Exploring Corfu - Kerkyra, Mon Repas and Mouse Island

Despite carrying this vintage purse around with me for eight years I'd never visited the place embossed on the front, it was about time we did something about that. 

With temperatures in the 40°s, sightseeing might sound insane but Corfu's buses are air-conditioned and the bus stop was almost on our door step so it was actually cooler than walking to the beach. All the bus stops on the island display the timetable but its worth remembering that they only state the time the bus leaves the terminus as opposed when they arrive at your bus stop - give the bus a few minutes before setting off otherwise you'll be a sweaty mess! 

 

It takes 40 minutes to reach Corfu Town from Paleokastritsa, the fare is €2.50, paid in cash to the conductor. Once we'd arrived in Corfu Town we queued at the Blus Bus kiosk (the city line) and bought our tickets to Kanoni. The tranquil green peninsula of Kanoni has been attracting visitors for generations. A pleasant carriage ride from the capital, it was popular with Corfiots and the former British rulers, who came to admire the most famous view on the island; the two islets resting peacefully just outside the Halikopoulu lagoon.

 

There's a couple of cafe-restaurants on the hillside where we sipped frappes whilst admiring the spectacular view. 

The island in the foreground - lined to the mainland by a walkway - is Vlaherna, home to a pretty, white Post-Byzantine convent (Panagia Vlahernon). 

Our guide book said that the convent was usually shut but, as luck would have it, it wasn't!

It's right next to the airport runway and the thunderous sounds of the planes landing - but pretty exciting to see them at such close quarters.

The silk dress I'd bought for £5 from the haberdashery stall on the indoor market the day before we flew out was perfect, so cool and wafty in the heat.

We caught a taxi boat to the densely vegetated Mouse Island (€3 return), home to a tiny Byzantine Chapel with a gift shop and a small cafe. Along with Paleokastritsa the island is the other site in Corfu rumoured to be where The Odyssey was turned to stone. 

Pilgrims buy these medallions and leave them in the church hoping that god will cure whatever the part of the body the medillion represents - we did consider leaving one in the hope of sorting out Jon's knees but decided to trust in the NHS instead.

Back on the mainland we hopped on a bus to Mon Repas. Built in 1820 by High Commisioner Frederick Adam as a summer residence, it later became the property of the Greek royal family. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Elizabeth II, was born here in 1921. Mon Repas was subsequently the subject of an ownership dispute between ex-King Constantine and the goverment, only resolved in 1996. Since then the villa has been restored and now contains a museum (closed on Tuesday, the day we visited!) 

The view from my window on the bus back into town!

I know I bang on about Kerkyra (Corfu Town) every time we visit but it really is gorgeous. The old town is a fascinting maze of narrow streets, steep stairways and arched alleys and described as Greece's "living Mediaeval town" whilst, the elegant Liston, the main commercial artery, with its dazzlingly white marble walkways and elegant collanades is the Greek version of Paris. 

We'd never known Corfu Town to be so quiet, hardly surprsising given the temperature!

With temperatures in the mid-40s, we made the most of our shady table and lunch was a long and leisurely affair. The food at Aegli, the oldest restaurant in Corfu Town was up to its usual deliciously high standards and, being in such a good spot, the people watching opportunities were second to none. 

Freshly-made warm foccacia drizzled with olive oil, two huge bowls of salad, ice cold Mythos and a shedload of Greek olives....bliss!

Final task of the day was to stock up on olive oil soap. The oldest soap factory in Greece and said to be one of the few remaining soap factories in the world, the Patounis family have been making hand-crafted soap on Corfu for five generations. Established in 1850, the company moved to its current premises in 1891 and most of the original equipment remains in use today. The factory is listed with the Greek Ministry of Culture as a monument of industrial archaeology and the Patounis soapmaking technique inscribed on the National Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece. We toured the factory HERE. Their soap is AMAZING! We only bought enough to last us until next Summer, it's good to have an excuse to go back! 

Goodbye Corfu, thanks for having us! We love you more each year.

Thanks for reading and have a fabulous weekend.