mercoledì 2 febbraio 2011

The Ionian Islands: Corfu

Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands.The principal town  of the island is also named Corfu. The island is connected to the history of Greece from the beginning of Greek mythology.  The island's history is laden with battles and conquests. The legacy of these struggles is visible in the form of castles punctuating strategic locations across the island.  In 2007 the city's old town was designated for the UNESCO World Heritage List.  The name Corfu is an Italian corruption of the Byzantine Κορυφώ (Koryphō), meaning "city of the peaks".  Two high and well-defined ranges divide the island into three districts, of which the northern is mountainous, the central undulating, and the southern low-lying. Homer identifies seven plants that adorn the garden of Alcinous: wild olive, oil olive, pear, pomegranate, apple, fig and vine (Grape). Of these the apple and the pear are now very inferior in Corfu; the others thrive, together with all the fruit trees known in southern Europe, with addition of the kumquat, loquat and prickly pear and, in some spots, the banana. When undisturbed by cultivation, the myrtle, arbutus, bay and holm oak form a rich brushwood and the minor flora of the island are extensive.The old town, having grown within fortifications, where every metre of ground was precious, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones, sometimes tortuous but colourful and clean.
Aside from being a leading centre for the Fine Arts, Corfu is also the home of the Ionian Academy, an institution carrying through and strengthening the tradition of Greek education while the rest of Greece was still fighting Turkish occupation. 
Corfiotes have a long history of hospitality to foreign residents and visitors, typified in the twentieth century by Gerald Durrell's childhood reminiscence My Family and Other Animals. The North East coast has largely been developed by a few British holiday companies, with large expensive holiday villas. Package holiday resorts exist on the north and east coasts.
At the other end of the island, the southern resort of Kavos also provides tourist facilities.
Corfu is mostly planted with olive groves and vineyards and has been producing olive oil and wine since antiquity. Modern times have seen the introduction of specialist cultivation supported by the mild climate, like the kumquat and bergamot oranges, which are extensively used in making spoon sweets and liqueurs. Local culinary specialties include sofrito (a veal rump roast of Venetian origin), pastitsáda (bucatini pasta served with diced veal cooked in a tomato sauce), bourdétto (cod cooked in a peppery sauce), mándoles (caramelized almonds), pastéli (honey bars made with sesame, almonds or pistacchios), mandoláto (a "pastéli" made of crushed almonds, sugar, honey and vanilla), and tzitzibíra, the local ginger beer, a remnant of the British era.

11 commenti:

  1. The last bit got me hungry and thirsty.

    Thank you A

    RispondiElimina
  2. @alejandro....definitively yes..willing to taste all the best GREEK dishes...by the way, did you check the video I chose..?? after watching it can't wait until next holiday before visiting for GREECE: I must leave NOW..!♥

    RispondiElimina
  3. Beautiful nature ! I wish humanity will preserve it for next generations to benefit from this ecological site.

    RispondiElimina
  4. @Aznzar...you are absolutely right...we are blessed because we have Paradise on earth:it's up to us the decision to preserve it from pollution and evil management.!If in the coming years we succeed to stop pollution we can say having made a great step forward..!

    RispondiElimina
  5. I want to be there...beautiful...you write so descriptively..I can actually close my eyes and see it...

    RispondiElimina
  6. @Motifs....IN 2007 the town of CORFU was designated for the UNESCO World Heritage List.!...I live in rome but has always dreamt of visiting these amazing places..only visited Spain and other islands in the mediterranean...my next holiday will be in one of these MAGIC PLACES where you can find a perfect mixture of good food and awsome lanscapes..♥♥.

    RispondiElimina
  7. This is so beautiful! I wish I was there.

    RispondiElimina
  8. @Sandy's network....the old town of CORFU was designated for the UNESCO World Heritage List !..wow...SANDY..you're completely right...when I began writing these posts I did it mechanichally but as time was passing by I began falling in love with these places...they are so dreamy...now I call them MAGIC ISLANDS...if I was asked how I imagine PARADISE.....well..honestly i would answer that I imagine it just this way..♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

    RispondiElimina
  9. Islands are pretty dreamy places. Perfect for the rat race escape and battery recharge. So plug me in anytime.

    RispondiElimina
  10. @Jim ...I will do it JIM...for sure..since when I began writing these posts I have also learned so much useful information about the history, culture of these islands...or typical local dishes you can taste there ...I live in ROME and only visited islands in the Mediterranean Sea ..my next holiday will surely be on of these dreamy places!
    HAVE A LOVELY DAY ♥

    RispondiElimina