So it begins

The more things change

Published Date : May 7, 1999

We had an early start this morning with a long travel day ahead of us.  We were headed to Corfu, Greece via Naples, Pompeii and Brindisi.  While waiting for everyone to load their luggage onto the bus, the other Jen and I amused ourselves by conversing with the peacocks.  Yes, our campground had resident peacocks, and Jen and I found that our voices harmonized into a perfect imitation of a peacock.  It provided minutes of joyful entertainment for us and the peacocks!

Artifacts recovered in Pompeii

Pompeii was one of the places I was most looking forward to seeing on this trip.  Unfortunately, we ran into horrendous traffic getting out of Rome and ended up with only one hour to see the ancient city.  It was a hot day and we were there at high noon, so there was no shade or respite from the heat anywhere.  Our guide took us past ancient wineries, brothels, bakeries and spas, pointing out frescoes and the remnants of under-floor heating along the way.  Many in our group were beaten back by the heat and retreated to the air-conditioned bus.  Those of us who stuck around were rewarded with an off-tour visit to an area that was still being excavated.  Leaving the site, I was left with the realization that nothing has really changed over the last 2000 years.  The technology may have evolved, but people are exactly the same.

Back on the bus, we drove across the country to the Adriatic coast and the port of Brindisi.  There we had a fairly short wait to board our ferry to Greece.  The crossing took 21 hours and we were given staterooms for the night.  Each room had 2 bunk beds.  I drew the short straw and got one of the top bunks and spent the night with an emergency light glowing on the ceiling a foot away from my nose.  What sleep?

Opa!

Published Date : May 8, 1999

View from Hotel Frini

It was a long morning and afternoon on the ferry.  The highlight was our introduction to Greek plumbing.  It’s not built to handle toilet paper, so instead of flushing it, you put it in a little bin next to the toilet.  Yeuch!

We arrived at Hotel Frini on the island of Corfu in the early afternoon and were given rooms with views of the Ionian Sea.  Hey guess what?  I’m in Greece!!!!

We spent the rest of the day settling in and exploring the hotel and beach.  We’re going to be here for 3 nights, so it’s our vacation within our vacation.  It will be nice to settle in for a bit and not be straight back onto the bus again.

We had dinner in the hotel tonight with some entertainment.  There was some traditional Greek music and dancing complete with the requisite plate smashing.  Great introduction to Greece!

A Party on Waves

Published Date : May 9, 1999

Today is all about George’s Boat.  It’s an optional extra excursion for the trip, but almost everybody has signed up for it.  We’re going to spend a day on the water in the glorious sunshine.

We started around 10am with clear skies and warm temps.  It’s projected to hit the high 20s or low 30s by this afternoon.  All signals are go for a fantastic day!

After meeting Captain George and pulling away from the dock, we noticed a stray dog paddling eagerly after us.  Apparently he thought he should be coming too!  We soon left him in our wake and saw him make his way back to shore.  Onwards to our first stop of the day – water sports.  We motored to a nearby resort that had several options available to enjoy the sea.

Several of us tried our hand at parasailing.  While the views were fantastic out over the water, I actually found it rather boring after the first few minutes.  Take off and landing were fun though!  Landing was my first dip in the sea, which was cool, but not uncomfortable.

Next on the agenda was waterskiing, something else I had never tried before.  After several attempts, I just couldn’t get my feet under me, so called it quits after swallowing far too much salt water and gaining a few new bruises.

Wine and water sports – what could possibly go wrong? ��

After a couple of hours, we returned to our boat to continue our day.  With the water sports done, safety was no longer a major concern, and the bar was opened without delay.  We enjoyed a great on-board lunch made with local ingredients – I’ve discovered a joy for feta cheese!  Continuing our leisurely cruise around the island, we made a stop at the Wine Caves.  Here, George’s crew tossed a 4-litre bottle of wine into the crystal clear water then tossed us in after it.  After rescuing the wine from the sandy bottom about 15 feet below us, we swam to a nearby cave where we enjoyed sharing our beverage.

Rather than leaving the cave through the large main entrance, we exited via a narrow submerged tunnel about 2 metres long.  One of the boat crew went through first and waited on the other side to help through anyone who needed assistance.  Extra adventure when you’re already more than a little tipsy!

Back on the boat, we cruised around some more until we came to the Champagne Caves.  You can probably guess what happened next.  A large bottle of champagne went overboard and we all went over after it.  As an added bonus, we found an extra bottle that had been lost on a previous trip.  Recovering our prize, we swam off to another nearby cave to enjoy it.

By now it was late afternoon, and we simply enjoyed being on the water watching the sunset.  Meandering back to our hotel, we said farewell to Captain George and his crew and thanked them for a fantastic day.

After dinner, we had one last thing to take care of:  TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!

The party and dancing went well into the night.