Caaual in Corfu

3:30 PM

Back on board from a fine day in Corfu the largest of the Greek Islands. As you noticed I did send the blog from the breakfast table this morning. With a few problems I was able to only be on line 13 minutes (I may get this down to a reasonable expense yet) I am still sorry I cannot send pictures and hope you can get a flavor from the words. At the moment I am at my desk in the room and as I look right out the veranda windows and door I am looking at the Silver Queen still docked as well. Lyle, Marlene, and Charlotte had gone up to deck nine (we are on 6) where the Lido restaurant has some type of food at all times. At this hour there are pizzas and hamburger/cheeseburgers. There are also liberal times for full buffet selections for all three meals we normally eat breakfast there and would eat lunch there if we stayed on board. Today we skipped lunch again but did stop around noon and had coke lights and beers. Marlene had Amstel light I tried Mykoras a Greek lager beer which was good. As I type away I am drinking a Heineken and eating some pretzels that we bought yesterday in Dubrovnik.

We left the Noordam at 9:15 taking our umbrellas but never needing them. A shuttle picked us up at the gangplank and drove us ½ mile to the end of the port. At that point we were offered a tour for 80 Euro by a taxi driver or a taxi ride to town for 10. Marlene was ready to pay the 10 but I suggested we walk a ways. Sure enough there was a local bus top 300 yards further we joined other frugal cruisers waiting for the local bus. We bought a ticket to town for 1.2 euros. The ride was not far less than a mile. We got off the bus and tried to figure out where we were and what we were going to do. Since it was mid morning there was a lot of pedestrian traffic on the streets and the stores were open. After a few minutes we decided to go left and came to the town square where we were told the return bus could be caught. We started wandering toward the old town and soon discovered a wonderful park and could see the old fortress in the distance. I was a bit of a hike over a bridge to get there and the fort was built upon on solid rock and rose probably 1000 to 1500 feet up in the air. I checked the ticket prices and the over 65 rate was only 2 euros. Marlene suggested that Charlotte and I go ahead but thought the trek would be too strenuous for Lyle….so we did probably spending 45 minutes. The history was that the fort had repealed the Turkish army in 1517 when thy stormed the ramparts of the fortifications but a Von Schulenburg (??) took the Venetian soldiers and popped out behind the invaders trapping them in a cross fire and they retreated. So the fort and enclosed area behind it date from the early 1500 s there was a church with historical exhibits inside and other building on the site. The challenge was to climb to the top where there we more walls and a light house. This entire fortification is at the edge of the Sea and they had a moat around it with a drawbridge. The tunnel through the walls was perhaps 500 feet so it was impressive and water leaked through a little. We walked the circular ramparts most of the way to the top with the view of the town and of the surrounding water and mountains getting more picturesque as we went. It was a good way to work off the cruise ship calories too.

Coming down we found Lyle and Marlene sitting on a park bench in the park. She had bought a scarf and linen and had a plan. There was a little trolley type motorized train (like you sometimes ride at zoos) that stopped in front of the McDonald’s near the park. (To use the bathroom you had to show a McDonald’s receipt…..and bathrooms are a logistical problem). Anyway the train was not leaving for 45 minutes at 1. So we needed a bathroom and decide on a café or taverna as mentioned previously.

At 1PM we took the train ride 5 Euros (it was crowded and no room for our knees as we faced each other (the Greek lady in front of me was not too fond of me) It took us by the old ruins of the 600 BC temple of Artemis and we saw an important monastery and of course got the flavor of the entire city too. I was impressed with the Corfu Palace convention hotel. I think Corfu would be a great location for the exotic business conferences (Perhaps the bankers have already found it) also in 1991 and 1992 the countries of the EU met here and admitted some new countries. Here in Greece the currency is the Euros. I did draw another 120 of them from the Alpha Bank down on the Square when we returned this afternoon.

Anyway we did see some old buildings and statutes mostly of the period the British were in charge in the late 1800s and then wandered through the old town many shops with souvenirs as we tried to find our way to the elusive square. Marlene found some Palm Olive soap….yes this is where it originated and I found my playing cards and Charlotte has n new tea cup that comes with a porcelain spoon as well.

A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon also slipped into my carry on and successfully passed the ship package inspection when we reboarded….might be just the ticket to sit out on the joint verandas at 6 when we disembark from Corfu and head to Katakolon for tomorrow.

Well enough for now it is 3:15 and my shipmates have not yet returned……Let me finish this beer and go look for them…..Do you think they got hooked by the Bingo announcement?

Posting from the Library @ 6:45 PM

We backed out of the mooring at Corfu at 5:35 PM so far everyone has made it back to the ship and we did here of one couple who missed the boat in Rome and joined in Dubrovnik.