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
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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.

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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!