We always wanted to visit Finland. To see the wide landscape, the forests and elk…. Wait a minute. Oh yes! We did not go to Finland this year. We went to Corfu of Greece instead.
To make this a new experience, we chose an all-inclusive resort. I know, I know. That is not really the way to travel. But we wanted to check if that was a better way to spend holidays with a kid.
And it being a first for me, I wanted to see how all-inclusive works.
Our choice fell on the Mareblue Beach Resort in the north of the Island. It felt huge compared to the hostels and little B&B we stayed at in previous holidays. Fortunately, it was not jam-packed. And we made good use of the three beaches nearby. Actually, only two of them. One was full of seaweed, and therefore we skipped that one. But the other two beaches were great. Sandy, shallow with a steady decline and water at the perfect temperature. Great to play in with a little kid. There being little shade, we bought a sunshade. It saved us twice from being fried in the sun. It is very unfortunate, that it did not make it home. EasyJet probably just threw it away. Does b####rds!
One recurring funny thing that happened, was a small car driving past the beach with fruits to buy. It was not the idea itself that made us giggle each time. No. It was the monotonous, pre recorded voice yelling «Banana, Apricot, Mango…». that made us laugh.
Funny for Mathilda was, that we met a family from Germany, whose boy name was Milo. Just as her best friend from home. They played together as if they had done so for months. We wish him and his family many more happy holidays.
We made three tours in Corfu. One took us to the city of Corfu itself. We immediately liked the town. Narrow streets, small plazas and little shops.
Three times marching bands from the army and navy (I suppose) walked by us playing music. All people, locals and tourists alike, had to press against the walls to make space. Mathilda liked the spectacle, but complained about it being too loud. Three hours is not enough to delve into the city fullest. We need to come back and discover more.
Quite different was our day in Paleokastritsa. This is a town with two popular beaches. According to legend, this is the spot where Odysseus arrived after his voyage home. Nowadays tourists arrive here by bus instead.
A place in the shade, naturally, was hard to find. We left our sunshade in the hotel room. A mistake of beach holiday beginners. So we put our beach towels close to the wall of the aquarium, more of that later, and hit the water. Mathilda did not mind the crowed and immediately started to jump diving. A skill she had acquired only two days earlier. Despite our best efforts the flora and fauna underwater is not noteworthy. If you are contemplating to visit Corfu mainly for snorkeling, reconsider. But swimming and playing in and at the beach is fun.
The route back to the hotel goes through some little towns with very tight roads. Occasionally, I wondered, if our bus would fit between two walls. And indeed, more than once only a few centimeters were left. It was a good luck that no car came in the opposite direction. Eventually we got home and immediately hit the bar.
The bar seems to reflect the culinary experience of all-inclusive. The beverages and drinks you get for free, or having already paid for, are ok. They seem at times a bit thin. Every time we ordered a special drink, though, the expression on the bartender’s face lit up and he mixed the drink with diligence and effort. We recommend including some money for «real» drinks at the bar if you opt for an all-inclusive hotel.
Our daughter loved the kids disco every evening. She ran to the spot and started to dance. That was, before the show started. Once the entertainers arrived, all the kids gathered and the songs started; she stayed aside and watched the spectacle. No encouragement was enough to make her join the dancing. We suppose, she just wanted to see and hear the show.
Unless, of course, the entertainers were giving makeup to the kids. Never miss an opportunity to become a unicorn is the motto of Mathilda.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Every holiday ends. We truly enjoyed Corfu. Maybe another visit is in store the coming years. If that happens, you will read about it here.