Prague

Prague

A Prague Diary Day One. Thursday 27th September Our plane arrived on time, a good omen, supplemented by the fact that the thunderstorms that had plagued Corfu for the last twenty for hours had decided to take a quick break. Our plane managed to make the most of the short break in torrents of rain, deafening thunder and awesome strokes of lightning to take off for our two hour flight to Prague. We had booked tickets online via a search engine. Thanks to the excellent site at Greece Tours in Prague, we managed to find two very reasonable tickets one way to Prague. Ninety euros each, plus taxes, for flights at the end of September seemed a great way for us to start our holidays. The plane arrived early for refuelling and we boarded the plane at exactly the time given on the boarding passes. The flight was uneventful and surprisingly smooth. The seats were leather, but so close to each other that it was difficult to put the little plastic table down in front of you. It would have been impossible to bend in half and brace yourself as instructed, in the event of a crash landing. The backs of the seats held a cover advertising that the origin of the flight was from a company called Smartwings. They did direct booking for flights from 7 euros, all over Europe. Their website is at http://www.Smartwings.com . The attendants were polite and helpful throughout the flight, despite being horrendously busy with a flight packed full of passengers. The food took me by surprise, especially as I had assumed that the cheap tickets would bring us no more than a plastic cup full of water or a lukewarm cup of coffee. A tray of food was placed in front of me, and despite the time being that of nine in the morning, it was a cooked dinner. A fresh wholemeal roll, butter, a cooked meal and a slice of cake. But there were to be more surprises. I opened the dish to find it full of succulent pieces of chicken with lots of oven baked potatoes and a lovely sauce that tasted vaguely Chinese. The cake was light and fluffy and the roll was fresh and yeasty. All in all, the best food I have ever had on a flight. A wide range of drinks were offered with the meal, including a free glass of excellent Czech wine (well, a plastic cup full ). Despite the flight being entirely through thick cloud from start to finish, it was smooth. The only hiccup being when the pilot hit what was apparently the only bump on the landing strip as he brought us into Prague Airport. Our safe arrival at the terminal after the bumpy landing saw him heralded with a round of applause. We progressed smoothly through the airport, the customs men being both friendly and efficient at the same time. Our bags were the first on the luggage conveyor, another welcome surprise. We had arranged our accommodation through a Prague travel agency that we found on the internet. They specialise in flats and accommodation in central Prague, offering a touch of luxury and comfort that is sometimes hard to find . They also have flats in quiet areas of the city, which is even harder to find. Their website is at http://www.accomm_prague.com. They had also arranged our transport from the airport to the flat we had taken in Prague 1. Our driver met us at the arrivals lounge, holding up a large notice with our name on so we could find him. We were pleased to find he shook hands with us in welcome, and spoke excellent English. As we drove through the busy outskirts of the city, we realised that we would never have been able to find our way around if we had hired a car. Four lane carriageways, one way systems and a maze of city streets that all seemed to look the same , conspired to make us glad we had booked the transfer. After more than half an hour of being driven around in comfort in the chaos we thought that the 25 euro fee for both of us, was a bargain. We immediately booked our return journey to the airport. Our driver even took us to the office to pay for the flat and collect the keys, and paused at the bank while we changed some money. Currency is in a state of flux in Prague at the moment, with the changeover to the Euro inevitable .At the moment the best places to change your money to the Czech Karuna are change offices and banks. They seemed to be everywhere in the city centre, so changing money should present little problem. Most major stores and restaurants take credit cards for payment. Prague felt a lot cooler than Corfu when we arrived, and I was glad of my fleece jacket and gloves. It was absolutely pouring with rain, which continued throughout the day. Bringing my brolly with me proved to be an excellent idea. We arrived safely at the accommodation, with two sets of keys and a detailed description in English of the address and the position of the flat in the block. The outside was still being renovated and proved to be a disappointment. The plaster on the walls was peeling, as it had been for many years, the stairs were littered with bags of old building rubble and the whole thing had a smell of must and dank water. The hallway was very dark and it took us some time to find the lightswitch to light our way, even though it was still daylight outside. The flat was newly renovated and furnished, according to the agents. The underfloor “welcome” heating in the hallway was soothing after the cold and rain. We looked around, the furniture was new, and looked good, but on closer inspection the flat itself was disappointing. The newly painted