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I continue to share my impressions of our summer vacation. My husband and I discovered the Greek island of Corfu. I probably did not prepare well for the trip, because the biggest surprise of the island for me was its size. The island is not small, as they say in the guidebooks, and you should not expect that you will have time to do everything and see everything. We distributed rest days, a beach, an excursion to Meteora (which I talked about in a previous review) and acquaintance with the sights of Corfu itself. We rented a car for 3 days. We saw everything we planned. Some practical advice was given by our hotel guide. The tour was bought from the Biblio Globus, and on the spot it turned out that the Greek company Kanulas Travel met. A pleasant young man, Dmitry, worked in our hotel. It was he who advised us on the choice of excursions to Meteora and he also gave advice on building routes for trips by car, for which we are very grateful to him. Mandatory program for motorists - Paleokastritsa. Done well and excellent... Paleokastritsa is considered the hallmark of the island of Corfu. Well, what can I say - BEAUTY extraordinary. The color of the sea and the coastline with numerous bays and islets is amazing. The sea seems to glow with an emerald light... I have never seen anything like it. Delight! There is virgin nature and fantastically luxurious bays. And there are many amazing rocks. But the sea in Paleokastritsa is always a little cooler, this did not stop us, and we spent half a day on one of the most beautiful beaches. By the way, sunbeds are paid, but you can stay in the immediate vicinity of some coastal cafe, and then their cost will be equal to the drink you drink right there. We climbed to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary built on the hill of the cape. The monastery was founded in the XIII century. Again, they didn’t know, but they say that you need to stand with your back to the monastery well, throw a coin into it over your shoulder, while making a cherished wish. So try it. . . well, the views are wonderful, and the monastery is old.
Unfortunately, we did not take a boat ride to the blue grottoes, although we were advised, now there is a reason to return. But then we looked at the fortress of the Angel. The ancient monument is located about 3 km from the coast (you have to turn uphill to Lakones a little before reaching Paleokastritsa) and dates back to the 10th century. But until now, even in a dilapidated state, it looks very impregnable and majestic. On the way to Angelokastro we visited the villages of Lacones, where there is another observation deck.
The capital of the island of Corfu. We went for a walk a couple of times both by car and by bus. And so and so convenient, our hotel was not far from the city. .
The old fortress of Kerkyra is one of the most famous and popular attractions on the island. It was built at a time when Corfu belonged to the Byzantine Empire. Archaeologists claim that the fortress was built around the 7th-8th centuries. The fortress is located on several levels and offers breathtaking views of the city and the sea from everywhere. Entrance fee.
There are a lot of references to Admiral Ushakov in the city, and at the entrance to the New Fortress, there is his monument, for his help in the liberation of the island of Kerkyra.
Cathedral of St. Spyridon - if you come to this island, it will be a real blasphemy not to visit this temple. On the island, St. Spyridon is the most beloved and most revered saint. According to legend, he saved Kerkyra from starvation. His relics are kept in the cathedral. We got there at 5 pm, when the shrine was opened, and venerated the relics and took small envelopes with threads from his clothes, it is believed that now we will all be happy and prosperous. On the street where the temple of St. Spyridon stands, there is a brisk trade. Generally a pleasant town with narrow streets. The most luxurious street in Corcyra is Liston, equipped in the 18th century especially for members of several aristocratic families living on the island, which were part of
special official list-List. At that time, commoners were even forbidden to enter this street. And now Liston gives everyone strolling the opportunity to feel on the Parisian promenade and, having settled down with a cup of coffee in street cafes comfortably located under the plane trees and in the colonnades of ancient buildings, enjoy the view of Spianado Square.
Pontikonissi Island, located not far from the center of the city of Kerkyra, at the very Cape Kanoni. This is an amazing tiny piece of land, its name in Greek means "Mouse Island". The only building here is the miniature Pantokrator Monastery, to which a white path leads. And against the backdrop of all this splendor - PLANES (and in capital letters, because they are amazingly large, compared to the island)) People come here to watch the takeoffs and landings of planes. We could not leave there for a long time, everyone was waiting and waiting for the next one. The beginning of the runway is just a few dozen meters from you and it seems that you can reach the flying plane with your hand. There we once met the sunset, the side of the island, of course, is not the same, but it is also perfectly visible.
There are still a lot of beautiful places left in Corfu, where you wanted to, but so far have not been able to. I look forward to new discoveries and new impressions from the next trips and I believe that we did not say goodbye to Corfu forever.
