Corfiot Dreams: Musings on Corfu Island

Why is it that some places simply call you and end up on your bucket list? 

I have experienced it and witnessed it in others. I'm not talking about those places you've added to your list after seeing your friends' Facebook posts or reading article after article about it as the place garners more touristic attention. What really fascinates me is that inexplicable "oh!" that prefixes the name of a place when you talk about it longingly, while somewhat unsure of how it ended up achieving "dream status" with you. Mine have always been (in no particular order): Istanbul, Croatia, Sardegna, Prague, Sicily, Malta, Chicago, Prince Edward Island, Curaçao, Granada, St-Petersburg, Egypt, Morocco, Cyprus, Corsica, Corfu.

Corfu...

I had tried to squeeze it into a trip to southern Italy two years ago, but I had felt a short jaunt wouldn't have done it justice. I am happy to have trusted my gut on that one and to have spent a leisurely holiday on the island this summer.

Corfu town felt surprisingly familiar. It followed the "formula" of a port city, particularly an Italian port city (my expertise!). It had all the necessary ingredients: old city walls, weathered façades -picturesque with their shutters, balconies and fresh laundry - local tavernas with tables spilling into the alleys and squares, church towers and their resonating bells competing with the crashing sea and restless seagulls, cutlery clinking at dusk, cruiseships docking at dawn, the sound of sandals slipping on cobblestone and locals greeting each other over the heads of a dozen other people, sunset light and souvenir shops, suitcases rolling and cats meowing for food, multilingual menus and English graffiti, fresh fish and seafood, urban beaches where you must share the water with anchored boats, starlight and moonlight, couples strolling and children playing until way past their bedtime. ​

There was a distinct Venetian influence that brought an extra smile to my face now and then.

The rest of Corfu island felt less familiar to me. For one, the island was greener than other maritime places I'd visited, unlike Puglia for instance. Some towns and beaches we chose to visit were refreshingly quiet - except for the deafening cicadas! 

The coastal towns and beaches were all different from one another, which meant there was a lot to see. Thankfully, the long hours of sunlight and the very late suppers stretched the days as long as they could get without tearing at the seams, and we were able to see, feel, enjoy so much.

I had always wondered how some travellers felt content to vacation at the same spot every single year, when there is so much of the world to see. Experiencing Corfu, I suddenly got it...along with the urge to buy a villa that we stumbled upon on a mountain road (#dreambig). 

We spent a lot of time with locals, talking about their lives, tasting their oils and wines and jams, feeling connected over very little in common. Language was no barrier to communication and genuine hospitality. Several times, we were moved by the approachability and generosity of the locals, and felt beautifully comfortable on the island. 

Corfu was a dream. Now, it is a place that makes me breathe deeply at the thought of it, that relaxes me straight into my fingertips and that makes me dream of a life experience where I, too, can feel connected to the land, to the sea, to beauty that comes alive through its people and its places. 

My favorite images of Corfu island will soon be added to the collection, for purchase in different sizes on fine-art textured paper, canvas, acrylic, aluminum or wood. Stay tuned on the blog, on Instagram and on Facebook to find out which scenes could be yours to bring home. You'll also be able to see them in person at the next Etsy Fait au Québec show in late September. (Psst: Don't risk missing out: Sign up for the VIP newsletter and receive a promo coupon to celebrate Greece's debut to the collection!)
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Here's a sneak peak of just some of the newcomers to the collection. 

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