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Corfu Culture, Health,
Beauty & More

 Angela Gerekou was born and raised in Corfu. She graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Rome, where she also attended seminars in psychology and sociology. She worked as an architect in Corfu and took part in a programme aimed at regenerating deprived areas in Athens, before deciding to pursue a career in acting. A household name in Greece due to her many appearances in TV and film, Angela was elected to represent Corfu as a member or parliament for the PASOK party in 2004.

Q.: Angela, tell us a little about your childhood in Corfu?
My childhood years in Corfu are the best memories of my life. Looking back I feel very lucky. I had the opportunity, as a child to grow up in Corfu at a time of relative growth and prosperity for the island. Seeing the limited opportunities for those with children who are forced to live in hard-urban environments, with few open spaces for play, and limited opportunities for socialization, and even more limited possibilities for creative work and leisure, I feel that I was very lucky. My childhood memories are filled with the lovely town of Corfu and the houses of the Old City, a crowd of friends and most of all the sea, which I liked to look at for hours. My first dream was of looking out to sea.

Q.: Do you visit Corfu often?
Of course – I try to be in Corfu for at least a couple of days each week. Unfortunately, my schedule is rather tight, as I have to maintain a mandatory presence in key political discussions. I have many obligations in Athens. I would like to visit Corfu for longer and more frequently, but I do take every opportunity I can to spend as much time as I can in my hometown.

Q.: What element of the arts first attracted you to a career in acting?
An actor has many serious challenges, that they have to overcome. In this sense, it is really a source of continuing interest. Any role calls for interpretation and requires you to get inside a different world - a world other than your own. It is like you're essentially taking a trip to a different dimension of your personality and telling others what you see in there. I started my acting career whilst studying in Italy. When I had the good fortune to come into contact and work with Federico Fellini’s group, continuing my studies at the London Academy of Performing Arts.

Q.: Have you always been politically active?
Yes, I’ve always been politically active, but my first dealing with central policy began in 2004 when I was first elected as a member of parliament to represent Corfu with the PASOK party. On the one hand there was the vision and personality of George Papandreou, who had taken over the leadership of PASOK, and secondly an opportunity for me to offer important things to my area, these weighted heavily in my decision to deal with politics at central level.

Q.: Was it difficult making the transition from actress to politician, or did people such as Melina Mercouri who paved the way before you make it easier?                                                                                                                                                                                        First of all it must be said that these are two totally different places. Perhaps the only common point is the public exposure, which is necessary in both cases, but the reasons and goals for publicity are completely different. Undoubtedly, being a publicly recognised personality is an advantage in politics but this is not enough, to have a career in politics. No one is going to keep their seat in politics, just because they’re a household name. Instead, one has to maintain their position by showing that they can offer things from the position that has been entrusted to them and at this level image plays a very minor role.

Melina Mercouri, whom I had the great fortune to have worked with when I was a young architect on various redevelopment projects, was a rare individual and the perfect iconic personality of modern Greek history. She was unique in every sense of the word. Therefore, no one and nothing can or should be compared with her in regard to her position in history. But what you can say is that Melina Mercouri, worked tirelessly in her efforts to better Greece and the it’s Cultural Policy.

Q.: How do you manage to balance work with family obligations?
I won’t pretend that this is something that is easy, nor simple, because it would be a lie. It is feasible, but with the support and understanding of your family unit. On the other hand, however, it would be provocative to say that my everyday life is a challenge, when thousands of other women are in the same difficult position as me with even less than I have, and manage their daily lives. I try to balance between the two fields in the same way as every woman that is in a challenging professional position does, whatever that may be.

Q.: As a mother and a politician, would you like to comment on the events that led to the climate of unrest of late, which resulted in the death of a 15-year-old student at the hands of Police?
First of all, for that very reason itself, I am not going to be careful in the wording of my answer. It was a cold-blooded murder and I demand - as I suppose everyone does - the absolutely exemplary punishment for those guilty of this crime. Nothing more and nothing less.

On a personal and emotional level, I cannot even imagine the pain of the family, relatives and friends of 15-year-old Alexis. It is inconceivable to think of how unfair the loss of the life of a 15 year old boy is it’s beyond any reasonable explanation ...

From there onwards, the death of 15 year old Alexis was merely the last straw that blew the lid off the pressure pot of anger which has been slowly boiling within the previous period of unrest in Greek society. The causes are many and have been building for some time. In addition, the way the Government handled the issue of disorder is probably a global example of what NOT to do when a government is required to manage a crisis.

The questions before us now are very important and pressing. We are at a critical crossroads of decisions as a country - and those decisions should be taken here and now because tomorrow will be too late. When a country cannot produce the slightest amount of hope for the future of the new generation, then nothing good can be promised. In my personal opinion, however, the key of all this is in education. Everything converges and stems from this point. The time has come to deal with the issue of education in Greece, not in theory but in practical terms.
 
In many areas such as health, education, the environment and tourism, on which we all depend as an island, we do not have the infrastructure we should have. People find it hard to believe that there is a better future for our area. How do you think we can reverse the pessimism the Corfiot people have and also the negative image that might be perceived abroad, for our beautiful but troubled island?

The people of Corfu have for years had the feeling that they have been neglected. In my opinion, this feeling is absolutely justified. There has not been one, not one serious and significant large public project in Corfu for years. The island’s roads remain in poor condition. The construction of the new Hospital has become a blatant mockery. Tourism presence has from one year to another increasingly fallen. The solutions to water problems have remained stagnant for some time. The management of waste has reached a deadlock with the ongoing situation in Lefkimi - even the news of membership of the Old City of Corfu in the UNESCO list of protected monuments hasn’t been exploited in the best possible way. Taking into account there are still many outstanding issues concerning it.

