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| Sivota island sunset |
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| Gaios on Paxos |
4th September We are moored in Gaios on the pretty island of Paxos. We are on the north quay in a sheltered, tree lined channel just round the corner from the village. It’s a popular spot with yachts of all nationalities squeezed in next to each other. The village itself is very smart for Greece, a reflection of the upmarket visitors the island attracts.
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| Mourtos looking out to the Sivota islands |
5th September Today we sailed to the village of Mourtos on the
mainland opposite the tip of Corfu. It’s another very pretty spot that’s backed
by green hills and sheltered by the Sivota islands dotted with sandy bays. We found a
typically Greek taverna for dinner and had two starters: ‘The Imam Faints’, a dish
of aubergines stuffed with tomatoes and onions and ‘Fasolia Gigantes’, butter
beans in a rich tomato sauce. The portions were huge and the food was
delicious, but there was no way we could eat all of that and our main meal, so, being
in Greece, the waiter packaged the rest of it up for us to take away - guess
what we’re having for lunch tomorrow!
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| Mandraki harbour under the fort |
6th September We are staying with the Corfu Sailing Club in
Mandraki Harbour, which is tucked right under the old fort in Corfu Town. It
is, without doubt, the most spectacular mooring we have had so far on our trip.
The bastion of the 15th century fort rises up above us and the
former barracks are now home to the Ionian University’s music department, so we
are serenaded with classical music mixed with the odd bout of jazz. The harbour front is
a riot of colour, planted with bougainvillea trailing over
pergolas, and looking out to sea we can see the mountains of Albania, just a
few miles across the straits.
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| The path through the fort - the only way to and from the sailing club |
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| The seawater moat between the fort and Corfu town |
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| Cricket on Spianadha green |
7th September We walked into town today – the path out of the
harbour took us up through the tunnels of the old fort then across the bridge
spanning the seawater moat. We emerged onto the Spianadha, the town green, where
we found a game of cricket in progress – one of the legacies of the 19th
century British rule. We loved the old town which is unlike anywhere else we
have been in Greece. It’s a fascinating mix of buildings inherited from the
different rulers over the years. You can see the legacy of Venetian rule in the
style of the tall houses bordering the narrow lanes, and of the French rule in
the Liston, an arcaded street modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Our only
disappointment was the main port, which is a desolate, decaying place with
abandoned boats literally sinking on their moorings.
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| The Liston arcade |
8th September Today we walked south round the bay to the Mon
Repos estate, which was originally home to the Greek royal family and the
birthplace of Prince Philip. The house is unremarkable, but the densely wooded
grounds made for a lovely walk, with glimpses of Mon Repos beach and the sea
from the cliff tops.
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| Mon Repos beach with the grounds of the estate behind it |
9th September We had a relaxing, downwind sail to ‘Lawrence
Durrell’ country on the North East coast of Corfu today. We had planned to
anchor for the night there, but the wind
had veered south, making it a lee shore, so after cruising along past the
picture postcard bays of Agni, Kalami, Kalouri and Aghios Stefanos we turned
south, beating against a strong headwind back down the Albanian coast and then
on to Mourtos.
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| Agni on the North East coast of Corfu |
