Friday 29 April 2011

The new Amstel commercial shot in Corfu

  This is the brand new Amstel greek commercial which was mostly filmed in Corfu Town and in some other spots all around the island, like Mon Repos, Corfu airport and Ai Gordis beach.

  Thank you Amstel for choosing our island to promote your product!



Monday 25 April 2011

Some videos from Corfu's Easter 2011 festivities

  Corfu Easter is famous all around Greece. It's colorfull and unique, there are bands playing everywhere and lots of things going on around town. I searched the net and I found for you a bunch of videos from this year's festivities. I invite you to experience our Easter yourself and become a part of them.


Good Friday - Pantokratoras epitaph procession





Good Friday - Mitropoleos epitaph procession: Philharmonic Society of Corfu playing Albinoni's "Adagio"








Good Saturday morning - Procession of St. Spyridon: Philharmonic Society of Corfu playing Fr. Faccio's "Hamlet"





Good Saturday morning - The first Ressurection and the throwing of the clay pots.








Drum players from the Philharmonic Society of Corfu performing  I. Thimis' "Xoano", moments after the first Ressurection




Easter Sunday - moments before midnight: the Ressurection mass and the firework show at Esplanade





More about Easter in Corfu on this blog:
- Easter in Corfu, what to see and do: http://johncorfuworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/easter-in-corfu.html
- Easter 2010 - a photographic coverage: http://johncorfuworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/corfu-easter-2010-photos.html
- Easter 2008 - more photos: http://johncorfuworld.blogspot.com/2008/04/corfu-easter-2008-brief-photo-essay.html

Tuesday 19 April 2011

"Mantzaros" Philharmonic Society Easter concert


 Yesterday there was amazing concert given every year by the "Mantzaros" Philarmonic Society at the recently renovated catholic cathedral of "Duomo di San Giacomo e San Christoforo".  As the church was full of spectators, a projector was placed at the square on the front in order more and more people enjoy the concert.
The band played pieces of secular music including "Kyrie Eleison" from Mozart's Requiem. The vocal ensemble "Camerata Vocalis" and corfiot cellist Amvrosios Vlachopoulos participated in some of the pieces performed. Alexis Kostalas, a well known journalist (the man which announces the greek votes in the Eurovision contest every year)
 



  At the video below, you can watch yesterday's concert:


Πασχαλινή συναυλία της Φ.Ε. Μάντζαρος στον... by jvnadr

Monday 18 April 2011

Palm Sunday's procession around old Corfu Town

Every Palm Sunday there is a big procession going on around the perimetre of old Corfu Town. We celebrate Jesus' triumpant entry in Jerusalem, as well as St. Spyridon's miracle which saved corfiots from the deadly plague of 1629. This is the island's biggest procession in length and in numbers. The litany starts from the Kofineta square and roughly follows the old walls which protected the town from the enemy.
Here there are three short videos from yesterday's procession.







A video from CorfuPress.com covering all of the procession:

Λιτανεία Κυριακής των Βαΐων (17-4-2011), Κέρκυρα by jvnadr

Friday 15 April 2011

Corfu in detail 12: The so called "Juliet's balcony" in Campiello

  Somewhere inside the maze of Campiello old venetian alleys, on Ypapantis street, there is a balcony which somewhat resembles to the famous Verona one belonged to Juliet Capulet (in Italian Giulietta Capuleti). Few local people are aware of it's existence as it's off the beaten track. Ornate and made of stone, it stands out from the other common ones in the area. 


  Sadly, the owner of this balcony does not respect its unique beauty and placed a satellite disk on it. 


  If someday you pass by the area, look for it - it deserves a brief look. Its uniqueness can't be missed!


- Two old photos from the same balcony (courtesy of Corfu-Memories from the Past group on Facebook)


Sunday 10 April 2011

Kassiopi promotional video

Here is a video I've just found which promotes the beauties around the now defunct municipality of Kassiopi like Kouloura, Agios Stefanos, Palies Sinies, Nissaki and Kassiopi itself. 



Saturday 9 April 2011

The picturesque little fishing village of Kouloura

  Last week, me and a friend of mine visited the picturesque village of Kouloura in northeastern Corfu. It is a place which is internationally famous as it has been photographed, painted or filmed numerous times in the past. It's still a working harbour, where local fishermen moore their boats.
  It can be reached following the road to Kassiopi just after the small village of Gimari. We've stopped at the bay just south of Kouloura, where still stands the so called "White House", one of the villas where british author Laurence Durrel lived in late 1930s. A commemorative plaque inform us about the significance of this villa still inhabited by some lucky family.


Across the bay where the Durrel villa stands, luxourious apartments were built on a headland overlooking the straight between Corfu and Albania.


  Going back up to the main road, we drive to Kouloura which panorama can be clearly seen. Agnielli's summer villa dominated the view.


  Going down the narrow descending road, we reach the little harbour of Kouloura. At its entrance a greek traditional restaurant, a little church and of course the property which FIAT's owner Gianni Agnielli used to spend his summers far from the hustle and bustle of Turin. 




  The harbour itself is lovely. Having a semispherical shape it is a perfect shelter for the small fishermen boats.




  Before leaving Kouloura, we visited that natural balcony from which beautiful vistas of Kouloura and Vouthroto area in Albania can be seen. 



Tuesday 5 April 2011

Corfu in detail 11: A gothic window on an old venetian residence

  At the intersection of Theodoras and Mitropoleos street, very close to the Mitropoli (the greek orthodox cathedral church), there is a three-storey old venetian residence painted in pink. At the first sight, looks identical to those found on every corner of old town, but if you look closely at its first floorm you will find out a rather unusual gothic window, the only one of its kind in Corfu. 



  It is a really spectacular detail, given that, unlike Rhodes, gothic architecture never was popular here.


  Next to the residence's entrance, a plaque inform us that Corfiot painter Spiridione Pisani (1871-1927) lived here before moving permanently to Rome. 


Saturday 2 April 2011

Improvements at Spilia square

  Passing by the area around Spilia square the other day, I noticed that the marina is progressing well and the square behind it, previously left to its own luck, had been recently restored and refurbished.
  

  Corfu Port Authority did a great job renovating Spilia square, a no man place usually frequented by immigrants and elderly people. They cleaned up the place, removing the unwanted grass which had grown on the square's surface and renovated the Cenotaph and the fountain on the right side of it.







  The nicest suprise of all was those recently installed marble chessboards with their own seats which was a very good idea as it promotes chess a sport.

                        

                                                

  Finally, those clean and neat gardens next to the chessboards look wonderful at this time of the year as they are in bloom.



  Congratulations to the local Port Authority for the good job. I wish the place won't be vandalized and when the marina finally opens, it will create a new gathering spot for locals and tourists alike.