...because sunny weather is for amateurs
“Hey, N. Back, did you see the weather forecast?! It is going to rain cats and dogs and we are still flying to Corfu!?”
“P. Pack, no worries, sunny weather is for amateur travellers and we are pros! Pack yourself the waterproof cover and don’t complain that I did not remind you!”
We are about to land in Corfu, but the weather is really bad. The whole week there were heavy rains, some roads are destroyed and people were evacuated. Is this really the right place to spend a holiday weekend?! Well, at least we managed to land relatively gentle and nobody had to run to the toilet or use the “special bag”. So, let the weekend begin!
We booked a relatively cheap (but good) hotel in Gouvia (Gouvia Hotel – check rates here), but it was well situated in the middle of the island and perfect for our adventurous plans. Arriving on Friday evening with a taxi directly from Corfu Airport “Ioannis Kapodistrias”, it took us only 20 minutes and 25 € to get to our hotel in Gouvia. Since all went smooth, we wanted to take a quick look around the neighbourhood. A dark Corfu beer in “O2 Old School Rock Bar” was the perfect excuse to bring our oldies (Philipp & Nelly) out.
If you have the chance to be on Corfu, take your time and go and visit the centre. Even a small donation of a few euro is already sufficient and everyone can really make a difference!
Visit the official website here: Donkey Rescue Centre Corfu
Although the visit was very remarkable, we needed to hit the road again. From the Donkey Rescue Centre we took the direction to the beach, but as usually, plans are made to be ruined, and we had an unexpected incident. B. Backs bike broke in the middle of nowhere! Thanks to Google Maps and GPS we found out our position and called the bike company to replace the broken bike. While Philipp and Nelly were making a fuss, we enjoyed the break with the first sunshine of the day. It did not take long and we were on the road again. Big shoutout to Kontokali Bicycles Corfu for a quick and easy replacement!
The plan had to be adapted though. There was no longer time for visiting the beach and we had to rush, because our wine tasting appointment was about to start. We visited the “Theotoky Estate”, which is the first organic winery on the island. Poet “El Greco” (Domenico Theotokopoulos) is a descendent of the Theotoky family.
The wine tasting experience is described in detail in our Gusto section, do not miss it! We might be backpacks, but we know when the wine is good!
The way home on bikes was a lot of fun. Not because it was easy, but because Philipp and Nelly were tipsy. Please kids, never drink and bike!
Spoiler alert: Nothing happened, all was safe and no one was injured, nothing was destroyed 😉
Biking through the hilly Corfu worked well on our sobering process. We saw at some hilly side at the road a sheep flock. It seemed like we were in a fairytale. The sun was settling down, the birds were singing and the sheep were gazing the newly grown grass. What an idyllic picture, until Nelly ruined it all. She said “Philipp, you know, usually, when there are sheep, there are also…” At this very moment two colossal white monster dogs barked at us with all their might. We literally saw Philipp and Nelly shitting their pants. Running away pushing the bikes (it was a steep, rocky road, riding the bikes was not possible), chased by the two big monsters was not anticipated, but we had to do our best and get some distance. Being horror-struck, but alive, showed us that those dogs were just doing their job, namely protecting the flock.
Still shaking, but grateful for being alive and in one piece we took our owners and biked away to return the bikes and have some time to recover.
As John A. Shedd had once said: “A ship in harbour is safe, but that’s not why ships were built.“, the same is our mantra about travelling. It does not always go as planned, but there is always plenty to remember!
Be safe and do not worry too much! Open your heart and eyes to feel and see the beauty, Greece has to offer you!
Love,
N. Back & P. Pack