If you add together all of these things, then yes, there is little room for optimism. But I believe that we should not lose the essence of the subject - which is that Corfu is one of the most beautiful Greek islands and one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean. The natural environment and Corfu’s culture specificity is unique and rare. These advantages have ultimately not been lost and the overall capabilities of our island are still here.

What we need is a new identity to show all these advantages and to re-invest in new, bases for future development of the island. So, as things stand now we cannot expect to change things without first making changes. Although the central state responsibility for Corfu’s inertia is a serious one, there are possibilities that can and should be used by us at municipal level.

One example is promoting the tourism of our island abroad. Apart from what happens at the level of Ministry or at the level of EOT, the local government of the island has features that it can build on. A year and a half ago I visited Japan, which had a strong and direct interest in the tourism market here on Corfu. I directed and even prepared a proposal to organise meetings and workshops in Tokyo, between representatives of tourist agencies and representatives of the island's largest tour operators in Japan and Southeast Asia, for direct agreements and to create conditions for lasting cooperation. I informed the Prefecture directly on the proposal, calling for the development of this opportunity in opening Corfu up to new tourist markets. Everyone agreed that it was an excellent idea - but the authorities made no follow-up response. Obviously this is just one example. But, apart from us waiting for things, what we need to do is make some opportunities for ourselves. Let us continue to press in any way we can for the first, but not lose opportunities on the second.

It is difficult to categorise Adam Hart-Davis. Passionate about science he gained a first class degree in Chemistry at Oxford and a DPhil in organometallic chemistry at York. Since the mid 1970s he has been involved in broadcasting, presenting shows including Tomorrows World, Scientific Eye and more recently What the Ancients Did For Us. A prolific author, filmmaker, and very talented photographer, he has become a household face in recent years by telling the British public that “tax doesn’t have to be taxing”. He also has a fascination with certain necessity of modern plumbing, which we will hear more about later.

One sunny June afternoon Mellissa and I found ourselves sitting on the patio of a wonderful villa near Kassiopi, sipping tea and enjoying both uninterrupted views of Albania and the company of the man himself, whom we discovered, along with his partner Dr Susan Blackmore and her children, is a great exponent of the Corfiot holiday.

After overcoming the nuances of Greek teapots, which are not the easiest things to pour tea from, we got down to some serious chat.

Q: What made you decide on Corfu as a holiday destination ?                                                                                                                     We first came to Corfu in 1995. We’d been together about 2 years and Sue said, “Why don’t we go on holiday”. I’m not very good at holidays but as I wasn’t busy the following week I agreed. We went to the local holiday shop who suggested a week in Siberia. We thought we’d prefer something a bit warmer so they offered us Corfu, to which we replied “that’s Greece isn’t it”? So literally, we knew nothing about it at all, we just got on the plane and came. We stayed at a hotel in Acharavi but just used it as a base and went exploring. We’d walk along the beach, and we’d find some lovely tavernas. We just liked it. Liked the feel, the temperature, the atmosphere and so on.

We rented bicycles and made the extremely hot, tiring ride to Kassiopi. By the time we got here I was absolutely knackered, and I slumped by the harbour whilst Sue explored round that far end of it, which then had nothing built on it, and we thought how really nice it was. The next year we rented a small villa down near the beach. We had both the kids with us and had a really wonderful time.

Over the next few years we stayed in several lovely places. A nice villa up on the headland when it was still wild and there was only a path to it. Now of course there’s a huge road and villas all the way round. But it was super and there was a little secret beach down on the left.     

Q: Have you had any disappointments during your visits?                                                                                                                            A few. One year we went to Kavos, which was a mistake. But we did find a wonderful taverna that seemed to have been missed by most of the tourists. The first time we went there it was full of Greek Orthodox priests, a great gang of them sitting there. The second time we went they were roasting a whole sheep over a spit. We had a couple of terrific meals there. But we did have some problems with the bicycles we rented, the brakes exploded and it was all a bit hazardous!

So we came back up to this end of the island, we stayed at Nissaki and finally we settled on this area. We took a tiny villa close to here, nestling by itself. It had no mod cons, but it was wonderful and only 50 yards from the beach. We really enjoyed it. Then we saw this place and we thought well, lets go for gold!

In the past we have found the airport terribly crowded and hot, but amazingly it worked a treat this time. We were out of the airport in less than an hour with our luggage and a car. Sue got to the front of the car rental queue, which was being run by the lady whom we know quite well, and our suitcases were 3 of the first 4 off the carousel. Normally you expect to wait an hour for your luggage and then another hour for the car. No, it all worked a treat so we assume it has got better.               

Q: What brings you back, year after year?                                                                                                                                                     We love the island and have made many good friends here. We also love the food especially the seafood, and Retsina got to me. The first glass always tastes horrible, the second’s all right and by the time you get to the third glass it’s lovely, it slides down a treat!

Q: How do you like to spend your holiday time ?                                                                                                                                           I usually get up first in the morning. I like to swim as the sun’s coming over the mountains, it’s cold then and quite sharp, and then I’ll go again an hour later. The others get up slowly and we usually go to meditate on the beach and have a little swim in the sea. After that, basically I like to lie by the pool and read. I’ve got 10 books with me and I shall plough my way slowly through them. I suppose my earliest connection to Corfu is through Gerald Durrell. My dad was a friend of his and helped him set up his zoo on Jersey, so we were raised to some extent on his books. My Family and Other Animals is an absolute classic.

