Monday, May 28, 2007

Short Trip to Kerkyra (Corfu Greece)

Just came back from a whirlwind trip to the delightful island of Corfu, known in Greek as Kerkyra, which I think is a much prettier name for this charming island. We were whisked off on Friday afternoon by bus to the port of Durres and after a long delay standing on the dock, we finally got on board and made the approximately 3.5 hr journey. It was smooth sailing most of the way except for a brief rainshower just before we docked. The passenger ferry we took normally shuttles between Saranda, Albania and Corfu Town, but special arrangements had been made for this trip.
We arrived, unpacked, freshened up and went out for a delicious fish dinner. This is the perfect time of year to visit Corfu as it is just before the high season starts and the weather is really perfect. While Peter spent Saturday in training sessions, I spent it alone with my book and the waves. I ended up a bit sunkissed but I kinda like the glow!


Saturday evening we jumped on the bus and had a quick tour around Corfu Town, then jumped off the bus for a running tour through the old city streets. It was awesome! I had expected Corfu to be a lot like Crete, but it is nothing like it. Crete is arid, rather baren, and really rocky, but Corfu is lush, humid, and heavily influenced by the Venetians. Oh how I loved it. There's a luscious decadence in the air. The buildings are painted in lovely shades of terracotta and gold, trimmed with wrought iron balconies, and heavily laden with overgrown vines. I thought this tree was a wisteria but found out it is a Jacaranda- breathtaking in its beauty!



The Old Fortress- parts of it date back to the 7th and 8th c. AD...

Narrow streets in the old town...

A weekend on the island is just not enough time and we both agreed that we must go back for a longer visit sometime in the near future.

10 comments:

oreneta said...

Great new picture! And thanks for the tree photo, we have jacarandas here, and I have been wondering about them.

Ginnie Hart said...

Believe it or not, Kim, we are gonna be there at the end of October while on our Mediterranean cruise. I can hardly wait!

And yes, a new profile pic. Is this your naturally-colored hair or is it blond? Now I'm confused. :)

Miss Kim said...

Thanks for the comments on my new mugshot! I went through a bit of an identity crises in the past two weeks... I asked for a very specific colour at the salon and it turned out rather terrible-- sort of a browny pink-- arggg. So I then had to colour it completely brown- quite dark- in order to cover the weird colour. My natural colour is boring brown (with a ton of grey now), but I've been dying it blonde for a long time. This dark colour is a temporary phase I think!!!

Ginnie- you'll love Corfu!! I took a photo of the clock tower for you, but I think I won't post it after all. I'll let you discover it for yourself!

And Oreneta... I was thinking of you on the boat-- the trip home was really rough ans many of the women were busy being sick, while I on the other hand was laughing and having a great time!

christina said...

Love the new pic! Tres chic. And Corfu looks so beautiful.

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olli said...

That's a very small looking boat for a long journey.

Miss Kim said...

Our Man... I would have to agree with you about the boat-- on the way there with smooth seas it was fine-- BUT for the return journey it was VERY rough and we had to abort the trip in Vlora. A bigger vessel would have seemed a lot safer.

Anonymous said...

Yes, that's what i thought first about the boat as well. It's one of those original boats that people migrated to Italy massively in the 90s. I really get sea sick on those. They are fast though.
Sailing the coast on an open air dock, or yaght sounds more alluring. You can stop the boat. Dive for a swim, then get going again. La Dolce Vita.
What are you talking about?! You look lovely with this new hair color! The blonde was ok. I liked the wheat color, but after a long time of blonde it washes you out.
Its just hair anyway. You can change it anytime you feel like it.
The tan makes you look healthy, just put a lot of lotion. May is the month I tan(we Albanians compete who gets the better tan in MAy, at least with my friends). I got the hand of it now. I do it slowly, with a high SPF first, applying tons of lotion in the beginning, and staying a bit more in the shade. Then gradually expose yourself more and more, longer nad longer. I;ve been doing this for many years and I feel that the skin has adjusted to the cycle. You have to teach the skin how to behave so it will be healthier. You'll get an even sweet color this way and it will last longer. Staying lots of hours in the water gives you a more even tan since the water reflects the light. Then just put a minimal spf in the hottest hours and oil or golden shimmer all over you int he morning and afternoon.
Tips from a med girl!

Kate said...

Great post!

Kate said...

Though you had quite a short trip, it was full of adventures! Lucky you are! I advise you look through the places, listed in this article: http://www.agsinger.com/prettiest-places-in-greece/. Each of them will grab your attention for sure. Maybe, Sifnos Island will be your next travel destination? It is rapidly developing in tourism, without losing its authentic character though. I'm planning to see this magical island during my next vacation.