Corfu

This Month in Corfu:

Shopping: Corfu's foremost organic health food shop, Natural Choices, puts a Greek twist on wholesome consumption, with over 200 herbals teas to provide a remedy for every ailment. A huge range of nutritious foodstuffs, among them olive oils, grains and berries, as well as cosmetics, are on display (40 Alexandras Avenue, San Rocco, Corfu Town).

Sightseeing: Head for Corfu Town on 21 May to admire the vibrant procession which celebrates the Ionian Islands' Union with Greece in 1864. Majestic philharmonic bands march with uniformed schoolchildren and stern officials around the Esplanade Square.

Corfu News & Gossip

Summer Reads

As we gear up for holiday season once again, there's one issue everyone wants to get right: just what to read. And every traveller is different. For some it's a hot new novel, while others opt for a guilty pleasure - one they'd never be seen dead with back in the real world. Then there are those who crave a real page-turner.

All these have one thing in common, though: escapism. The best beach reads take your mind to all manner of exotic places, making you want to be there, at that moment.

You can't, of course; but this month, we're giving you the next best thing. We've picked 20 of the greatest summer reads, each tied to an easyJet destination in some way - be it the city the book was set, or a building that inspired an evocative passage. We've also provided addresses so you can find the places yourself.

Now we've sorted your summer book - and your next trip! Bon voyage.

ALICANTE
DUENDE: A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF FLAMENCO, Jason Webster When Jason Webster flew into Alicante, he looked out of the window and saw an "arid semi-desert banked by an azure sea, with a promise of balmy, jasmine-scented nights". This autobiographical story of his search for the mysterious spirit of flamenco is more about the Spanish people than it is about landscapes, though. He's not the first person to go in search of the "real Spain", but his version of the country seems more real than most. There are romantic, illicit assignations on Tabarca Island, just off Alicante, and hot nights of passionate flamenco, but there are also grittier, darker moments. Despite this, like Webster, you may be tempted to head to Spain for good. Trevor Baker

BOLOGNA
THE BROKER, John Grisham For some holidaymakers, nothing beats a gripping thriller by this American author. The Broker brims with characteristic pace and tension - not to mention impressive detail about Bologna, where it's set. Joel Backman is pardoned after six years in prison for being a threat to US security, with the proviso that he leaves the country. In Italy, Joel - aka Marco - discovers he's bait for the CIA. Still, he enjoys the delights of Bologna while dodging international killers. Follow in his footsteps up to the San Luca basilica (right) for superb views of the city, or with a meal at Franco Rossi (3 Via Goito, tel: +39 051 23 88 18), a top Bologna eaterie. There's even a Broker-inspired menu. Sarah Lane

BARCELONA
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND Carlos Ruiz Zafón Ten-year-old Daniel is led through the backstreets of Old Town Barcelona and introduced to the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books". One dusty old read particularly speaks to him - The Shadow of the Wind. A coming-of-age journey follows, uncovering the story of the author's tragically short life, and Daniel finds himself entangled in a mystery involving romantic heroes and unsettling villains. "We walked through the streets of a Barcelona trapped beneath ashen skies as dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper." Visit the Castell de Montjuïc (66 Carretera de Montjuïc), which features in the book in its original guise as a fortress. Lucille Howe

BIARRITZ
FIESTA: THE SUN ALSO RISES Ernest Hemingway This is a novel about love and passion, about Americans being entranced by continental Europe after World War I. Typically for Hemingway, the most vibrant place is Spain, which provides the most enduring romance: between author and location. The book opens in Paris, but then we follow the main characters to Pamplona for the Festival of San Fermín. Hemingway perfectly captures the sensory assault of this epic Spanish fiesta, from the running of the bulls to the relentless energy and rhythm of the parades. Some 85 years after publication, visitors to San Fermín will find it exactly as Hemingway described - a fiesta that's been preserved in Sangria. Graham Little

BUDAPEST
BALLAD OF THE WHISKEY ROBBER Julian Rubenstein Subtitled A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives and Broken Hearts, Attila Ambrus' story sounds too outrageous to be true: he robbed 29 Budapest banks while drunk on whiskey. But this is more than a real-life crime story. It's also a tale of the wild and unpredictable first post-Communist decade in Hungary. Rubenstein describes Ambus' Budapest in great detail. Look for the jail (25-27 Gyorskocsi Utca) from which he escaped, or walk the path next to the Danube, across from the Parliament on the Buda side, where Ambrus ended up after several heists. Carolyn Bánfalvi

CORFU
MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS Gerald Durrell When Durrell's mother moves the family from grey England to the sun-drenched island of Corfu in the mid 1930s, the 10-year-old budding naturalist is delighted. Packing bug nets, natural-history books and a magnifying glass, he views it as a way to explore his first love: the natural world. But his family and the friends they make in Greece are just as entertaining. Family holidays will never seem the same after reading this. You'll want to rent a villa on the quiet north side of Corfu for a season, then kick back and watch the geckos climb the walls in search of flies by day, and glow-worms shine in the shrubs at night. Laura Dixon

