Wednesday was our first full day in Corfu, Greece. We decided to spend the day touring the island and in the end I think we drove up and down every major mountain (hill by our standards) on the northern side of the island. We “got lost” a couple of times which really involved missing a turn here and there. If not familiar with the route you are taking this is common for a variety of reasons. The Greek drivers on Corfu are pretty crazy! The speed limits seem to be more of suggestions, along with the lanes. People will pass you if you aren’t going fast enough according to their standards, some times even in the most sketchiest of areas. The motor coaches have no concern for the speed limits either and come barreling around blind corners to surprise the daylights out of you! On top of all of this are the roads. They are not all that well maintained so you often encounter potholes which if you don’t have room to veer around might give you some anxiety at the potential of bottoming out. Due to the age of the roads and nature of the island they are often very narrow and full of curves and hairpin turns. They fluctuate in size from being wide enough to encourage driver to pass on either side of you, to very narrow which only one car could feasibly fit. Our very first experience with the car gave me the confidence to reverse anywhere. While not terribly common there were a couple of times which we would be driving through a small town, all of which were single lane, and practically coming nose-to-nose with another vehicle. Sometimes it was opportune for them to reverse to allow us to pass, and others it was our turn to back up the way we came so they could pass us. While it may seem terribly unsafe, we found the driving to be incredibly fun! Not to mention being able to drive with the top down, feeling the slightly humid air, sun on your face, and relief from the shade of the trees as we climbed the mountains – it was splendid and unforgettable! We decided to fondly name our little white cabriolet “Η Νύφη” aka The Bride!!
We went to see Mount Pantokrator which is the highest point on the island. There is a very steep and winding road to get to the top, so much so we were at first questioning whether we were supposed to be driving up there at all. Tourists are also cautioned to only make the trip during clear weather as conditions can change rapidly and the road can become unsafe to navigate. Some people even walk or bike this hill. We drove about 3/4 of the way up, parked and then walked the remainder. Up on the top there are a dozen or so radio towers/antennas. In addition to these there is a cafe as well as a monastery. We enjoyed a cool drink and I also ordered what turned out to be a rather strange milkshake. It was honestly like vanilla flavored milk that was profusely shaken…….not all that tasteful as I had envisioned when I ordered it. We also made some friends at the cafe which was not surprising as Brett seemed to have an entourage of fur friends wherever we went! After our rest we took a quick look at the monastery which was very small yet ornate inside. It was decorated primarily with silver and muted colors. I also noticed that unlike many religious buildings I’ve seen there was a distinct lack of windows to this building. This seems to encourage patrons to have a sense of focus while paying their respects. We then walked around the exterior to take in the spectacular views. The mountain provides a vantage point from which you are able to see the entire island. You can see the surrounding Greek islands, Albania and they say on super clear days you can even see all the way to Italy!
We took our time heading back to our AirBnB, enjoying the scenery and driving. We allowed ourselves to sleep in that morning, eating a home cooked breakfast, before we set out. Brett was mostly over his cold at this point but we wanted to make sure we rested up for the next couple of days. When we got back to our home town of Doukades we were greeted by the rabble of fur friends that Brett had started acquiring. There were a few kittens who seemed to live across the way from our apartment and we also met a couple of little pups who seemed to show up any time we stepped out our gate.
Doukades has 3 restaurants in the little square although only 2 seemed to be open at this time of year. We had dinner at the first, Taverna Katherine. We sat outside and watched the traffic and local towns people go by. And of course, Brett made another new friend!! We had a fantastic meal – Brett had sausages and chips (fries) and I had an entire fried fish! For a starter we had the most amazing Greek salad!! It was a very fun and fulfilling day to say the least and we are looking forward to exploring more of the island!
Devious Owl 