Corfu Town Maps

IN CORFU, FLOWERS AND SERENITY

Even before the advent of Google images, the Greek island of Corfu captured my imagination. Call it naturalist Gerald Durrell's knack for telling a good anecdote. His evocative account of a happy, sunlit childhood on Corfu -- or Kerkyra to the Greeks -- has put the island on the map for readers taken by tales of animal hijinks, luscious landscapes, bickering family members and local eccentrics. All said, the drama is better than reality TV. Corfu's allure hasn't changed. Situated south-east of Italy off Greece's western coast, it is a breath of fresh air compared to the country's eastern islands, splendidly white-washed as they are. For one, it's green all year thanks to its northerly location and abundant winter rain. Flowers flourish along with olive groves. Add to this, dramatic sea-facing cliffs, pretty hilltop villages and monasteries, limpid emerald waters, and a gorgeous, romantic capital and it's no wonder Corfu is the popular tourist destination that it is. In Corfu Town, the capital, day trippers from cruise ships, tour groups and leisure travellers ambled through a Venetian universe of shuttered Italianate mansions, churches and seaside fortresses. The legacy of British and French rule, too, was evident in flashes of Georgian and arched arcade architecture. The town was such that you could round a corner and stumble on a heart-stoppingly beautiful scene of bougainvillea dripping from candy-coloured buildings or wispy jacaranda trees lending their purple coolness to cafe-fringed plazas. Flocks of pigeons flapped above as if perpetually startled while shops offer Corfu souvenirs revolving around kumquats, olives, herbs and embroidered peasant blouses. My friend and I settled for island-brewed Corfu Beer and grilled calamari at a small backstreet cafe. As its awning didn't quite cover our seats, we ate with one wary eye on the fluttering birds. The squid, however, was delicious. One could make a mission out of finding the best calamari in Greece.

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