A Tootle Around Normandy

What better way to awaken than with the birds!

Quite literally in our case. Our cozy little room on the third floor of the old Norman house that we are staying in is covered in vines. And as the sun rose so did our fine feathered neighbors who chirped away about the beauty of the new day. Randall and I snuggled back under the duvet with smiles on our faces and went back to sleep for another couple hours. (The sunrise is about 5am.)

When we do pull ourselves out of bed the birds are all off about their business and the lovely lady who runs the b&b has breakfast laid out on the patio. Looking down from our window there is a happy little red head singing away waiting for us to join her. Clara has always been our morning girl!









After eating the amazing home made pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt and coffee we are off again to take a tour of the region with our hosts. The day is brilliant. Blue skies and perfect pastoral vistas.

Inside St. George of Boscherville Abbey

We visit several abbeys along the way.

St. George of Boscherville Abbey- a perfect example of Norman workmanship. Light and airy, with beautiful gardens overlooking the Seine Valley; it sets the soul to the devine. Started in the 1200's it stands still as one of the finest Romanesque churches in Normandy.

What is left of the learning center that was Jumiege Abbeye

Then there was Jumiege Abbeye - or what remains of it. The abbey's history runs back to the 600's when it was a center of learning and had 1000 monks living and praying within it's walls. It sustained a high profile in the realm of the spirituality and being the model for all other abbeys of the area for many a century. But not everything lasts. It suffered with the invasion of the English. And the war of religion and the Huguenots. Until it was finally burned and sacked during the French revolution. The shell of the monastery still remains for all to see. Still inspiring thoughts of god, despite the derelict nature of it's remnants.

We had the perfect picnic in the forests above the Abbey of St Wandrille. The kids were as pleased as could be, and again the food was sublime. Francoise taught the girls how to whistle using a blade of grass and the boys explored the rich woods. Meanwhile I stuffed myself with the fresh bread and amazing dressing Francois has supplied us with. So like me.

The Abbey of St. Wandrille is a wonderful mixture of ruined Norman Abbey, current monastery and of wooden church. Again started in the 600's the church was sacked and ruined and rebuilt many times over the years. We were very quiet while walking through the grounds as this is still a working monastery with many monks taking a vow of silence.
Going past the ruins of the giant stone monastery that was sacked during the French revolution, you come across two smaller chapels made of wood. This comes from the ancient days when the buildings were put together using only the wood - metal was a precious commodity. In fact one of these buildings was once a royal stable and was dismantled and brought across part of Normandy by the monks to become their new chapel and it is still here today. Pretty clever, I'll say! Lucky for us one of the monks was practicing his organ playing and the entire chapel reverberated with the haunting strains of the organ. Clara took the time to pray and Juliet felt the need to dance. It is humbling to be in the presence of such faith.

inside the all wood chapel of St. Wadrille

On the grounds of the Abbey of St. Wandrille

Ruined Abbey of St. Wandrille

Everything is idyllic, but with all the contentedness I feel I am still searching for what makes Normandy different; a place all its own.
You cannot help but feel the contrast here from the other places we've traveled in, however I can't quite put my finger on it. It's peaceful — in a watchful sort of way. Probably because there has been such strife here. Armies and leaders - coming and going. But the land is still restful despite the blood spilled here. Maybe it's a good testament to the common people. Life goes on, despite the crazy politics of any time...

We end our day in a tiny resort town called Veules-les-Roses, on the French coast facing onto the English channel. It is resort village and as we walk past the ancient water wheels it feels so restful. Many of the buildings are built in the traditional way with thatched roofs. Oh so very, very charming. The kids run ferrel on the grassy hillside and we end up on the stony beach to have a cup of tea before heading back into Rouen.

Thatched roofs in the town of Veules-les-Roses

The whole idyl was marred only slightly by Juliet throwing a stone and very nearly blinding Clara (on accident of course). A bloody towel later Clara's fine, with only a gashed eyebrow to show for Mum and Dad's shattered nerves. Thank goodness we don't have to decamp to the hospital. Ahhh, the joys of traveling with kids.

On the beach of Veules-les-Roses

What a lovely part of the world, with lots and lots of history. It has a very permanent feel to it, but not old fashioned. So much life has happened here that it just seems right that life will always continue here. I'm so glad we had the chance to enjoy it with our lovely host family.

And to enjoy another night in our bird house perch. I can't wait to go to bed so that I can wake up with the birds again!

Bon nuit mes amies!

Bonjour Normandy!

The train rolls into Paris early in the morning. We do the reverse shuffle off the train herding sleepy kids and luggage out of the train station and to the taxi stands. In the infinite wisdom of the railway lines we must disembark our train and change stations to meet up with the train that will take us from Paris to Normandy -the train station is on the opposite side of Paris. So into a taxi van we go.

Rouen Cathedral

The city is still waking up, and it seems like a surreal dream. Finally we are on the regional train from Paris to Rouen - the capital of Normandy - final destination for today.

Why Rouen, we keep getting asked?
Because we have some very dear friends who live there. Forty years ago when Randall and his family were doing one of their year long voyages around the world they met the a French family, who were doing the same thing. And with such likeminded people the family friendship has stayed in place through all the years. So, we have come to reconnect with Francoise and Roland and visit their little slice of French countryside in person.

Always the happy traveler!

They meet us at the station, and all I can think is how much I must SMELL after all the sweaty trains. I mean I am wearing the same clothes from 24 hours ago. I've carried bags out of hotels, into taxis, on and off trains, slept in them and to add insult to injury my toothpaste is buried god knows where. What a way to make a first impression! But our friends don't bat an eyelid and welcome us with open arms and drive us to their house for a light lunch, which turns out to be a delicious feast. Lucky us to be visiting one of the best chefs in Normandy. All the weight I've lost with the illness' on the earlier part of the trip will certainly be rectified in our three day stay.

