Advertisement
Published: October 27th 2013
Edit Blog Post
We awake to bright sunshine and on looking out we find we are just about to dock in Corfu. Holland America line ship Ryndam is already docked as is Armonia which has followed us down from Dubrovnik. We are in the new port which is a little distance from Corfu town but the old port is just too small to accommodate ships this big.
We eat breakfast in the main dining room and as we have a table to ourselves it's much quicker. We quickly disembark and decide to head to Corfu Town. There are shuttle buses parked as you get off but these are $10. Most people opt for the local buses which pick up near the port gate and cost just €3 return. As it's such a beautiful morning we decide to walk. The route passes through the not so scenic outskirts of Corfu Town but once we enter the town proper we are greeted with a maze of petty streets filled with shops of all different kinds. The proprietors must rub their hands with glee when they see the cruise ship hordes arrive with their fanny-packs and bum-bags (same thing I know but I have
an international audience) stuffed with cash and cards. We locate a coffee shop that has free wifi so we can download photos to facebook and I can upload this blog. The coffee is so good we order another before setting off again. Peter is looking for a lanyard for his sunglasses which we eventually find in a chemists. After a photo stop to take some pictures of the pretty harbour and the old fort we decide to stop at a traditional taverna for lunch. We both order Greek Salads which are excellent. I drizzle mine with olive oil and vinegar which I then mop up with the tasty bread served alongside it. This is all washed down with a nice cold local beer called Fix.
Satiated we head back to a small square where we had seen the local buses drop people off. After walking around for a few hours we decide to let the bus do the work and carry us back to the port. There is a nice little duty free shop in the port terminal and I buy a nice blue Ice Watch for Peters birthdays well as pick up some Dior aftershave for
myself.
Once onboard we spend the rest of the afternoon in the solarium relaxing and listening to music. We both have a dip in the pool which was a lot colder than expected but refreshing all the same. Before we know it Splendour has slipped her mooring and heads out of port. We pass Paxos and her smaller sister Antipaxos on our starboard side as we leave the Ionian Islands behind and head southward towards the Cyclades as Santorini is our next destination. We relax on our balcony for the rest of the afternoon. Peter is dispatched on occasion to obtain coffees and other refreshments when required. He has not mastered the art of relaxation as much as I have and gets bored quickly so these little sojourns keep him happily occupied.
Tonight is formal night so the penguin suits are out. Suitably attired we make our way once again to the diamond lounge for pre-dinner drinks. It must be gay night at Chops Grille as we note there are two other same sex couples already seated. The food and service at the speciality restaurants is always very good. We order our wine and
our waiter, Nilesh, brings us a platter of sliced Focaccia bread with some unsalted and paprika butter. We have to force ourselves not to wolf it all down as it's delicious. We need to leave room for the other courses. Peter orders the Dungeness Crab Cakes and I the Not So Caesar Salad. Peter really enjoys his. Mine is a bit meh. Seems I would prefer a traditional Caesar salad. We both order the 10oz Filet Mignon. Peter medium, mine medium rare. Both come cooked to perfection. Sides are, broccolini, crimini mushrooms, and roasted potatoes with prosciutto. Peter again attempts, and fails, to eat all of the Red Velvet Cake he orders for dessert. My chocolate mud pie also defeats me. An expresso and a courvosier brandy finish off an excellent meal. The lights of distant Kefalonia and Zakynthos pass us by as the ship sails on southward to navigate around the Peloponnese toward Santorini.
After dinner drinks are in the Schooner Bar. The resident pianist looks a lot like Wagner from X-Factor a few years back. Thankfully he sings a lot better than he. His repertoire includes James Taylor, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel
to name a few. The place is packed and the crowd is very international. Philippines, Ecuador, Netherlands and of course USA and UK. Sadly no Irish. Wagner said there were 250 on last cruise. The Schooner bar would have been more raucous and even more fun I think on that cruise.
Thankfully we don't arrive in Santorini until midday tomorrow so little chance of us missing the sail into the Caldera. Sleep beckons but not before a final cheeky cocktail in the VCL
Advertisement
Tot: 0.228s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 10; qc: 53; dbt: 0.05s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb