"First of May.........."

......"When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
We used to love while others used to play
Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by
Someone else moved in from far away....."

Here we are in Corfu in May and the old adage  ‘dont cast a clout until May is out’ couldn't be more true! May in Corfu, brings a mixture of rough winds, rain showers, but also hot days with blue skies full of brilliant white fluffy clouds. 

Flowers are blooming in abundance and we are starting to smell the intoxicating smell of honeysuckle and jasmine.  

And the swallows are back and have spent the first 2 weeks of May building their nest above our door (noisy little blighters !)  

We can also hear the noise of the frogs and toads, doing whatever frogs and toads do, in the local stream, creating a very loud chorus that can be heard every evening across the whole of San Stefanos.

The evenings are still quite chilly; although Liz is now wearing only one pair of socks in bed instead of the usual 3 which must mean the temperature is on the way up!  One of the beauty’s of the May evenings is the fireflies which light up early every evening, particularly in the undergrowth alongside the paths and in overgrown areas of gardens and orchards, this dazzling display will last till early June then disappear as the summer nights get hotter.

The fruit trees are full of fruit and the roadside sellers have strawberries, cherries, oranges and melons for sale.

We have bought a string of garlic from the gypsy sellers who travel around the villages selling from the back of a truck.  It is something which has become an annual event for us; listening out for the sellers and haggling for the best price, I’m sure we could buy it cheaper in the supermarkets, but to have a string of garlic hung up outside on the balcony next to the tub containing fresh basil is esthetically very pleasing.

We are gently easing ourselves into our Greek lifesyle. We have planted our veg in the garden, which our lovely neighbour and friend Keith Stanton had already rotavated for us, ready for our return.

It is not yet summer but gradually we are starting to see the evidence of the charter flights bringing much needed tourists here.  We have had our first tentative dip in the cold sea! The sun is shining and the temperature is gradually getting higher – and everyone is ready to start work again after the winter. Everything is freshly painted, the taverna chairs and tables are out, new awnings and umbrellas up, and beaches cleared of winter debris.

The 21st of May was a Public holiday here, it is an important date in the calendar of Corfu as it is the date the Ionian Islands were reunited with the rest of Greece. After the Napoleonic Wars Corfu became the property of the United Kingdom until 1864 when the island reunited with Greece. Corfu celebrates in style with huge banquets and lots of singing and dancing. Or it used to do, in recent times the celebrations are more for a day off from work rather than being happy to be part of mainland Greece and all its financial troubles!

The 21st May was also the name day for all Konstantinos, Kostas, Konstantina, and Eleni.  Name Days, not birthdays, are celebrated in Corfu. Great significance is attached to the name given a child, and the process of choosing a name follows fairly rigid conventions. The idea of a baby being given a name just because the parents like the sound of it is unknown in Greece.  So there are no Kylies or Britneys!

The eldest son in a family is often called after his paternal grandfather and the oldest daughter after her paternal grandmother. Names are usually of religious origin, and they often don’t name their baby for several months. Each island or area in Greece has a patron saint, and people living in that area often name a child after its patron saint. St Spiridon in Corfu, hence the number of Spiros you are likely to meet here. 

Each saint has a special feast day. A person's name day is the feast day of the saint after which they were named. On someone's name day, open house is held and a feast is laid on for the friends and neighbours who call. They will give a small gift to the person whose names day it is.

Also on 21^st May we collected our next visitors from the airport, Pepsi & Shirley, so we have an excuse to behave like tourists for another week!

 Yamas!!

".....Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don't ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we'll cry come first of May......"