After Volos we returned to Kifissia and spent a few days with my Mother-in-law. It was late May 1956 and we were on home leave.
Once more we were utterly spoilt by Aleco's large family which had already became mine.
With our Fiat cinque cento, we drove along the lacy coast of the northern Peloponnese to Rio to catch the ferry for Antirio on the mainland. After 10 long but interesting hours we arrived at Igoumenitsa and boarded a ferry boat to Corfu where we had rented a house.
A friend from India, Pitsa Dendrino, was there to meet us and we drove to, Perama, which was then a picturesque village, south of the town of Corfu.
When we arrived I was completely captivated by the quaint strawberry pink cottage built on a hillock covered with pine trees. It had a beautiful Mediterranean garden with flowers and herbs and its own private beach. Evidently, beaches are not private but as this particular one could only be reached by sea we considered it ours. The property also had a shady pergola and a pond with goldfish. One of the most treasured objects of this tiny house was a toilet made of blue and white antique china which should have been exhibited in a museum. The owners of the cottage, Tony and Elle Palatianos a charming, sophisticated and generous couple welcomed us warmly.
Corfu was a revelation to me, it is such a beautiful island, Aleco had very fond memories of the town, where he had lived with his family when he was a child.
Early every morning we used to sit on the patio, with a cup of coffee waiting for the sun to rise over the hills of Albania, across the glittering, blue Ionian Sea. Then we used to go swimming on "our beach" and later we either visited local landmarks or explored the island. A friend of Pitsa's, a naval officer called Dimitris Soutsos, who was then the aide-de-camp of King Paul I often used to take us with his speedboat where no roads lead to.
We visited all the historical places, houses and monuments of the island like Paleopolis, the temple of Artemis, the temple of Hera, the tower of Neranzicha, the Old Fortress, the Cathedral of St, Spyridon the Palace of St Michael and St George, the Banknote Museum, Mon Repos and the Achilleion constructed by the Empress of Austria Elizabeth of Bavaria known as Sissi, She had a powerful personality and loved beautiful people, buildings and objects. But she was in deep mourning due to the tragic death (suicide or assassination?) of her son prince Rudolph and of his lover 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera at Mayerling in 1889.
The Acheleion was constructed on an extensive park and was named after the triumphant and handsome hero of Homer's Iliad who died so young fighting against the Trojans because he was pierced by an arrow in the only vulnerable part of his body, the heel.
The Achilleion has beautiful terraces and numerous statues the two most important masterpieces are Achilles Triumphant and Achilles Dying.
The Liston is an arched collonade in front of the Spianada, the largest square in Corfu. It was designed and partly constructed by Mathew de Lesseps, during the French denomination and was completed during the period of the British Protectorate. Lighted by elegant Venetian lanterns which must have been on the island since the Venetian occupation. Presently it houses many popular cafes, bars and restaurants.
Kanoni is a quarter of the town of Corfu a few kilometers away and its name is due to the battery cannon that is on top of the hill to protect the island from vicious invaders. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th it was a popular meeting place where the Corfiots strolled in the cool of the evening where many a romance apparently started.
In 1956 it was considered a suburb of Corfu with beautiful houses. Today it is a cosmopolitan part of the town, with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, popular cafes and trendy bars.
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