Corfu, Greece

Unfortunately our stop in Kotor, Montenegro was cancelled the morning we were supposed to dock due to high winds.  This fjord-like inlet is often subject to high, Bora winds that can make docking difficult.  Therefore, we had an unexpected sea day.  The sea day was fine, although certainly disappointment as I was looking forward to getting to see another country.  The sea day was the only time where parts of the ship felt crowded, particularly the dining areas during lunch, the gym, and the spa.  Viking did add some activities for the day including dancing lessons (free), cooking classes (cost extra), trivia (free), wine tasting (cost extra), and other activities.  Regardless, despite the disappointment we still had a great time and even managed to light up the dance floor.  We also got some great views of the surrounding landscape.

After our sea day, we were on to Corfu.  This was our first port in Greece, located on an island in northwest Greece.  Luckily, we got to visit during some beautiful weather.  Our included tour at this spot started with a bus ride to some of the popular tourist locations around the island, then ended with a guided tour downtown.  Our bus ride first took us to one of the most photographed areas of the island, the church of Panagia Vlacherna on the tiny Mouse Island.  After time for some pictures overlooking the church, we then went off to explore the rest of Corfu.

the church of Panagia Vlacherna and the Mouse Island Source: www.greeka.com

church of Panagia Vlacherna and the Mouse Island Source: www.greeka.com

We had a brief bus tour around some of the gorgeous coastline before heading into the proper city.

Once in downtown Corfu, our guide led us through some of the surrounding parks and walkways.  There are also a few art museums in the area which are supposedly worth investigating, although we opted for wandering the streets instead.  There are plenty of shops to check out some of the local olive oil, wine, or liquor made from kumquats, with prices generally a bit cheaper than some of the other locations we visited in Greece.

 

 

 

 We ended up breaking off from our guided tour in order to explore the nearby Old Fortress, located on a peninsula right next to where the tour buses will typically drop you off.  This was originally an old Venetian fortress, used to repel Ottoman attacks.  In later years it was used by British and German forces at various times.

The old fortress of the city only costs about 5 euros for two to enter, which in my opinion is certainly worth it.  Once inside, you're left to wander around at your own desire, free to explore the building, churches, and walkways.  We ended up getting a bit off track and taking a walkway which ended in a dead-end, but the area isn't big enough to get seriously lost.

 

 

The highlight of the fortress climbing to the top of the battlements to the light house.  From up here you'll get an impressive view of the town as well as the bay.  In the picture below, you can just make out a part of our cruise ship in the port nearby.

 

We then decided to walk back to the ship. The walk back to the ship took about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace, although shuttles are also available.  On the walk you'll pass plenty of small tourist shops and markets if you're looking to buy anything.  We ended up leaving Corfu at 4:00 PM, with our next destination being Ancient Olympia.