We made it!

Last night the Adriatic Sea was a tad rough so Natalie and I didn’t feel like eating dinner … like we needed more food, anyway. But our cabin attendant brought us Ginger Ale and both candied and fresh ginger to help make us feel better. When Natalie asked for some bread she said crackers or toast were a better choice. FYI: We seemed to be the only passengers who skipped dinner due to feeling queasy, which is kind of embarrassing.

Albania — so close, yet so far

I slept well and when I awoke, I was surprised to see it was already 8:30am. Then I remembered that Greece is an hour ahead of Montenegro. I jumped out of bed because the captain had told us we would be right off the coast of Albania around that time. We were – and for a travel junkie like me, it was torture. Have you ever been this close to a country before and not been able to enter? Reply on my Facebook page.

Almost to Corfu

Natalie and I headed up the Veranda Café for breakfast. We scored a great table but didn’t eat much. I had fresh fruit (oranges, watermelon, passion fruit, pineapple, kiwi, plums, and peaches) and Bircher Muesli. Natalie had fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Then we walked towards the bow to soak up the incredible views of Corfu. I have to tell you: Standing out in the warm, fresh air in Greece and being served mimosas was pretty surreal.

A few minutes later we were docked in Corfu and a number of passengers disembarked. At each port, a local tourism representative comes on board to hand out maps and answer any questions. Since we didn’t sign up to go on any tours she gave us some good information.

Corfu’s whole Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It looked like it was a 25-minute walk but Seabourn offered a free shuttle bus that operated every 40 minutes so we lined up for it. I thought for sure there were a lot more than 50 people standing around but I was wrong – there were 52 and the last two got denied boarding (there’s no standing on the bus). I’m sure they took one of the 20 plus taxis lined up.

Fort

The ride was under 10 minutes and we got dropped off at the main attraction – one of the town’s three forts. It cost 4 euros a person to get in and they don’t take credit cards. The forts were designed by renowned Venetian engineers and they were used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. Here’s a link to more history. My tips: Wear a hat and sunscreen, bring lots of water and hold on to the railings when coming down from the top of the fort because the rocks are slippery.

Old town

Natalie and I walked around The Old Town of Corfu. It’s really touristy but the shops are cheap and all of the locals were extremely friendly. I bought a belt for 3 euros, a magnet for 1.50 euro and a shot glass for my dad for just 1 euro. One store was selling the most tasteless T-shirts I’ve ever seen (pics below).

I asked a few different shopkeepers for their recommendation of a great place to eat and they all said Rex’s. It’s right near the main square and the food was good and reasonably priced. We had saganaki (7 euros), bruschetta (4 euros) and a salad (7 euros).

Where we will later swim

We were told that the best beaches were a 20-minute taxi ride but that was too far to go just for sand. I just wanted to swim in the crystal clear blue water that makes Corfu’s coastline so beautiful. We walked to a beach club that didn’t charge an entry fee and had changing rooms and a lifeguard. We swam for a good 30 minutes before going into town to grab some ice cream (I didn’t see any good gelato places).

Seabourn Spirit

It was hot (96F) so we decided to head back to Seabourn Spirit and do some work, laundry (it’s free), watch the Greek folk dancers and have dinner (it was Indian night!). As I write this, it’s 9pm and the sun just set. I’m preparing for a conference call and then it’s bedtime. Tomorrow we head to Brindisi, Italy!

Ciao Bella!

Useful links: Wiki/Corfu | Unesco.org/Corfu | VisitGreece

Related Posts: Day 1: Venice, Italy | Day 2: Sea Day | Day 3: Kotor, Montenegro | Day 5: Brindisi, Italy | Day 6: Dubrovnik, Croatia | Day 7: Split, Croatia | Day 8: Sali, Croatia | Day 9: Rovinj, Croatia

5 Comments On "Seabourn Spirit Adriatic Cruise: Day 4 (Corfu, Greece)"
  1. Jennifer|

    That’s too funny! We also went to Rex’s when on Corfu last month. We didn’t have time to visit the fort since we had gone horseback riding on the interior of the island.

  2. carrie cecil|

    Great piece. Thanks for sharing. I’m super jealous! Love the beach photos and fake watch!

  3. Kim Kelly - Liv Life (@LivLifeToo)|

    Johnny, I can’t begin to tell you how much my entire family is enjoying your posts. It finally dawned on my daughter today as she said, “Mom… we will be there in just 10 days!!!” Your posts have allowed me to share with the kids exactly what to expect when we arrive. As this will be their first European trip and voyage on Seabourn, they really don’t know what they are in for, but you are making it real for them and their excitement is building.

    Glad to hear of the Seabourn shuttle to town, they did that often on our last itinerary and this was one town I was hoping for.

    Brindisi is the port I have nothing planned for… I’m eager to see what you come up with.

    Here’s wishing you smooth sailing this evening!

  4. sebastian|

    Hey johnny, your post reminded me of my college days.. once we went to greece and we were around 20 students. We had a blast there… beautiful place. After that trip we all went to stlucia holidays and had a blast there as well but must tell you…. greece is awesome… you got a good collection of picturess…. keep us updated..

  5. john|

    Lesvos is situated north of Chios and south-east of Limnos.There are a lot to see and do here; spectacular mountain views, secluded and popular beaches, the petrified forest of Sigri and olive groves to walk through , producing the best olive oil in Greece. Lesvos is famous for its ouzo, sardines, Ladotyri (sheep’s milk cheese kept in olive oil). You could easily spend two weeks taking in the sights and still feel as though there’s so much more to see.

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