walls had dirty marks, there were many cobwebs, and the cleaner had even missed the old pieces of soap placed on top of the shower wall by previous occupants. There were beds for extra people if a family rent the flat, but it was strangely organised. A huge hallway was wasted space, as it was completely empty. The kitchen diner was nice, but the childrens beds, cot and double bed with no duvet were open to inspection from the living room area. The double bedroom was cold, with the wind whistling in the external glassless window, even with its secondary double glazing. The double bed was a sleigh style leather bed, luxurious from first glance, which proved to be creaky and difficult to use with its two single mattresses placed where one king sized should be. The flat was situated on a quieter street next door to a church and an Italian restaurant. After unpacking our clothes we decided to go out for a coffee. We braved the rain and walked up to the Old Town Square. In a posh looking coffee shop we had excellent cappuchino and expresso coffee and a slice of a pistachio cake. It was the sort of cake that dreams are made of. The bill came to 285 crowns, which translates to around 6 pounds. Not cheap by Czech standards, but worth it for the quality of the fare. I soon realised why everyone around me was wearing trainers or thick boots. Almost all the streets and roads are paved with various sizes and shapes of cobblestone. Most are uneven and all are slippery with the rain and wet leaves. It is MURDER on the feet walking around Prague. I can understand why the buses, trams and trains in this city are so popular. We walked around for over an hour trying to find the Tesco store to buy some essentials for the flat. It proved to be a goose chase, as we just could not find it. We knew it was in the area, we could see it on the street map, but despite repeated instructions on how to get there we still could not find it. By this time our feet were killing us, we were soaking wet, and giving up hope. We did managed to find a tiny shop near to the flat where we bought cereal, milk and some fruit for our breakfast. We retired to the haven of the flat, which had central heating and a deep new bath to soak in. Later that evening we set off in search of dinner. Neither of us wanted to walk very far, and the Chinese restaurant just down the road seemed to be the answer._____________________________________________________________ We didn’t regret our choice. A delicious light fish and tofu soup was followed by the best crispy roast duck I have ever tasted. The meat melted in your mouth and the skin was golden and crispy. The vegetables were fresh and perfectly cooked. I had my duck in a chop suey, and my partner had his on a sizzling hot iron plate. His was carefully flavoured with fresh ginger, mine with a light white sauce. We both had the fried rice. The meal for two, with drinks, came to 650 crowns, about 16 pounds. After a stroll around the back streets, trying to get our bearings in the maze of medieval streets that all looked the same, we decided to have a drink and a sit down in a bar, but it was easier said than done. Most of the people seemed to be drinking in restaurants of one kind or another. Not knowing if we would be expected to order food as well as the drinks, we felt uncomfortable about walking in. In the end we decided to try out the Irish bar in the Old Town Hall square, as it was better lit than the two little bars we had just passed. Do people in Prague prefer to drink in the dark, or is it a little “mystery” added for the tourists? Whatever the reason for the dim lighting, it gave them a sinister, slightly threatening air when you looked in. Well we have reached the end of our first day in Prague. We have both decided we need to buy comfortable shoes to walk around the cobbled streets in, and we are both enthralled by this strange city. It makes me imagine York in England, stretched to the dimensions of London. It is still raining heavily and at eleven o clock at night the tourists are still wandering the streets around us. I consider the day and my impressions of Prague. I am struck by the history of the city, the amazing buildings, and above all, the friendliness and politeness of the people of Prague. Day Two. Friday 28th September It is still raining in Prague. The streets at nine am are still deserted. My partner suggests that it feels like a Sunday today, so I point out that is the National holiday to honour their patron Saint Wencelas. Three hours later the rain is still pouring down, there are few people brave enough to be out on the streets, and it feels miserable in Prague on its special celebration day. We decide we have to brave the rain to go out to eat. We make it to the town square and have some lunch. The fresh fish fillet, with golden potatoes and vegetables makes us feel so much better. But the respite is short lived and limited to the time we spend eating the lovely food. Everyone is drenched to the bone and it seems ridiculous to go looking around shops in so much water. We return to the flat to be entertained by our conversation, after all, five television stations all in the Czech language, is enough for anyone. The rain eases to just pouring down, and we venture out onto the streets in search of a good dinner. We find a quiet Greek restaurant in one of the back streets and await our dinner with anticipation. It disappoints us, like the awful weather. The