Greek Paradise: Corfu
Our ship came to port in Corfu in the middle of the day on November 15. We were a little late because of some severe storms in the Ionian Sea and all the way into Turkey. When we arrived in Corfu though, the weather was nice and the sun was out. Corfu is a beautiful Greek island. It lies just off the coast of the border between Albania and Greece.
We spent the entire day traveling around Corfu (see below, "Getting Around"). It was an incredible island that reminded me of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. mixed with the culture of Venice and mainland Greece. It was a remarkable place.
Pontikonisi ("Mouse Island"): One of the sites that our guide made sure we went to was "Pontikonisi" or "Mouse Island," which is the home of the Pantokrator Monastery.
Getting Around. We hired a private tour guide for the day in Corfu. We apparently were the only passengers from the cruise ship to do so. It was a great idea because we could zip in a small car through the narrow streets faster than all of the buses. We also got to visit more places because we had only three of us and our driver knew where to go and when each place would close.
In Corfu, many places close for the afternoon (like the siesta) and reopen again in the evening. The museums and tourists sites tend to open in the morning and close early afternoon without reopening because the tourists are gone in the evening.
Town of Corfu. I took some pretty nice pictures all over the island, including old Corfu Town and the resort area of Paleokastritsa. Walking around the old town of Corfu at dusk was a beautiful sight. I'd love to go back to this place. Corfu Town (or Kerkyra in Greek) was influenced most heavily by the Venetians, but also by the British. Pulling into the harbor at Corfu Town is reminiscent of arriving in Venice because of the way the buildings are constructed. The British also left their mark on the town. They built a cricket field near the harbor.
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