Corfu United

No, not a football team -- today is the celebration of the unification in 1864, of seven islands off the west coast of Greece, with the mainland. Corfu was one of the islands.

We took the small bus along the zig-zag coast road into Corful town and walked up the marble-paved streets (reminiscent of Ostuni, Lecce and other Italian cities) towards the congregating crowds where music bands in 19th-century costume (!) were gathering, together with groups of women in their stunning costumes, bright-coloured embroidered blouses and flowery headdresses. 
The processions lasted an hour, wonderful to watch, many young (school) children, groups of boy scouts looking amazingly like England in the 1950s (except for the hair-length) and finally the Corfu sailors, with Kerkira in gold letters on their hats (Greek for Corfu).
The brass-and-woodwind bands were superb, a joy to hear. Very impressive, very nostalgia-making...

Meanwhile, I am conscientiously doing short audio lessons in Greek (BBC course on CD, played on the boat) so now can say at least ten words with great conviction!

Above some pix of yesterday in Corfu old town. Judith walking while Eleni studies the map.
It was a reunion -- Eleni came across by ferry from her home on the mainland. We first met in Manchester more than fifteen years ago, and Eleni was at our wedding in Manchester in 2002. Later she stayed in my house in Amsterdam when she was working there. We haven't met for about eight years. A very fine reunion!
Here a pic of Judith, Eleni and me, near the seafront where we had lunched before Eleni took the ferry back to Igoumenitsa.

Tomorrow will see another expedition into Corfu town to buy a dongle for Greece to encourage interent contact (after we have had to leave Spiro's wonderful Hotel Argo here in Benitses, where we ensconce ourselves each evening and Spiro has promised to teach me Greek dancing (like Zorba...)
On Wednesday the plan is to sail sountwards to Paxos...