The others have done various things over the years. They’ve been to Albania once and they’ve been sailing, but I just loaf about!       

A: Do you normally visit in June?                                                                                                                                                                   No. Since Sue’s kids left school we’ve come in September. It’s quieter and not quite so hot. However, for the last 3 years I’ve have been asked to go on Strictly Come Dancing, which is very silly because I’m extremely old, fat and incompetent. But I couldn’t accept as we were away for the critical 2 weeks, and I had other commitments too that I couldn’t just renege on. So this year we said if there is a chance they’ll ask me again I’ll do it and I won’t book anything for the back end of the year. But they’ve now said they don’t want me! I think they’ve been very wise, but oh it would have been a laugh wouldn’t it.

This year we considered travelling overland, Sue and I are environmentally aware and wanted to try and avoid flying. We wanted to go on the Orient Express to Venice and then ferry to Corfu Town, which would have been lovely. The trouble was it arrives in Venice on Saturdays, which meant an overnight stay there. So you’ve got the expense of the hotel in Venice, added to which the Orient Express is £2000 per person each way, and that seems quite a lot of money to spend.

We then considered the regular train, which is just £200 or £300, a reasonable amount. But we’ve just moved house and to travel by train would have taken another week, time we really couldn’t spare. The cat hasn’t settled in and we were worried about who would feed the fish. So we thought no, we’re going to fly. Maybe we’ll do it next year.

So that’s really the story of our holiday. Now, what else can I tell you about?      

At the end of the 1980s for personal reasons Maria sought the assistance of some alternative therapies to help her in her life. She explains: “I started out with flower essences and was introduced to colour therapies. I also attended a seminar about colour therapy. This was fascinating, you can learn so much about your character from colours. I wanted to know more, and when I learned about what colours mean, I found it so dramatic, as much or perhaps even more dramatic than theatre. And, then when I started regression therapy it was as if suddenly everything had been explained to me. It showed me how to work and also how the theatre represented dramatic aspects of my life.”

For 2 years Maria continued to have treatments before eventually deciding to train as a therapist herself. She had been becoming increasingly frustrated with the business side of the theatre, where much of the individual creativity can get lost. “It is not easy to get good roles continually when working in the theatre, especially as a woman. As actresses tend only to get to play the same kind of roles and that can be very disheartening”.

That was 16 years ago. After training at the Aura-Soma Academy of Colour Therapy in Tetford, England, Maria has now given up the theatre, and works as a colour and regression therapist, running a successful practice in Vienna. She has also lectured in England, bringing the benefits of her knowledge and experience to a wide audience.

She is the first person ever to explore the potential of using the two therapies in tandem with each other. During an early holiday to Corfu she was musing about the possibility of writing a book on the therapies and suddenly thought why not bring the two together.

From this daydream Maria has worked stolidly on combining past life and colour therapies and finds they two complement each other perfectly. She has also forged ahead with her writing aspirations and has spent much of her time in Corfu working on the book. Last year she signed with a publisher and her book ‘Deine Farben – Deine Leben’ (Your Colours, Your Lives) will be on the bookshelves in Austria, Germany and Switzerland later this year. Maria is also very hopeful that in due course the book will be published in the English language both in the UK and United States.

We asked Maria to explain a little about the therapies that she practices. They sound very intriguing but what are they and how do they work?

“Everyone is born on a certain ray of colour, and each colour has a meaning and use. By identifying which colours are important in a given circumstance or situation you can begin to help pave a positive direction for the individual involved. Colours are a part of our being, each one has a meaning and can affect the way we feel, interact and express ourselves”.

As an example, Maria cites green. “Green indicates a love of nature, recreation and promotes energy. When you are exhausted or want to express yourself green helps”. It is an important colour in Martin’s life. To illustrate this she refers to his watercolour abilities that were identified in Corfu. Here he is surrounded by tones of green in the beautiful gardens of their accommodation and far beyond in the verdant wooded hills and mountains; and here he was first inspired to paint his wonderful landscapes.

The past life regression that Maria practices is not, as some people might think, a form of hypnotism. Maria explains that whilst hypnosis might help gain access to the subconscious that is not only where she needs to go. She needs to get to the higher level of consciousness in order to find the information that will help her client. The client will come with a specific question or problem in their lives that needs direction; through regression they can be helped to reconnect with their spiritual self and reach their highest potential.

The client will be encouraged to relax and let their mind wander more openly than they normally would. It is surprising how much can be learned of past lives using this technique. At no time does Maria try to manipulate the client’s ideas or use suggestive questioning techniques. Everything they see and speak of will be coming from their inner self.

Past life regression aims to identify the skills and styles that the individual continues with through each life. It helps the individual realise what their emotions are and in so doing understand why they react in certain ways. Once identified they can start to move forward rather than following repetitive patterns which result in the same old problems.

Whether you are sceptical or believe that alternative therapies can help us in our daily lives one thing is for sure. Both Maria and Martin’s lives have been turned around and massively improved by their use. From struggling artist to the top of his profession, and from disillusioned actress to successful therapist and author is in itself no mean feat in a few short years. But much more than that, Maria and Martin are happy, content, relaxed and at one with their world. No amount of financial incentive or success can buy that inner peace that exudes from them both.

