Serenity 2019

Corfu

April 2019 we flew back out to Corfu where Serenity had been overwintering in Gouvia marina. After a week of cleaning, sealing and polishing the topsides, putting the sails back on and other jobs to prepare for setting sail, we left the marina on 25th April. We didn't go far as that weekend was Easter in Greece (a week after Easter in UK) so we anchored in Garistas Bay just off Corfu Town.

Flying over the Alps - still lots of snow.

Serenity anchored in Garistas Bay, Corfu Town is behind us as I took this photo.

Corfu Town centre

The architecture in the town is strongly influenced by Sicilian, Venetian, French and English styles.

On the right is the Liston building which was built during the French occupation and was inspired by the architectural style of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris

Views around the town. The town was greatly enlarged during the Venetian times and many of the buildings are reminiscent of the pastel coloured Venetian style.

Lots of souvenir shops selling  natural sponges and loofahs, products made from kumquats, and olive wood.

Good Friday in town, lighting candles outside the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Spyridon, the patron saint of the island.

Lots of stalls selling the traditional red pots ready for smashing on Easter Saturday.

Easter Saturday morning rather sombre, slow procession of epitaphs from churches all over the island. Huge crowds of people came into town for the celebrations - a bigger event for them than Christmas. They celebrate Catholic and Orthodox services and it is all carefully timed to accommodate both.

Many large marching bands from around the island play mournful, slow music to accompany the slow procession. 

Another of the churches carrying their epitaph, huge maces and candles.

The crowds are quiet and respectful until.........

........at 11.00am precisely the mood changes completely and the strange tradition of pot smashing, unique to Corfu Town, begins. There is loud counting and cheering as massive red pots, many filled with water, are balanced on the edge of the balconies before being dropped to smash on the street below. There is very little health and safety - no barriers just the people waiting to drop the pots waving to the people below to stand back - quite bizarre! The symbolism is possibly to create an "earthquake" like the one that occurred following Christ's resurrection from his tomb. Some say it is also based on the idea of "out with the old and in with the new" particularly for the pitchers that they store the olive oil in.

Here you can see the red cloths hanging out of the windows and at the far end of this building you can see the huge red and white pot about to be dropped.......

.......and there it goes!










































On the right you can see a pot, about 5 feet high on the top of the McDonalds building. There was a huge cheer when that went!

At 11.30 on the Saturday night the Resurrection Mass moved out of the church and continued in the square. The lights you can see on the left of the photo are candles carried by the hundreds of people attending. They each light their candle from another and you could see the light travelling along the lines of people.

After the mass there was a fantastic firework display. We had this great view from the boat so avoided the crowds! Mind you I was quite glad we weren't that boat silhouetted under the firework - maybe a bit too close!

I loved this way of displaying the musical instruments in the Music Museum!

One of the Venetian forts on the promontory overlooking Garitsas Bay.