On January 1, 2001, Greece became the twelfth member of the European Union to adopt the single currency, the euro, after working to meet the EU's economic convergence criteria. Shops already display prices in both drachmas and euros.
As with the eleven other EU Member States adopting the single currency, actual euro notes are scheduled to be in circulation by January 1st, 2002, when euro banknotes and coins will be put into circulation simultaneously in all euro area member states, while national banknotes and coins will gradually be withdrawn. It is estimated that in Greece some 700 million drachma banknotes and 7,000 tonnes of drachma coins will be withdrawn, while some 600 million euro banknotes and 8,300 tonnes of euro coins will be ready for circulation by the end of 2001. After March 2002 the drachma will no longer be legal tender.
Easter 2002 Easter Sunday is 5th May. This is possibly the best time to experience the real Corfu, rather than the version which is often offered to tourists later in the season. Also, with Easter falling so late, it means, unlike some years, cheap charter flights will be easily available. We do urge you, if you've never experienced the magic of Easter in Pelekas, not to miss this opportunity to join in the festivities. |
The church of St. Nicholas is in the upper village square. (Some of you may remember it as the church which doubled up as a supermarket!) It is not known when it was built, but there is a document in the Corfu Archives which mentions some property owned by the church in 1551.
Initially
two-thirds of the church was privately owned and the other third belonged
to the state. It is recorded that in 1752 some rebuilding work took place.
During
the 18th and 19th centuries the church was very wealthy.
It owned a large amount of land with olive trees, vineyards and other agricultural
produce. The peasants who cultivated this land paid a large proportion
of their income to the church of St. Nicholas.
Its
last owner donated the church to the community of Pelekas in 1998. Recently
it has undergone a full renovation. This work is now completed and the
church, with its new bell tower, is a welcome addition to the scenery of
Pelekas.
Editorial
This page is a new addition to pelekas.com and will be updated every few months. We will keep you informed of any coming events; keep you abreast of the latest news; show you a few new photos; and try to help with some travel tips.
If you wish to contribute ideas or photos you can contact us in the usual way. Remember that there is also a photo gallery at Pelekas Cafe's page which welcomes contributions.
We are also hoping this winter to add a page dedicated to The Pelekas Cultural Society and that eventually this will include downloads of music and video.
In light of the recent events in the USA and the uncertainty regarding the reaction to them it's a fair bet that travel and tourism are going to suffer. It's also true to say that those who do make the effort to visit in 2002 will be assured of a warmer welcome than usual.
On a brighter note those who came for some autumn sunshine this year were rewarded with stunning weather in September and October. As this is being written in late October the weather is still in the mid-seventies and as the picture of St Nicholas church shows, the sky is blue and the sun is shining!
