Thursday 9th September

 

(Thurs) 09/09/04 day 68

I came face we taught or waving in the early hangover we slept until 10 without thing. We really wein holiday and not travelling mode! Breakfast was yet again a feast, we felt we couldn't really leave corfu without visiting the old town so we got the bus (which was, again, more like a luxury coach) down the winding roads and into the town. From what we saw of the new parts it was busy and with too much traffic, we weren't quite sure where we had been dropped but it soon recognized the port and found the fortresses. I was imagining another Dubrovnik but once and stepped through the gates it was swarming with (clearly British) Tourists, all porkey white and not really enjoying themselves. Every shop was a souvenir shop. so it was hard to step back and admire the venetian qualities the LP raves about. And it was hard to imagine it ever was a ever could be a sleepy Greek town. The locals clearly stood out as they were the minority drinking iced coffee and fractions in the cafes. And it was at this point I decided (& rather not be British. There were too many parked cars and the town had no character whatsoever. We wished, frankly, we'd stayed on the beach. We thought about going to the fortress but they were going to charge us (100k, we got into all of the sites in Athens for free!) and we feared it may have seen a return to our Prague days. So we spent the hours struggling to manage(were?) about the town and ended feeling more stressed again and ready to return to the beach. In fact, we were literally running to get out of the place (we nearly missed the bus). By 12:51 was feeling like nice joined a package tour as we were surrounded by people from Blackpool in accents. I looked at them and had deep thoughts -- (free world and horribly music). British people wear dull and unattractive clothing, the women have boring hair cuts and we sit in silence, not laughing or even talking. Foreigners wear bright stylish clothers, leggrs all different and they socialise with enthusiasm (talking, loudly and laughing heartedly). Does this may be quite generationse (new word?) but in the grand theme of things I think to alienate Vicki said to me, before I went, that when I returned I would either love england or hate it. Fiddly enough I were convinced that I love it and hate it. I love my friends, I might feeling at home and being able to join inI officially hate the weather, the cost, and the majority of the stereotypes our country has earned. I believe it may sound snobby but British people are generally great but it seems to be the stupid, boring ones whose impression an other countries is lasting). From this episode I have also learned (was truly meant to sit on the fence throughout my life (I quite like knowing what's going on everywhere) when we returned the wind had got up and after forcing myself to sit in a balcony wind with Sean spray in my face, we moved to the pool side to sip cocktails - a ball-up iced coffee (which I think I got over excited about) and therefore it was novel going to be amazing. We were old-hands at dinner which taught an Italian theme - Italian music, triable (only) soup and spaghetti bolonnaise. We nursed pudding (if there was any) due to the stimulating conversation (Sarcasm with a Manichaecker-le, and a brummie, who confirmed the stereotypes of people from these places. Still it was entertaining enough, especially hearing about the "tracksuits-on-okay" con. And therefore a pleasant end to another day of fun and hilarity in PP

Corfu town, for me, will be optimised by the English tourist beening discussing with a greek shop owner as though he were a personal shopping assistant the various merits of small wooden elephants as presents for her brother-in-law. Elephants...? From Greece? Right.