Corfu

Arriving in Corfu August 23rd

Our ship arrived this morning at this small island near the coast of Albania which was the subject of Homer’s Odyssey where Ulysses was washed ashore after having slain

the giant Cyclops. The island part of the Seven Ionian Islands is now primarily a tourist destination and home for foreign retirees. Another source of income are the orchards which produce very small but valued olives, koum kouat and almonds. A bus tour took us around the beach resort area and quaint villages high in the hills on very curvy roads.

Our last stop was in the old center of Corfu town where the bulk of the islanders live. A protective fortress built in the 13th century dominates the western edge on the old town. The architecture of the island is primarily the result of occupation by Venice, France, Germany, and Russia.