Vido Island and Bourdetto

We’ve taken the short caique-trip to Vido Island a number of times in recent days. At two Euros for the return trip, it’s great value. The swimming is wonderful, the island unspoilt, the view of Corfu Town and the fortresses unparalleled.

The island is full of pheasants and rabbits, which are very tame.

The British may have upset the Corfiots by destroying the fortifications when they ceded the Ionian Islands to Greece. There is a memorial to the many Serbs who died there and who were buried at sea. Flora Sandes has told the story of the Long March. The scouts have a tented camp there, much more appealing than the old reform school/prison which used to make the island out of bounds for visitors (until the 1980s, I think).

There is a pleasant place to have a drink after a stroll round the island’s well-maintained tracks.

I was lucky on one occasion to order a dogfish bourdetto for lunch. It was delicious. Dogfish may not be the most attractive-looking fish (otherwise known as huss, flake or rock-salmon; ask for skylopsaro at the fishmongers’). If you like hot spicy fish stews with plenty of red pepper, try it!

I made a bourdetto myself yesterday, and followed the recipe, but didn’t put in nearly enough paprika or cayenne pepper. Next time I’ll pour in half a bottle of Tabasco sauce- or go back to Vido for the real thing. That should banish the Corfu blues.