lamb is tough and tastes nothing like the wonderful young meat we are served every day in Greece. The waiter tells us he is from Afghanistan, but he looks Turkish. He doesn’t understand a word of Greek, and serves us cheap three star brandy instead of the five star that we ordered and paid for. We leave, disappointed, cold and weary after a long wet day in Prague. Day Three Saturday 29th September The sun is shining! The streets are ablaze with light and crowds of tourists who are trying to make up for lost time. We leave the house early, and feel amazed at the strength in the warmth of the sun. We decide to walk up to the Jewish Quarter, and make the most of the good light to take some photographs for my articles and websites. The Synagogues and Jewish town hall are awesome in their preservation. So perfectly preserved, and we smile at the irony of their preservation. Adolph Hitler ordered the Jewish Quarter here to be preserved, so it could be used as a memorial for an extinct race. Who would have thought that he would benefit the Jewish community so much , in such a way? I stopped at the little Jewish book shop to buy a book about the Golem, the Jewish monster whose remains must stay forever in the attic of the synagogue. All the buildings are closed today, they open again on Sunday. I am shocked to read the notices on the wall that you must pay around 300 Kr to visit inside the buildings, and extra if you wish to take photographs in the Jewish cemetery. Beneath the cemetery, which is raised above street level, is a line of ticket booths where you must pay your money to go inside the buildings. It seems wrong that the Jewish cemetery is defiled in this way. I take a photograph to record my distaste at such a thing. I take a photograph of the cemetery anyway, through the closed gates. There is nowhere to make a donation, give a gift, show my thanks for my visit. Only the empty ticket booths and the desolate gravestones, shining in the sunlight ,tell me this is the Jewish Quarter of Prague. We spend the remainder of the afternoon wandering the back streets , looking at the exquisite crystal glass and wooden marionettes that are the quintesential Prague. The streets are crowded with thousands of tourists from every nation in the world. I wonder if there are so many in the winter, when the bitter wind blows through you and the snowflakes settle on your face like icing sugar on a cake. We pause in one of the back streets, intrigued by the idea of visiting the Museum of Sex Machines. It seems a decadent and immoral idea to go looking at these when we have just been walking around the Jewish Quarter, but life is an improbable mixture of experiences at the best of times. We spend the next two hours laughing and speculating at the various objects, as much amused at the comments of the other visitors as by the exhibits. The museum proved to be one of the best organised and set out that we had ever visited. It was amusing and informative and well worth a visit. An American man nearby commented that the museum had made him grateful that there were other people more bizarre than he was. His wife commented that it had made her realise she wasn’t bizarre enough. A revelation so illuminating is well worth paying 250 crowns for. As we leave we notice a crowd gathered to one side of the Old Town square, and make our way across to see what they are doing. They are all waiting for the astronomical clock to start celebrating the new hour of the day. The windows open, the statues of the saints rotate to show their faces, the cock crows, and once again a thousand and one digital cameras close down to their natural state of slumber. We were supposed to go to a club tonight, in Prague 8. We ask the taxi drivers on the phone how much it will cost to go there. We are no wiser now, as they left us waiting online before hanging up the phone on us. The taxi driver in the street told us he will take us to a similar club in Prague 3. It seems too much trouble to us, so we decide to go to our favourite little bar in one of the hidden courtyards. I have a cappuchino, but then decide that I would like to try the Absinth, the much loved drink of poets and writers. It tastes strangely of herbs and incense, and smells like the Botanicals shop I visited earlier today. I have only a taste of the green liquid, but it courses through my veins and makes me feel incredible. I imagine I could describe the whole world in a sentence , and I feel better than I have for a long time. Dinner that night was wonderful. We found an old taverna at the foot of the Charles Bridge, far enough for us to walk with our aching feet and blisters. It was dark inside, and reminiscent of an Italian wine cellar. The vaulted ceilings gave the impression that you were inside a church, and the excited giggles of the girl on her first date jarred as much on the atmosphere as her smouldering cigarette. I remembered that someone, somewhere had recommended the salmon in Prague, so that is what I ordered. It came rolled around a tiger bay prawn paste, accompanied by spinach and fresh mange tout. The light swirls of a sweet lemon mustard sauce decorated the perfect pureed potato on the plate. Wonderful. Day Four. Sunday 30th September Again the sun is shining, and I feel priveledged to be here in Prague in such company, in such fine weather. We spend most of our day in and around the square, taking photographs of the fine buildings and horse drawn