Settling in and making friends

The French speaking people in the hotel lobby who – like me – were waiting for their room, turned out to be a dynamic and adventurous couple of eighty-year-olds living in Brussels. Especially the lady named C., was very talkative and determined to make new friends. After 15 minutes we got on like a house on fire, and before I realized it they had agreed to accompany me on my next day’s 6 hour private taxi tour of the island.

A room with a view to die for.

I had booked the tour via the internet in April. There are several private taxi companies on Corfu that you can book for a 3 -4 –5 or max. 6 hour tour. The majority of their clients are people cruising the Mediterranean on huge and luxurious cruise ships which dock into local ports. Most of the time the passengers are given 4 hours ‘shore leave’ to visit the main tourists sites. The cruise ship offers coach tours, but some people prefer the individual approach. But more about that later.

Hotel lobby and bar.

Around 1 p.m. the girl at reception came to tell me that my room was ready. The hotel had several types of rooms, ranging from bungalows with private (mini pool), garden view rooms, bay view rooms, sea view rooms and junior suites. Before I forget, they also have a Presidential suite (penthouse)! When I had booked my holiday in March I had opted for a bay view room. When you’re on an island you want to see the sea, don’t you? However, watching people ‘grilling’ in the sun on a beach is not exactly my cup of tea. So I thought that the bay view would offer more entertainment. And I wasn’t disappointed, as I was given a lovely and spacious room on the 5^th floor, with a balcony overlooking the marina and the mountains! Super! It was facing south-west, a guarantee for some spectacular sunsets!

A trendy and spacious room on the 5th floor.

It had a queen-size bed, flat screen TV, a mini-bar and free safe. The bathroom was really trendy, with a nice bath and shower, an interesting collection of toiletry goodies, slippers and a fluffy white bathrobe.

On a small table sat a complimentary bottle of red wine and a bottle of still mineral water. On the balcony were two chairs and a small table with on it, an ashtray. I haven’t smoked since I left university (so many decades ago), but the ashtray would come in handy as a paper weight …

I unpacked my luggage, changed clothes and went down for my first lunch on Corfu. The hotel grounds’ were huge, but the beach bar and restaurant were easy to find. While I was overlooking the place, trying to figure out how to proceed next, I noticed an eager hand waving at me! It was C. and her husband P. ‘Come and sit with us’ she mouthed. And so I did … it was the start of what would turn out to be a lovely stay.