It’s all Greek to me, at least it is today. Greetings from Corfu, a popular Greek tourist destination in the Ionian Sea. The island of Corfu lies so near to the mainland along the border of Greece and Albania that there’s an annual charity swim from here to the Albanian shore.
No swimming for us today though, as we were safely docked at the city (population 32,000) that bears the same name as the island. Corfu City’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which we were excited to visit, but only after getting out to see some of the island. And a strategically important island it is, or at least was for many years, because it guards the entrance to the Adriatic Sea. If you can’t get past Corfu, you can’t reach the Balkans or the east coast of Italy by sea, and as a result the island has been fought over repeatedly since the time of the Corinthians. Pretty much everything on Corfu was reduced to rubble during World War II, but the city does hold the remains of two old forts. More on them in a bit.
Our day’s excursion began with a short drive to Koum Quat Mavromatis, a kumquat factory and distillery. Kumquats are big business in Corfu, and along with olives are among the island’s top agricultural exports. Koum Quat Mavromatis produces kumquat candies, marmalades, soft drinks, and several liqueurs, including varieties made with and without the peel, and even one made with cream. We were able to try samples of each of those products and declared them all delicious.
A jar of marmalade in hand, we climbed back aboard the bus and began a thirty minute drive up a death defying series of narrow switchbacks to the tiny village of Lakones, high up in the rugged mountains overlooking Paleokastritsa Bay. At one point on the way we passed through a village with a road was so narrow that it was one lane only, with a traffic light at either end that stays red or green for a full seven and a half minutes to give vehicles time to snake their way through town. I’m pretty sure there was one point where our bus had no more than two or three inches of clearance on either side as our driver squeezed between the buildings, but he managed it with ease.
Anyway, we safely arrived at our destination high in the mountains, a hotel, restaurant and tavern in the village of Lakones called the Golden Fox, where the main attraction is a sensational view down to the town and harbor of Palaiokastritsa on the island’s west coast. We stayed long enough to soak in the view and take several photos before some quick souvenir shopping at an adjoining store.
We took a different, slightly less hair raising route back down out of the mountains to the city of Corfu, where we had an opportunity to spend some time walking through the historic old town. We parked next to the entrance to the Old Fortress, which in one form or another dates back at least to the Byzantine Empire. Separated from the rest of the city by a moat, the old fort still looks formidable, with two natural peaks inside that once held towers. We opted not to pay to enter, but chose to use our time, as I said, to stroll through the old town.
Befitting an island in such a strategic location, the city has a second fort, creatively called the New Fortress, located at the opposite end of town. This one was built by the Venetians, and “only” dates back to the late 1500s. It took a beating during World War II, but is still impressive. We never got near it, but it was clearly visible from the ship, and we got some nice photos.
Back to the old town, which, as mentioned above, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The charming main street is pedestrian only, and is reminiscent of the one in Gibraltar, with shops lining both sides. Michele had picked up a postcard earlier in Lakones, and found a shop that sold stamps, so she was able to keep alive her string of mailing cards home from every country. We strolled up and down the street, taking some photos and window shopping, before heading back to the bus, which returned us to the ship in time to catch a cultural performance by local dancers.
All in all we had a very nice day, which was especially nice since this was our only day in Greece. Tomorrow we’ll be in Bari, a city of 325,000 at the top of the “boot” of Italy, which should be a lot of fun. I’ll be back with a full report, so stay tuned.
If it’s made with kumquats you can get it at the Koum Quat Mavromatis factory and distillery.
The clearer kumquat liqueur is made without the skin, while the orange colored is made with the skin.
So which way do you prefer yours?
on the way to Lakones. Wish I had a better photo to show you how narrow, twisting and dangerous the road was, but most of the time I had my eyes closed. 😂
Outside the Golden Fox, where the views were incredible.
View from the back porch of the Golden Fox. That’s the harbor of Palaiokastritsa below.
Quite a view.
View of the pool at the Golden Fox.
Back in Corfu. We parked next to the entrance to the Old Fortress but didn’t go in, choosing instead to head in the opposite direction and walk around the old town. Quite a moat, isn’t it.
The main street in the old town is pedestrian only and lined with shops.
Michele found a shop that sold stamps, and filled out a postcard to mail home.
And into the mailbox it goes.
Fruit at one of the shops in the old town.
A side street in the old town. Old world charm.
Back near the entrance to the Old Fortress.
Lots of pretty flowers in Corfu.
An old fountain, with the Old Fortress in the background.
Back in the cruise terminal. Make a wrong turn and you’re on a ferry to Albania.
We got back on the ship in time to see a cultural performance by local Greek dancers.
Sailing out this evening. The Old Fortress in the background on the left, old town in the center, the less old New Fortress in the background on the right, and a quite new Greek navy ship in the foreground.
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