Corfu 11 – 18 August 2006

[Turboguy]

How hard is it for her to get a visa for there Wiz.  I am talking a regular FSU woman, not one going to meet someone from there and with property there.

[wiz]

Thank you Marc

1981?

These were the times for us......deserted beautiful sandy beaches, little traffic out of town and prices.......we can only dream now!

I have photos from that year but you have to wait....to find them, scan and post.

Unfortunately I have lost one memory stick......with many photos

Russians Women travelling to Greece for holiday.

The best way is to ask her to book a package to any of the islands. There are direct Charter flights from Moscow to CORFU every Friday and Saturday KOS every Wednesday and also CRETE.

She requests Twin/Double room and advise tour operator the 2nd person will join from another destination. If necessary she gives them your name to put you on the arrival list.

The tour operator apply to the Greek Consulate for a Group Visa and there you go. All you have to do is to go and have a good time, if she let you to join her bed! If not then you have to book 2 singles.....Prices from Russia are more expensive than from UK Start thinking from 1000 Euro and up.for a good 4 start hotel.

UKRAINIAN WOMEN is another story because there are not direct charter flights and you have to use Aerosvits. It is still better to book through an agent and they will tell her what to do. The worse problem is that they will ask her for her bank account and Credit card OR she has to provide them with a special Bond for more than 1000 Euro.....which will cost you a little.

All that because of their reputation for staying over to Work.

If you need a tour operator in Moscow PM also I know a reliable agent in Kiev.

PS: Turbo it is cheaper to make independent arrangements but getting a Visa is nearly impossible for Ukrainian women. I have my own accommodation down there and still Olga had to book a package for easy Visa.
On the 7 Sep a Ukrainian woman of 46 is applying for independent Visa to Greece but I don't think she will get it.........I will keep you posted.

[wiz]

Monday 14 August 06

After Breakfast we drove to town as I wanted to meet somebody for business and then when I finished my meeting had a coffee in a back street café with large tents to cover the sun. That spot was very nice and quiet from the noise of the busy town and then we took the long drive to the North to Visit the resort Sidari.

Taking the coastal road to the north we passed outside the new port where all the ferries arrive to the island. The port now is very modern facility unlike those years that I was living there, is well protected from the normal North West wind, (Mistral) and full of life. After that, just a mile to the North of the port is the “Commercial Centre”, a long strip, opposite the sea, full of tavernas, restaurants, cafes and discos which becomes alive in the evening. Luckily that time of the day was quiet so we got through with no problem.

At the end of the strip there is the Potamos (River) bridge where all the traffic to the North of the island passes through. The coastal road  continue for about 3 miles and is full of commercial buildings, hotels and Villas. At least,now, they have made this road a 2 lane road in each direction, where those years was only a track road. Leaving the sea on the right and turning sharply inland we went through another two busy resorts, Kontokali and Gouvia. The beautiful bay of Gouvia is housing a marina which was full of Yachts and other boats. From there on the road is going through nice scenery with no many buildings either side of the road and we reached the village of Skripero, at the bottom of the mountain. Nice wide and winding up zig zag road brought us to ridge of Troubeta, at the top of the mountain, where we stopped to have a look at the spectacular views to the South and the North of Corfu island.

From there on the road gets narrower and is winding down hill all the way to Sidari. The island is covered of olive trees and makes this road very pleasant to drive.

Entering the flat valley at Velonades, a large village around 3 miles from Sidari, I noticed that new buildings where build all the way to Sidari. I was amazed with the number of apartments and villas with pools at that part of the island.

Sidari was a small fishing port with a very long sandy beach to the East and many rocky coves to the west where the famous Channel D’ Amour (Channel of Love) was imposing its presence. Today the resort has expanded dramatically and is like a medium size town, full of apartments, restaurants bars and every other selection of entertainment necessary for the tourist. The town was packed of tourists and the beach looked like there was no space to sit anywhere!

I parked outside of a small café in the centre of the resort, where its owner is an old friend of mine and sat to have a coffee. Olga didn’t want a drink and she went shopping while I was chatting with my friend. Sometime later she appeared with a few little presents for her family and we left to go swimming at the Cannel D’ Amour on the other side of the town.

Channel D’amour was a huge rock from very hard clay (honestly don’t know the exact nature of this rock) with a through hole underneath where all young lovers used to go and swim through for good luck, but today has gone completely. The old taverna of Yannis Bertos “Canal D’Amour” was still there so we sat to have something to eat and the old boy Yannis came out and recognised me straight away.

After our brunch we went down the beach and swam to the beautiful warm water. I have to admit that I am not the type who likes to lie for hours in the sun so after a couple of hours I suggested to Olga that we drive further to the North West at St. Stefano’s Beach, where I used to go with my ex-wife for weekends.

