A Spreading of Wings: A taste of Island life

Leaving Rome felt like I was leaving too early. There is so much there that I think even if I had been there a week I would still have the same feeling. However Corfu beckoned and with Pompeii as a temptation, it was time to go.

As has become the habit, the coach ride started and sleep snuck up on all of us. I have seen some great scenery on this trip, but have probably missed alot too. No matter how alert I am when I board the bus, after half an hour I am dozing. Once in Pompeii most people were doing the optional extra of a guided tour around the ruins. I thought that I knew enough of the history that I wouldn't gain much from the guide. So I bought an entry only ticket and explored. The ruins are alot of fun, but the hour I had to explore was certainly nowhere near enough. I managed to almost run through maybe ¾ of the place. But didn't get to fully experience it. On the brightside it seems like I got to see more than the guided trip.

Late afternoon brought us to the coast and our ferry to Greece. We had an overnight ferry and were expecting comfy seats that we could sleep in on the way. Instead we got upgraded to cabins with beds. From memory this is the first time I have spent the night at sea. So I was going to enjoy it. We bought a bottle of whiskey from duty free and sat up playing cards until about 2am. As we were disembarking at 6am, I don't think that this might have been the best idea. But oh well, too late.

We changed ferries and caught our boat to Corfu, arriving late morning to rain and a nap. Midday we took a shuttle into Corfu township and I had my first gyros. It is basically a kebab with chips in it. Delicious and cheap. If in Greece I recommend going to Mic Macs (a fast food chain) and getting one. While eating the downpour continued. This excluded a visit to the fortresses after lunch. Instead we explored the narrow alleys that resemble southeast Asia. In the process we started to bear more and more resemblance to drowned rats. In that state we found a Fish Spa. And so began half an hour of torture. Basically you sit with your feet in water and fish nibble the dead skin etc off your feet. As someone with very ticklish feet, it was hard to withstand. Afterwards my feet felt good but it took alot of willpower to get there. While we were there the rain stopped, so we got more gyros and headed back for a toga party. The highlight of the party was going swimming in a toga in a thunderstorm. Unfortunately I was physically prevented from entering the water. It would have been fun.

The next day dawned bright and clear. We were to spend the day floating on a boat around the island. Enter the infamous George's boat. It is a small boat with a bar and a very funny and inappropriate Greek man. A day spent floating around swimming, eating and drinking was gratefully enjoyed. A few too many drinks for some people and too much sun for most of us. This was probably the best most chilled out day with everyone on the trip.

We followed up George and his boat with a Greek dinner and dancing. The highlight of this for me was the roasted lamb. The dancing was interesting to watch but would have been better if they hadn't kept interrupting our dinner to take part in the dances. Some people didn't get a chance to finish their food.

Corfu was ok, not my favourite part of the trip. Relaxed and with sun though was what some people had been looking for and George's boat was really good. Worth the visit, but not likely to return again.