Maria is immensely proud that Martin designed the cover for her forthcoming book, which she describes as being his visual expression of her written words. The book, “Deine Farben – Deine Leben” is published by Novum Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-85022-446-8. http://mariagrande.at/

Deborah Lawrenson is fast making a name for herself as a novelist. After reading English at Trinity College, Cambridge she worked on the Kentish Times, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday. She has written five novels to date: The Art of Falling, The Moonbathers, Hot Gossip and Idol Chatter, but it is her latest book Songs of Blue and Gold that is of particular interest to Nisea. It is a story infused with the spirit of Lawrence Durrell, in which she vividly describes Kalami and Corfu.

Deborah was kind enough to take time out from her busy schedule to talk to Nisea. She lives in England, in a historic Kent village where she writes facing out onto a Georgian high street, and in Provence, in the south of France, in a crumbling farmhouse where she doesn’t write “because there are usually too many guests!” She is married, with a 12-year-old daughter.

Q: Deborah, The Art of Falling was chosen as one of the books for the WHSmith Fresh Talent promotion in 2005. It went on to sell more than all the others put together! How did that feel?  

It felt fantastic, as that success was the culmination of a long struggle. This was a different kind of book for me; more serious, unlike the previous novels which were simply “entertainments”. But publishers like authors to carry on writing the same kind of books that fit into recognised brands. When I’d finished The Art of Falling no-one wanted it. Over the next two years I got some very kind and regretful rejections, which nearly all concluded that it wasn’t clear whether it was a literary or a commercial novel, so that would be a No, then. That made me so mad that, after much soul-searching, I published it myself.

Almost immediately a wonderful review compared it to Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and it started to sell. Some influential bookshops began to support me and ten months later Random House bought the rights. They republished it in style the following year. Even now, I get messages through my website from people who found something in it that spoke to them, and that really makes everything worthwhile.

Q: Did you think it would be so well received when you first penned it?                                                                                                     Well, quietly I always had faith in it. Although I’m never hugely confident about what I’m writing at the time, I always believed the story, based on several real-life events in Italy, a wartime romance and the present-day search for a father who had disappeared, was a compelling one and if I could only tell it appealingly it might be a good book.

Q: Tell us a little about Songs of Blue and Gold?                                                                                                                                          It’s the story of Melissa as she tries to discover more about her mother’s secret relationship with the writer, traveller and hedonist Julian Adie, a fictional character inspired by Lawrence Durrell. When she first arrives in Corfu, all she has to go on are a copy of Adie’s island book (a near Prospero’s Cell) and his biography, in which her mother is not mentioned.

Gradually Melissa is entranced by Kalami and the surrounding area, the Corfiots she meets and Adie himself, through his writing, and the account of his life which seems to offer her some pointers as to why her own personal life is unhappy. It’s a novel about love and memory - and the curious and illusory way biographies can make readers feel they know a character, when the truth is that sometimes we don’t even know everything about the people we are closest to.

Q: What was the inspiration behind it?                                                                                                                                                          The inspiration was reading about both the literary Durrell brothers, Lawrence and Gerald. I was intrigued by the way their own books and separate biographies portrayed the same setting and some of the same stories but from different perspectives. Lawrence constantly popped into Gerald’s biography, almost always with a different wife. What was the story behind that, going on in parallel? I went back to Prospero’s Cell and that’s where my imagination took flight.

 Q: Why Lawrence Durrell?                                                                                                                                                                           Both brothers clearly had immense charm, but Lawrence’s mesmeric writing and mercurial personality really drew me in. Both his own words and all those written about him give the impression that he was a dazzling force of nature, with great energy, ambition and a true gift for friendship. Yet he was a flawed man too. Perhaps he was too idealistic, perhaps too selfish at times. But even this was intriguing: did his failings make him a bad man, or a more dangerously attractive one?

From a novelist’s point of view, he led a life crammed full of interest: the escapism of his constant moves around the Mediterranean and the sensuous way he described what was at times a desperate quest to find his place in the sun; his romantic adventuring - his four wives and many lovers; his phenomenal literary success after many years of constant hard work; and later, the ever-harder drinking and self-destructive urges.

Q: Richard Pine (from the Durrell School of Corfu) describes you as “one of the few women writers who has understood the psyche and the angst of Durrell himself” How did you succeed where others have failed?                                                                                             That’s extremely flattering. I can only say that I see Lawrence Durrell as a man who embraced life, and used everything that came his way to enhance it and his work. But underneath the sybaritic exterior lay immense seriousness and courage. What guts it must have taken at times to start yet again, in so many new places and new relationships, always testing himself with virtuoso displays of creativity. Through all kinds of reverses and sadness, he was determined to be the writer he wanted – no, needed – to be, and this, I think, was both his strength and his weakness.

It’s very difficult to put myself as a writer into this without sounding as if I’m claiming any kind of parity with him – which I’m certainly not - but what I can understand is the burning need to set down a permanent mark where there has been a sense of rootlessness.

Q: Do you think living abroad during your formative years helped you empathise with Durrell?                                                                  In part, yes. Both my parents were in the British diplomatic service (although, in the unenlightened late 50s, my mother returned from a posting to find her job was no longer available when she married). As a family we lived in Kuwait, China, Belgium, Luxembourg and Singapore. It was a life of constant moving-on, and not always easy to deal with. Like Durrell, I often found Britain on our returns to be a duller, greyer place than abroad, and less inviting than it had seemed from afar.