Arriving at St. Stefano after 20 minutes drive another disappointment was waiting for me. The whole small Valley was build up and now is a small village when those years was only a small taverna at the hill next to the little church.

Thirty years later Nikos, the owner remembered me and greeted Olga with my ex wife’s name Jill. I corrected him and Olga and I had a good laugh about it. The beach is full of umbrellas and sun beds but not as spoiled like all other’s we have had visited so far.

The obligatory drink from Nikos, reminiscent talk about the good old years and of we drove to the next stop Arilas beach at the west. The road goes through some very fertile land full of watermelons and in about 10 minutes we were down at the small sandy beach of Arilas.

The same story here, from one little taverna those years now is a full blown up resort, with apartments, hotels, villas, supermarkets and the little sandy beach packed of naked bodies sunbathing.

So back on the road towards the ridge of Troubeta with the narrow winding road passing through many small villages. At Troubeta we took the road to the west and at the café Bella Vista above Paleokastritsa we watched the sunset drinking coffee on the balcony at the edge of the big drop. Olga was very delighted to see such a spectacular view.

We spent the rest of the evening visiting my friend Kostas (The liar) in his office at Dassia resort about 10 miles North east of Corfu town and then went for dinner at Tzavros junction in the same restaurant we visited the first night followed by a coffee at hotel Elizabeth 2 minutes away from the restaurant and chatted away till very late with my friend Dimitris the owner.

Visiting Corfu of course it was going home again so forgive me for writing so many Greek names of friends but if I did not say hello to most of them, I would have received an avalanche of phone calls with very rude messages once the word went around.


PS
I am attaching some Old Photos of Glyfada Beach, Canal D'Amour and Sidari Beach so you can what a nice paradise it was when I wa living there.....Now everything has changed and all the beaches are full of Umbrellas, sunbeds and people

[Turboguy]

Thanks for the info Wiz.  It seems like a wonderful place to take a gal.   Right now I don't have the gal to take but I expect that to change, perhaps even over the next few weeks.   When I get to the serious point I will PM you or post on the tail end here once your trip report and the comments are over depending on whether I think others can gain from my questions.  I do apprectiate the information.

[wiz]

Tuesday 15 August 2006

Today we visited the Mouse island for another coffee and just after 11 Am we drove to the North east to a nice bay called Kalami. The famous Lauren Darrel and his family use to live there at the end of the WWII.

Kalami is just after the Agni bay and is a small pebble beach of around 200 metres. Today Kalami like everywhere else is been build up and is full of people and no space to sit. Finally we found a couple of sunbeds and enjoyed the crytal clear waters and the hot son

The little taverna on the beach was full of people but somehow we managed to have late lunch.

After a couple of hours of sunbathing we left towards Kassiopi, a small fishing port right opposite Albania and now a thriving tourist resort. Very busy there so we continued our trip towards Aharavgi and then visited the village of Sfakera and followed the up to Trubeta and back to Paleokastritsa.

With this trip we were able so far to visit most of the parts in the North of the island.

PS The photo of the small port is Kouloura right next to Kalami

[wiz]

Wednesday 16 August 2006
 
Today in the morning we visited Corfu Town, took my young son’s radio to a repair shop and had to wait for 2 hours. Meanwhile we went to a coffee bar and there we met another friend of mine, Spiros and we had a long chat. The off to a meeting with my solicitor and Olga went shopping. At around 2.30 PM we left to go to a beach called Kontoyalos in the west.

Beautiful sandy beach, accessed by a narrow very steep road worth the visit and no where to park. We spend the rest of the afternoon there swimming till very late in the beautiful sea.

On the way back home Olga remembered the fish restaurant in Mandouki, Spiros and we went there for dinner enjoying one of his delicacies and of course the Viagra (octopus in vinegar).

[wiz]

Thursday 17 August 2006

Just after breakfast, as usual, we went to Corfu town for a walk around the town and after spending 3 hours there then we went to a beach called Ipsos, 10 miles Northeast of Corfu town where we had a splendid swimming despite been a pebble beach.

Andreas taverna right on the beach was another good place where we had a good lunch joined by another friend of mine (Kostas the American) and his wife Rosina.

In the evening we had some nice lamp on the spit in Paleokastritsa and went back to the hotel to finish a bottle of champagne, we had opened in the morning.

Friday morning was our last time together and I had to depart very early for the airport to catch my 11 Am flight back home.

[wiz]

My impressions about Olga.

On my flight back home I though hard about my time with Olga, her character and tried to analyze everything about her character and what she does for me.

Olga is a very nice person, warm towards me, more open now, (I may had something to do with that), definitely trustworthy and I am sure if we ever get together life will be a calm normal life without any extremes, arguments etc and she will standby by me in any circumstances. I don’t think money come into her mind and she is only looking to find a man to love and marry him, be a faithful wife, provide support and make a cozy home for him.

