Corfu

Corfu is a Greek island located in the Ionian Sea off the northwest tip of Greece and a stone's throw across the water from Albania. The main city is also called Corfu and has an old section that has narrow cobbled streets, colorful buildings and shops.It is protected by two castle fortresses, one of which is shown above. Corfu was controlled by Venice for 400+ years and was never conquered by the Turks. The Italians and the Germans occupied it during WWII and the city suffered some bomb damage. It is a favorite vacation spot for northern Europeans and a stop for some cruise ships.

The building above is on a small square. Below are typical streets and shops.

The shop shown below sells olive products. The bottles on the shelves are different varieties of olive oil.

The photos below show a building with close ups of  some of it's windows. 

This door and building have seen better days. Below are photos of another cobble stone street with shops and a door.

I'm not sure what's going on with this fish spa shown below. Maybe the fish are nibbling away on customers' feet or the fish are coming in for a little relaxation. Colorful, anyway.

Below are some more colorful buildings and windows.

Above is another narrow street and the doorway of a shop.



Below is a small square and a bell tower.

Below is a very colorful door.

Below is a narrow street with the bell tower of the Church of St. Spyridon in the background. St Spyridon is the patron saint of Corfu.

Can you guess what kind of shop is shown below?

The Durrell family lived on Corfu from 1935 to 1940. Gerald Durrell  became a naturalist and wrote three books about being a boy on Corfu: My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods.  I can personally vouch for them as great reads. Lawrence, Gerald's older brother and renowned novelist, also wrote about Corfu in Prospero's Cell-a Guide to the Landscape and Manners of the Island of Coryca(Corfu). Enjoy!