Q: Durrell once said that “All these writers (in my books) are variations of myself”. How much of Deborah Lawrenson then, is there in your main character Melissa?                                                                                                                                                                        There are no obvious points of similarity in outer characteristics and history, but I would say I shared Melissa’s dogged will to complete what she’s set out to do, and her fascination by other lives in books and how they can shed light on our own in the here and now. Also her great and unexpected delight in the beauty of the Ionian and Corfu!

Q: I was impressed with your knowledge of Kalami and Corfu town, is Corfu a place you’ve visited often?                                                I’ve only visited Corfu town for a day each time I’ve been to Corfu, but I have stayed in the old Durrell apartment at the White House in Kalami. The north-eastern coast with Albania just across the water must be one of the world’s most ravishing settings. I drifted around with my old copy of Prospero’s Cell marvelling at how accurate Lawrence’s descriptions are, even today. It’s very easy to feel that the seventy years that have passed since he lived there might have been no longer than a dream.

This year I stayed at Kendroma, from where my husband and I could scramble down through the olive groves to the Shrine of St Arsenius. From the terrace we could see when the last tourist boats had left, and then make our way there. From the wall by the shrine the white stones at the bottom of the bathing pool were cut into sharp emerald prisms by the bright flat evening light.

Other favourite places are Agni beach at sunset, sitting at one of those three lovely tavernas, and the beach at Kouloura where the ruined olive press is shaded by trees.

Q: And finally, I really enjoyed the way you breathed new interest into an old classic (Prospero’s Cell) have you any plans to “rediscover” other books or authors, or is Durrell by far the most interesting literary character?                                                                 I love becoming immersed in the life and work of writers – I could easily spend all day every day engrossed in a book - but I’m finding it hard to find one who can compare at the moment, someone whose life is as fascinating as the work! When I studied English literature at university I used to think that the text was all, but with writers like Durrell who build on personal experience, my pleasure in reading now is in trying to find the context of the words in the life, and the psychology behind them. I think that’s why anyone reads or writes: to try to make sense of the world’s wild uproar.

There are other writers who intrigue me - Patrick Leigh Fermor, for example. He is another wonderful writer about Greece, a friend of Durrell’s and equally well-travelled and connected to other interesting people, but the stumbling block for me is that he doesn’t give as much of himself in his books. Leigh Fermor’s natural discretion means that he will barely mention a great love affair during his travels. There’s nothing like the intimate, sensual poetry-prose of Durrell’s descriptions of Nancy at Kalami in Prospero’s Cell. Then there are Anais Nin and Henry Miller, on the other hand, who tell us far more about their thought processes and sex lives than we really wanted to know, fictionalising too, but not in a style I find particularly attractive.

I like the sense of building up a whole imaginary picture – as I see it. Other people may see it differently, but that’s the magic of books. http://deborah-lawrenson.co.uk/

Probably the most famous of all Corfu’s British writers & Phil-Hellenes is Lawrence Durrell. Born February 27th 1912, in Jalandhar India to an English father and Irish mother. His early years bore him a freedom he would search to reproduce throughout his adult life. Sent to school in England at the age of 11, he struggled to fit in. At his own admission England was a country in which he was never truly happy. Not wishing to stay there any longer than was necessary he failed his university entrance exams and embarked on a life as a writer. He’d begun writing poetry from the tender age of 15, having his first collection “Quaint fragment” published in 1931.

Lawrence’s creative restlessness and a need to find a place to work saw him drifting through various schools, working as a jazz pianist in a London nightclub and living in Paris.

March 1935, was perhaps a turning point for Lawrence. He persuaded, his new bride Nancy, his Mother and siblings including the young Gerald, who would later become famous in his own right as a conservationist and popular writer, to move to Corfu. The idea was to escape the horrible British winters, but now free from the restraints he so loathed he found the creative freedom he had craved since childhood. He embarked on a bohemian lifestyle living in a number of large houses, most famously the “White House” on the coast of Kalami. Its wildly ragged coast line with its crashing waves in contrast with the serenity of the lush green countryside, both excited and inspired him as a writer.

Growing in confidence he surrounded himself with talented people, it was here that the celebrated author Henry Miller, his lifelong friend and mentor visited him.

If Paris was where he spent his writing adolescence, Corfu was where he reached maturity.

Sadly the Second World War cut this creative and idyllic period in his life short. After attempting to remain in Greece Lawrence and Nancy were eventually forced to flee after it’s fall in 1940. Their escape took them via Crete and Alexandria with Lawrence later settling in Egypt. As war raged across Europe, Durrell relived happier times; the book Prospero’s cell described life in Corfu, or as he himself wrote “this brilliant speck of an island in the Ionian”

Returning to Corfu throughout the 60’s and 70’s before his death in 1990, it’s difficult to think of Kalami without the Durrell connection. Although it has obviously changed much in the 70 years from when he first came here, it’s natural beauty is still breath taking and inspirational. The iconic white house stands proud, reminding one to an era long ago, yet not forgotten.

It’s owner George Atheneos, proudly tells Nisea that his name was chosen my his Godfather Lawrence Durrell as It was a name fit for the king of England and also his own middle name.         

Q.: Can you tell us a little bit about your Godfather?                                                                                            Lawrence Durrell came here in 1935; he liked the area very much and wanted to rent a house in this region. My father owned the house here then, but only the bottom floor was complete. He helped my father financially so he could connect a second floor. During the construction of the house I was born and Lawrence asked if he could be my Godfather.

