Welcome to San Stefanos (NW Corfu) > San Stefanos news and views

Anyone been and back yet?

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debra:
Just read Speros's blog - FAB!  Hope it goes from strength to strength and he puts some more delicious recipes on.  Love the Nafsika, it's food and it's position in Agios Stefanos - am going to forget the SS and go for the AG Stef!

Jimbo:
debra - that's right! After all, Agios Nikolaos in Crete's been called AgNik for a very long time.

Loved the bit in Speros' blog about confused Thomson reps firing people off to random places across the island. That rang so true I laughed out loud. Reminds me of a Frederik Poul science fiction story in which prospectors get onto little alien ships with no idea how they work - they could end up on very rich vein of minerals or dead in the middle of a star. Poul didn't know that the event was run by Thomson.

We're all too lazy about speaking Greek. Speros writes very good English. It's shaming that we can't return the favour. It would be so nice if instead of a trip we could have some basic Greek lessons in the village. About as long as a welcome party. One of the things that's so simple is male names, and I see people who've been going there for centuries get it wrong. If you are talking about Dimitris, you use the name Dimitris (or Spiros, or whatever) but if you talk to the actual man (vocative case) you drop the final sigma. You do not say "Kalimera, Dimitris" - you say "Kalimera, Dimitri." These are tiny little things we could get right so easily. We're so lazy.

Lesley:
Love Spiros' blog which I also found on another forum....was good to see you and the family the other evening at Kamini Bar and catch up.  So pleased for all the weather has been more settled the past 2 days, we actually managed dinner outside this evening in the village.  Looking forward to a lovely weekend in ag stefanos........

Denise:
I did Greek lessons for a year and a half at Oxford University evening classes.
Glad I did them but still can't speak fluently.It's such a hard language. The basics are easy enough though and it wouldn't hurt anyone to learn those.
I can read the words but I don't always know what they mean .lol.
I gave up doing them because I was spending my whole day off from work doing my homework and not doing any housework! We began to live in a tip so things had to change. I still listen to my Ipod, which I've got lessons on, every now and again to refresh myself.
I'm so looking forward to visiting Agios Stefanos and meeting all these wonderful people you're all talking about.
This site is great.

Kernock:
Sitting overlooking the bay on another day that is almost windless with the sun burning off the cloud over a flat sea many colours.  The week with little wind has given back about 3 metres of beach and the sandbanks are now clearly evident.  There are few more chairs on the beach but not attendend.  Costas of sunbed fame says that because 11 councils in Corfu are now combined into one there are administrative problems.  The Beach auction is not until 15 June so, until then, beds are free.

 If one accepts the gamble with the weather May is a glorious time to see the Island in all its beauty.  Old Perithea is stunning just now with masses of wild flowers along the old pathways around the slowly reclaimed houses.  The background on the hills covered with the bright yellow Cytisus makes it a picture – all the better without flies and wasps that seem the plague the place in summer.  I have bared my body in the sea and found it pleasantly warm(ish).  Not so different from the summer months after a few days of no wind.  Nafsika pool, however, does take your breath away at present.

The village is still fairly quiet.  For the last 20 years I have heard the locals lament that the present year is worse than the previous but I think now it may be true.  They are between a rock and a hard place with prices between getting a reasonable margin and not scaring off the tourists.  The Government had hoped to bring in extra cash with the VAT rise but it might not happen if gross income is reduced.

The Avliotes by-pass is a bit of a mess at both ends at present.  It is said that it will be completed by the end of July.  I wonder!

Yes, Shane and Sandra are back at the Juice Bar.  Pleased I think to be away from the clearing up all around them in Queensland from the recent flooding.  Nikos and Kerry went out to Oz over Christmas and came back to see the Council have continued the footpath along Ozzie Oils and not given them any drop in the curb to get cars into their parking space.

As for Bar 38, I have not spoken directly to either Hilary or Spiros but I understand things are not too good but those close to the couple may have better news.  I hope so because they did seem a lovely couple and they put a lot of energy into the new bar.

Glad the Speros blog is liked.  I saw him yesterdqy and told him that it had been well received.  He will continue with a few thoughts and recipes.  I think the next one will be Spinokopita, one of my favourites there.

Back to the UK late tonight.  As usual, the end of a relaxing week and a good preparation to returning in 54 days time.

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