Ian Fleming's James Bond is well known on Corfu from the time Roger Moore made his guest appearance on the island in the Casino scene of "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY". Two other famous scenes from the movie, the spectacular car burning, also staged on the casino grounds, and the mad car chase as Kristasos's henchmen chased the heroes down the winding roads of Achilleion in a Citroen CV-2, were all witnessed by crowds of islanders fascinated by the art of movie-making. Unfortunately, our arrival on Corfu was a rather sedate affair, with crowds gathering for a more traditional reason. It was to watch the making of an action film, but to witness the traditional ceremony of Epiphany, where a gold cross is thrown into the wintry waters of Corfu and retrieved by one of the town's youths.

Corfu, or Kerkyra as it is known by the Greeks, lies on the west coast of Greece. Just across the water from Italy, the lifestyle depicts an interesting mix of Greco-Italian themes. After a short one hour flight from Athens you are greeted by dusty, concrete architecture set amongst dense lush greenery which is quite out of character when compared to the usual arid Greek landscape. Whereas many areas boast both Italian and Greek histories, Corfu's past also includes a brief respite as part of the British Empire.

Even in the middle of the Greek winter, we are blessed with sunny, albeit cool days during our visit. The still, blue waters which are so characteristic of the Greek Islands, change to an emerald green in destinations such as Paleocastritsa. A drive around the island highlights the contrast between north and south, and east and west on Corfu. Apart from the more typical tourist destinations, we are told seasoned gamblers and aristocratic revellers are regular visitors to Greece's most attractive Casino in the Achilleion.