Inside the house very little has changed; the large wooden table is the same used by the Durrell family. In another corner of the house is a black and white photo of the garden. George explains that it is a photograph of a tree Lawrence planted and tended to every day.                       

Q.: What do you remember of Lawrence ?                                                                                                                                                    He was a very social man. He had acquired many friends here. My father taught him how to fish and he especially loved to go out on the boat on moonless nights and catch fish with the long fishing forks the locals used to use. He also liked to go into the village with the local schoolteacher Niko Katsaro, who was a very good friend of his.

The White House was where he spent most of his time but there were other places he loved and visited often, sometimes losing himself there for hours. One of which was Kentroma, the rocks there create an unusual atmosphere, quiet disrupted by the crashing waves hitting the rocks. This is where he spent most of his day, writing. It’s said that he also grouped together some of the villagers and helped them financially to build the shrine to Saint Arsenius there.

Q.: When was the last time you say him?                                                                                                                                                      It was around 1978 I was 43 by then. He stayed here a few days, spending more time in Corfu town with his friend Spiros Halikiopoulou. George points to a framed picture. The photograph behind us is of that time. Right is Durrell, next to him my son Tassos, Durrell’s daughter, his wife and me. He loved our family very much, he spoke of the old times often, and about my father who had since passed away and the things he remembered about living here.

The island of Corfu has over its often turbulent and colourful history earned itself a reputation for attracting a wealth of creative individuals from all around the world. Whether this is due to the magnetism of the Corfiots creative and artistic nature, or the dramatic scenery that inspires all that witness it is unclear. What is certain, however, is that since written records began Corfu has played host to a wealth of talent.

Musicians, artists, photographers and writers have all found inspiration here. It would take far too many pages and do a great injustice simply to list them. Suffice, to say Alexander Rossi, Felice Beato, Albert Cohen, Antonio Vivaldi and Henry Miller are but a few of the many talented people that have graced the shores of Corfu.

With such distinguished peers it is perhaps testimony enough to their great talent that one name, and one name only has been repeated time and time again as the inspiration behind the people we’ve interviewed at Nisea.

That name is of course Durrell.

Like the trunk of the mighty olive tree, Lawrence and Gerald Durrell have become so entwined with Corfu it is difficult to speak of one without the other.

Perhaps it is Lawrence whom best captures the essence of why we are drawn to the Island when on the first page of Prosperos Cell, he writes, “Greece offers…the discovery of yourself”.

What a fitting way to end the summer then, with an event celebrating the life and work of the Durrell brothers. Organised by the Durrell School of Corfu “The Amateur Naturalist” was a weeklong adventure following in the footsteps of Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals.

 It began with the unveiling of two bronze relief memorials honouring the brothers at the Bosketto (Durrell Gardens), in Corfu town. Local doctor Spiros Giourgas (pictured left) was a driving force behind the ceremony, having worked tirelessly over the last 3 years to create a memorial in recognition of the brothers’ influence in Corfu. Sculpted by artist Eva Karidi and generously donated by the Louis Group, represented by Managing Director Poseidon Theodorou (pictured right), the bronzes beautifully captured Gerald and Lawrence, while fitting in perfectly with the gardens idyllic surroundings.

The evening began with a heartfelt opening tribute made by Lee Durrell (pictured right) on behalf of her late husband and brother in law. Speeches then followed by Alexina Ashcroft, from The Durrell School of Corfu, Poseidon Theodorou and Corfu’s Mayor Sotiris Mikalef (pictured left)

Britain's best-loved botanist, David Bellamy (pictured right), was also in Corfu for the ceremony. Grabbing the crowd’s attention with his unique style of wildly animated and energetic speaking, he had a number of sandal wearing ladies dashing for cover with his observation that he’d notices 6 different types of ants while waiting to give his speech!

We then stood proudly for a rousing rendition of both British and Greek national anthems thanks to the towns’ Philharmonic Orchestra, before the bronzes were finally unveiled.

As the ceremony came to an end we took the short walk to the Palace where refreshments were served and all talk turned to the forthcoming Amateur Naturalist event.

 England’s best-loved botanist David Bellamy O.B.E was a distinguished guest at the Amateur naturalist event held in Corfu last month. Having written and presented some 400 television programmes on botany, ecology and environmental issues. David dominated our T.V. screens in the 1980’s. One of a new breed of broadcasters who made learning fun, his quirky sense of humour appealed both to the young and old. No more so than when he released a cover version of the song “Brontosaurus will you wait for me?” which he performed on Blue Peter and which reached number 81 in the UK charts.

On a more serious note David is fearless in his support of environmental issues. He was famously jailed in 1983 for blockading the Franklin River in Australia in protest of a proposed dam in 1997. He again hit the headlines when he stood against Prime minister John Major as a candidate for the anti European union referendum party.

Having done so much it’s hard to know where to start when interviewing someone as versatile as David Bellamy, but my first question had to be:

Q. David, did you enjoy the “Amateur Naturalist” Adventure?                                                                                                                      It was great to walk in the footsteps of Gerry Durrell across the enchanting Island of Corfu

Q. What does your work at the Durrell wildlife conservation trust entail ?                                                                                                    To get as many people as possible to visit Corfu and walk in the footsteps and learn as he did as a little boy to respect all wild things for what they are. Conservation is not a simple concept of just saving endangered species it must take people into consideration. Wildlife must be nurtured for what it is, the solar powered foundation of local ecology and hence local economy.

