Corfu, Greece
We begin a full week in Greece with a stop in the Old Town of Corfu. We get glimpses of its long and varied history, see its Venetian Fortress, sample the delights of the city’s many shops, and visit the Corfu Central Market.
Overnight, the Viking Sky cruised further south, past Albania to northern Greece. We rose to find the ship approaching Corfu’s Old Town, on the east side of the island of the same name. Waking up to a view of a UNESCO World Heritage Site ain’t too bad.
We could see the Old Fortress on a point extending from the town. The stronghold was built by the Venetians in the early 15th century and rebuilt twice more after regular sieges from the Ottoman Empire. There is evidence this promontory was used to fortify local residents going back to the 6th century to protect against the invading Ostrogoths, and the Byzantines built their own additions in the 11th and 12th centuries. But the Venetians replaced fortifications up and down the coast when they conquered the region in 1386.
It took Napolean and the French Republic to wrest the island from the Venetians in 1797. But just a few years later, Corfu and other Ionian islands were captured by a combined fleet of Ottomans and Russians. The French regained control for a period, prompting the British to respond. Ah, colonialism. The Ionian islands — offically called the United States of the Ionian Islands — became British protectorates from 1816 to 1864, when they were finally ceded to Greece.
We docked and boarded a bus to take us to Corfu’s Old Town after stopping by a few sights south of city center. The first was the Greek Orthodox Vlacherna Monastery, occupying the near-entirety of tiny Pontikonisi (“Mouse”) Island. The monastery was built in the 17th century and functioned as a nunnery until 1980. It is connected to the mainland, just 100 feet away, by a walkway neatly lined with boats.
Our bus then backtracked toward Old Town, passing by the ruins of the early Christian Basilica of Palaiopolis, a 5th-century church built in the center of a Roman market. It was renovated in the 11th century but suffered damage from bombing in World War II. The church sits near the ruins of a Roman bath and other ruins scattered about a small forest. A little further into the forest is Mon Repos, the 19th-century summer residence of the British Lord High Commissioner. Three giants of the Western world — Greece, Rome, and Britain — all left footprints in the same spot.
We were dropped off between the entrance to the fort and Spianada Square, one of Europe’s largest public squares and the largest in Greece. The name of the square is derived from the Venetian word for "open flat area," and I can attest to this accurate etymology.
Our walking tour first stopped at the pretty Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Mandrakina, built in the 18th century and restored in the 1950s after being heavily damaged in World War II bombings.
We paused near a wide promenade before moving into the center of Corfu’s Old Town. Despite the battles it has endured, the city is remarkably well-preserved, with stately Venetian-era buildings and charming narrow streets
We entered Georgios Theotokis Square, featuring a statue dedicated to the Corfu native, former mayor, and four-time Prime Minister of Greece from 1899 to 1909. The square also contains two of Corfu’s 37 Greek Orthodox churches: the 17th century Church of the Virgin Mary of Foreigners, and the 16th century Church of St. Ioannis the Precursor.
Released from our quick tour, we began exploring the city in earnest, particularly as seen through its many attractive shops for tourists.
We paused for lunch at a place I had scouted out — Fishalida, a chic-looking spot near the Corfu Central Market. Marianne tried a Greek salad while I had an excellent shrimp risotto with pumpkin cream and crispy prosciutto.
After lunch, we walked across the street to check out the market. Much of the morning activity had died down, but shoppers continued to bag fruits, vegetables, seafood, olives, nuts, and candy.
We strolled back to the bus, this time taking a different series of winding lanes through light crowds and past more enticing shops. The city felt relaxed, at ease — exactly what you would hope for on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in Corfu.