Sunny, Gray Smoky Skies
Hi Temp 94;
Sunrise 6:58, Sunset 8:19
Up and at ’em at 0-dark:30 (OK it wasn’t THAT early but considering our morning it was a commitment.
Back at the room it was shower, dress, and Cheryl declared it WAFFLE DAY!
That’s a great reward for all the perspriation.
After breakfast we lingered, reading and getting back to a photo organization project that has been on the back burner for too long; before heading down to the room to watch yesterday’s video on:
It was a very interesting look at the history of Corfu.
Its position at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea gave it significant strategic value and attracted a string of foreign rulers.
Starting with the Corinthians foreign powers dominating Corfu and the other Ionian islands included Athens, the Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, self-rule for a brief period in the 13th century, the French, the Republic of Venice, the Ottoman Empire (with Russian help), the French again (under Napoleon), the British, the Kingdom of Greece, and a short period of Nazi rule during WW II.
Also of note, Corfu is the island associated with the island of Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians – the last place visited by Odysseus on his journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan war.
After Poseidon destroyed his ship he was found naked and exhausted on the shore by the princess and taken to the royal palace. King Alcinous and Queen Arete eventually sent on his way to Ithaca providing him with ship and provisions.
After an early lunch we were ready for our 12:30 excursion call.
We presented ourselves dockside and joined a group for a two part tour.
The group consisted of us, another couple, and our guide.
It doesn’t get much better than this, especially since our guide really knew her stuff and did a great job of presenting it. I didn’t even really mind that she never heard a question that could be answered in less than 2 minutes.
Leaving the port we battled traffic jams as we moved thru town.
Along the way our guide talked about the structures we were seeing.
The winged lion with a paw on the Gospel of Mark is the symbol of Venice.
Our first stop was the Archaeological Museum of Corfu.
This very small museum was well curated.
It started with a presentation of the history of island population (including the time during the last ice age when the island was connected to the mainland).
The rest of the displays were presented from the perspective of someone arriving in town.
First, visitors would pass thru the cemetery on their way to the city gate. So the first exhibits were related to burial practices.
Lead ‘curse tablets’ buried with someone for delivery to the victim in the afterlife. 
Figurines including a perfume vessel on the right 
Grave goods buried with a child. Urn for child burial on the right 
Clay toys 
Clay animals and a feeding cup 
Children’s toys: Chess piece, Horse’s head, Marbles, Figurines, Doll (articulated arms and legs missing)
The next room covered the arrival in the town and visiting a home.
Seated god figure 
Sewing supplies 
Domestic items including mirror and mirror handle shaped like a woman standing on a lamb 
Bronze statuette of Hercules 
Aphrodite seated on a leopard 
Illustration of using weaving weights 
left, candleabra with multiple wicks, right ritual lamp 
Wheel-thrown pot with a triangular lid
The next stop would be a visit to the temple. Normally people would bring animals for sacrifice, however an alternative would be to purchase votive statuettes to donate.
After a little time to check out the gift shop we were back on our van and on our way to the old town.
There we had a walking tour as our guide pointed out some of the sites.
Then we had an hour to wander, shop, get lost.
Original home of the British governor general, now a museum of Asian art. not shown: the cricket pitch out front. 
St. George’s Gate – attached to the Governor General’s residence 
Built between 1663 and 1693 as a club for noblemen it was later a theatre before becoming the town hall. 
seal of the city – includes a ship with no rudder – steered by God 
votive candles at the church of st. Spyridon. 
Narrow shopping street – No vehicles are allowed in the old center. 
One of many plazas 
Sand sculptor 
Sand sculpture 
Broad shopping avenue borders the esplanade / cricket pitch 
Gate, bridge and entrance to the old fort
An hour later we met the van and headed back to the ship.
We got back to the ship (a half hour later than the ‘back on board’ time) just in time for the port talk on tomorrow’s port.
After that we ‘freshened up’ and headed back to the theatre for the lecture:
First the Barbarosa brothers, and then Hayreddin Barbarossa (after his brother died) were Ottoman corsairs who harried the south coasts of Spain and France.
Barbarosa was so successful in his endeavors that he was named Admiral in the Sultan’s navy.
His naval victories secured the north coast of Africa for the Ottomans and his 35 years of raids in Spain and France changed the face of those coasts and their defensive posture significantly.
After dinner it was back to the room to sort photos and write this up.
Tomorrow we are in Montenegro (black mountain).
We dock at 8:00 but beginning at 6:00 we enter a fjord-like cut in the mountains that is reported to be spectacular.
So the plan is to be up at 6 and on the deck to see what we can see.
Till then,
R