Grecotel Imperial

The neighbours are always rather pleased when we travel abroad as it seems to coincide with a period of excellent weather in Blighty. Our recent holiday was no exception, a couple of storms over Corfu while England enjoyed a heatwave. (It did, of course, mean that the neighbours had rather a lot of watering of my pots and more tender things that were still stuffed in the greenhouse. Now that we're back home it's pouring with rain and blowing a gale!) We had previously stayed at the Imperial in the autumn of 2015 and enjoyed it very much, but we've visited Corfu many times in the spring and know that while there is always the chance of rain so early in the season there is also a countryside awash with wild flowers and that it is a comfortable temperature to be out and about.
We were given the same lovely room as before,

 

with a good view from the veranda

whatever the time of day.

Every day I swam from one or other of the small, sandy beaches out to the diving platform.

The beaches are linked by a wooden walkway.

and there are plenty of places to lounge.

One of pleasures of returning to this hotel is to have morning yoga with Barbara, she is such a lovely and encouraging tutor.

The classes are held in the most idyllic spot with sea on either side and the sound of gently lapping water. Barbara performs every move with ease 

and the rest of us do the best we can!

The walk through the hotel grounds to the yoga circle is lovely.

On a cloudy morning Barbara took us for a walk to the nearby church of Ipapanti

We passed this climbing plant on our walk, it looks like some form of fly catcher.

It had masses of seeds!

Even in poor weather Corfu is beautiful

and the sun soon returns!

St Ives

Shortly after returning home from our friend's funeral we were contacted by his solicitor to say that David had left us some gifts. His house was being cleared, would we collect our items from the auction house. We booked an overnight stay at the hotel, staying in one of the rooms of the original house with this lovely tiled fireplace.

We often enjoy sunshine on our trips to Cornwall but on this occasion StIves was enveloped in a sea mist - what we Northerners call a 'haar'. Whatever the weather, St Ives is a lovely place to be. We walked into town along the coastal path where arum lilies were flowering.

More lilies in the churchyard

and interesting old gravestones.

The tide was out

and people were walking across the harbour sand.

We had a mooch around Tate Modern.

I like the staircase decorations best!

Not too convinced by the use of semi-precious stones,

this one looks like a pimple!

Then into town

to poke about the narrow streets.

We peered in the window of Armstrong and Wing at paintings 'in the style of' the artist Alfred Wallis.

Then to our favourite eating place

tucked up in a booth

for tapas

as the tide rolled in

and the surfers were engulfed by the mist.