Greece: Corfu

The island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea is getting into the swing of a glorious summer with tourists and locals alike soaking up the beaches, the food (which is nicely healthy), the drinks (maybe not so healthy) and the laidback life. Yep, didn’t mind spending time on this Greek island, although 4 days was but a flash in the pan.

We stayed in Corfu town, an old town dating from 8th century BC with a maze of narrow cobbled streets waiting to be explored. A 16th century fortress dominates the town and there’s certainly plenty of great cafes, restaurants, bars and shops to ensure a stay in Corfu town is an easy one.

Our tiny apartment was just around the corner. At night these lanes were festooned with tables and diners

Restaurant owners here tell us that they’ve ridden the tumultuous covid roller coaster and are coming out the other side. They’re hoping for a bumper summer season and I think their wish will be granted. Certainly, tourists from all walks of travel life are here – those on tours and cruise ships, backpackers and everyone in between.

Enjoyed Corfu’s signature dish Pastitsada (slow-cooked rooster in a wine tomato sauce and served over pasta) in a restaurant right here

Corfu is the greenest Greek island thanks to regular rain. Certainly as we made our way around the island by bus, we were treated to plenty of green scenes.

Can always rely on Rick Steves for sound travel advice like, ‘Go at least two blocks away from the main street to find a good local restaurant’. We went slightly further and found this one. Full of locals, full of chatter, full of good food and wine.

Travel surely rates as the greatest leveller. Here in Corfu, water is unsuitable for drinking, the sewerage system cannot cope with toilet paper, old water pipes regularly crack and water is turned off, sometimes for half day/night. A slight inconvenience for travellers, but for locals, it’s more than that.

Today, we bid YAH-soo to Corfu. Spent too little time here, but on the 90th day of our Schengen visa, it’s mandatory we leave. To be honest, I’ve cut it too fine, but I’m reasonably confident of no travel delays as we ferry across the Ionian to Sarande Albania. From there it’s a short taxi ride to Ksamil, a wonderful beach destination we visited in 2019 and promised ourselves that post covid we would return.