#greece #corfu - #travel back in time

#CORFU and the 'Carpe Diem' philosophy

Yes, capitalism has indeed failed - worldwide. It's not meritocracy, it's mere exploitation of the ones in need of the 'daily bread' - and that's not only the US situation, Europe is brimming with pertinent examples. When it comes to exploitation, economic issues, low wages, South-Eastern Europe is hard to beat; and Greece, in spite of the cash flow brought in by tourism every year, is still in deep economical problems. However, people got used to the shortcomings: the solution seems to be non-stop work in summer to be able to live through the winter... especially on the islands life is not easy for the locals… locals the only compensation being the landscape and the innate joie de vivre … You can virtually see it everywhere, in their naturally friendly ways, above all humane... it's their nature, they enjoy being nice, talking to others, use their sometimes basic English to start a conversation and thus meet new people. I spend 6 days all around Corfu and that is the strongest sensation I was left with.

Smile to people and people will smile back - that's what a young ticket seller on my bus from Kassiopi to Sidári said his life philosophy was... in the high season the locals work more than 12 hours a day - and they don't make half of what a Western European makes for the same amount of hours. But they're happy, happier than many Westerners. It must be this heavenly place that “forces” people to take and enjoy life for what it is.

In Sidári, on a beach taken right out of paradise, I had a conversation on the same topic - my interlocutor (employee of a local museum) told me the story of a friend of his, former owner of a pretty thriving bistro in Birmingham, who gladly gave up his existence there after 3 years and returned to Greece - for the Corfu sun, its people, and for some of the most enchanting places I've ever seen...

Corfu is indeed a piece of heaven almost forgotten by time; it bewitches you instantly - the Venetian influence is ubiquitous and confers a fortunate mix of Italian and Greek flair on the town. One is bewildered by the same timelessness when it comes to the famous Achilleion, the so called Sissi-Palace, an oasis sought by all travelers who set foot in Corfu.

Part of my exploration were also 2 wonderful cruises: the first to the islands Paxos (the port Lakka) & Antipaxos, followed by a second one, to the picturesque town of Parga (on the mainland) and to the capital city of Paxos, Gaios. Impressive were not only the places I got to see, but also the crew and the travel guides, who were in high spirits even though they organized this trip on a daily basis.

Tourism, if held within common sense boundaries, brings new blood, new faces and energy to the small island that lives on it - people are happy to have tourists around: it's what animates Corfu town every evening/night in summer! Whereas other smaller beach resorts such as Ipsos or Dassia (a tick to the north from Corfu town), are still in need of foreign presence in June. (I met plenty of fun-searching tourists disappointed in the void displayed by those small resorts this time a year).

That day I was returning from what Corfiots call the most beautiful beach in Europe (if not in the entire world): PALAIOKASTRITSA, a remote little spot blessed with superb cliffs, caves and turquoise waters...
Booking a sunset boat tour there and getting to know the beaches, caves and all the beauties of the coast is definitely a must.

The entire island seems to live somehow in the past, unaffected by contemporary issues- people loath politics, stopped being mad about the garbage trucks that have long failed to make an appearance and live each day the best they can - it's all about carpe diem. Never better put into practice…

However, my friend from Parga tells me people do also complain at times - especially when faced with the brutal reality following the high season... when the 90s music stops, the hordes of tourists (mostly British) leave the resorts on the Northern coast, the dream of timelessness and the enchanting sea lose their brightness... some Greek people leave Greece in search of a better life, some go back, attracted by its irresistible magic... an admirable and inspiring stoicism.

However, the rest of the world, even Athens or the the worries about the future in general seem to be too far away to be relevant to the daily life of Corfu… capitalism, excessive consumption, recycling, technological progress, climate change - these issues belong to a different world. And this is may be a way to survive all adversities. Going back to one's roots, living a simple life - the so called minimalism... One doesn't need a lot to be happy - and for many locals, a Gyros Pita, a tsipouro and the sight of the sea is enough.