Greece Vacation 2018: Corfu

My family, at the back... The Old Fortess (on my separate story)

Sightseeing Corfu

A big business in Corfu. Souvenirs

My apology for it seems it takes ages before my story about my  Greek  vacation 2018 continues. This part three is all about Corfu. Its sound, its smell, and how I feel so incredible to be able to visit this rich of antiquities city. From Kavos, we drive down the hills, passed a winding road lining down the beach. Corfu starts to become familiar to me, because the airport is there, we have our first stop, took the car that my husband rented.

Where wise and intellect men of old gather

Just walking here is... Awesome!

Corfu coastline. The Old Fortress at the far.

What makes Greece more interesting to me is because I believe in the Bible. The New Testament is also known as The Greek Scripture. Corfu is a Greek Island in the Ionian Sea, home of the Ionian University. Corfu is full of Greek history from the beginning of Greek mythology. With those medieval castles punctuating strategic locations across the islands are the legacy of struggles in the Middle Ages against invasion of pirates and the Ottoman. I can even paint clearly on my mind its history of full battles and conquest, it was when we were inside the Old Fortress.

Delicious, honey-glazed complimentary Greek donuts.

City of many antiquities.

It only has begun... From Corfu, we set off our week of sightseeing, adventure, and making Greek memories. Sitting in the car, we were finding a place where we can park, my eyes feasted with a view, my heart leaps for a promising day in Corfu. At the far end, you will see a semi-ruined city, Venetian, will makes you want for more.  There is the double decker bus, as a London view. "Synagogue" is on the street sign, a complete suited rabbi passing by! Corfu remains as one of the most famous tourist destinations.

On our morning coffee break,  we have tasted this famous Corfu donut, served as complimentary together with our coffee. A donut with no hole, just like a ball, round, soft, honey-glazed. I told myself, uhhhh! I can stick around here eating this donut forever! 

Greece Vacation 2018: Potami River

On the afternoon that we arrived in Kovus, my husband started to survey the town. When I woke up from my afternoon nap, we drive going up to the mountain and I admire the olive green scenery. On the way, we stop at the cemetery and I made few photos both of the grave and the century old olive trees. Going down, we went ahead more and we stopped at Potami River.

Potami River is the largest in Corfu. From what I read, it springs from the mountains of the village Pekkas and flows into the Saltmarshes, crossing Corfu widthwise, something that I want to find out next time. 3.5 kilometers of total length, navigable at 2.5 towards the banks, and is safe for swimming. Fishing boats are also a common sight. Potami River is mentioned in the Venetian Maps of Corfu, that shows it has an old history.

It was so quiet there. Only few visitors with their car. Two men parked their car at the bridge with its tail light blinking, they sat in the restaurant fronting the river, smoke their cigars and  eat their meal nonchalant. On the river bank, there are restaurants, bars, and cafes. Offering real Greek foods, fresh fish on your plate, and an ice cream saloon on summer days until the summer bids goodbye for a while.

The cobble stoned narrow street is separated the restaurants, cafes, and gift shops from old homes, and those abandoned places. Rivers are beautiful subjects in photography, but ruins and old homes were surprisingly a photographers delight that I have just found out!

From Potami River, we drive a bit more and we ended on a beach. A beach that lonesome, the shower area is just a replica of the most recent joyful summer. As I recall the sight, and the smell of Potami River, I am yearning to go back there when the sun is up, scorching, and the smile and laugher of the holiday people abound.

Greece Vacation 2018: Hello, Greece!

My son has a week school vacation, in the Netherlands, it is Herfst vakantie or autumn vacation. We took the chance to go for a while, this time our family went in Greece.

From Amsterdam, it is only two and a half hour flight to the old town of Corfu. The airplane landed in Ionnis Kapodistrias International Airport, in Corfu at Kerkyra, the sixth busiest airport in Greece, on a cold Sunday morning. There is a van that waits for us, that will take us to the office of Car Union, where we will get the car that my husband rented for us to use, to keep us mobile while in Greece. From Corfu, we have the White Fiat, and we happily traveled to Kavos. In Kavos, we have our accommodation, in Mediterranean Blue.  

Just arrived, but the road and the view going to Kavos is already a welcoming treat. On a narrow old road, winding and fronting the Mediterranean blue sea, I feel happy that my husband took us there. We passed by a thick forest, a mountain of olives, going up, going down, then a look like "an abandoned old town", then Kavos. Kavos is at the municipality of Lefkimmi, a seaside village that is now booming with tourists from all over Europe. Because we arrived when summer is already gone, most restaurants, shops, hotels, and apartments are closed. Kavos after summer look like a ghost town. 

We arrived in Mediterranean Blue before lunch time. The place is exactly what it appears on the Internet. The swimming pool holds its title: Mediterranean Blue. They offer accommodation with private balconies, ours has two rooms, kitchen, and a big bed that is enough for us three in one room and another two separate beds at the other room. On our first night, we are just in time to experience the Mediterranean Blue's Greek Night with buffet barbecue dinner. As I am writing this, I think I want to share my own feelings why you have to visit Greece even just once in your lifetime:

1. The food 

2. The view 

3. The history 

4. The people

5. Because Greece is something. Greece is special. Greece is unique.

Please read more my next, next blog! More vacation and travel stories in Greece.