Yassas!! Oh dear, it seems that our last entry hasn't loaded so i'll have to do it again...it was a long too. OK So we rolled into Benitses, we hadn't planned to come down here as this used to be the touristy bit which isn't our kind of thing, but it clearly wasn't the Greeks kind of thing either. The mayor decided to chuck out all the package holiday companies and bring the place up market. it is now a lovely little fishing port with tasteful tavernas and a good local feel. Its Greek Orthodox Easter now so we needed a a base as pretty much everything shuts down...Greek Easter is much like our Christmas, only with outside barbeques, fireworks, firing guns in the air while drunk...Great fun. Everyone returns to their home village to spend the holiday with their families and take part in the celebrations. Its hot enough here to swim which is nice this early i the season (Greeks still in coats!) then this evening we go up to the church to see the candlelit procession where everyone in the village and all the returning families take part. After a big service broadcast outside as the church can only take a small number of those attending the main body of the procession sets off around the winding streets of the village. We know how twisty and up and down this will be so we tag onto a group of older folk who seem to be takig a short cut to the end...we follow them down through the village streets and end up....at their coach!! A quick side step brings us to the village square where everyone disperses for drinks. We drop into the Sunshine bar, a really super place with the friendliest imaginable owner. A skilos (dog) spots Mark and starts up an amazing performance, he looks him in the eye from over the road, takes two dancing steps and sits down. When the eye contact is kept up he repeats this a dozen times until he is alongside Marks chair then lies down and curls up as if he lives there. He doesn't budge an inch all night! Next day is Saturday, the biggest day of Easter celebrations. We are just preparing to go into the village and then on to Corfu town when we hear the start of the 'pot smashing', this is a ritual where everyone hurls terracotta pots full of water into the streets from high places, balconies, rooftops etc. Its supposed to rid the house of bad spirits. We head down into the village and on the way Lorraine is presented with a huge Lily, almost as tall as she is! We get the bus into Corfu town (careful planning here as transport is on a 'blue moon' service) Here the pot smashing is done on a really grand scale, they hurl big pots some five feet tall from fourth floor windows. The streets are awash with bits of pot!. A real carnival atmosphere here with parades and street theatre and all manner of things going on in parks and public spaces. Thousands of people milling about. We wish Christmas was this much fun (and this hot!) We also go up to the venetian fort (which has free entry today!) and take in a spectacular view from the highest point in the town. Our bus plan works and we can get back to Benitses and take a rest before the nights celebrations. We start off with a swift livener in the Sunshine bar, a bite to eat then head to the square to meet that nights candlelit procession. On the run up to midnight everyone lights their candles from others, which in turn stem back to a candle lit in the holy land and transported out to all places that celebrate Easter. There is a service on a palm covered stage in the village with evocative polynesian style singing, then at midnight, the lights all go on, everyone wishes each other Happy Easter and a huge firework display begins. The whole thing was quite moving and it is a real privelage to be part of it. Another night cap at the Sunshine bar before we roll in for the night. Next morning we head out for breakfast. The whole village is in a holiday mood. Every house has a lamb roasting on a spit outside. We find a place open for breakfast and whilst tucking in we spot a fin circling the bay just out from where we are sitting. Its not a porpoise as it has a tail fin too (not flukes) maybe a small shark, there are quite a few in the med. A local fisherman dives into his boat and heads out after it. We hope its not a shark as despite there being a few around, they are still rare. The guy circles it then spears it with a Trident. The fish then tows his boat around backwards just like that scene in 'Jaws'. Eventually it gives up and the guy lands it. Its a Barraccuda which is bigger than him and half the length of his boat! We spend much of the afternoon on the beach smelling the roast lamb and listening to Greek music and lots of merryment. Ok we're leaving Corfu now for Paxos so i'll sign off and tell you more when we get there! Kalo Paska! el Rodente