Corfu

Our family wanted to get away during Spring Break, so I did a search on skyscanner.net for the cheapest places to fly to during our proposed dates, and Corfu came up. I had never heard of this Greek island, but after running it by Sevak, we decided we would give it a go! I think we went at the perfect time, because the tourist season had not really begun. Sure, it wasn't totally warm all the time, and some stores and restaurants were closed, but I think we got a more authentic taste of the island and didn't have to deal with crowds! Plus, we still got lots of sunshine, which was a boon for us Frankfurters. :) 

March 27th

After a two hour flight and no naps, Zinnia zonked out in the tiny rental car. We all squeezed into a five-seater because anything else was ridiculously expensive (and I don't think we could have navigated anything larger through the tiny streets of Corfu)! Good thing our family is composed of little bodies!

We got in at 7-something in the evening, so most shops/eateries around us were closed (remember: low season). Luckily there was one hotel by us that was open for business (The Pink Palace), and we had a surprisingly delicious meal of soup, moussaka, and salad. There was no menu; we just sat down and everyone in the dining hall received the same food. Good stuff, though! 

March 28th

Our apartment was clean and had a lovely view, but during the night we discovered how cold and damp it got, and how insufficient the heating was. Jasmine slept in the pack 'n' play (in our room) with Zinnia, despite there being other rooms and plenty of beds. I think Zinnia was slightly comforted being with her big sister, but she obviously didn't stay there the whole night. That meant she slept with Sevak and me for most of the night, and most of the vacation. Not pleasant. Oh well, good thing we woke up to a beautiful view!

 

 Agios Gordios beach, just a short walk from our apartment. 

 Took this photo for Grandma Robin. :)

After a little stroll around our little neighborhood and local beach, we drove into Corfu town to stroll some more. We ate at a little Taverna for lunch.

 From L-R: Sofrito, Fried Calamari, Pastisada (You already know who the humans in the photo are)

 

The streets were so narrow and cute!

 Kumquats are big in Corfu. Here's a shop full of 'em.

 There were a couple of these places around. 

The Old Fortress is right there in town, so we paid the cheap admission fee to see what it was all about.

 View from within the walls.

There was a little museum portion with some old artifacts. Pomegranates are meaningful to me and I love seeing any kind of food I eat depicted by ancient people. There might be years of cultural and historical differences between us, but hey, in the end we both eat the same thing! 

 Oh no! Daddy's falling off the wall!

After the fortress, a little playground time...

Then we drove home via Lidl to get groceries for our apartment. I love going into Lidls around Europe because they're all so familiar, yet they each have certain products that are unique to their country. Here are some sesame bread rings...a diversion from the breads I find in my local Lidl. I also loved trying to interpret all the signs in Greek. I actually don't think I've been in a country that uses anything other than the Latin alphabet!

We saw a bunch of these decorated candles everywhere. I guess they're an Easter thing. Fun fact: the Greek orthodox Easter is a week after ours.

 We bought some of this halva. We saw a lot of halva.

Maybe the best thing from the vacation(?) Sisters getting along. I love seeing my kids teach each other stuff that I don't even know. Rose has become quite the knitter!

March 29th

We decided to drive to Governor's Olive Mill. I had seen online that they gave tours.

 Walking out our front steps.

Driving around the island reminded us a little of driving around Barbados or even Guyana. The topography was certainly a bit different, but the small little roads, stray animals, un-manicured plant life, and quaint homes gave us a sense of déjà vu.

Lots of cats in trash cans

When we got to the olive mill we didn't really see anyone around, but then some random guy in street clothes came up and introduced himself as Georgios, "George." It was his family's mill and he humbly and gratefully welcomed us as the first visitors of the year. He then proceeded to give us a great private tour. We walked through the groves, got good and muddy, learned all about the trees and history, etc. He also stopped every so often to pick wildflowers for us. 

 He was very generous and accommodating and kept saying things like, "Seriously, feel free" or "Please, feel free" when he wanted us to know that we could do something. These "George-isms" have been added to our family's repertoire of sayings.

 Here's how olives were pressed back in the day.

 And here's part of the modern machinery.

At the end we did an olive oil tasting and were greatly impressed by the quality of the product and by the spirit of this family-run business. We bought a couple of bottles to take home. Also, Sevak and I have now become skeptical of the quality or origin of other olive oils on the market. :) 

After the mill, lunch and Paramonas Beach...

Gotta love a Greek salad with a big hunk of feta on top. 

The sun was lovely and we were like lizards basking in its warmth, but after a while we needed some protection. Also, I forgot to mention that Zinnia had taken a little spill at the olive mill so she had this big boo-boo on her head. :( George and his brother provided nice First Aid services, though. :)

 It's not a proper beach day until Jasmine is transformed into a mermaid. 

March 30th

In the morning we went to Palaiokastritsa Monastery. It was on a cliff and had beautiful views. 

 Shot #1

 Shot #2

Shot #3 

 The monastery was home to lots of stray kitties. Endless entertainment for the girls.

 A goat with an ocean view.

 "Let's go to that beach when we get down the mountain." 

  Okay!

