfiot Writer creates kids' books

Dimitris Grammenos has studied Computer Science in Crete. He claims he is not a writer, His recent book for kids shows that he has got a great sense of humor and excellent writing skills! --------------------------------------------------- This is a story about a Greek family with two kids, a boy and a girl. The family attend a concert at the Music Auditorium in Athens. It is the first time the young kids have gone to a concert, and the people who meet them think that they will inderstand nothing. Dimitirs, who is actually the young kid who tells the story, describes this first music outing of theirs with humour and imagination. It is a story that will make the readers smile. Dimitris donated the rights of the book to the charity organization called The smile of the child. His book was published by the AGYRA www.agyra.gr publishing company in Greece, and it is in Greek. The illustration of the book is beautiful!