Day 7 - transfer from Parga to Corfu

It was onto the bus to the ferry terminal for Corfu which is in the town of Igoumenitsa just north of Parga. This was a pleasant two hour crossing assisted by a basic snack and bar service and the viewing of an interesting array of vehicular ferry traffic all the way. As we came close to the port of Corfu Town the old fort dominated the view in front where after rounding it, the more recent fort took over.

Along the east side there’s the ancient fortress on the sea, while on the west side there’s the new one. During the past the two fortresses of Corfu were linked by large walls, so that the inhabitants could live safely inside. We will learn more about them on a guided tour but in this part of the world it seemed that centuries ago everyone needed the protection of a fortress to retain their land and be protected from pirates.

We took a short bus trip to the Panorama Hideaway where the views, the cooling water of the pool and the charming host, Saki were all most welcoming. Saki is the original one man band who helped build the apartment clusters with his own hands and now is chief cook, translator, barman, gardener, maintenance man and bottle washer. Within minutes of arriving it was into the pool for most and as soon as Malcolm found that the glasses were unbreakable he and Judy set up a table in the pool at the shallow end and cooled off both externally and internally.

A couple of hours later we were given a formal welcome by Saki and his talented daughter Sarah whom Jane nannied during her working days on Corfu some 30 years ago. The simple function consisted of complimentary appetisers, ouzos and wine around the poolside bar which is the natural hub of the resort. These were as good as a meal and they took us through until after 11-00pm. It was a good settling in with the relaxing thought of no packing for quite a few days. We also met one of the few other guest couples here from Denmark who brought us up to date on the EU challenges – a delightful pair.  Who are in the process of building their own home in Corfu - now a neighbour to Saki - and more importantly are more than satisfied with the job 'our Mary' is doing as their queen in waiting!