carriages. Prague seems full of characters, mostly Czechs, but often tourists. Four buskers entertain the crowd, singing songs vaguely reminiscent of the Beatles. A drunkard from the crowd waiting for the clock to celebrate the hour moves forward, and thrusts his hips disturbingly at the buskers. It is too late, they are laughing so much they can neither sing nor play with such a distraction. We enjoy an Italian ice cream in the square and watch the free entertainment. There is a marathon taking place today, and they have a climbing wall set up in the square. There are people spinning on a gyroscope, modern day victims of crucifixion. A pretty girl is bouncing around on the new spring boots, but she slips on the deadly cobblestones, and pretends not to be hurt. Her thigh, and my imagination, know better. An old mans jazz band is playing just across the square. He lifts a bronze megaphone to his lips and attacks the first song. He does it with such enthusiasm (or is it venom?) that the Russian woman next to me takes flight and runs a short distance across the cobble stones. The crowd laughs, and she returns to her husband, still laughing but now enjoying the music. We decide not to walk far tonight, the cobbled streets and wanderings are taking their toll on both of us. We find a traditional Czech restaurant, walk through the lounge, then down the stairs, but not one empty table is to be found. We decide that even if they find us one it will take forever to get our food, so we leave. We find another restaurant, the menu is almost the same, the décor interchangeable, but this one has seats to spare for us. We take a table in the window with a red candle burning in the centre of it. I order the plate of mixed Czech food, so I can try everything I have read about. The meat is wonderful, the dumplings as light as a feather, and for the first time in my life I actually enjoy the sour kraut. Fantastic. I swear I will visit this restaurant again before I leave at the end of the week. Monday A lovely day, warm in the sun and crisp in the shadows. We take a long slow walk up to the National Museum, for I have heard that it is free on the first Monday of the month. Even though it is free, they make us pay 50 Kr for a sticker that tells them we are allowed to take photos. No one else has the sticker, but all the mobile phones and digital cameras are clicking away like crickets. The building is wonderful, with fine paintings and sweeping staircases that take the breath away. Everywhere, in every corner and on every shelf are wonderful busts of famous people that I cannot identify. The museum contents disappoint me, just cases of old relics and stones that could be found in any museum. I am glad it is free today, I would have felt worse if I had paid to see this. A curator waves at us to move away from the cases in the mineral displays, despite the fact that we still wear the badge that gives us permission to take photographs. We have had enough anyway, and make our way outside. We wandered around the street market on the way back to the flat. It was full of wonderful puppets and local souvenirs, as well as superb fruit and vegetables. Stalls full of sweet licqurice and marzipan called to me, but I ignored their swan song, as I ignored the murmers of the chocolate bars filled with hazelnuts. I can hear them all conspiring together to tempt me, in their crackly clothes of gold and red cellophane. A wizened old witch laughs at us in a harsh cackling voice nearby, and startles us from the spell the sweets have cast over us. But she is an illusion in wood and cloth, brought to life by the sound sensor, powered by batteries beneath her broomstick. You can own her and command her by handing over 150 crowns to the stall holder standing behind the cloud of her sisters. We leave the temptations behind, and let them lie in wait for us another day. They do not mind, there are many unsuspecting tourists that they can lure into their trap. Later that evening, unusually balmy and pleasant for Prague in early October, we take a long walk down the cobbled streets towards the river. We mistake the bridge nearest to us for the Charles street bridge, and have to continue walking for some distance until we find the real one. Friendly extras stand outside the restaurants, trying to tempt you to step inside. Their command of languages is astounding, their judgement of your nationality precision sharp. But we confuse them, after thirteen years of living under the hot Greek sun we look Mediterranean, and they are surprised when we use the English language rather than Greek or Italian. We sit inside a romantic looking restaurant and order the Czech smoked ribs. There are two men playing guitars nearby in the bar, and they look Greek. We discuss this, and the fact that they are playing Hotel California on Spanish tuned guitar keys. This discussion stops us from realising that we have been here for ten minutes and still do not have the drinks we ordered on entering the bar. The girl shuffles up to us, points to the menu, and tells us there are no ribs. I pick up the menu to look for alternative options and discover that this restaurant is owned by the same people as the disappointing Greek one up the road. We decide against having a meal, and since our drinks never arrived anyway, we leave the restaurant with no debts and no regrets. We return to the Ocean restaurant, where we have noticed that live Lobsters are available