Easter in Corfu: a long time coming

By maddie - March 26, 2013

Back home in Lush Places, they'll be putting the finishing touches to the Hot Cross Bun Morning, which was started by The Loveliest Woman in the Village on Good Friday nearly ten years ago.

Easter weekend is coming up, and I hope they'll be avoiding chocolate eggs made with palm oil because orangutans are worth more than a visit from the Easter Bunny.

But here in Greece, we have five more weeks until Easter. The Orthodox Church does its business according to the Julian Calendar and not, like us, the Gregorian one. And in Greece this year, Easter Sunday on 5 May is about as late as it can be.

Which is just as well considering we have a house that needs a darn good seeing-to before the arrival of our first visitors, Mr and Mrs Champagne-Charlie and Mrs Bancroft, who are flying over to help us celebrate.

When I say we've been gardening, it's been more like logging, with oleander bushes as high as the sky and daphne trees needing to be cut down to let in the light.

Luckily, we have a very helpful neighbour with a chainsaw.

And there's decorating still to be done too, not just a bit here and there but the whole house. It was part of the deal when we negotiated the rent we would pay here in Agios Magikades. Although I'm not sure I read the small print about glossing kitchen cupboards and built-in wardrobes. But never fear, just call me Smallbone of Devizes.

I am pleased to say we have finished the Champagne-Charlie suite and Mrs Bancroft's room. Mr Grigg has become a dab hand with a roller and my paint brush and I whistled down a mile of banister in just under four minutes. The stair rail is now known as Roger. (Incidentally, there is a Lush Places connection to that link, which takes you to a YouTube clip of a great sporting hero. One of the pacemakers used to live in the enchanted village).

So we are on target for an Easter to write home about. We have given up wine for Lent after a strong hint from a taverna tablecloth...