The "Good Girls" of Corfu

After our first day relaxing at sea, the next four were essentially a whirlwind of Greek Island hopping. Unlike some other cruises I've been on, this one included no time for rest between each day's new destination since the isles are not situated so far apart. It was also my very bright idea to catch a sunrise one of the days on board. I am not one for late sleeping, though my body does normally rebel against anything pre-6am, so the fact that we all pulled ourselves out of bed to see the sun was a bit miraculous in and of itself. Though the clouds were a bit numerous and the mountains obstructing our view just a tad, I was incredibly happy that we got to experience the beauty of the morning sun as we approached the island of Corfu.

Now, Dancer Friend had taken it under her jurisdiction to be in charge of the itinerary for our trip. Though quite thankful for her efforts and organization, I doubt we could have contributed much even if we had wanted to. The downfall to a cruise is the fact that you only ever get a taste of each of the spots you get to explore. So though I may tease our dear friend for micromanaging our activities, I remain grateful that we got to sample such a wide array of tasty treats.

We discovered that the easiest thing to do from the port was take a cab straight to the heart of Old Town. Apparently there are about 20 cab drivers per cab, so we received quite a welcome when approaching the taxi stand, escorted by our entourage to a specific vehicle where at long last one selected driver took place in his steed. The ship had docked at approximately 8am, so by the time we reached the city center, only a few of the shops were even open. This left us time to roam for a few minutes before settling into a cafe for a second dose of much tastier coffee than was offered on the boat.

Aside from strolling through some of the shops and taking in our first breaths of real Greek air, the biggest stop on our agenda was the Old Fortress, a massive complex situated in Old Town. There were many paths, columns, stone facades, flowers, and of course stunning views. At first glance, it did not seem remotely possible that we would make it all the way to the top of the fortress. The clouds had parted, the sun was hot, and the incline was steep. We slowly wound our way through the landscape, however, and without even really noticing, found ourselves looking down on Corfu and the brilliant ocean below. Though Old Town itself has certainly turned into a bit of a tourist haven, as all towns within remotely feasible distance from a port must be, this was truly a landmark worth seeing.

After taking our time descending from the great monument, we finally made way to The Liston, a pedestrian walkway lined with cafes, taking its inspiration from the rues of Paris. We chose a venue with comfy chairs, some well-needed shade, and of course the always sought out Holy Grail, wifi. The menu was simple but looked delicious, and I recall only being disappointed because they didn't have what I originally ordered and my second choice came out on a tray that made it impossible not to drip salad dressing all over the table and myself... Still, since that was the biggest misfortune of the day, I would say we did pretty well.
At the end of the afternoon, we were chauffeured back to the ship by a decently jolly man who was so delighted that we allowed him to drop us further from the port, he dubbed us exceptionally "good girls" in his thick Greek accent. This of course became a running joke for the rest of the trip, one of us in particular shining brightly in the art of Greek intonation. 

When finally ensconced back on our proud vessel, we all showered, made it to another round of trivia, tried out a new dining room, and ended the night at one of our favorite lounges on board. This round of trivia was the one that made us a) feel incredibly stupid at our lack of general knowledge but also b) rather furious that we should be asked such obscure and hideously evil questions. In contrast, however, I believe this was also the day that we really started taking the game "Heads Up" seriously, utilizing no precautions to shield ourselves from onlookers as we merrily shouted out guesses and answers. In the raging age of technology, it really is the little things like trivia and charades that held the heart of these four rather gorgeous "good girls" at sea.