at an unbelievable price. We order two and are told that they will take 15 minutes to cook. Fine. I have a salad and my partner devours six incredibly fresh oysters while we are waiting. The Lobsters are 490 crowns each about twelve pounds sterling, and taste like heaven. They have been lightly grilled with a little garlic butter and are served on a plate with fresh salad leaves sprinkled with sweet balsamic vinegar. It is the best lobster I have ever tasted and we take every atom of it out of the hard shells. We pause at a tiny local bar to have a drink on the way home. I have a lemon and lime iced tea and my partner has a half litre of freshly brewed beer. Both cost only 41 crowns. Tuesday Exhausted from all the unusual amounts of exercise, and foot sore from all the cobblestones underfoot, we decided to stay near to our accommodation today. We wandered around the tourist shops, amazed at the variety of goods on offer. The pashmina shawls were all the colours of the rainbow, in both plain and patterned styles. They varied as to the proportions of cashmere and silk they contained, but all the ones we examined were of superb quality and had been manufactured in Prague. The Baboushka dolls were so brightly coloured and of such varieties that they made the shop windows look like Christmas shops. Every character was different, and I saw everything from Russian representations of Father Christmas to Elvis and Bill Clinton. Every street in Prague seemed to offer specialist glass shops of one kind or another. The multi patterened lead crystal was awesome in its splendour, and many was the female tourist who stopped to ogle the windows of the Swarovsky crystal stores. Each crystal glass creation was lit to perfection by careful spotlighting, allowing the blue velvet backdrop to turn all the glass into diamond reflections. Painted glass bowls and goblets vied for attention in the shop windows, each a kaleidoscope of colour that was never so bright in a rainbow. Each one was a masterpiece in its own right, and each was so unique that they made the paintings in the Salvador Dali exhibition pale in comparison. The book shops provided yet another free form of entertainment. With books in several languages, including translations of many difficult to find texts, they were a gold mine for literary treasure hunters. Franz Kafka books were particularly popular, with Czech history tomes coming a close second. I bought the Franz Kafka collection of diaries, for no one has come as close to capturing the flavour and essence of Prague. We have joined the locals in the main square of the old town in their pastime of people watching. It feels as if the whole world passes by at some time in the day. People have probably sat in the square and watched the others strolling by for thousands of year, and time seems irrelevant. We sit on the bench beneath the trees, and suddenly understand why the homeless sometimes sit here. It is surprisingly peaceful beneath the trees, in the busy cobbled square. Directly in front of us are the coaches and horses, waiting patiently for tourists to pay for a ride around the old town. Because it is drizzling lightly the pairs of horses have coats on now to keep them dry, and fascinating little ear muffs to keep their ears warm. This place must be magical when the snow is on the ground, and the frost in the air marks out the hot breath of the horses. It is dusk now, and the medieval buildings in the square are brightly lit by the fierce spotlights that illuminate the features of the old town. I take several time exposure pictures with my digital camera, as this is pure Christmas card illustration. Wednesday We are leaving early tomorrow for the airport, where we will get the plane to Britain, so today will be our last full day in Prague. Everyone was right, a week is not long enough this wonderful city and enjoy it to the utmost. We are both determined to return again to Prague. We haven’t even explored outside the Old town yet, except for a short walk over Charles bridge and back again. We decide to walk to the outer edges of the old town, and have a look at some of the areas we haven’t ventured into yet. Unfortunately, we didn’t figure out how the tickets for the trams and metro work until today, or we might have ventured further afield. Apparently you can buy the tickets for them at any kiosk, travel agent or office in town. You then get the ticket authenticated in the special machines at the stations, or by the conductor on the tram/train. The cost of the ticket varies according to the time it remains valid. Next time we come I would like to visit the countryside of the Czech republic, as well as the city. I saw a wonderful programme on the Czech television this morning. A woodsman was taking a group of visitors through the countryside and they were watching a group of wild boar piglets playing with a baby badger. The animals were rolling an old log down a hillside and trying to outrun it before it reached the bottom of the gulley. The variety of wildlife it showed was truly remarkable. The outer reaches of the old town prove to be just as fascinating and varied as the tourist traps. The people everywhere in Prague prove to be very friendly, helpful and polite. Most of them seem to speak several languages, and even the taxi drivers are happy to provide a running commentary about the history of Prague and the many ancient buildings it contains. We are already looking forward