On Sunday (day three), I left for what I have not seen yet around Kerkyra and what would be hard to reach with public transport.
One of the main things I wanted to see was Mon Repos Park, a place that has been built by Englishmen and was used as art school, botanic academy, public building and residence.
But before that, I noticed a place on Google Maps which I wanted to visit as well - the windmill in the south.
I believe the windmill was used once upon a time but it is now more or less a nice spot where people meet for coffee and boat owners can
From here you can see the Church and the Old Fortress very well where I started my first day:
The Achilleion Palace can be reached by bus, it is a drive up a hill and worth seeing if you like sights.
After that, I went to the Achilleios Palace, which is among the must-sees in Corfu. It is a mansion that was built for the Austrian Empress (“Sissi”) …
with Greek statues and the famous sculpture of Achilles, both in standing and dying posture.
Notice his gigantic buckler:
Behind the palace:
Dying Achilles with a weathered touch:
In the back of the palace, a square with figures from Greek Mythology:
I ended my mid-day sightseeing with having a stop at a restaurant in Benitses Klimatario where I ordered fried kalamari and aubergines in tomato sauce.
Since I drove, alcohol is a no-go but the waiter offered me alcohol-free Buckler beer, a Greek one. It was good and probably a better choice than some other soft drink, although I like Mythos a bit more…
Benitses itself is also place where you can spend your summer, but it is very small and I think the nicest beaches are in the North of Corfu.
On my way back, I visited the Church of St Spiridon, which is said to be one of the nicest on Korfu. From what I have seen, all Orthodox churches are rather compact and very rich in detail and decoration. It is worth a short see (and free, but any donation is welcome).
Some hints for driving
1 | Renting is very easy and should be done in advance to save on the rates. European driving rules apply, but it is a good idea to follow your common sense. Parking for free is on the white markings, blue markings are paid parking. Yellow marking is for inhabitants. A smaller car is generally more beneficial in the tight alleys and if you go up the hills - however I prefer compact cars for safety reasons. If you want to park in Kerkyra, good spots are the old harbour but also the car parking lot in front of the East Asian Museum for 3 EUR/24hrs. |
I had a an afternoon snack and took the second Pita store I saw in the old town.
In the evening, I had a Texas BBQ burger near my place and ended my day trip there. I also had a small walk to the new fortress.
Hint: You can get in for free in evening, but it is not well lit if you want to go up.