The wheels on the bus.....

......go round and round...

Do you know? Visitors are like buses….
(Apart from Helen and Martin who appear to be permanent residents!)
We didn’t get any visitors for the first 5 weeks then 4 lots come along one after the other!
First Becky, Piggy (Steve) & Hannah, (Keith’s friends from work) stayed in San Stefanos for a week,

then as they left on the Friday, Liz’s mum (Do) arrived

along with Paddy & Lorraine (Liz’s brother & his wife) on 2 separate flights, then as we took Do back to the airport this Friday, Paddy’s son Michael & his friend Kim arrived

and Liz picked them up on the same airport run. Friday really is transfer day here in Corfu. We have had some great adventures with our guests and visitors and of course some great meals out!

We took Becky & Co to view Paleokastrisa (from a distance as it is a tourist trap) then lunch at the Three Brothers on Astrakari beach. Keith & Pig drooled over the beautiful sea food on offer, while Liz & Becky drooled over the brothers serving us Hannah befriended a young Greek girl of a similar age, who lived at the restaurant in the summer, and by the time we’d finished eating, both girls were playing well together despite having no common language between them. Liz’s mum stayed with us for a week, Helen & Martin moved into an apartment with Paddy & Lorraine a short distance away, (as the crow flies, but up and down 2 big hills). Doreen managed to swim in the sea most days at the pool at the Athina and had a couple of days out in the car. First with us, then with Paddy & Lorraine, with a couple of lunches in mountain villages,

where we bought fresh oregano to hang up and dry and some local olive oil. Paddy and Lorraine also took Do out for a day in their hire car including up to the highest point on Corfu, where a monastery is situated, with the biggest and ugliest radio mast who’s four legs are strategically placed within the four corners of the monastery yard. We also had yet another BBQ at the house on the hill this time as well as the lamb chops we cooked fish & some prawns marinated in chilli & garlic sauce, and of course all washed down with beautiful Greek wine.

An almost compulsory element to visiting us is you have to sit through at least one of Keith’s gigs; Becky & Co managed to get a way with one, Doreen did the same, so far Paddy & Lorraine have done 3 gigs, and Paddy still hasn’t had a cigarette!!!
On the Tuesday afternoon the girls became ladies wot lunch (and shop!)

and the boys went to the Sea Monkey afternoon gig in Sidari, and despite all the tales of semi-nakedness on the beach Paddy was stilled amazed by the sight of a young couple, (in very skimpy swim wear) who had set up camp right in front of where Keith plays, and proceeded to kiss, cuddled and generally climb all over each other on one sun bed in full view of everyone in the bar, Maybe they couldn’t get a room anywhere! Luckily they decided to go for a swim to cool down; just before Keith started playing (his guitar that is and yes, on his own etc…) the boys definately needed a cold swim & shower after that gig.

There has been a real increase in the temperature here in the last 2 weeks, it is now an average 33 degrees during the day although some days it has been as hot as 38. And in the evening as high as 24 /25 degrees, we are soldiering on with 2 fans going at night and I think we have acclimatised to the heat. It helps being so close to the sea with a breeze to help to cool us down. The apartment the others are sharing has air con as they keep reminding us, but as the units extract onto their balcony, the heat from them makes it impossible to sit out! So when we go round to collect them all 4 are sat inside, air-con on, with the temperature at about 17 degrees (just like at home then!!)

Randomly saw this 'big bird' whilst driving around.....?

At the end of this week calm will descend as we have no guests or visitors for 3 weeks so we will ‘try to’ detox and cook at home and recharge our batteries ready for the next invasion of tourists.