Afionas and Porto Timoni

5 am, get ready quickly, pack things, latest by half past 7 we want to leave for Porto Timoni. We decided to leave so early because we want to avoid the midday sun on the way back over the mountain and we hope to have a good parking spot in Afionas and the beach to ourselves.

Corfu is hilly, most of the time I don't drive faster than 20 or 30 km/h. But it's getting more and more fun. In Corfu, you need time, highway? What is that? More than 80 km/h? Only occasionally ☺️. The discovery of slowness.

The streets are empty, everything is still asleep, not even the bakeries are open at 7:00 a.m. or even later at 7:30 a.m. No sandwich on the go (but no problem, the breakfast package is in the trunk).

Petra just can't figure out the narrow streets here and wonders, "Help, which living room are we driving into now?" ☺️

The mobile navigation does an excellent job, when suddenly it dawns on me, "I've been here before a year ago. And the navigation led us in circles here too."

Well, it did the same this time. Really annoying.

We reach Afionas after 1.5 hours, the small mountain village that is so beautiful and touches me again.

We put on our hiking shoes and set off, the descent takes a maximum of 45 minutes, but it's steep downhill. It's not my thing, my fear of falling is once again by my side, going downhill carefully. Petra is doing well, she is cautious. The sun is shining, but its strength is not so pronounced shortly after sunrise, it's bearable. Petra goes ahead of me, I tell her to keep going straight instead of left, and then she will see something great. She does as recommended and sees Porto Timoni below her ☺️. (https://www.feelgreece.com/en/porto-timoni-beach-corfu).

The twin beaches make you forget any effort!

When you look from above, you can see the side on the left where the water appears green, and the other side where it is blue. We stared at the blue side, about 5 more people are there, only one child is in the water. When I dip my feet, I also know why: it's freezing cold. 🤔 Strange, didn't I jump into the water last year? Then it couldn't have been cold.

Oh yes, that was on the green side- we move. No one there, yes, it takes some effort, but it's a bit warmer. And once you're in the water, it's beautiful. Alone, with a view of the sea and the mountains.

We enjoy the time and realize that all the other visitors go to the blue side. There are fewer stones and the sea is completely calm. Better for us green side ☺️.

We want to have returned before the midday heat, this time uphill. Many visitors are coming towards us, and it is unclear to us how one can descend here with flip flops or similarly unsuitable shoes and clothing. Or with a newborn. I can't wrap my head around it. Later I realize that many simply haven't done sufficient research on:

• - that suitable footwear is essential
• - that the beach is not huge and if you don't want to be crammed like sardines, you should come very early
• - and that the beach can only be reached on foot and not by car.
• 
  

This is proven by four (Spanish?) teenagers who, once I have arrived back in Afionas, ask me from their car about the way and if you can get there by car. Uhmmm, no, you can't (and with the mini shoes you're wearing, definitely not).

But there are also visitors who find another way - namely by boat from Agios Georges. For some cash, you can be driven to the beach. So you don't have to exert yourself physically - instead, you can gracefully stumble and fall into the water when you disembark from the boat. It was a wonderful sight.

Anyway. We freshen up from the trunk, I change my clothes, we try to create some sort of hairstyle - before we go out to eat. And have a shandy. Delicious. We enjoy it at Anemos.

(http://anemosafionas.com/)

And then we enjoy Afionas almost completely to ourselves with its 3 shops.

When leaving the parking lot, you have to rely on millimeter work, but thanks to the combined forces of the locals, everything works out. Even though they see things differently than I do - "Come Lady, there is enough space for a lorry."

Sorry, what? In which world, please? A truck printed on a stamp, yes, that's how it would fit here, but nothing more. The cheeky Corfiot was right, but when you look at the cars here, you know that this plan, everything fits everywhere, doesn't always work out.

We drive to Paleokastritsa, there we enjoy the singing of the cicadas and visit the monastery. The access road through Paleokastritsa ends at the road to the monastery mountain. Here the road becomes narrow and a traffic light regulates the daily influx of visitors. The monastery complex with the bell tower and the beautiful courtyard offers beautiful photo opportunities. The small museum houses icons from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many small squares, paths through arcades, and a very nice covered walkway complete the picture of the typical Greek monastery building. It's no wonder that the Paleokastritsa Monastery is one of the most visited attractions on the island of Corfu.

We later end the day with a Greek wine (first, an allergy tablet). Petra finally gets her olives and I get my feta with sesame and honey. The day ends excellently - at the beach.