That is nice to know of course and she is delighted to hear my voice always when I phone her but I noticed in myself that there is not SPARK there to fuel my candle.......and I am wondering if her qualities are going to be enough for me?

You know very well that there must be a SPARK between you two otherwise is not going to be good.
 
Am I looking for the impossible dream and I don’t know what I am looking for?

Who knows, only time can tell?

Back home on Friday evening I noticed myself that I was not was missing her, so I start think that it will better be if I start letting her down softly before she gets more attached to me.


NOTE: I am sorry but Groov was not available to help me write better trip report.... too busy with Iryna.

[BC]

Wiz,

Great pictures.. almost looks like 'home' 

You eventually do need to move back....

[wiz]

Wiz,

Great pictures.. almost looks like 'home' 

You eventually do need to move back....

Thank you

I wish I had the money and of course I would return.........

Here some photos.

[beattledog]

lovely photos

sad beattledog

[Marc]

Monday 14 August 06
PS
I am attaching some Old Photos of Glyfada Beach, Canal D'Amour and Sidari Beach so you can what a nice paradise it was when I wa living there.....Now everything has changed and all the beaches are full of Umbrellas, sunbeds and people

Too bad 'progress' can't be stopped. It's a pity(shame), one of the charms of Greece besides the warm people, were the unspoiled islands. I know what you mean when you say those were the times. Sorry to hear the sparkle is not there, alas we can't force things to happen. Trust your instinct and Wiz....thanks for making me relive those wonderful times in Greece.
I hope you don't mind me saying this on your thread but for the guys who wants to visit Greece after reading this great report I would advice to mingle with the locals, believe me, it's worth it and much better then the tourist scene.

[wiz]

Too bad 'progress' can't be stopped. It's a pity(shame), one of the charms of Greece besides the warm people, were the unspoiled islands. I know what you mean when you say those were the times. Sorry to hear the sparkle is not there, alas we can't force things to happen. Trust your instinct and Wiz....thanks for making me relive those wonderful times in Greece.
I hope you don't mind me saying this on your thread but for the guys who wants to visit Greece after reading this great report I would advice to mingle with the locals, believe me, it's worth it and much better then the tourist scene.

Marc

Thanks for your comments and of course I don't mind you talking about the failure of the spark to ignite.
It is either there or not. Se la vi!

Earlier I made a comment to Turbo not to post irrelevant comments here because I wanted to finish the travel report and now of course the thread is open for all kind of comments.

One thing I must reiterate about Corfu, is that the scenery is still not ruined and Corfu is still a very beautiful island and of course worth visiting. If anybody wants to visit the island I would suggest to avoid the period 15 July to 1 September, because the island is packed. Always has been relatively. Actually June and September are the best months.

When I planned this operation to find  a woman to become my partner I never expected to hit the jackpot straight away. Like everybody else I have made the usual silly mistakes, paid no attention to details and took unnecessary actions. I probably still do!

What I have not done is to go via a dating or marriage agency and any money saved, don't forget I am a pensioner, I spend for my  holidays, which for me is a better away. Yes I know there are some honest agencies around providing good service to people but not for me. After all I have plenty of free time to explore every possibility and occupy myself with my mission. I have decided as from the end of October to give up the holiday business and continue only with my web design, so I will have no restrictions in travelling after that.

Part of my plan includes a holiday in Greece, where any prospective woman has a good time. We live together  24 hours, we have fun and of course the magic of the 4 SSSS. Greek sun, sand, sea and sex makes them loosen up and slowly you find out more about their character. We must not forget that by doing that I expose them to the western way of life and once they get the taste I am sure they are more inclined to be more open and more honest with me.

Olga in Corfu made this comment: In our 2 weeks together, on holidays, living 24 hours together we have made good progress in getting to know each other. It is similar to 2 years frequent visits in my country.

Now that says a lot and of course If the spark was there then visiting her in her town would have been a continuation of our discovery in a better footing.

KenC said that If meeting Sofia made my head to turn then this was my confirmation for the lack of spark and he is right.

Sofia was an unexpected turn of events and who knows what it will happen. She may prove to be, what I am suspicious of, a user who wants my passport or she can very well be the love of my Autumn Years in life.

At the moment I have to wait for her anger to calm down, she wants to kill me ........ but her sister called me tonight and ask me what have I done to her?

Sofia has not told her about Olga, so I mentioned nothing to her about Olga but her sister's tongue slipped and said to me that she never seen her sister so furious....she must be in love with you!

It could easily be another of her tricks...... who knows, women are such a strange creatures but we can't live  with out them.

I have to wait and see what turns out!

PS: Boys if you haven't seen the films "Sirley Valentine" and "The Russia House" get them and watch.
You will love both of them and there is a connection with our common interest in both films!