Corfu Greece.....

One of the side benefits to the cruise experience is that you end up learning about things you didn't expect. I probably should have learned more in World History back in my freshman year of High School. Unfortunately at the time, I simply chose to just try and get through it. Today it seems so much more fascinating. Very early this morning while still sleeping, we left the Adriatic sea and entered the Ioanian sea, then squeezed between a very narrow passage between the island of Corfu Greece and the mainland country of Albania. Over night we travelled 210 nautical miles from Dubrovnik to Corfu. The island of Corfu is long and narrow and sits only a few miles off shore from Albania and mainland Greece. Corfu is the 7th largest Greek Isle which really is saying something considering there are 3,000 Greek Islands (I think they are counting every rock coming out of the water). Before today, I did not know that the island of Crete is the largest Greek Island. Then again I didn't know that the Greeks have a great tasting beer called Mythos or that 40% of all men who live here have a first name of Spirow, but that is another story.

Peg and I boarded a tour bus and headed for the west side of the island. There we visited a resort like community where it is believed that Ulysses came to and was greeted by friendly people after the Trojan war. Aparantly Ulysses was the brains in the operation of the war with Troy. He was the one who engineered the idea of taking ships apart and using the wood to build a huge horse filled with Greeks to concur the people of Troy. I did not know that the Illiad (sp?) and the Oddessey (sp?) were composed by Homer (who was blind). The Illiad tells the story of the Trojan war and the Oddessey tells the story of what happended and what life was like after it. I may have some of this wrong but that is what I understood from the tour guide anyway. Like I said, I wish I studied harder in high school!

We visited a Greek Monestary where 7 Greek Monks live high on a cliff. The place is called PalaioKastritsa which means Very Old Palace. In the Greek church the old custom was to bring valuables to the church and give them up in return for being healed or having a less painful childbirth experience. The church was awesome inside and out. We then headed for old Corfu where we had lots of free time but on the way there, we stopped at a place high on a mountain overlooking Mouse Island. We were supposed to be there for a photo opportunity but I actually found it more interesting because the very newest Starbucks had just completed construction there and the views over the cliff were outstanding.

We ended our day in Old Corfu which was very much like Venice even though there was no waterways. The poor island (for all of its walls and fortresses) had been taken over through the years by Romans, Venetians, the French, and the British. The west end had a huge problem with piracy forcing all the local people to move high into the hills where they could not enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the western shores. Everyone who invaded Corfu left their mark behind. We actually went by ancient Roman baths and an ancient Roman curch (all built of stone) that are still being uncovered by archeologists today.

OK, now I have to get ready for tomorrow. We are about to sail away from here and head for the island of Argostoli. I have no idea what that place is all about, but I am sure I am going to find out!