Q. You talked about “Close encounters of a Gerry Durrell kind” in your seminar. Can you tell us a little about your friendship with Gerald?                                                                                                                                                                                                          In my student days Gerry was a household name and I dreamed of meeting him one day. I was not disappointed for his wealth of anecdotes brought down to earth with practical science based action said it all.

The most memorable dinner I ever had was the night before the opening the 'Sixth World Conference on Animal Breeding' held in Jersey.  Gerry and Princess Anne, both great raconteurs held centre stage as of course discussion centred on the problem of how to save both the wildlife and the children of the world. An Herculean task ? Íot so when you are being tutored by the titans of proactive concern.

The party for the Zoo's coming of age was another great occasion with all Gerry's friends performing in the Jersey Auditorium, a celebration of and a fund raiser for his endeavour. The high spot of the evening was his entrance on the stage supported by two children dressed as, what else but Dodo's! If only the Jersey Trust had been set up a few centuries earlier perhaps the Dodo and so many now extinct animals would still be here to educate us in the commonsense of survival. 

To entertain the guests my part was to perform a duet with Isla St. Clair, ‘Mud mud glorious Mud'. It turned out to be a trio for Isla was great with child and as the applause melted away Isla was whisked away to hospital!

Q. Why do you think Gerald’s books, in particular My Family and Other Animals are still so popular ?                                                       Here is the measure of the man, the paperback writer whose books enthralled, entertained and educated the world on the wonder of living things and the arrogance of humankind to their and hence their own survival.

We all remember who put the scorpions in the matchbox, the water snakes in the bath?, who showed the world that, that 'bloody boy', 'the most ignorant boy in the school' , loved animals more than anything else. We all enjoyed the Bafut Beagles, My family and other Animals and all those other wonderful paperbacks, but how about those magical snippets of poetry.

This is your chance to rediscover your childhood by walking where this extraordinary man did with wide open childish eyes. The man who for over 60 years exasperated and fascinated his friends and his fans, giving hope to generations that there was a future for animals, plants and people, as long as we learn to share the wonder of this living planet.  

Please, please share the wonder of this book (My Family & Other Animals) and the man with your family once again then. Take them all to sense it for themselves at Les Augres. (Home of Gerald Durrell’s groundbreaking Jersey Zoo and the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.)

Q. Tell us a little about Les Augres ?                                                                                                                                                             Les Augres has become the University of the Living World There you will find students of every colour, creed and kind learning not only humility within the process of creative evolution but the practice of captive breeding and release back into the wild.

 Without Les Augres (Durrell’s Jersey zoo), the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and all you wonderful people who filled the coffers by buying the books the world would be an even duller, less sustainable and hence a more dangerous place in which to live today. 

It is without doubt one of the most commonsensible places in the world of conservation.  

Most poignant of all the memories is of Jambo, then the patriarch of the Les Augres happy family of lowland gorillas who, by standing guard over an unconscious child who had fallen into the enclosure, perhaps did as much for the cause of Zoos and Conservation as Gerry did himself. 

Q. At the unveiling speech you talked passionately about Gerald's achievements, what made him so special ?                                         Those lucky enough to have met him will know what I mean, Jacquie, Lee and all the other members of his devoted team helped build, launch and keep his dream ark afloat. But without the burning passion, irascible nature and sense of humour that was Gerry Durrell it would never have happened.

Q. When was the last time you visited the Zoo?                                                                                                                                            The last time I visited Gerry's Zoo was in the summer of 1998, the occasion to launch a fund raising film festival with the screening of “Baraka”. To quote the programme notes "an extraordinary visual odyssey concerning the passionate and destructive relationship between people and this vibrant living planet".

I had of course seen the film before and had been uplifted by and humbled beneath its spectacle, to see it in the open air in such a special place was awesome indeed.

It was not the best of Jersey summer nights, warm but with more than a hint of rain in the air. I was glad when the first drops came for they helped hide my tears, shed not only for the scenes of mans stupidity to man and to the living planet upon which we all depend but because something seemed to be missing from Les Augres.

The sense of the Zoo was all around us. Musk sweet from the plains of Africa, the restful restlessness of Orang's in the Bornean Forest and the sadness of extinction on Madagascar and Dodo Island. All this and so much more, living shadows in the Jersey mist but something was missing, the man who made it all possible.

Q. Do you think it’s possible to save endangered species or is extinction a natural progression ?                                                               Some still argue that it is but a vain hope, Gerry's dream can never work 5000 species of vertebrate are doomed to extinction. I challenge them to go and see for themselves. Gerry's vision has come true; at Les Augres. We can only pray that he was right.

My most cherished moment was sitting in the shade at Les Augres dreaming with Gerry that one day the world would come to its senses. Then together we could open the doors of Gerry's Ark of the covernant of hands on conservation to train humankind that the only hope for survival is to live in peace and harmony as part of a truly civilized vibrant living earth.

It's got to work for man cannot survive alone on this planet. Baraka drew to its climax, the final chapter from apocalypse to revelation a revelation of understanding that can save the world. The rain had stopped and as we walked out through the summer night there was no need for tears, Gerry was still there, not in person but an all-enveloping presence of hope for all our futures. “Sir” Gerry Durrell of Les Augres and the Living World. The world salutes you and all the animals say thank you too.

Energetic, wildly animated and greatly passionate about his conservationist beliefs I can’t help thinking that although David’s political career was short lived perhaps politicians could learn by the way David manages both to teach and entertain when giving speeches. I finish our interview, pondering the final question.  