 

Later that day we drove up to Canal d'Amour in Sidari. I think a James Bond movie was filmed there, or maybe some other movies. Anyway, it was beautiful. It was a little strange to try to find the beach because it wasn't really marked and it was behind a big resort that was being renovated (the whole place was a ghost town). We got there, though...after climbing over piles of chopped up palm trees and walking past old television sets that the hotel was chucking. :) The rocky cliffs and caves were just amazing. It kind of made me a bit nervous with the kids, though. I definitely wouldn't be able to just sit on the beach and relax.  

That evening we cooked up some pork with souvlaki seasoning and made a proper Greek meal.

Heaven forbid they would call this "Turkish" delight in Greece!

March 31st

Sometimes in the mornings the kids would wander out front and putter around our rocky "yard." Well, that didn't work out too well for Zinnia because she added another bump to her already-bruised head.

So pitiful. :(

The day got better, though. We drove to the shell museum on the east side of the island and enjoyed a little bit of a private "tour" with the lady who sold us our tickets, as we were the only ones in the museum (nice trend, right?). 

Next we decided to go to an archaeological museum, which we discovered was in a large and lovely park of sorts (called Mon Repos). Apparently it used to be a summer residence for some fancy British people during the colonial era. The museum wasn't anything to write home about (although the nice man at the front desk let us go in for free because we didn't have any cash). However, the grounds were very peaceful and the big girls had a heyday picking wildflowers and making daisy chains.

Just outside of the museum there was a little trail that had become overgrown and impassable. Sevak wouldn't let that stop him from forging ahead and discovering this mini private beach.

Rose and Jasmine left these little flower chains all over the place...I wonder if anyone came upon them and gave a second thought as to how they got there. Would they know that they were lovingly and thoughtfully crafted by sweet, flower-smitten girls? 

Ruins from an ancient (BC time) temple or something. 

Something not as ancient, but still old. 

I know it seems like I'm casually glossing over the fabulous history of the place, but don't worry--I'm properly amazed by it all. I just can't remember all the details. It's a shame that there's not more from antiquity on the island...the poor place has gone through a number of wars and conquerors, and some of the temples had been destroyed and used to build new walls, etc. 

Lunch in town. Windy but sunny.

Stopped at a real, authentic butchery in the small neighboring village. Sevak wanted to get lamb for Easter. It was a hole-in-the-wall, but it was legit and the butcher was nice. I won't show a picture of the sheep head in the case at the counter. Blech.

By the way, it goes without saying that every store person would address Sevak in Greek. His hair, eyes, and complexion are definitely Hellenistic. :)

April 1st

Easter morning! The day before, I had bought some little candies and stuff for a mini "hunt."

Baklava!

We didn't know if anything would be open on Sunday (it actually wasn't Easter for the Greeks because they celebrate it a week later), but we took a chance and drove out to a donkey sanctuary. The GPS took us along a "road" that was more like a trail. As branches kept scratching the sides of our car, we questioned if it truly was vehicle-accessible.  We also had some fun navigating some deep muddy puddles. This part definitely reminded us of Guyana! 

It's amazing that our tiny little car managed to do what it did!

When we got to the sanctuary we were pleased to find it open. This was another one of those casual establishments where there are no formal tour times or anything. You just show up and the volunteers tell you about what they do. The kids LOVED this place. In addition to the donkeys, they had a lot of fun with all the cats and dogs who live there. 

Afterward, a mini hike up to Angelokastro, a hilltop castle from the Byzantine era. It was super beautiful, with amazing views. The stonework and ever-present olive trees reminded me of the kind of place Jesus would walk. 

In the evening, lamb meatballs for Easter dinner!

April 2nd

Issos beach. This was our favorite beach because it was so expansive, and it was nice and sandy. It had fun dunes and lots of washed-up wood for fort-making!  

Remember what I said about it not being a proper beach day unless Jasmine is transformed into a mermaid? Although this was a much poorer attempt, since Mom was already tired from dragging logs around in the sand. 

April 3rd

This was our departure day. We puttered around Corfu town until our flight in the evening. 

Had to finally get some gyros! 

Always the deconstructionist (e.g. separated meat and cheese with bread on the side instead of a sandwich), Jasmine had souvlaki. 

More stray dog petting.

While Zinnia slept in the stroller, the kids and I went to Casa Parlante, a little reconstructed 19th century home-turned-museum. Disneyland-style animatronics (but slightly less sophisticated than Disney) meet 19th century Greek nobility. 

While we were at the museum, Sevak found this nice little spot with a great climbing tree, so we joined him there afterward.

 

One of Jasmine's souvenirs was knitting needles and wool, acquired at this little shop. Other souvenirs we purchased were: a pretty nautilus shell and another pretty polished spiral shell, a natural sea sponge, an olive wood mortar and pestle (for Rose), an olive wood carved fish keychain (Simon), and some food items. 

One other thing I want to mention before I close up here is that the Corfiots were so nice! Obviously George from the Olive Mill made an impression, and I also mentioned the nice museum man who let us in for free. There was another occasion where we were looking for salt and cooking oil in the evening, but it appeared that all the shops had closed up (drawback of low season). There was a woman doing some little renovations on her bakery to get ready for the season, and we asked her about shops. She ended up giving us salt, olive oil from her own olives, and eggs from her own chickens! Talk about generous! We were greatly impressed by the warmth of these people.

All in all, fabulous vacation. Great way to kick off the Spring!