Corfu, Greece
21 April 2011
Before arriving in Corfu, we had to overnight at a very tiny Greek island to break up the trip. I guess it was irrational exuberance that propelled Rodney and Leo to jump in the crystal clear water. Leo lasted about 20 seconds where as Rodney stayed in and scraped gunk off the bottom of the boat. Chilly water aside, we're all excited to be in Greece. Leaving Italy feels like we're shedding our winter coats.
Corfu is just like the brochure! The mountainous island is green and lush the sun is shining! The marina is bustling w/ British workers getting hundreds of charter boats ready for the Easter holiday. Chanderlies and stores are stocked up, people are friendly and work hard. Most people speak English which helps tremendously. We're kind of kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner. We're enjoying the useful, big marina for a couple of days before the masses arrive.
While it is easy living here, there was officialdom to deal with on our first day. We thought when entering the EU in the Azores the paperwork was done, but we've had to get a separate transit log for Italy and now Greece. Normally the Corfu marina assists with the process, but we're early in the season, so we were on our own. It was a half day adventure of taking busses, finding customs, port authority and police to check us in. Each office had a hand written entry book using blue carbon copy pages that are carefully placed in and out by hand. Stamping the many pages of official documents is their favorite thing to do. If the procedures didn't take so long, they could be entertaining.
We're in boat project mode before the town shuts down for the most celebrated Greek holiday - Easter. We're looking forward to the festivities and the candy.
(And great news- my brother Den, born on Easter 53 years ago, is awake and on the mend!)