Q. With the benefit of hindsight would the world be a happier, greener place if you had won John Major?                                                The palace of Westminster was not for me, I would rather walk on the wild side of life.

Chloe Boletis achieved one of her childhood dreams last month by representing her country in the Junior Eurovision Song contest.

Nisea recently caught up with her and her English Mum Deborah. As mum explains that perhaps show business has always been in her daughters blood.

Deborah: “When I was young, I dreamed of one day being a dancer or a singer but although I trained at the “Laban Centre for Movement and Dance” in London, I gave it all up, as the stress and pressure was too great. I came over to Greece in 1987 to work as a Choreographer/entertainer at the “Hotel Poseidon Resort” in Loutraki. I met my husband there and we have been happily married for 18 years.

My daughter Chloe used to take part in the rehearsals at the hotel and even corrected the other entertainers! She would dress up at home and put on shows. You could see that entertaining came naturally to her. When she heard about the Junior Eurovision she begged to take part in it! My husband and I, are of the mind, that whatever your child aspires to be or do, as parents we must support that aspiration and never let our own worries or ideas get in their way. So of course, we said “yes!” From the moment she chose her path, we followed, and I can tell you, it is a very difficult path to walk!

When she won the 2006 Greek final, it was her third time taking part in the contest. She was so over the moon and thrilled, not just because she would be representing her country or that she would be singing in front of millions of people, but because she had not given up.

Chloe has had to deal with many highs and many lows, so far and she still is only 15! But, she has grown stronger and more determined and, I feel, has a more mature outlook on many things because of this. I would like to add something personal about Chloe. After all the television appearances, contests and interviews that she has done, she remains a grounded and extremely good person and that for me, as a parent, that’s vitally important. I feel proud of her, not only career wise, but as a person.”

Q.: Chloe, have you always wanted to be a singer?                                                                                                                                Yes! Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a singer.

Q.: How old were you when you first performed on stage?                                                                                                                           Well, my mum used to work at a 5 star Hotel, as Entertainments manager/choreographer/singer and from about 4 years of age I used to sing and dance on the stage during rehearsals! But I actually took part in the shows when I was about 7 or 8. I first sang on a “professional” stage in 2003, when I took part in the Greek final for the Junior Eurovision.

Q.: Tell us a little about the Junior Eurovision song contest, what was it like?                                                                                              I actually took part in the 2003 and 2004 Greek finals first. Both times I came in second place. The first time I was devastated that I did not win, I was 10 years old then. The second time I entered just to be a part of the contest, for the enjoyment. Then in 2006, when I actually won, I couldn’t believe it! Both the judges and the public voted for me to win! In Romania it was exciting, fun, tiring and disappointing at the same time..! However, I was so proud to represent my country! I was ill during my stay, which did not help though. I learnt some very important lessons there, which are, only trust the people close to you, like your family, always rely on yourself and never give up even when you think things are at their worst. All the children were talented singers and I made some good friends. It was a very sad moment when I had to say goodbye to them, but I have memories that will stay with my forever!

Q.: Were you nervous performing in front of so many people?                                                                                                                     Just before going on the stage, in Romania for the Final, I had a rush of stage fright, but my mum was with me and helped me focus. Once I stepped onto the stage I felt fantastic!! I think it is a moment that I will never forget and hope the future will bring me more moments like that!

Q.: What was it like representing your country at such a high level?                                                                                                           It is quite hard to describe what it feels like to know you are representing your country. It is an honour, but also a big pressure.

Q.: Do you think that being bi-lingual has helped you with your singing career?                                                                                         Definitely! My mum spoke English to me (and only English), since the day I was born. Because English is like my mother tongue, I can sing the songs without a Greek accent. It also gives a different colour to your voice when you sing. I have a wider choice of repertoire too. Hopefully in the future I will continue to sing both Greek and English songs. In April 2008, I sang “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera Live on “Proinos Kafes”. Eleonora Meleti (the presenter) congratulated me on my excellent English and asked if I had some kind of English connection!

Q.: You must have met some very famous people through your singing and appearances on T.V. Tell us a little about them?                   Yes, I have met many well-known and famous people so far. I have sung with Mario Frangouli, Paskalis, Glykeria, Anna Bithikotsi, Gaitanos and Kostas Makedonas (this was with the Children’s Choir of Loutraki). I have met people such as Sarbel, Fokas Evagelinos, Georgos Mitsikostas and many television presenters. In March 2008 I had the honour of singing in front of Mimis Plessas at “Ianos” in Athens, where I sang some of his songs, as well as songs from the composers Stamatis Kraounakis and Dimitris Maramis. Also in April 2008, I appeared on “Proinos Kafes” where I met Kalomoira, shortly before she competed in the Eurovision 2008!!

Q.: Who is the singer/performer you most admire?                                                                                                                                       There are several singers that I admire and who inspire me. Amy Lee from Evanescence, Hayley Williams from Paramore and Christna Aguilera are just a few.

Q.: What are your hopes for the future?                                                                                                                                                         I am continuing my vocal training and piano lessons. Through my singing teacher and choir, I will be appearing at various venues in the near future. For example, in January 2009, I will be appearing again at “Ianos” in Athens and playing the part of “Roxie” in a local production of “Chicago”, in the summer of 2009.

As for the future, at some point I hope to form/join a group and sing pop/rock and alternative rock music. After school, I am considering either studying for a BA in the performing arts or taking some other kind of performing arts course. Of course, I would love one day to become a successful singer and that is my dream!

You can contact Chloe via her various website: www.chloeboleti.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/chusma0