World Greece Kérkyra Corfu

Terry & Jerri's European Adventure

Corfu, Greece 21 Oct 2009

Our vision of "Greece" - whitewashed buildings with blue trim, gleaming in the sunshine on the hillside - was different from the reality of Corfu Town - a port city with buildings of many hues and narrow, congested, pot-holed streets. We arrived in sunshine, but unfortunately we were just in time for the first bad weather of the season; grey skies and thunderstorms.

Our guide books had warned us that hotels were expensive for what you got in Corfu Town, but we dragged our bags to numerous places and Jerri used her tough negotiation skills to secure us a great room with a view for a reasonable price. We stayed two nights, waking both mornings to thunder and rain that tapered off to sunshine and blue skies by mid-day.

Not wanting to spend our whole stay on Corfu in Corfu Town, we explored Dassia and Gourvia, northward on the east coast, as alternative locations, but ultimately decided to go to Paleokastritsa, on the west coast. Though our studio apartment was a steep climb, it was worth it - a beautiful seaview, sitting amidst an olive grove.

The most amazing thing we've experienced so far in Greece has been the people. We've met those who were incredibly kind, like our "host" in Paleokratsis, who brought us olive oil pressed from his own trees, drove us back and forth from the apartment to the village and gave us free, very late check out, and the stored luggage clerk at the port terminal who stayed two extra hours to keep our bags so we could have a walk-about in Corfu Town while we waited for our 11:15 pm ferry to Patras.

Equally we've met those who are surly, with an attitude, like the bartender in the port terminal who purposely tried to short-change us, and the waiters and bus station attendants for whom the words "customer service" mean abusing clients rather than assisting them.

We have also been struck by the lack of organisation, particularly with the transport systems. Our ferry was to have left from the domestic terminal, where we patiently waited for the ship to arrive. By 10:20, when we were supposed to be boarding, there was no ship. Sensing something was amiss, we began asking waiters (no help at all) and other passengers.

Outside the terminal building we found a man who was going on our ship and he pointed out our ship arriving - unfortunately at the international terminal - within sight, but a long walk, for which we did not have time. He commandeered a clerk in the convenience store outside which we were standing to take us to the ship in her car, necessitating her having to make two trips to get the two of us, our bags and our co-passenger to the ship in time for departure.

Once underway, all was uneventful and we arrived in Patras far too soon for us to have fully enjoyed the luxury of the great cabin, complete with big window, a bathtub and minibar, we luckily managed to snag.