June 22 – Corfu, Greece

This morning we arrived at Corfu, the second largest of the Ionian Islands. It lies at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea not too far from the very tip of the heel of Italy.  We were supposed to tender in today, but apparently the captain of the Queen Elizabeth very kindly offered us his docking space instead.

Corfu has a very long and rich history with evidence of inhabitation as far back as the Paleolithic Era (70,000 to 40,000 BC).  Like most of the places in this part of the world it has been ruled by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines.  After the fall of the Byzantine Empire it came under the rule of the Venetian Republic.  Venice added to the fortifications of the town of Corfu and influenced the building style so that many of the buildings in the old town have little balconies and architectural details reminiscent of Venice.

The patron saint of Corfu is St. Spyridon whose remains are in the church named for him in Corfu Town.  He is revered on the island and is believed to have performed miracles before and after his death (in the 4^th century).  One interesting story involves an invasion attempt by the Turks in 1716.  As the invaders stormed the beach St. Spyridon was seen brandishing a lighted torch and waving a Venetian flag.  This apparition energized the defenders and scared the Turkish soldiers who eventually retreated.  Because of the esteem in which the Saint is held, every family’s second son is named “Spiro.”  There are lots of Spiros on the island!

A couple of years ago when we visited the island we took a comprehensive tour so today we opted for something different.  With a group of just 14 people we set out in a minibus to the old town.  There we had a brief walking tour past the Old Fortress and the Palace of St. Michael and St. George and then had about 90 minutes to wander through the streets of the town.  They are lined with little shops selling everything from typical tourist things to furs, something which it’s hard to imagine anyone from the island ever needing.

Old Fort in Corfu Town

Palace of St. Michael and St. George

Wrought iron spiral staircase the royals used to get down to the sea from the palace

Our next stop was the highlight of the day – a cooking demonstration and lunch afterwards.  We drove out to the countryside and went to a restaurant called Spiros & Vasilis.  This was a lovely spot with a restaurant and the chef’s house next door.  We were seated on a patio shaded by trees that I was told were “laknis” trees.  The chef greeted us and, yes, his name was Spiro.  He proceeded to show us how to prepare our luncheon menu.  We had olives that he had cured himself and feta cheese with olive oil and paprika.  Next he demonstrated how to make the two dips he served.  The first was Taramosalata, a dip made of fish roe and boiled potatoes, and next was Tzatziki, made with cucumbers, yogurt and garlic.  Both were very tasty, but the tzatziki was exceptional.  It was a little zesty and was wonderful on the freshly baked bread accompanying the meal. Next Spiro prepared a Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta and olive oil.  We asked why there was no vinegar and his reply was “then it wouldn’t be a Greek salad.”

Our chef Spiro with Brenda our guide and interpreter

Our beautiful luncheon venue

Our main course was Moussaka.  He prepared it with golden fried thinly sliced potatoes, grilled eggplant rounds, a meat sauce made with ground veal and a béchamel sauce topped with grated cheese.  It was delicious!  For dessert we had some of the sweetest watermelon, honeydew and cherries I’ve ever eaten.  To wash everything down we had ouzo to begin with followed by red and white wine.  Everything tasted great.  I’m sure the setting had something to do with it as a light breeze blew and we could smell the flowers alongside the house and kitchen.

Then it was time to head back to the ship for a fairly early sailaway.  There were four ships in Corfu today and I think we were lucky we stopped first in the old town.  Later in the day it was probably mobbed.  As we sailed we passed Corfu town and had a good view of the fortress and town from the sea.  It was a nice day.

Corfu Town from the sea

The spire of St. Spyridon towering over the old town