"We are sorry to announce that the Olympic Flight, AO609 Kerkyra to Athens, has been cancelled due to snow closing Athens airport!"
During the summer months, you will often see me at Corfu airport - not as a tourist, but greeting you at Arrivals. This announcement though had me concerned... No, not because I was meeting the flight, but because for a change I was supposed to be on it!
Corfu was enjoying a mild February. Bright sunny days with temperatures often touching the 20's accompanied by cooler evenings, although warm enough to enjoy a BBQ outside. So what's all this about snow? Athens was in the grip of a freak cold depression and for the first time ever, the airport was closed due to snow blocking the runways!
Sunday 1900 hours Olympic Airways Ticket Office: Kerkyra
"I am very sorry but your flight to Athens has been cancelled. I can book you on tomorrow's 6am flight though instead."
With home just a 30 min drive away, Eleni and I decided that, rather than stay at the airport all night, we would go home and return the next morning refreshed and ready for a quick take-off. Or that was the idea...
Monday 05.00am Kerkyra Airport
We arrived to a scene, not dissimilar to that of peak summer! The departure area full and 7 planes parked on the runway! It soon became apparent that during the night several flights to Athens had been forced to divert to Corfu, forcing the passengers, like Odysseus, to spend an unscheduled night on Corfu! Flights from Paris, Madrid, Rome, Moscow and even one carrying scores of Chelsea football fans en route to a match against Piraeus team 'Olympiakos', were all crowded into the departure lounge. Blankets and an 'open' snack bar were provided to help make the wait more endurable...
Monday 7.00am Take-off Time
Our flight to Athens, now 12 hours delayed, was almost ready to take off. We were called to departure gate 3 and boarded an airport bus. The bus lurched forward, catching those who had neglected to hang on to the overhead straps by surprise, and whined its way towards an awaiting 737.
The sun had risen an hour or so before and already it had started to burn through the airport mist, the runway clear and fully visible with signs of a warm sunny Greek February day ahead......
During our impromptu stay at the airport we had met with friends who helped pass the time - listening to their joys (and sometime frustrations) whilst living in Greece. With them, we raced towards the waiting plane and started to climb the stairs... Suddenly a radio chortled and rather than the flight steward directing us to our seats, we were returned back to the bus!
We spent the next 8 hours or so listening to airport announcements, while chatting to friends and recalling interesting website forum topics and Corfu trials! It wasn't until 4pm that the first plane took off; a French Paris-to-Athens flight. The Chelsea fans erupted into joyful song in preparation for their departure - there was still a chance they would reach Athens in time for the match.
The Russian plane was next. Then finally the call was made for us to board our plane.
Bright sunshine bathed the Ionian, and as we looked down over Kerkyra it was clear why she is often referred to as the Emerald Isle - blanketed by dark-green olive trees with only Mount Pantokrator towering above the canopy.
The flight to Athens is very short. A little more than a takeoff and landing. We flew down towards Paxos and just before flying over Kefalonia we banked towards Lefkada. I could imagine the thoughts of those who had been stranded at the airport: Athens closed by snow? But it's all so green below! Even the mountains on the mainland, as we continued on towards Athens, were without snow.
We started to descend and the metropolis of Athens came into view. A light dusting of snow slowly turned into a thick blanket and even the Acropolis was thickly coated!
Only one runway had been cleared - the snow piled up into high banks each side of the runway.
Athens was quiet. Probably still in shock! With no taxis in sight we walked to the Metro and headed into Athens.
Tuesday AM
Bright sunlight reflected off the snow and by mid-morning the temperature had returned to its season normal of +20c! By the afternoon the snow was almost gone...
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