In Corfu Town, part 1

June 6, 2018

The old city, and the new fortress

We came to Corfu Town with pretty lukewarm feelings about the island, after our third day of cycling on it. It seems almost sacreligous to not care for an island with such a romantic reputation, but there you are. Surprisingly, we found more bike tourists here than anywhere else in Greece.

After coming to Corfu Town though, all is forgiven. I’m not going to try to describe the place or say anything about its history, other than that it’s Venetian/French/British history gives it character unlike other cities in Greece we’ve visited.

We’re pretty undisciplined tourists, in that we tend to not do too much advance research before visiting places. Instead, we generally just step out the door, look up and around, and see what we see. I’m sure we miss some important sights this way and misunderstand others, but we also get our senses slammed by one astonishing thing after another when we come in without specific expectations. This city is wonderful for that - around every corner there’s something amazing to behold.

So this entry covers last night and just the first half of today, when we wandered through the old city and the new fortress. We went over to the old fortress in the afternoon, but there was enough to see there that it seemed worth a separate entry.

The palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, built by the British in about 1825.

On the sea walls, behind the palace of Saint Michael and Saint George

The Liston, one of the most scenic spots in the old city, created by the French during their occupation in the early 1800’s

Rachael chatting with a visitor from Brisbane. She’s on a painter’s tour, hopping through Greece trying to find subjects worth painting. She doesn’t sound frustrated.

The new fortress, built by the Venetians in about 1575 to strengthen the city’s fortifications in response to the first Ottoman Seige of Corfu.

Amazing tree, that makes you think of a chestnut. Anyone know what this is?

The sea walls of the old fortress. Across the water is Albania. The old fortress had munitions with a range supposedly far enough to reach the Albanian coast.

Toe check. All ten present and accounted for.

One of the access tunnels through the walls of the new fortress. If I understand it correctly, the old and new fortresses are connected b6 tunnels beneath the old city.

There are some spectacular trees in Spianada, the large park facing the old fortress.

Downpour! Suddenly, the boulevard emptied except for a few poor folks stuck in the open. I was safe and dry having lunch at a sidewalk cafe.

Tenedos Church, near the walls of the new fortress

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