EDINBURGH
44 SCOTLAND STREET Alexander McCall Smith Put away your preconceptions about tartan and Highland cows, and pick up this novel, the first of a series of six, about middle-class life in Edinburgh. Student Pat, anthropologist Domenica, pushy mum Irene, her five-year-old son, Bertie, and vain flatmate Bruce all share a house in the new town, where stockbrokers and lawyers live alongside bohemians and academics. Originally serialised in The Scotsman, it's a gently humorous, undemanding holiday read with great affection for the city. If it inspires a visit, try the walking trail (birlinn.co.uk), which takes in Scotland Street, Drummond Place, Valvona & Crolla and the other main locations of the series. Laura Dixon

FLORENCE (FLY TO PISA)
A ROOM WITH A VIEW, EM Forster A heartbeat pounds through every page of this novel about repressed Edwardians, impassioned by the lusty arts, the dreamy countryside and the sensuality of Italy. You will root for the heroine, Lucy Honeychurch, who becomes engaged to the uptight and academic Cecil Vyse, but can't forget a certain kiss, stolen from her by her future lover, George Emerson, in an amber-hued barley field in the Florentine countryside. The title refers to a room given to Lucy and her chaperone, Charlotte, which looks out onto a courtyard instead of the River Arno, as they had been promised. Visit the church of Santa Croce (16 Piazza di Santa Croce), which features in the Merchant Ivory film of the book. Lucille Howe

ISTANBUL
THE BLACK BOOK, Orhan Pamuk Prosecuted for "defaming Turkishness", the life of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk is every bit as colourful and complex as this novel. Exploring Istanbul's duel identity as Imperial Ottoman capital and modern metropolis, it follows lawyer Galip as he looks for his missing wife in the seedy back streets of Galata and Istanbul's old European quarter of Beyoğlu. Home to the 70m high, 14th-century Galata Tower (Galata Square, galatatower.net), Galata is the centre of Istanbul's thriving left-field café bars and artisan-designer clothing sector, while Tes˛vikiye-Nis˛antas˛i boasts the city's most upscale clothing outlets and restaurants, including The House Café (10 Atiye Sokak, tel: +90 (0)212 259 23 77). David O'Byrne

OXFORD (FLY TO LONDON)
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED: THE SACRED AND PROFANE MEMORIES OF CAPTAIN CHARLES RYDER, Evelyn Waugh While a student at Oxford University, Charles Ryder becomes enchanted by Lord Sebastian Flyte, Flyte's aristocratic Catholic family and their threatened world of privilege. This nostalgic, powerful novel follows Charles' entanglement with the family, their religion and values, and their palatial home, Brideshead. The first part of the book is set in Oxford with some of Waugh's most evocative writing; even today, visitors can appreciate his description of the town bells exhaling "the soft airs of centuries of youth". Ryder idles in cafés and quadrangles, watching students come and go, a sight that has barely changed. Graham Little

MALTA
EARTHLY POWERS Anthony Burgess Kenneth Toomey, the narrator of Earthly Powers, wouldn't be a great guide to the "golden stone" of Balzan, the village in Malta where he ends up. Although his heart's in the right place, and he's rather more likeable than Burgess's great anti-hero, Alex of A Clockwork Orange, he's also a bit of a snob. However, this is probably the better book of the two. It's certainly bigger, taking in both World Wars, the end of colonialism and the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. If it all sounds a bit hard going for a holiday read, persevere - it zooms along, and Toomey's weakness for hot climates, cool drinks and the sins of the flesh make this a great holiday choice. Trevor Baker

MARRAKECH
HIDEOUS KINKY, Esther Freud In search of an antidote to the dreariness of 1960s England, Julia sets off on the hippy trail to Morocco with her two small daughters, Bea and Lucy. They move into a low-rent hotel in Marrakech, where the colours and confusion of the city come alive, with whirling silks and heady spice markets. Julia discovers Sufism and Bea rebels against the hippy lifestyle. Get the feeling of 60s Marrakech at Jardin Majorelle (jardinmajorell.com), a walled garden just outside the city walls, where bright cobalt-blue walls clash with hot pink and lemon-yellow plant pots. Or lose yourself in the maze of streets around Jemaâ el Fna, where the smells of spices and leather mingle in the air. Laura Dixon

NICE
TENDER IS THE NIGHT F Scott Fitzgerald This author's books are normally very good at making you feel glad that you're not a gorgeous socialite living a life of decadent luxury - the beautiful people in his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby, turned out to be miserable and unfulfilled. The opening pages of this book, though, set five miles from Cannes on a "bright tan prayer rug of a beach" can't help but make you wish you were there, hanging out with Hollywood starlets and sipping cocktails while the sun goes down. It may all go wrong later, but his wonderful descriptions of the French Riviera helped it to become the luxury holiday resort of the early 20th century. Trevor Baker

