Corfu

Corfu

Saturday, June 15
After our long travel day from Durrës, we finally arrived at the Corfu port around 5:00 PM, but it took another hour by the time we got off the ferry and got through passport control. It was a very slow process. The agent insisted that Corinne needed a visa to enter Greece and she adamantly told him that no visas are required for Canadians to enter Greece. He eventually believed her and didn't dare request the same from me!

We were exhausted by this time and even though our accommodation wasn't too far from the port, we didn't have the energy to figure out what bus to take or to walk, so we took a taxi which was a big scam. They requested €20 for anyone going into the city. We were told the ride is 10-15 minutes, but we arrived there in 5 minutes!! He didn't even know exactly which apartment we were looking for and was going to drop us off in the middle of the street. Corinne insisted he find the number to our apartment which he eventually did.

It took awhile until we figured out where the key was and then made our way up to the 5th floor loft apartment. These floors have very high ceilings and there were a lot of stairs (112 to be exact!) Corinne was kind enough to help me carry my luggage up. It was a very nice apartment and it was huge! I kept losing Corinne wondering where she had disappeared to.

After settling in, we ventured out to get our bearings and discovered we were in a very good central location. We walked along the seafront and through the narrow streets, eventually stopping for dinner at 10:00 PM, which is very common here. The prices have changed considerably from Albania, no more €2 beer or wine. We had a really nice dinner with live music.

It took me almost two weeks to learn how to say "thank you" in Albanian: "Faleminderit" and now I'm in Greece and have to learn a whole new language, not to mention that everything is written in the Greek alphabet, so it's almost impossible to figure out signs of any kind. Fortunately, most people speak English.

Sunday, June 16
We had a leisurely morning, went for a nice outdoor breakfast and then wandered towards the Old Fortress. On our way, we happened to come across a church concert performing the Coronation Mass KV317 by Mozart. The soloists were great!

After the concert, we visited the Old Fortress and walked to the top for some spectacular views. From there, we walked towards Old Town checking out the shops and all the narrow alleyways. Of course, we had to stop for an ice cream.

The Old Fortress of Corfu is a Venetian fortress in the city of Corfu. The fortress covers the promontory which initially contained the old town of Corfu that had emerged during Byzantine times.

We headed back to our apartment and had dinner on our balcony. Corinne had leftovers from yesterday and I went to the restaurant down the street attempting to get a Greek salad to take out. The waiter insisted I should have the chicken souvlaki and that it comes with salad. Well, after a lot of bantering back and forth, my souvlaki came with some lettuce, tomatoes and french fries! I insisted that I really wanted a Greek salad, so they removed the french fries and put in more lettuce and tomatoes. So here I am in Greece trying to tell the waiter that is not a Greek salad. I finally gave up. Overall, the souvlaki was pretty good.

I was saying how nice is was to be able to sit outdoors late into the evening on a warm, summer night without any mosquitoes or any annoying bugs. Then when I went to sleep, there was a mosquito buzzing around me all night!

Monday, June 17
Today, we decided to have a beach day. After breakfast, we visited the market which was mainly a food market with lots of fish.

Then we walked to Mon Repos beach not far from the Anemomilos Windmill. This beach actually had sand and wasn't too crowded like the ones closer to town. It was a beautiful, hot day and the water was very refreshing.


We went out for a later dinner and found a delightful spot on a stairway where we had a delicious "real" Greek salad and salmon. I was determined to have a proper Greek salad before I leave Greece. The portions were huge. We could have easily shared our entrees.

We wandered back to our apartment stopping at various shops on the way and I did my last climb up those 112 stairs! It was time to pack up as I was heading home the next day.

Corfu was beautiful, everywhere you look. It's a great place to visit.