Corfu Residents
This website Green Island tells a lot about Corfu, the greenest island of Greece. Sure it does! You are looking for some holiday accommodation on Corfu and that's why you're here. It would be wrong if there was no information about Corfu on this website.
Beside extended information about holiday accommodation, we already told you about the beautiful beaches, Corfu entertainment, a lot of culture to discover and the good food on the island. You can read about walking on Corfu, biking and hiking, the lovely temperature and the splendid nature during the summer.
One very important aspect of Corfu we didn't mention so far: the residents of the island. The are called Greeks, but they call themself Corfiots.
Despite the residents of Corfu are a bit different from the other Greeks, we will describe them in general.
Proud people: the Corfiots
Greeks are proud people. Proud because of their past, their origin, their country. Justly, they have a great past. Consider this: The Greeks stood at the craddle of modern medical science. On arts and literature they were top of the world. And they were great in sports. They invented the Olympics, remember? In the old days they were world leaders in construction. And of course they were a world power, led by Alexander the Great. In his empire the sun never went down.
Though many Greeks burn their own nation down to the ground, sitting in the kafeneions (coffe house) with their friends and neighbours. The taxes are to high and unjust in principle, the national football team sucks and the totall weakness of their local government.
Politics is the favorite subject. Politicians got three things in life: corruption, incompetence and greed. Most of the attendees are fully agree, so let's have another ouzo.
But you as a foreigner better beware not to take part to one of those discussions by contributing to the weaker point of Greece! You will leave the venue head first. The Greeks love people from all over the world - the are xenophiles - but mind your own business. They know what's wrong with their country, period. A foreigner knows nothing about it. So take a drink, have a souvlaki, and be quiet!
Peace and tranquility
The Greeks live their lives in a quiet tempo. One step at the time. Or, like the residents of Corfu used to say: Siga siga (Slowly, slowly)! Heart disease and high blood pressure on Corfu are not as common as it is in the so called civilized countries like England, Holland and Germany. In public life the people move quiet, take time to have a conversation with their neighbour of a friend. They pick a flower, or watch some kids on the playground.
Even brushing their own doorstep is a popular pastime.
It's a southern mentality, and the Corfiots are masters in this regard. They like to sit on one of the thousand terraces of Corfu Town, cup of Greek coffee in front and a pack of cigarettes at hand. They love it! Look around when you cross the island or stroll through Corfu Town, many of the Corfiots are sitting on terraces behind a cup of coffee or a glass of beer. Turning their Komboloi around, mobile phone at hand, cigarette in the other hand.
It's true, it is a lovely pace of life. See if you can grab it when your're on Corfu for the holidays and don't let it go.
Dance: Corfu's life line
Dancing is a way of life for the people of Corfu. They do it when they're happy, but also to forget their worries or to deal with their grief. The Greeks dance a lot for the last five years, regarding the news about the crisis.
In the UK we visit the doctor when we're in stress or buy a tube of Xanax at the drugstore. The Greek starts to dance. And it works! It's a lovely scene when you're in a taverna at night, watching the Corfiots dancing if their life is on the line. In many restaurants and bars they play live music and it's a well known phenomonom that within half an hour every guest of the restaurant sings along with the musicians. As a foreigner you might think: Crisis? What crisis?
Eating and drinking
The Corfiots have elevated eating and drinking to art. They start the day with an elementary breakfast, consisting of Greek coffee and a cigarette. Often the Greek men use this breakfast in a kafeneion, where they can discuss the problems of Greece in common and of Corfu in particular with their friends and colleagues.
Early in the afternoon the ceremony is repeated when they meet each other in a bar or restaurant to have some pikilia (a combination of fish and meat) and a beer or ouzo. After that it's high time to sleep.
After a few hours everybody starts working again and at night families are gathered together for a meal. An extended, copious meal. Grilled meat, fish, cheese, vegetables, salads, everything as long as it;s tasty.Eating and drinking is a social happening, an event, every day again. And I think they're right in this matter.
Every praticipant of the diner starts a conversation at a loud volume about the things they did that day, the things they should have done and which they planned to do but didn't. People from abroad might consider this behaviour as disturbing and rude, but not the Greek. He's sitting there, knife in his hand, discussing the quality of the beans, the incompetence of the government and other things in life that keeps him busy.
Until the crack of dawn they continue eating, drinking and talking. Then the Greek will go to sleep, dreaming his dreams.
