In the Streets of Paleokastritsa

Since Monday is my only day off per week, two other coworkers and I have decided that we will devote our Mondays off to take day trips to interesting villages on the island. Over a sparkling wine, some hummus, and Greek meatballs at Captain George’s restaurant last night Amy from Georgia and I looked at a map and some travel books to see where we would go today. Very quickly, with the help of the eccentric Captain George, we decided on Paleokastritsa, which is a village that is parallel to Kanoni on the West. Although we did not know what to expect, we were given a few names of people that George knew scrawled in a hybrid of Latin and Greek characters and the places we HAD to see when we go there. Emily from Ireland, Amy, and I woke up at 8:00 AM this morning (earlier than we wake up for work!) to catch the bus to Corfu Town, and then to hop on another bus to Paleokastritsa.

When we arrived there, we were taken aback by the sheer beauty of the place—there were not many buildings, but the water was a certain kind of blue that had us convinced that residents secretly put dye in it when no one is looking. The first thing we did was eat some cheese pastries and satsiki for breakfast and then meander up a winding road to a monastery at the top of a hill. The monastery was beautiful, full of flowers, real live monks, and views that were utterly breathtaking. After this stop, we walked back down the mountain and went on a boat tour of caves that riddle the coast of the island. Even though we visited maybe 2 caves, the boat ride was pleasant—made even moreso by driver (whose name was Spyros; surprise, surprise) who wanted to keep us entertained. For the rest of the day we sat on the beach and swam in the lovely water. I ended up looking like a boiled prawn by the end of the day, but it was so much fun to explore this part island at our own leisure—taking in its beauty and its people like I have never taken in a place before.