Corfu, Greece

We docked at 8:15 this morning in Kerkira (Corfu) Greece - a new destination for us - another substitution stop in place of Turkey. We were off the ship by 8:30, found a city open-air bus tour just off the pier, and were on our way by 9:00. Total cost for the day...$30. Ship prices were as high as $199.95 each ($400 total) for a 4-hour tour - we were out 6 hours, saw the same sights (plus some) and spent $370 less.

Corfu is the second largest island in the Ionian Sea, and lies northwest of mainland Greece. In fact, the Greek government has dubbed Corfu "Castle City" because of the two prominent castles that border the town. And Old Town, just a stone throw from the pier, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was pretty quiet when we hit Old Town, and surprising for a Saturday morning, but I guess everyone slept-in after a long work week. Many of the shops hadn't yet opened, so we walked to one of the nearby castles. Admission was free today because the city was celebrating National Monument History Day. It took us about an hour, but we hiked the multiple switchbacks and made it to the top - great for some nice views & photos. On our way back down, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a cold beer and a visit to the water closet (restrooms). I've found it interesting that the general population of Greeks are introverted, at least toward tourists, but if you take the initiative and either smile first or just say hello, they normally break a wide smile and are very friendly. I'm a people-person by nature, and I enjoy engaging these folks in any kind of conversation, even though there's a distinct language barrier the majority of time. We've had nothing but great experiences in Greece with the locals. Conversely, salespeople in Greece are extraverted, but not in an offensive manner. They're polite, and we've yet to be high-pressured...even including cab drivers waiting at the pier. Old Town is very nice - cobblestone walkways, shops of wide variety, cafes to satisfy every taste. Prices seemed reasonable, and the quality of merchandise very good. Not your typical "market area" found in cities like this. Not nearly as upscale as Santorini, but probably par with Rhodes, maybe slightly better. On the other hand, Athens has more 'sleezy' market areas but a function of the size of the city. They have their share of decent shopping areas as well. It's all relative. 

By noon, Old Town was buzzing with activity as many ship tours were wrapping up and the local folks were out and about enjoying their weekend. Temps were a chilly earlier in the morning, but warmed up very nicely by midday to around 70. Corfu is nice, but in no way compares with Santorini or Rhodes, two of more recent stops. The city is quite old, the residential areas are rather messy & somewhat neglected - at least those we saw within 10 miles of the harbor. The housing & landscape may be quite different a little farther out - I don't know. The redeeming factor is once again her people...truly great.

We had a wonderful time in Corfu! So fortunate, and we count our blessings & thank the Lord each day. I'm not sure if He reads our blog, but I could sure use some help with this sore throat I've been nursing for a couple days...Amen :)

Tomorrow...Dubrovnik, Croatia...where HBO films The Game of Thrones. Our plan at this point is to tour all of the filming sites on our own. When we were in New Zealand 3 years ago, we went to the film set of Lord of the Rings...a very bizzare setting...a small studio nestled in the midst of a residential neighborhood. Very disappointing - but we expect tomorrow to be much better. We'll see...