Corfu

Another beautiful day and yet another beautiful island on the Ionian Sea, this time Corfu. We spent a day here and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. What's not to love about warm temperatures, abundant sunshine, beautiful surroundings, and friendly people? This island has a prominent position in Greek Mythology and is said to have hosted Poseidon. The name of the island tracks back to Poseidon and stories of his exploits....but enough of that. Scott took loads of great photos here which tell the story.

The documented history of Corfu is littered with battles and conquests so it's no surprise that there are castles and a fortress here. Two of these, along with their protective walls, actually surround Corfu town. The Greek government designated Corfu a "Kastropolis", which means castle city. The entrance to Corfu is protected by a fortress.

Achilleion is a beautiful Palace placed high up on a hillside. It was built by the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria, who was known to the people of Corfu as "Sissi". The gardens and views from here are really great. Sissi was exceptionally beautiful but lead a bit of a tragic life. Her legacy survives in the palace and gardens.

Elisabeth

The Grand Staircase of the Palace

Ceiling painted by Vincenzo Gallopi

The dying Achilles looking skyward to Olympus for help.
I don't think that worked out for him.

Achilles on guard

A signature spot on Corfu is the overlook of the tiny island
of Pantokrator, or Mouse Island.
The island hosts a monastery and has a white staircase that
looks like a mouse tail.

Pontikonis Island, or Mouse Island, is the home of the monastery of Pantokrator.  

Catania and Mount Etna

The city of Catania and Mount Etna volcano looming over it in the background,
from our ship around sunrise.

Mount Etna, or Montebello, is by far the largest volcano in Italy and is also the tallest active volcano in Europe. It is located on the east coast of the island of Sicily and forms an impressive backdrop for the city of Catania. It is among the most active volcanos in the world, so given the opportunity to actually go up to the top, we did!

From Catania we took a coach ride high up the mountain to the cable car station. The cable car took us vertically to a meeting point and a four-wheel drive transport

The four-wheel drive vehicle took us further up the volcano to another drop off point. Here we were joined by a mountain guide who took us up the volcano and on for a walk inside the most recent eruption point crater. It was really cold up there and the wind was so strong that it was hard work just to stay on our feet. The sights on the other hand were otherworldly and well worth the effort to get here.

Mount Etna is an active volcano with hot gasses pouring out of the top of it,
just like in the Flintstones

Our mountain guide taking us toward the top.

We were surprised at the great colors in the lava deposits.

Our destination, a dramatic sight over 10,000 feet above the city of Catania

Zakynthos

Zakynthos is another beautiful Greek island. The island is dotted with beautiful beaches, making it largely a tourist destination. The Venetions nicknamed this island, "to fioro tour levante": "the flower of the east". We went on a walking tour of Zakynthos town, an excursion up into the hills for some panoramic views, and a visit to a monastery tucked away in the hills. We were chased back to town by a series of thunderstorms, but managed to enjoy our time here anyway

Zakynthos town is full of shops, cafes, churches and a really pretty main square. All in all, a nice place to pass some time on a summer day.



















After a long drive we arrived at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Anafonitria. This monastery was built by the Venetians in the 15th century and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

That sky looks pretty ominous! 

A few more fun photos from Zakynthos....

Scott seems to have found a friend...