The View from Corfu

I haven't had much time to myself to update my blog, but we conquered Corfu and are now spending our last night in Athens!

Corfu was full of wild beauty--turquoise water against lush mountains, explosions of bougainvillea and hibiscus, and gnarled olive trees scattered everywhere. Since I didn't do any research for this trip, I didn't realize it was a place you go to get away from it all--and on vacation I want to be in the middle of it all...so honestly, I was a little bored and we struggled to fill the six days. But we still had a great time and found some fun things to do! 


Of course Taylor got his beach time in and bobbed with Elowen in the water, and they also spent plenty of time in our rooftop pool. Our little slice of the island was a resort town called Barbati (with no sidewalks--walking was terrifying), but we also took a day drive to Paleokastritsa, which has seven beaches and is allegedly a spot where Odysseus lands in The Odyssey. The water there was absolutely gorgeous, though too cold for this land dweller. 

Another day, we ventured about forty minutes up a windy mountain road to a little restaurant called Bozoovey Tavern, where the grandma running the kitchen gathers the greens and mushrooms from the mountain and everything is locally sourced. Including the kittens frolicking in the greenery! The mushrooms were the highlight--perfectly grilled and seasoned. And Elowen surprised me by enjoying the spicy greens...she may just like to prove me wrong when I say don't give her something.


We also went to Archilleion, which was built as a vacation palace by Empress Elizabeth of Austria in the late 1800s (and named after Achilles, her favorite of the Greek gods). Since I'm really interested in her life from our trips to Vienna, that palace was the reason I wanted to come to Corfu. Unfortunately, only the first floor was open to tourists...I had been hoping to see the gardens, but the ornate detail of the stairways and rooms was still amazing to see. The Empress had the palace built to express themes of Greek culture and history, and she visited there frequently for about six years before losing interest (and getting stabbed to death). The palace was subsequently used as a wartime hospital, an orphanage, and even a casino.



That same day we also jaunted into nearby Corfu Town, but it was a bustling, down-at-heel, sweaty mess--we had the worst pizza of our lives, saw the fortress, and headed out. 

And finally, on our last day in Corfu, we went wine tasting. Our first stop was Goulis Winery, which was a small family-run shop. That was a quick stop, since it was more of a storefront, so then we headed over to Theotaky Estate, the oldest and biggest winery in Corfu. There we had a "light snack" of tomatoes in olive oil, with feta, salami, and bread. The tomatoes were so flavorful and amazing, and the white robola wine was crisp and delightful. She also showed us a clip from a James Bond movie where the Theotaky Estate is mentioned--the owner's father was the prime minister and pulled some strings. 

A few days before, we also visited a very small winery in the basement of a house--I was a little worried upon seeing it that we were about to be in Greek Chainsaw Massacre, but the owner showed us how he does everything by hand and couldn't have been nicer. 


I probably wouldn't go back to Corfu, but we did have a great time and enjoyed soaking up every second with Elowen. We also visited the best little cocktail bar there called Seven Sins--the drinks were named after (you guessed it!) the seven sins. The waitress loved Elowen and doted on her daily, as did the bartender (who looked and sounded like a pirate come to life, complete with a thick black beard and a deep growling voice). 

I also learned about Corfu's local liquor made from kumquat (delicious!) and that Lord Byron fell passionately in love with Greece and even died fighting for their independence. Pretty cool!


Next up I'll recap Athens and then that's the end of our first international vacation as a family of three! 


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