Corfu, Greece

Many visit Athens as the departure port at Piraeus for their Greek vacation cruise through the popular Greek Islands of Mykonos, Santorini, and Rhodes. Corfu (or Kerkyra), is the most northern island of the Ionian Islands of Greece and located just off the West coast of Greece. Corfu continues to be a favorite destination that attracts many tourists, especially Italians, who want to escape civilization and head for the water. It is a beautiful mountainous island with impressive landscapes and dense green vegetation dominated by over 2 million olive trees. Corfu is rainier and has a more temperate Mediterranean climate than the southern Greek islands. It is one of Greece's prettiest towns with their modest villages and farms, Byzantine churches, several museums, impressive Venetian fortresses, and some lively resorts spread all around the island. Besides the cultivation of the olive trees, tourism provides the most income to the island.

The cosmopolitan Old City Corfu town is definitely a browser's town as you stroll through a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones. Start at the sea with the Venetian citadel (the Old Fort) which originally was a promontory attached to the mainland and now a man-made island separated by a moat. The entire perimeter is surrounded by fortification. The interior has been restored and is used for cultural events, such as concerts and lights and sound productions which recreate historical events.

The Archaeological Museum was built between 1962 - 1965 on a site that was donated by the Municipality of Corfu and was inaugurated in 1967. The museum is small, but the main purpose of its construction was the exhibition of the huge Gorgon pediment from the Artemis Temple, an example of Archaic temple sculpture extant. You will see all the other artifacts that were excavated from the ancient town of Corfu and the island including a stone lion dating from around 575 BC.

The Museum of Asian Art was founded in 1927 after the donation of 10.500 items by Gregorios Manos and is the only one of its kind in Greece. Until 1974 it was a Chinese and Japanese Art museum, but later it was enriched with other private collections of items from central Asia, so it became an Asian Art museum. It is housed in an impressive neoclassical building of the British Protectorate, designed by the British architect George Whitmore. It was initially used as the Residence of the Lord High Commisioner and as the headquarters of the Knights of the Order of St. Michael and St. George until the unity of the Ionian Islands with Greece.

Leading into the heart of old Corfu is Kapodistriou with a variety of fine shops sellling jewelry, leather goods, olive wood objects and handmade needlework, old churches, souvenir stands, and other stores in a maze of streets, alleys, and squares. The broadest and most stylish is Nikiforio Theotoki. In the northern end of Kapodistriou, you will find the Ayios Spiridon Cathedral dedicated to the 4th century patron saint of Corfu, Spiridon. Locals credit Spiridon with saving Corfu from famine, plagues and a Turkish siege. The saint's embalmed body in a silver casket and precious gold and silver votive offerings can be found in the cathedral. A trip to Corfu would not be complete without trying kumquat liqueur. The kumquat has been cultivated on this island since the late 1800's and the liqueur makes a unique treat and gift from Corfu.