Day Ten - Corfu, Greece - Monday, June 25, 2012

Today the ship docked at the island of Corfu in Greece.  We had an early excursion at 8:00am so I ordered my Breakfast last night from Room Service.  That way I could eat while I got ready this morning and wouldn’t have to wake up so early.

Our excursion was called Ultimate Corfu and included an overview of the Island.  The last time I was in Corfu on my cruise in 2007 we didn’t take any excursions. We spent our day in port wandering around the old town of Corfu.

With our Ultimate Corfu excursion we traveled in a small group with a guide on a Mini-Bus.  We met our tour guide on the pier and boarded our Mini-Bus to travel through the countryside, dotted with fields of lemon and olive trees until we reached the charming village of Gastouri for a guided visit of the Achilleion Palace.

Achilleion is a palace built in Corfu by Empress of Austria Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sisi, after a suggestion by Austrian Consul Alexander von Watzberg. Elisabeth was a woman obsessed with beauty, and very powerful, but tragically vulnerable since the loss of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria in the Mayerling Incident in 1889. A year later in 1890, she built a summer palace in the region of Gastouri, now the municipality of Achilleion, about ten kilometres to the south of the city of Corfu. The palace was designed with the mythical hero Achilles as its central theme. Elisabeth spoke Greek better than any of the Greek queens that were her contemporaries and she expressed a desire to further immerse herself in the Greek culture. Like every other European royal, she had some Byzantine emperors among her distant ancestors.

 

After Elisabeth's death, the German Kaiser Wilhelm II purchased Achilleion in 1907 from her heirs and used it as a summer residence. During Kaiser Wilhelm's visits a lot of diplomatic activity used to take place in Achilleion and it became a hub of European diplomacy.

Achilles as guardian of the palace in the gardens of the Achilleion. He gazes northward, toward the city. The inscription in Greek reads: ΑΧΙΛΛΕΥΣ i.e. Achilles. It was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II

Wilhelm, expanding on the main theme of the grounds, commissioned his own Achilles statue from the sculptor Johannes Gotz who created an imposing bronze sculpture that stands tall as a guardian of the Gardens facing north toward the city.

Kaiser's statue represents Achilles in full hoplite uniform with intricate detailing such as a relief of a gorgon's head at the shield, apparently to petrify any enemies, as well as lion heads as knee protectors. This tall statue is surrounded by palm trees that complement its graceful outline. Kaiser Wilhelm visited the place until 1914 when World War I was declared.

We then drove along the coastal road of Perama and stopped to take photos of Mouse Island and a small Monastery.

It was then off to Corfu town to enjoy a walk through the picturesque streets and see the historical sites such as the residence of the British High Commissioner (now a Museum housing Asian Artifacts), the Venetian Quarters of Cambiello, the town hall and the Church of Saint Spyridon, Patron Saint of Corfu.

Our next stop was about 25 minutes away to the town of Paleokastritas, where we visited the Monastery of the Virgin and it’s small museum.

Of course, I had to take pictures of all the cats and kittens living at the Monastery.

 

We then drove to a restaurant across from the beach for a typical Greek lunch.

After lunch it was time to board our Mini-Bus and head back to the ship.  Once everyone returned from their excursions, the ship was underway and heading for Santorini, Greece.  There was plenty of time to relax on board and have a leisurely dinner. We decided to enjoy dinner tonight in the Main Dining Room.  I had the Corn and Cheddar Cheese Soup, Pot Roast with Fresh Green Beans and Lyonnaise Potatoes with Lemon Sorbet for Dessert.

After Dinner I had an appointment at the spa for a Hydra Massage Bath to help with the swelling and poor circulation in my legs.  It was wonderful and the swelling in my feet and legs has gone down and I feel much better. It was very relaxing and I'm certainly going to sleep well tonight.

When I got back to our Stateroom, there he was...our first Towel Animal of the cruise!

Goodnight!