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In greek mythology hera, the wife of zeus, was something of a she devil.When she suspected her husband had his eye on a pretty maidservant called io, she turned the poor girl into a cow.

What's more, she dumped her on a group of islands to the west of the greek mainland where, with only a tormenting horsefly for company, she spent the rest of her days, lumbering across the wooded hills and fertile valleys.

Thus we get the name of the ionian islands the greenest and, some say, prettiest in greece.From the chic restaurants and venetian buildings of corfu town to the yachtie havens of lefkas and kefalonia and the charm of little paxos, even io might have enjoyed her exile if it hadn't been for the horsefly.You'll enjoy a holiday here, too.Here's a three page guide.

It is nearly midnight in the small beach resort of aghios gordis on the west coast of corfu, and george is still on the till of his gee bee supermarket at the corner of the main street.

He's been here since 7.30 this morning, ringing up everything from the daily papers(Bild zeitung, daily mirror, de telegraaf)To cigarettes at 2.5 euros a packet, six packs of Mythos beer, milk, olive oil, bread and rather dubious looking Ray Ban sunglasses.

But, even at this late hour, every customer still gets the smiling george treatment. "Hello, pretty lady.You be good tonight, yes", and"Why you buy my sugar, fraulein?You so sweet i could put you in my coffee cup. "

I ask george if he ever stops working. "Oh yes,"He says finally with a sigh. "I open my shop http://www.lepetitfournil.co.uk/ in april and close in october.In the winter i sleep. "

This is quite the friendliest greek village i've ever stayed in.The place is full of characters like george from the waitress in the delphi restaurant who embraces everyone before serving up huge platefuls of moussaka, to the family who run the small hotel angelica where i am staying.

Even the village gp, the theatrically named dr galanis spiridon to whom, incidentally, i am much indebted clearly has a great sense of humour.

On the balcony of his little surgery is a table with an ashtray and his visiting card proudly announcing that he was"Assistant dr for 10 months in thorax surgical clinic of 401 gen military hospital(Athens). "Well, that's reassuring.

Backed by hills covered in olive and cypress trees, aghios gordis sits in a valley which is rounded off by a beach of coarse yellow sand, fringed with limestone rocks.

In the height of summer the place is packed, but in early june, when the sea is only bearable for toes and ankles and the nights get chilly as the sun disappears over the headland, it is comparatively quiet and peaceful and truly one of the most spectacular spots in all of the greek islands.

Corfu has lost its glamour over the past 20 years and i'm still not sure why.But these are confined to the resort of kavos at the island's southern tip and even here, if you visit before midday, the place retains the sleepiness of the fishing village it once was.Clubbers do not get out of bed much before lunch time.

The british ran corfu for 50 years in the 19th century and there is still a connection here.Most corfiots speak english to some degree and until recently cricket was played on a square of turf in the middle of corfu town(Locals complained about smashed car wind screens and balls hurtling into the tavernas around the ground, so the teams have upped stumps and moved to the resort of gouvia, north of town).

However, if you drive up into the hills you'll find villages which have changed little over the centuries.Here's a round the island guide.

Corfu is not served by no frills airlines such as ryanair or easyjet.During the spring and summer there are plenty of charter flights from around the uk(Usually on the same day)Squeezing into its totally inadequate airport just south of corfu town.The flight time is around 2hrs 30mins to 3 hours.Off season you'll have to fly to athens and take a connecting flight(About 1 hour).

I spotted several cars with uk number plates which must have driven down to bari or ancona in italy and taken one of the regular ferries across(Six to seven hours).

You can do posh on corfu there are several five star hotels on the east of the island each side of corfu town.However, i stayed at the angeliki studios and apartments in aghios gordis, expertly run by spyros(All the men, apart from george and the doc, seem to be called spyros in the village)And his wife eda.It's a friendly, spotlessly clean place set back from the main road with a taverna and pool.Mytravel, airtours and manos holidays(All part of the same group)Seem to have a monopoly on the rooms, so all your fellow guests are likely to be brits.

Manos also offers other apartments in the village with use of the angeliki's pool.The countryside is stunning, from the rocky west coast to the gentle inland plains of olive groves and the majestic mount pandokrator, the island's highest peak, in the north east.

Resorts in the north, such as roda and sidari, are ideal for families with young children, with gently sloping sandy beaches.

The resorts along the cheap ray bans north east coast, such as barbati, nissaki and dassia, tend to be more upmarket, with some top class hotels and posh villas.

Below corfu town, benitses and messonghi have smaller hotels and narrower beaches, while on the north west coast, paleokastritsa is more laid back and is famous for its pine and cypress backed beaches.

Corfu town itself is bustling, dusty and noisy.However, its build ings have been given a facelift since i was last here and it's pleasant to sit with a coffee under the arcaded venetian arches in its central square before heading off to the countless boutiques and art galleries in the warren of narrow streets behind.

For around 30 euros you'll get a superb meal of meze and a main course with wine for two.Most nights you'll get live greek music, too.

The chinese garden restaurant down the road is also surprisingly good, as is linda's next door, while a drive north over the headland to the tiny seaside village of paramonas provides an ideal lunch stop at the sun set taverna on the beach.

You can now take boat trips across the ionian sea to albania for a full day excursion exploring this fascinating, although, until recently, secretive and sinister country.For around 40 euros you'll see the ancient coastal city of saranda and the unesco heritage site of butrint, a former roman town.

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