GERALD DURRELL’S CORFU
11-18 May 2012 The Durrell School of Corfu is once again offering as part of its activities, this opportunity to spend a week re-living the life of Gerald Durrell. The week is designed by our team of professionals to ensure you have an unforgettable experience on the beautiful island of Corfu. You’ll see and do more than you ever could traveling on your own and without the hassle of organising it yourself. You’ll join a small group of like-minded travelers, and have local leaders to look after day-to-day matters. We are offering a limited number of places to individuals and families interested in The Ionian Island of Corfu, Gerald Durrell, adventure, animals and plants, and cultural activities.
“We hope that there will be fireflies at night to guide you and butterflies in hedges and forests to greet you.”*
Spring time in Corfu is the time when the magic flashing lights of the fireflies fill the darkness as they make their journey every night from the shore to the mountains. We fear that the magic of this sight which so enchanted the young Gerry Durrell may one day be lost forever, due to the effects of modern farming. However here on Corfu, it is still possible to be mesmerized and disorientated with the flashing lights by which the males attract the females.
“We hope that your dawns will have an orchestra of bird song and that the sound of their wings and opalescence of their colouring will dazzle you.”
Springtime in Corfu is the time of migratory birds – here you can watch the Golden Orioles, raptors, cuckoos, swallows, swifts and martins arrive for the start of the warm weather. There is even the occasional sighting of a flock of pink flamingoes.
“We hope that there will still the extraordinary varieties of creatures sharing the land of the planet with you to enchant you and enrich your lives.”
Gentle walks across the mountains and coastal paths will give you the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife living on this island. Expert guides will take you to places where the habitat is unspoiled and help you identify the Mediterranean flora and fauna – or simply enable you to drink in the beautiful landscapes and magnificent views
“We hope that you will be grateful for having been born into such a magical world.”
The island of Corfu was the paradise the Durrell Family fell in love with when they lived here in the 1930s. Gerald Durrell believed in the sense of place, it is this which inspires a deep feeling for the country or landscape and provides ‘the travel ingredient’ which appeals to people’s curiosities or to their longing to know more about the wider world. Gerald acquired this sense of place during his childhood in Corfu, which he once called ‘the garden of the gods’. The childhood paradise that inspired Gerald’s book MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS still exists here today, away from the areas of mass tourism. Young and old, we can give you the opportunity to experience Gerald Durrell’s “paradise” to share with your children or grandchildren.
Do not miss this rare opportunity for a true Durrellian experience under the expert guidance of the staff of the Durrell School of Corfu, together with botanist David Bellamy OBE, herpatologist, Matt Wilson and other professional ecologists.
There is a range of accommodation from villas to apartments, all set in the rural Northern part of the Island of Corfu, set in traditional villages or hamlets.
* These words were written by Gerald Durrell for a time capsule buried in 1988 in the grounds of Jersey Zoo, which was also Gerald Durrell’s home. Jersey Zoo later became the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