PALERMO
THE LEOPARD Giuseppe di Lampedusa Based on the life of the author's great- grandfather, this literary classic is a powerful evocation of Sicilian aristocracy and its decline at the time of Italian Unification. Told through the eyes of Don Fabrizio, it depicts an island of ripe beauty and heavy scents, magical colours and skilfully depicted atmospheres. The Palazzo Gangi (Piazza Croce dei Vespri, tel: +39 091 61 62 718 - booking is essential) is a beautiful baroque palace that is pivotal (its ballroom features prominently in Luchino Visconti's classic 1963 film of the book), and you can take a tour from the owner herself. The book gives a glimpse of the island's opulence in the 19th century. Sarah Lane

PARIS
PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER Patrick Süskind This gothic tale of a peculiar murderer in 18th-century France will have your senses on high alert. Born with a supernatural sense of smell, but no human odour of his own, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille inhabits a grimy Paris described so richly that it scents the page. Having discovered the most beautiful smell in the world - a red- haired girl - he spends his life searching for it. When he finds it, he murders the girl who has it, so he can take it for himself. The book is odd, murky, devious and fantastical; like a good perfume, it lingers long after you've put it down. If Perfume inspires you to hunt down some actual scents, visit Fragonard Perfume Museum (9 Rue Scribe) in Paris. Laura Dixon

STOCKHOLM
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Stieg Larsson For readers who've ridden the twists and turns of this, Larsson's bestselling first novel, Stockholm has never been more attractive. The plot is dark, with violent themes, but while we follow journalist Mikael Blomkvist as he traces the story of a missing girl, the author depicts a city that's full of style. On the bohemian island of Södermalm, for example, you'll find Mellqvist Kaffebar (78 Hornsgatan), the coffee shop where Blomkvist comes to unravel the book's murkiest riddles. Then there's his gothic-style attic apartment (1 Bellmansgatan), overlooking Stockholm's medieval old town. Once you've read the book, they take on an extra air of intrigue. Steven Vickers

TEL AVIV
WHEN I LIVED IN MODERN TIMES Linda Grant It's 1946 and Evelyn Sert, a headstrong young Jewish girl from London, travels to the glittering white city of Tel Aviv, where Jewish refugees and idealists are gathering to create an identity so complex, it seeks to both blot out and honour the past. Evelyn falls in love with an extreme Irgun activist and the city itself. Grant will make you yearn to visit Tel Aviv, with its sprawling coastline and palm-lined beaches. The modernist architecture around Dizengoff and Ben-Yehuda is a highlight, and Evelyn's "dusty alleyways and crumbling houses and trees with leaves like feathers" are now Florentin, the city's coolest post code. Isabel Dexter

TOULOUSE
LABYRINTH, Kate Mosse Where would historical fiction be without the search for the Holy Grail? In a far better place, you might say. Then you sink your teeth into Kate Mosse's centuries-spanning tome, and get hooked like a bloater. This is Dan Brown for the sane and literate. Matters kick off at an archeo-dig near Carcassonne. Our heroine stumbles upon finds (skeletons, secret signs) that soon have us shuttling back and forth across 800 years, from contemporary terror to the medieval turmoil of the crusade against the Cathar heretics. The Grail fuels the pace, but Carcassonne is co-star, finely evoked in its 13th-century heyday. It's not changed much since. Read the book, then go for a look. You can follow the story round. Anthony Peregrine

VIENNA
THE THIRD MAN, Graham Greene Graham Greene's descriptions are so gloriously seedy and evocative that the world he creates in his books has been dubbed "Greeneland". The Vienna of The Third Man (brilliantly brought to the big screen by Carol Reed) even makes the famous supercentenarian Wiener Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) in the Prater Amusement Park (vienna.info/ prater) seem sinister. Thankfully Vienna's no longer the corrupt, post-war building site of Greene's novel. The average tourist strolling along the Kärtner Strasse today will have a very different experience than hero Holly Martins, but the thought of the nefarious Harry Lime in the sewers bellow adds a certain frisson to the city's grandeur. Trevor Baker

ZANTE
MARGARITA'S OLIVE PRESS Rodney Shields A must-read for anyone who has ever reclined on a foreign sun-lounger and uttered the line, "Wouldn't it be amazing if we actually lived here?" First-time author, Shields, writes this account of trying to buy his dream home, nestled between olive grove and Ionian Sea, on the idyllic Greek island of Zakynthos (pictured above). So far, so good, until homeowner Margarita steps in, intent on preventing the Englishman from short-changing her family heritage. Add to this, maddening Greek bureaucracy, a water shortage, snakes and a missing roof, and you have a riotous read. What resonates, however, is how much Shields is in love with Greece - and it's infectious. Lucille Howe

Corfu Trivia

• May: At 1227mm, Corfu's annual average precipitation is higher than Manchester's (806 mm)! The good news is that most rain falls (heavily!) during winter, and the five months of summer are mostly dry.

• April: On an island which adheres to the Greek Orthodox faith, Corfu possesses a surprising number of Catholic churches. Worshippers are descended from Maltese stonemasons who arrived in the 1820s to undertake public works.

• March: Corfiot cooking is heavily influenced by Italy, and differs from other Greek cuisines. Feast-day favourite is pastitsada - beef braised in spicy tomato sauce, served with pasta.

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