to our next visit to this wonderful city and its many characters. Leaving Prague. Our accommodation providers have arranged our transfer back to the airport from the flat. It is a good idea to do this, as fares are favourable compared to regular taxis. Whatever your journey is within Prague, it is best not to flag down a taxi in the street, as rates are high and misunderstandings are frequent. It is best to phone one of the taxi companies, most of which have operators who speak several languages well. Our driver loads the luggage in the boot, then provides an entertaining and educated conversation about Prague, all the way to the airport. The international airport at Prague proved to be a revelation. It was very modern, very accessible, and most importantly very well organised. We passed through customs with a minimum of fuss, then had an excellent cooked meal for two with drinks, for the price of a sandwich in a British airport. The shops were well set out, sold a good assortment of items, and were reasonably priced. Perfume was around half the price of scent in British “Duty free” shops. I did notice that the Absinth worked out cheaper in the café/deli shop than it did in the duty free, so went there to buy a small bottle. All items I bought were carefully security packed, so they could pass smoothly through the second customs checks. Our plane arrived safely, and we took off exactly at the scheduled time. No meal was given this time, as it was an EasyJet flight, but the service was fine, the flight was smooth, and I really appreciated not being hassled by a flight attendant intent on selling me something every few minutes. All in all, our trip to Prague was great fun, very enjoyable and something of a pleasant surprise. I am really looking forward to the next one.

Visits to Prague and England

At the end of this month I will be visiting Prague in the Czech republic. I am very excited at the thought of visiting this wonderful city. I have wanted to visit Prague for many years, since I first discovered fabulous pictures of the magnificent buildings on the internet. I will be travelling with my husband, who is a professional digital photographer. With his images and my words we hope to capture some of the bohemian atmosphere of this marvellous place. We will visit the restaurants, from the five star splendours to the little backstreet local shops. We will explore the Jewish quarter, and I will try to capture the story the locals tell of the Golem. We will sit with the local characters sipping coffee in Wencelas square and soak in the atmosphere as the people walk past. We will try to capture the essence of Prague so we can share it with you. From Prague we move on to travelling around England. We will visit the North of England first, then slowly make our way South to catch our flight from London back to Athens. We are travelling in the winter months of course, so have to fly back to our home in Corfu via Athens. There are no direct flights in the winter months. We will stay with family and friends sometimes, and at other times in a caravan, in a bed and breakfast, and in a hotel. We will travel by plane, bus, train, car and no doubt, on our own tired feet. No doubt our experiences will be funny, sad, chaotic and unusual if past experiences are anything to go by! Watch this space!

Travel destinations needed for review in 2008

Hello Thank you for visiting my blog. I am looking for interesting and unusual travel destinations to revue in 2008. I am fully booked for 2007 with visits and writing contracts, but I am now planning visits for 2008. Please contact me with full details of your destination and tell me if a comped /discounted visit would be possible. I would be travelling with a professional digital photographer. Please note that I live in Greece, which is central for travelling in Europe. Longer trips, ie to America, take more time to arrange because of work schedules. I can be contacted at jjdarbey@gmail.com. If you wish to speak to me by telephone please contact me by email first and I will send you contact details.

Travel writing will never be the same again!

Welcome to my revamped blog. Travel writing may never be the same again! I have decided to change the way that I use this site to talk about places to go and what to do when you get there. The internet has evolved so much since I did my first articles and blogs, that I felt it was time for a radical change to my sites. The internet is now much more user friendly, and millions of ordinary people use it as a source of communication. The internet makes it easy to search for information about just about anything. More importantly, the net makes it possible for me to give you insider information about destinations that only a local could possess. In the coming months I will be using this blogsite, along with its sister site http://www.talkingtraveller.blogspot.com to feature my new travels. This site will feature unusual places to go, with interesting things to do, and fascinating new experiences. It will also feature links to places and people that I recommend to you. The Talkingtraveller site will have features and articles, along with photographs, of the places I visit, and some of the characters I meet up with. This site will also feature stories and events that take place in my home village of Sinarades in Corfu. Thank you so much for your comments and encouragement in the past. Hope you like the new websites.