So much for ‘Winter in Corfu’. My first advice today was to ensure I was dressed up for the ‘severe storms’ that would be arriving during the day. I packed my wet gear in my hire car which I have today discovered is a Hyundai Something and left after an uninteresting breakfast of coffee, croissants, fruit and dried bread.
I headed to the famous Liston in Corfu Town and met up with my friend Pericles Katsaros from Taverna Nicholas, THE place to eat on the east coast of Corfu, and just about everywhere else, if I am being honest. He came all the way down from Agni in the north east just to see me and help with my Corfu in winter project. Here is a man with utmost integrity and generosity who only wants his taverna to be the best it can be. We had a long chat over coffee and we’ll be meeting again on Thursday, possibly for something to eat. I suspect he might know somewhere half decent.
My next trip was to Kavos. I bade farewell to Pericles and drove south, through Benitses, the former clubbing capital of Greece, and Moraitika before turning right and then south west to Kavos. I managed to miss Kavos at first, failing to see the sign and headed into the small port from which travellers can head to the lovely island of Paxos and Igoumenitsa on the mainland. By the time I found the place, I probably wish I hadn’t. Oh dear. As I expected, Kavos had shut down for winter. It was obvious from the outset that hardly anyone lived there and from what I could see, who would want to? There is a long road which has, on both sides, endless bars, clubs, tattoo parlours, apartments and then some more. The only noise was from the occasional passing vehicle and from something loose, like a light or a dodgy sign, from one of the properties. I wondered if it might look better in summer, but by now the sun was shining and I concluded it probably wouldn’t.
The whole place looked like I imagine Pripyat to look. Pripyat, you may know, is the small town next to Chernobyl which suffered a mass evacuation in 1985 when a nuclear reactor went bang. It’s hard to believe Kavos looks any better, even today.
I walked down a narrow path in between some dated and tatty accommodation and the Sex Club which, I was informed, provided the best foam party in Kavos. The beach was not as I remembered it, covered in rubbish, flotsam and jetsam and more rubbish. The owners will have their work cut out to restore this resort to anything like habitable before the 18-30s arrive in the summer.
In all honesty, I couldn’t get out of Kavos quickly enough and made my way to St George South. It looked just like I remembered it, with little additional development since we went there in 2002. A beautiful beach, some lovely restaurants and all the facilities you’d expect from a lovely resort, even if you can’t enjoy them in January.
I drove back to Kanoni after all this excitement. I quickly dumped the car and got the bus to the Bay of Garitsa, walking past the little village room I stayed when I first visited in 1985, up to the town. I found a takeaway and ordered a savoury crepe and, thanks to my inadequate Greek, turned up as a burger. Oh well. Then, to the Liston for a couple of pints of Corfu Real Ale and now I smell of cigarettes. Not because I have started smoking, but everyone else smokes.
I’m knackered now, listening to Talk Sport’s commentary on Liverpool’s likely defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup (because you can’t listen to the BBC’s coverage over here) and forcing down a cold one.
The west coast tomorrow. It’s all happening here.
