Ouzo in Corfu

Visiting the Bay of Paleokastritsa in 2007 left me with an impression of Corfu as primarily craggy coasts and sandy beaches alongside turquoise waters.  Green hills in the interior completed the image.

On that first Greek Isles cruise, Julie and I were joined by all of our children, including our son-in-law Laszlo who had recently married our daughter Gina, plus both of Julie's sisters and their nuclear families.

That combination of family plus Greek Islands proved to be as wonderful as you might expect, making it one of the best vacations ever.  Often we would branch out as splintered traveling parties when in port and then discuss our different experiences ashore over our large dinner table.

Sometimes at dinner, we heard exploits of the kids dancing the night away in the disco.  My nephew Jered became something of a sensation on the ship.  None of us bought the video highlights of that cruise, but when we viewed it onboard, Jered popped up fairly regularly, burning up the dance floor.

There had been a discussion over dinner back in 2007 about what we would do in Corfu.  Julie had settled on going to the rather distant Bay of Paleokastritsa.  As always, Julie had researched the possibilities thoroughly, and the prospects of snorkeling off a gorgeous beach would not be denied.

Most of the group decided to take a local bus to a much closer beach rather than the costlier taxi trip to those distant shores, which certainly seemed practical.  

It proved to be a fabulous day for us all.

On the ride back from the Bay of Paleokastritsa, our Corfu-proud taxi driver tempted us with vivid descriptions of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary and its incredible views un the nearby hilltop village, other historic sites and delicious mezes in Old Town, but we were lured back to the ship to rejoin family for dinner.

As it turned out, most everyone else went to dinner in town, which they called a highlight of the trip.  I longed to return to see more of Corfu, to experience what we had missed the first time, so our day in Corfu on our Med itinerary 15 years later was much anticipated.

However, we didn't buy an excursion and didn't simply retrace our steps.  It turned out that a hop on/hop off bus wasn't that much more than the shuttle bus ticket to downtown offered by Princess, so we bought tickets on the pier and walked over to hop on.

These buses in Corfu had more than their share of broken headphone jacks, but after taking the relatively short route three times, I'd say we heard most of the presentation.

Let's just say that many of the views from the bus of disheveled neighborhoods of densely-packed housing and ruins that needed some attention left a less pristine impression than Paleokatritsa.  As we continued further from the port, views improved.

All of the stops proved to be worthwhile.

Our first stop was the Old Fortress.  

We paid the modestly priced admission fee and spent an hour or more wandering the grounds.

Without a guide, we simply roamed around the historic site appreciating the old structures and beautiful views.  Julie shared a few comments based on what she had read about Corfu in the Princess Patter and online, helping us recognize what we came upon.

A guide would have undoubtedly regaled us with stories about the military history of the citadel, dating back to the 6th Century, and in Greek mythology, even further.

The Spartans, Illyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and British all played their parts upon this stage of Corfu during their own eras of dominance, using the strategic promontory perch to defend their territory.  In World War II, the Nazis gathered Corfu's trusting Jews at the Old Fortress to purloin their jewelry and other wealth before shipping the poor souls off to concentration camps.

Of particular interest to us was the Church of St. George, an Anglican church constructed in 1840 for occupying British troops stationed in the barracks of the Old Fortress.  Built in the style of a Doric Temple, the church looks right at home in Greece.  We attend a different Church of St. George back home, built in the traditional Cathedral style.

After going past the port on a second loop, we stopped at a cliffside where a taverna was perched, sporting lovely views of a bay.  It looked like the perfect spot for the mezes and ouzo our taxi driver from 2007 hyped, but it was too early in the day for us to have a meal or drinks.

We walked down the long staircase to the bay, where it is easy to imagine a boating adventure could begin for those so inclined.

We snapped a few photos, returning to the bus after a half hour or so.  I think Julie must have deleted most photos I took of her, but she certainly took a lot of me in Corfu.

Another significant stop was in Corfu's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where modern cafes are interspersed with ancient buildings.

We enjoyed walking around this bustling area, taking a few pics, but we did not sit down for a meal.  Instead, in more our usual fashion when our floating resort is nearby with unlimited food and beverages that our tastes, we went to a table with a scenic view aboard Regal Princess for lunch.

The highlight of the day came when we returned to the cliffside taverna where we had first stopped.  A great feature of hop on/hop off buses is that you can make a mental note to return and easily find the exact spot every time.

We ordered a small bottle of ouzo, the licorice-flavored --- actually anise, technically --- liquor, which came with ice water, ice and potato chips.

There are many great mezes I'm sure, but none suit Julie more than potato chips, despite her Greek heritage.

Toasting with "Opa!" was a great way to close out our return to Greece.

All Americans should visit the Cradle of Western Civilization at least once.