Day 3      Paramonas to Benitses    17.5km

Our accommodation at Paramonas was friendly but quite basic, with a lovely view from our room.  We did, however, enjoy a new and efficient aircon unit in our room.  The Portsmouth lads were accommodated downstairs and complained at dinner that night that there was no aircon in their room and they didn't know how they would manage without it overnight.

Breakfast was arranged at the Sunset Taverna and at 8am  Carole and I wandered down to eat the poorest breakfast of the trek, three slices of toasted bread and a hard boiled egg, together with a jug of hot water and a Nescafe sachet each. The lads had wisely skipped breakfast for another early start.

Today would be our first day of real ascent and as soon as we left Paramonas we climbed steadily on overgrown paths through olive groves. As a reward, once up high the views over the coast were amazing.

Leaving Paramonas

Back in the olive groves

Keep North!

Slowly returning to nature

Ducking under old olive nets

Looking back down to Paramonas

On reaching the ridge we now had sea views of the eastern side of Corfu and followed a concrete road steeply downhill to reach the village of Ano (High) Pavliana.  Continuing downhill we came to Kato (Low) Pavliana, more olive groves and the village of Vouniatades.  

At one point, passing through low bushes, a large brown snake fell out of the branches as Carole walked past, brushing her shoulder as it dropped to the ground.  It shot off into the undergrowth before I could get my camera out.  I don't know who was more shocked, Carole or the snake.

We walked on through more olive groves, some heath land and then more olive groves until just before Strongili village we were surprised to pass a football field.  

By this time we had walked 11 km and were hot and running short of water so we were delighted to enter Strongili where at a crossroads we found Spiros' taverna.  We were welcomed as if we were old friends by Spiros, who immediately prepared cold fresh orange juice for us.  He told us the Portsmouth lads were an hour ahead and also another couple from Belgium, who we would meet for the first time at Benitses. We ordered a Greek salad, ginger beers, bottles of water and coffee and over the next hour we chatted to Spiros and gradually cooled down.

Big caterpillar

Big beetle

This shrine was decorated with pine cones hanging from ribbons

Ano Pavliana

Olive groves

Barrel hut.  

Confusing signs in Kato Pavliana

Fresh orange at Spiros' Taverna

Spiros sitting in background

In 2016 when we visited Spiros' Taverna his son had been having a guitar lesson and now Spiros proudly told us he was playing guitar in several large hotels and in the taverna on a Friday.  

Feeling much refreshed we set off once more, passing through several villages as we crossed the island until eventually we reached Coyevinas, which would be the starting point of tomorrow's walk. Today, however, we were pressing on to stay overnight in Benitses.  This involved an hour's very steep descent through wild terrain on narrow, slippery and overgrown paths.  It was the hardest walking we would do in Corfu and it wasn't even part of the official trail!  

Leaving Strongili with a spring in our step

Agios Matheos in the distance

Benitses below

Descending to Benitses

Passing a check point!

Eventually we reached the houses of Benitses and after walking along the resort we came to our digs, the Hotel Bella Vista, where, as we sipped cold beer, we met the Belgium couple and swapped experiences.  They agreed that the descent to Benitses was 'hairy' and we all thought we would stick to the road if we did it again.  The Portsmouth lads arrived, having been visiting a few Benitses tavernas.  It appeared they had taken a different route to the village, suggested at the taverna in Coyevinas, and that had been equally difficult.  One of the lads was suffering with blisters and 'running on ibuprofen', he informed us.

 

Phew! Benitses at last

Cool beer at the Bella Vista

The Bella Vista was lovely.  The young staff brought us towels to wipe our faces and cool beers in the shady bar. 

To Day 4

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