Corfu, Greece is just a short ferry ride from Sarande’s promenade, so I decided on a quick day trip. There were two options, a “fast” ferry at 35 minutes and a “slow” ferry that took about an hour. Which one you go on depends less on price (fast is 10 euro more) and more on the arrival and departure times. I figured a three hour layover would be more than enough to see Corfu since I’d been there before, so I tried both.
My knees were still sore from my latest uphill trek to my rented apartment, so I decided to grab the Hop on Hop off Bus. For 22 euros, about the cost for one taxi ride to Kanoni, I could see a variety of the tourist spots and not fight the Princess Cruise ship passengers that had swarmed into the custom’s office just as we parked.
First stop was Kanoni, which is one of the more picturesque areas of Corfu and where you will find chic coffee bars and open air restaurants. I had to “borrow” a picture from the internet because I missed getting off on this stop. The white building is the Vlacherna monastery and farther on is Mouse island. This is where the upper end hotels, tucked safely behind flowered gates, are located.
Many of the landmarks that had been preserved for hundreds of years, such as the abby above, were destroyed during German bombing in WWII and were not in good enough condition to restore later.
There are two large fortresses on the island, with the larger one sheltering a local farmer’s market from the sea wind. This market is especially popular for fresh seafood, including some large burgundy octopus and a variety of fish I hadn’t seen before, some in the most interesting burnt orange hues. Fresh sardines and anchovies are also very popular and were displayed in multiple stalls. There must be a science to deboning them safely, they were pretty small.
Corfu is very picturesque and mostly walkable, with tree lined streets peppered with open cafes.
The island is also a popular spot for sailors of all sized ships to take a quick break from navigating both the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
One of the main bus stops was the Anemomylos Windmill, a restored Venetian mill that ground grain into flour well into the 19th century.
The second fortress on the island was located at the very tip of Old Town and protected the city for centuries.
A recent addition to the main entrance is a statue of Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenberg, a German mercenary praised for his defense of Corfu against the Ottoman Turks.
It was quite a hike into the old fortress, so I just stayed at the entrance and then explored Old Town.
I found a beautiful open air taverna by the bigger fortress and enjoyed Lamb Kleftiko, which was a generous portion of local lamb combined with potatoes, cheese and spring vegetables in a parchment packet that was slow roasted. It was delicious with a local red the waiter recommended.
My current apartment is beautiful but in a food desert, so I take full advantage of nice meals when I can right now.
The fast ferry home was quite a bit smaller than the slow ferry and we were safely back in Sarande with plenty of time for dinner.
I’m not sure if its because of shoulder season, but nothing much happens in Sarande if you are not directly on the promenade. Every day, I debate if the steep hike back up the hill is worth the hot, overpriced meal I can get at a tourist trap restaurant on the water. Unlike Split with dozens of taxis zipping by the bus stop at all times of the day, I don’t find any available cabs once I walk a block away from the promenade and they never stop once I start up the hill. The local bus (more 12 passenger commuter vans) appear sporadically with signs that just say “Sarande” or cities I don’t recognize and there aren’t designated stops. According to Google, you are supposed to stick your arm out for service and then pay cash to the driver depending on how far you are going. English isn’t as available as Split, so I’m not sure I’d get off in the right place.
The same vans are on a few isolated posters for day tours, but I think my claustrophobia will kick in rather quickly once the door shuts and I face a fully curtained interior. Sarande has a version of the Blue Cave called the Blue Eye, and a few ruins, but I’m not excited enough to suffer the van ride to see them.
If I do come back to Sarande, I will stay closer to the commercial district and rent a moped or a car so I can get around easier. I don’t see this as a likely candidate to retire to once my trip is over.