Corfu
ITALY, GREECE & MONTENEGRO diary : Day 03 - 11th May 2018
The port town of Corfu, also called KERKYRA, is a Greek Island in the Ionian Sea. The Island's existence has been proven since the Greek Bronze Age (1300 BC). Initially it started as a colony of Corinth (a city in Greece). Later, the Island fell under the control of the Romans, Ottomans, Russians, French & also English, over different periods of time. As a result, a rich, diverse culture developed. The Island makes a record for is rich Forests, Beaches, Churches, Olive trees and variety herbs & flowers. It is also famous for its ACHILLIEON PALACE, that was built under the orders of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. It prides of being the birth place of the Duke of Edinburgh ( Husband of Queen Elizabeth of England). Corfu has now been relaunched as an ecological & cultural tourist spot, leaving behind its previous image of just a "Mediterranean beach paradise". Its breathtaking landscapes, wild fruits & flowers, amidst pristine nature is something to look forward to.
The itinerary provided by MSC MUSICA on our 8 day cruise around the Mediterranean, included a visit to the port of CORFU. We jumped at the opportunity, booking ourselves on a private-half day tour of the Island with Corfushorexcursion.com. The day was blessed with perfect, bright weather. Our 5 hour taxi tour aimed to cover the maximum possible, in the given time. It exceeded our expectations and ended well.
The ship docked at Corfu port. The courteous & smartly dressed taxi owner cum driver arrived on time with his Mercedes Vito. Without waiting any further, we made our way up a seaside hill top, to reach the GOLDEN FOX restaurant. The journey lasted around 40 minutes. The restaurant stood on a hilly road side, greeting us with pretty flowers. Its interiors were made of wood & stone, with 3 of its sides opened to views of the Ocean. The restaurant was slightly crowded, unlike its viewing balcony. We were blessed with spectacular views of the Ionian waters from the top. It was just a 2 feet balcony, with place enough for a single person to stand and relish aerial views. The pictures here will speak for themselves.
These views are said to be similar to the ones that can be seen from the Angelokastro (castle), the highest viewpoint in the Island. Unfortunately, we had little time to visit the Castle. We spent around 45 minutes in the restaurant, taking as many pictures as possible.
After some hot coffee & snacks, we were driven to the next view point. Winding down the mountain roads and climbing yet another, we reached the village of Pelekas. The small & lovely village, placed opposite to the town of Corfu, is located on the top of a 270 meters high hill. This leg of the journey lasted 30 minutes.
Our taxi raced further above Pelekas, to reach its topmost point lying at a distance of 2 kms from the village. We walked to find a ruined fortress area. We had reached the KAISER'S THRONE. The views were so inviting. We couldn't stop taking pictures. The driver explained the importance of the place and allowed us a maximum time of 30 minutes here. The view point got its name from the German Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II, who often visited the point to savour the Island's natural beauty, whilst escaping his mundane routine. The beautiful sunsets and the constantly switching colours of the entire Island according to the sunlight, stayed vivid in his mind. He wanted to build the Achillion Palace here and place his throne facing these unparalleled views.
He obviously never succeeded. Eversince, the place stuck with the name given to it. A muddy pathway ran up & down, through the fortified fencing, to reach a single piece of huge, craggy rock. This interestingly shaped huge rock, had a stone stairway winding up to its summit.
We climbed the stairs. At the top, there were two viewing options. The first one involved climbing a few more stairs to reach a circular platform, fenced with metal, where a telescope lay installed. The second one was on the opposite direction at a lower height. It just required a little climb up a couple of stone steps, to reach the 'horse shoe' shaped metal viewing platform, fitted atop rugged pieces of rock. Obviously, we chose both. The views from both ends were equally amazing. The wind was wild, but co-operated well enough for great photographs. No wonder the Kaiser endorsed this place. The half hour passed by like wind. We wished we could spend more time in silence and stay until sunset, for a greater experience. May be next time.
The taxi zoomed down the mountains, finally reaching flat lands below. We were on our way to THE VLACHERNA MONASTERY. This Historical symbol of Corfu, found in the Corfu peninsula of Kanoni in Greece, sits right in the middle of the Ionian sea, like a piece of white cake . It took us a short drive, may be less than 30 minutes, from Pelekas village, to get here. We were blown away by the Serene atmosphere and the fabulous, colourful surroundings. To get to the Monastery, we walked a short length on an open pedestrian bridge, inhaling the most pure air. Viewing the clear waters on either side of the pathway, we saw boats anchored all along, which were the means of transport to the nearby mouse island.
The interiors of the white little monastery was mystical. To cut the long history short, we were told that the Greek restored remains of this "once burned down" place of worship of the Latin monks, around the 12th century & turned it to what we see today. The Monastery did not fail to impress. With its pristine surroundings and most peaceful interiors, one could easily spend many hours meditating here. There was a small in-house shop for souvenirs. After offering our prayers, we walked around the monastery, before treating ourselves to some yummy Gelato, from a store right across the bridge.
Lastly we were driven to the Corfu city centre to have views of its Palace and market place. It was time for a little shopping. We shopped for some exquisite olive creams & lotions including some souvenirs. The Kumquat is a citrus fruit widely available locally, similar to a tiny orange. There was a beautiful display of lollipops made of this fruit, that was processed with loads of sugar to coat its sourness. Its bright orange colour was tempting. We were offered some for tasting by the kind shop keeper. It was just yummy beyond words. We loitered on the streets exploring many shops. The driver soon signalled us to return. He ensured dropping us off at the port on time and agreed to pose for a photograph too. It was time for our MSC CRUISE ship to depart.