May 2010
Hot Greek Summer!!
Three weeks into the holiday season and the summer sun is starting to really heat up. Here on Corfu, the last 5 days have been really hot, well above average for this time of year. Obviously, for the people visiting the Island, this is perfect - especially for swimming, snorkeling, scuba and all types of water sports like: ringos, paragliding, flying fish and banana rides. The crisp emerald water is a perfect temp, just cool enough to wake you up!The streets here in Sidari are starting to come alive with families and visitors from all over and hopefully the season will turn out to be fun and busy. We’ve been hearing stories from other resorts on Corfu and the news seems to be the same: “Not very busy.” The bright news so far is the Pounds rise since last year. Hope everyone has a great summer!!!
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Volcanic Ash Returns
Right on the heels of the economic troubles Europe is facing, the volcano in Iceland has decided to make things even harder, especially for the already stressed holiday resorts of southern Europe.“Civil aviation officials on Sunday said a drifting, dense cloud of volcanic ash is "rapidly encroaching" on British airspace, forcing the closure of airports in Northern Ireland.
The National Air Traffic Service said a no-fly zone has been imposed over parts of Northern Ireland, and no flights are going in or out of airports in Belfast or the Isle of Man.” -AP News - Whole Article
A quick look at wikipedia revealed some troubling information concerning Eyjafjallajokull’s eruption history. The last major eruption the Volcano had, which was less than 100 years ago, lasted 2 years. If this cycle stays with our current situation, the aviation industry will have some heavy losses for some time to come.
Greece Passes Austerity Measure
Late on Thursday, Greece’s parliament voted and passed harsh austerity measures to combat defaulting on their debt. While riots and demonstrations ( hundreds of thousands) raged outside parliament on Thursday night, both of Greece’s main parties argued for hours over what should be executed to help Greece.“The 172-121 win was a joyless affair, however, for Prime Minister George Papandreou and his Socialist Party. The three-year austerity package, which the European Union and the International Monetary Fund required in return for a 110-billion-euro ($145 billion) bailout, will impose painful and far-reaching changes on Greece.” -USA Today - Linked Artilce
Without getting into political options, the overall effect of these austerity measures is that the greek working class will once again carry the burden of political/Corporate theft. Just like the Americans did, 9 months ago, having to bail out AIG and most of the US financial institutions, Greek citizens will shoulder the Euro/IMF rescue plan. What overall effect this will have on the actual debt problem is unknown but life for the lower/middle class is just about to get very hard for the prolonged future.
Pound Sterling Vs. The Euro
While Southern Europe, especially Greece, prepare to tighten their belts and agree to harsh austerity measures, it’s the Pound Sterling that will see the most out of the bad economic situations facing the South. “Sterling rose to a near 9-month high against the euro on Wednesday as deepening concerns that euro zone debt problems will spread beyond Greece battered the single currency.” - Reuters - Link to article
The saving grace for tourist areas of Greece may be the strengthening Pound Sterling because the new austerity measures passed on Thursday in Athens, will strangle the working class greeks. As I write this article, one pound sterling is about 1.169 €, which is better than what it was all last year. In a weird turn of events, Greece bringing down the Euro, might be the only thing that ends up saving Greece in the end.
Let The Summer Begin!!!
Summer has officially started here on Corfu and from the looks of it, so far so good. The weather is great, the sea is crisp and the food is amazing. From the looks of it and from the number of people that have arrived so far, Summer 2010 looks to be better than Summer 2009! Thank God
Obviously, Corfubyu is here to help you with anything you might like on your holiday this summer. From airport transfer, to taxi hire - let our wheels get you going! Looking for accommodation or a great place to eat while on Corfu or in Sidari - we got tons of places!
We also have local car hire companies and scooter and quad hire here in Sidari, so don’t be shy and shoot us over an email for some more info. Now, go out there and have a great holiday.