We had some very hot weather in the UK and anyone who lives there will tell you that temperatures above 30 degrees are just a tad too warm. The houses simply are not built for it. Most are carpeted throughout and air conditioning still feels a little hard to justify, although I have been thinking about getting a couple of portable units for my mum.
With night-time temperatures stuck in the mid-twenties for a fifth consecutive night, and after yet another sleepless one ourselves, we boarded a morning flight to Corfu. Just over three hours later we were disembarking and heading through immigration. Fortunately, we were able to sidestep the long queues, with me quietly ushering Rachel through the empty Schengen line. It does not always work, but Greece has reverted to manual passport checks, so on this occasion it did.
We had toyed with staying in Corfu, the place where it all started for Rachel and me. More than forty years ago we arrived for a two-week holiday and ended up staying for three months. Instead, I managed to secure the last two seats on a small hydrofoil across to Sarande, at the southern tip of Albania.
About thirty minutes later we were stepping off the boat and into the back of a taxi heading to our new home for a while.
The apartment is not the biggest place we have ever stayed in, but it is comfortable and, being first line to the sea, the views are hypnotic. To our left, a freshwater Bistrice River runs down from an underground source in the mountains and empties into the Ionian Sea, with Corfu forming the backdrop beyond. We have also discovered our new swim spot, which is only a short walk from the apartment.
There is not a huge amount going on here, but there is enough. In truth, we have come to slow down and recharge.
The local bus remains something of a mystery. After watching it pull away and then waiting another hour for it to reappear, we finally jumped on and headed about twenty kilometres south to the World Heritage Site of Butrint National Park. More specifically, we had come to explore the archaeological park. It is also the end of the line, which meant there was no danger of me getting off at the wrong stop, something I have managed to do before.
The park is surrounded by water, namely Lake Butrint and a series of inlets that provide a haven for birdlife. Corfu sits just across the channel. The ruins themselves contain layers of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history. The site has not yet been fully excavated, but what has been uncovered is interesting. So too was the walk around the site beneath a canopy of tall trees, which on a hot summer’s day was very welcome indeed.
Dream Chasers 