The Rovers? I'd rather be in my Corfu beach bar: Coronation Street's Alison King reveals why the Greek island makes THE perfect escape
- The soap-star travelled with daughter Daisy May, 6, and best friend Emma
- Group recommended the sandy beaches and clear seas found in Kalamaki
- A foodies heaven with lashings of grilled sardines, moussaka and sea bass
As regular viewers of Coronation Street will know, chilled is not a word that is used regularly to describe my character, Carla Connor, or the many glasses of red wine she consumes at the Rovers Return on a nightly basis.
Take me away from all that, though, and put me in a beautiful villa in the most picturesque part of Corfu and it is pretty much the only word that will fully do me justice.
I managed to escape there with an extended group that included my six-year-old daughter Daisy May and my best friend Emma.
Every day at about 2.30pm, when the sun had done its worst, we would head down to the glorious Kalamaki beach
Our home for the week was Villa Irida, ten minutes north of the pretty town of Kassiopi in the supremely picturesque north eastern part of the island.
Tucked away up a steep drive, Villa Irida is roomy and comfortable, traditional and elegant. We were a group of all ages, from two upwards, and there was something for everyone – a main pool, a kids’ pool, a ping-pong table and a pool table – which allowed me to indulge my guiltiest pleasure whenever I felt the urge.
We soon settled into a blissfully lazy daily routine of breakfast, swim, snooze, game of pool, sea, dinner by the beach, game of pool, bed.
Every day at about 2.30pm, when the sun had done its worst, we would head down to the glorious Kalamaki beach. It’s an amazing, child-friendly stretch, with shallow waters and a white jetty that’s perfect for jumping from into the blue waters below – which the children did again and again.
The occasional requirement to stock up on groceries gave us a good excuse to venture beyond our safe little enclave to Kassiopi town
Sunbathing just below the Nicolas Taverna on Kalamaki was a treat. Every afternoon, as the tide changed gently, a beautiful natural lagoon formed, making a perfect, ankle-deep pool where the kids would try to catch fish, while we watched from a safe distance.
Most evenings, as the sun dropped and cooled, we would take the few steps from the beach to the bar, where George, our favourite waiter served us chilled white wine and a feast of courgette fritters, grilled sardines, moussaka and the best sea bass I’ve ever tasted.
The occasional requirement to stock up on groceries gave us a good excuse to venture beyond our safe little enclave to Kassiopi town, where there is a pretty harbour and excellent bars and restaurants.
Back at our villa, the stresses and strains of life simply faded away and I was as chilled as the delicious Greek wine that George popped into the wine bucket whenever we ambled up the steps to his bar.
If it sounds like your kind of escape, I can’t recommend it highly enough, but you may have to beat me to it.
- Video captures Dallas HS student attacking teacher in class
- Tulane student shot in armed robbery in New Orleans
- Armed NM couple hold burglar at gunpoint until police arrive
- Snowed under! Iowa stadium's failed attempts of snow removal
- Emma Parkinson tells what happened in the Bataclan Theatre
- Texas woman fires her gun at would-be purse snatcher
- SNL pokes fun at Ben Carson's stance on Syrian refugees
- Adorable video of Daisy learning to run in prosthetic legs
- Adorable little boy battles hiccups as he sings national...
- Black Lives Matter protester removed from Trump rally
- Stormtroopers 'salute' in controversial new Star Wars...
- Cellist's moving rendition of Hallelujah on Belgium streets
- The real-life Flintstones house: Holiday home is carved...
- Brutal beauty of the outback: Stunning pictures capture...
- The ice that will never melt: Incredible images show a...
- Choose the queue on the left, decorate your suitcase and...
- The item EVERYONE should pack, why brewing tea could save...
- Outdoor cinemas, swim-up bars and giant wine refrigerators:...
- Extreme beauty: The breathtaking images of an award-winning...
- This is your captain... dancing! Leaked footage shows pilots...
- Prince's purple patch: A tour of the artist's favourite...
- Floating villas with underwater bedrooms and streets covered...
- No cramped wooden chalets and shared dorms here: The most...
- Become a mile high mixologist: Infographic reveals how to...