Last day of Corfu, back to Gatwick

Once again, it was a beautiful day.

My flight was at 11.40, and so I didn't have time to do much, but after breakfast I did make it down to the beach for a quick paddle and to take a few photos.

I got a transfer back to the airport, and caught my flight back to Gatwick, landing at 12.55.

Exploring Corfu town and Pelekas village

 This morning dawned very much like the last.

I was running out of cash, so I arranged for someone at the hostel (Madalena's daughter?) to drive me into Corfu town, as she was going there anyway. While I was waiting, I said hello to some lovely hibiscuses, and the grapevines. The family that own the hostel grow loads of their own food. I don't know whether they make wine out of the grapes.

The girl from the hostel dropped me near the centre of town, and I started to wander. One of the first things I saw was an M&S, which was fairly depressing. The town was nice enough - a little dusty and old, but probably typical of any Greek town. There was a good smattering of cafes, tourist shops, nice little squares, and absolutely loads of mopeds.

There was an absolutely beautiful old Venetian facade above a boutique, and in one of the squares, there was a memorial statue to Kostas Georgakis. He was a student who set himself on fire in Genoa to protest a dictatorial regime.

I got myself some lunch from the supermarket in that square, and then set about finding the spot to catch the bus back to Pelekas. I got off at the village, and started the walk back to the beach. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was downhill, and I was sure I would see some interesting things. It's a very green landscape, with many switchbacks in the road.

The village itself was uninteresting - a shop or two and that was all. The final bit of the walk was on a steep and winding bit of road. It was good to get out and see a bit of the island, though.

Dinner again, and a less impressive, but more interesting cloudy sunset.

Relaxing in Corfu

The next morning dawned bright and hot (as it does in Greece), and I got up and had some breakfast. It was served on the lower section of the balcony, under the sails.

I went for another swim, and got some colour. I fooled around with my camera that afternoon, and got very sweaty away from the beach and any breeze that existed.

Another very good dinner, and off to bed.

Gatwick to Corfu

I had a stupidly early flight from Gatwick (5.55am), so I'd stayed at the Sofitel in the Gatwick north terminal the night before. It was expensive, but worth it for the convenience of being able to stagger a very short distance within the same building to the gates.

I had arranged for someone from the 'Sun Rock Backpackers' hostel on Pelekas beach to pick me up from the airport, and we met up without difficulty, having landed at 11am. The hostel cost me £25 per night, including breakfast and dinner, so it was quite a bargain.

The journey from the airport was interesting. Corfu didn't look like the other Greek islands I'd visited at all. It was hilly, and had lots of conifers. It also seemed quite undeveloped. Our journey took us from the mid-east coast to the mid-west coast, through the interior.

The hostel was halfway up a very large hill, and on the southern extreme of the beach. It had all the intentions of a grand entrance and structure, but looked like it had been built by a relative on the cheap. There was a very basic shop only open a few hours a day, and a dining room with a long table where all the guests sat to eat breakfast and dinner. The best bit was the miles of open decking out the front, with a stunning view of the water.

I was taken to my room, which was a walk from the main building up a steep path. I had a funny sort of room to myself, with an en suite, a huge glass sliding door (with no curtains) and a little balcony and chairs. There was an enormous olive tree within reach of the balcony. I had booked a triple share hostel, but I think I got an upgrade to a private room. The accommodation was very basic: it had holes in the walls, lampshades covered in
plastic, and other slightly off features.

It was time to explore the beach, so I got myself sorted and went to see what there was to see. The track to the beach was just that - a track, with a lot of loose stones. Sensible footwear would have been wise, but I chose not to employ wisdom (and don't worry, nothing bad happened).

The beach itself was beautiful, with absolutely crystal clear water, with visible fish swimming below. It wasn't busy, either. It was just what I wanted - somewhere to escape with some sun, no schedules, and no worries. I had a nice swim, stayed in the sun for a while, and headed back up the hill.

I had dinner with the other guests, and it really was good, home-cooked food. It was nice to sit down with and meet other people. I'd not come across that concept before in hostel accommodation. The sunset that evening was really gorgeous. The aspect was just right to see the sun hit the water next to a headland. I had a little wander and took some photos of my surroundings, and of all the stages of the beautiful sunset.

That night, I discovered the biggest problem with the accommodation. There was obviously some kind of club downhill to the right of the hostel, and the music and noise were unbearable. I tried to sleep for a while with the window open (as there was no other way to keep myself cool), but I gave up and went back to reception to ask if they had a fan I could use. They went rooting around in what was effectively a trash heap, and found a broken one for me, that I would have to prop on something. It was better than nothing, and I eventually got to sleep, though I could still hear the noise with the doors shut.