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Images from Corfu: The Garden of the Gods

By Anita Mathias

We are in Corfu for the week, and are greatly enjoying it.

The sea views are amazing, and I have never seen such lovely turquoise seas. Love the rock formations.

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The view from our apartment

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A cove on the “Main Beach” at Paleokastristra.

 

Some of the many cliffs that surround Paleokastistra.

Some of the many cliffs that surround Paleokastistra.

The "Main Beach", one of six beaches at Paleokastistra.

The “Main Beach”, one of six beaches at Paleokastistra.

Gerald Durrell blamed himself for making Corfu such a popular holiday destination.

I blame Gerald Durrell (who incidentally was born in the same small town as I was, Jamshedpur, India!!) for the hordes of the most gorgeous stray dogs and cats everywhere.

Two friendly strays outside the monastery.

Two friendly strays outside the monastery.

The only dog allowed into the monastery.

The only dog allowed into the monastery.

Irene, who loves his books told me of a scene in “The Garden of the Gods,” where Durrell asks the owner of a pregnant dog for a puppy. The Durrells already had four dogs, and their mother had refused to have any more. However, he reckoned that if he arrived with a puppy, their mother would not say no. So the owner shows up with a pup, but not the one Gerry wanted. When he goes back with her, he hears the ground barking and heaving. She had buried the blind pups alive, and excavates them, their mouths filled with soil from their barking.  The more they barked, the more soil entered, until they would have choked to death. He showers her with his best Greek curses and takes them home, and his mother lets him keep them. All of them! Wondering if the descendants of these fabulous eleven now populate Corfu.

We went to the Paleokastristra Monastery, also called Theotokos Monastery this morning. My, what a monastery—quite unlike any Catholic monastery I’ve seen. A strong odour of cat’s pee. Dozens of beautiful cats all over, on the grape arbour, in the courtyards, mating on roofs, tiny newborn kittens suckling in cardboard boxes.

 

Four cats on the grape arbour.

Four cats on the grape arbour.

The most spectacular view from the courtyards of the glittering Ionian sea.39-DSCN6630

Glorious icons and mosaics.

Mosaic in an alcove under he grape arbour.

Mosaic in an alcove under the grape arbour.

Mosiac in an alcove under the grape arbour.

Mosiac in an alcove under the grape arbour.

 

Icon of the Virgin (In the church)

Icon of the Virgin (In the church)

The communion of saints (Painting in the church)

The communion of saints (Painting in the church)

Ceiling painting of the Trinity, and the Virgin.

Ceiling painting of the Trinity, and the Virgin.

I particularly loved the layout, gracious courtyards beneath grape arbours. Another thing which struck me was the complete absence of the cat-loving monks.

A bell tower typical of the area.

A bell tower typical of the area.

Anita and Irene test the echoing well.

Anita and Irene test the echoing well.

 

The monastery's upper courtyard.

The monastery’s upper courtyard.

Walked to modestly named Bella Vista with startling views of the Ionian islands, and explored a couple of gorgeous beaches.

View from Bella Vista

View from Bella Vista

View from Bella Vista

View from Bella Vista

View from Bella Vista (Note peninsula with Paleokastritsa Monastery)

View from Bella Vista (Note peninsula with Paleokastritsa Monastery)

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Comments

  1. LA says

    April 5, 2013 at 11:07 am

    I was in Greece many years ago in my youth (high school), but to all the usual tourist places…Parthenon, etc. Greece was probably m least favorite place. The people didn’t seem to have any interest in the upkeep of their national treasure sites (in contrast to Scotland), and I will never forget the images (and smells) of the trash just lying everywhere and men urinating in the streets (tucking into alleys, but still…) in Athens. Everyone was sweet and absolutely delightful…but there was a high “yuck factor” involved with the hygiene of their big touristy cities. I’m so very grateful to have a different experience through your blog of the country -I’m sure most Greek sites are more like what you’re considering, but I had officially marked a return visit off my bucket list, but now I’m wondering if a trip to Corfu might satisfy my hubby’s craving for Greece, yet not upset my sensibilities. They should pay you advertising fees. 😉

    • LA says

      April 5, 2013 at 11:08 am

      “Ducking”…not “tucking”…dang autocorrect on this iPad 😉

    • Anita Mathias says

      April 5, 2013 at 8:55 pm

      Sadly, there is quite a lot of trash in corners of beaches and streets in Corfu. Surprising for a touristised island. But it is so beautiful now, in the spring, and sweet-smelling, so I barely notice it.

      I loved the Parthenon. We did a whirlwind 10 days trip through Greece when the kids were little–I loved Delphos, Olympia and Corinth. May try it again now that they are older. Will have to do it in April or October. My husband wilts in the heat, and so do I, so we try to stick to Northern Europe in the summer.

      I probably sound like a real travel junkie, though I am really a contemplative sort of woman, though my normal life is so sedentary and book and screen oriented that I do need the “fix” of travel, sun, walking, and nature to keep fresh.

  2. Considerer says

    April 3, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Ohhhh it’s GORGEOUS! Thank you. Gerald Durrell’s the reason I hope to visit Corfu one day. His books are marvellous. Incidentally, the stray cats were there before he was – in one book he details how a tutor of his, in the Jewish quarter, had a shotgun ever-ready to shoot the stray cats which entered his garden and so relieve their suffering!

    • Anita Mathias says

      April 4, 2013 at 9:01 am

      Very cool. I read some Durrell as a teen, but now it’s my 13 year old, Irene, who devours them! And oh the cats, everywhere. I suppose there are no natural predators, and a mild, aphrodisiac climate!

      • Considerer says

        April 4, 2013 at 11:36 pm

        She has good taste. I think I started earlier than that, but still go back to the books frequently. I’ve expanded to Attenborough now, as well, but he’s less funny than Durrell 😉

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anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
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When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
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#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
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And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
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By a homeless baby
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The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
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