Afterwards we get dropped off in a beautiful park near the heart of Rouen, while we wait for our B&B to be ready, and do a brief exploration of this fantastic medieval city. To be honest we are far too shellshocked from our train journey to take in most of it. There is so much to see here, a city that is the burial place of Richard the Lionhearted, saw the burning of Joan of Arc and was passed back and forth between the English and French and Dukes of Normandy for hundreds of years. Too tired today to make much of all this history - but we do make it to the fantastic cathedral.

The Rouen Cathedral is truly magnificent. There was a church built on this site from at least the 4th century AD, although the Viking raids of the 9th century (Rouen straddles the Seine river giving them easy access with their long boats) destroyed most of the buildings in the area.
The cathedral that stands here today is a living testament to gothic architecture. It was started in the 12th century and looms over the town like a dark and airy reminder of the power of church and god. It has been added on to over the centuries, but always keeping with the same flavor of grandeur. In fact it was named the tallest building in the world in the 1870's with the addition of the cast iron spire of the lantern tower. It was partially destroyed in the WWII bombings but was lovingly restored by residents of the town and still stands today, not as a reminder of the past - the entire old city of Rouen is a testament of the cities varied past - but of the religious and communal strength of the city.

Inside it is deliciously cool. A welcome reprieve from the sunny heat of the mid afternoon sun. The ceiling is so high above us you can't help but look up, and looking up is good for the soul! The kids and I go on a hunt to find the tomb of Richard the Lionhearted who's heart is buried here amongst the countless other tombs of crusaders, kings and notables. Eventually we find his tomb, no great distinction from the other ones around him, simply a crusader who died after a wound from a cross bow became septic; not a way I'd want to die, but back then it was pretty common. He ruled England, Normandy, Aquitaine (courtesy of his famous mother Eleanor) and various other lands for a mere ten years, but still lives on in legends.

Knights of the Crusades

The kids take a rest, pretending to be knights of the third crusades while I marvel at the huge organs of the cathedral. I would so love to hear these played! Imagine the acoustics in this giant shell of stone. I can only imagine that it would be awe inspiring!



Back outside we finally check in to our little B&B (which is just around the corner from our friends) and are delighted by the surprise find! Le Chambre Avec Vue - an apt name for this delightful gem of a B&B! Despite the fact that we have to climb three flights of creaky wooden stairs we have the entire top floor to ourselves - three bed rooms, two bathrooms and a view over the gardens to the entire old city below. A dream come true!

After a shower (oh yes, a blessed shower!!) we walk back to our friends house for an evening of divine food and laughter and comfort. Bonjour France, what a way to welcome us!

Le Chambre Avec Vue

Our friends have offered to take us on a tour of local Normandy tomorrow. I can't wait to dive into a new place and history. As we walk back through the twilight streets of ancient Normandy a wonderful feeling of peace comes over me. The family is happy, we are surrounded by friends and good food. Love is abundant. Bring on tomorrow, life is good.

Arrivederci Venice, Buon Giorno Florence

Venice to Florence – It’s Liam’s 10^th birthday!

St Mark's Square in the rain

When you sleep in a room that was inhabited by nuns in the 10^th century (and has been in continuous use ever since) there are a few ghost bound to be lurking about. As much as I enjoyed every minute of our stay I had some bizarre dreams; some of which involved me being a nun. Hmmmm.

Liam's still on the Lion Hunt

The day has dawned dark with heavy rain. It’s a good thing that we got our Lion Hunt out of the way yesterday. Now that we are familiar with the city we can explore it in our own fashion. With the America’s Cup finished and the horrible weather upon us it feels like a completely different city. Coming out onto St Marks Square, on our way to the Arsenal, there are a few groups of tourists rushing about under their umbrellas, but no sight of the crowds of yesterday. Ah, Venice; a city with mercurial moods.

Liam has wanted to see the Arsenal ever since he heard about it yesterday from our guide Erika. The Arsenal was Venice’s massive ship building works and it was at the heart of Venice’s success as a merchant navy. Long, long before the industrial age Venice had employed the ideas of the assembly line and standardised parts to create an amazing factory site that employed over 16,000 people. It created both the merchant ships and the navy that created and supported the most serene republic of Venice, and all her vast trading routes. Starting around 1100 AD, it hit it’s peak with Venice in the 13^th and 14^th century when the Arsenal could manufacture a ship a day, and innovating the latest seafaring technology to sustain the might it had over seas. Pretty impressive. Today it is no longer a ship building facility, but home to the Italian navy.

Outside the Porta Magna of the Arsenale

After a few wrong turns we find our way to the Arsenal’s main gate, the Porta Magna, flanked by some impressive Lions. No open book for the beautiful Venetian Lion that stands proudly on top of this gate. No, his book is closed; the ships built here were not for PAX, but for war!

Walking the rainy streets, with the Arsenale wall to our right.

Liam desperately wants to see inside and even gets the courage to go and ask the military guard. But no, it is a military base and no civilians are allowed in. Too bad, it’s a unique insight into the history of Venice. But the walk in the rain is stimulating and the kids enjoy jumping in every puddle they see.

Soon our feet are sore – we’ve tracked quite a few kilometres over the past month – and so we decide to hop on the waterbus and see where it takes us. I want to go to Murano, the island that is so famous for it’s glass works. But alas, I get us onto a waterbus that goes in the wrong direction. Ooops.

St Mark's square from the water

Instead we decide to sit down and take in the views of the city from the water. Which is the medium that Venice is built to impress form. So many churches and palaces! What must the ancient traders - coming from their walled medieval strong holds - have thought of the delicate and ornate opulence of renaissance Venice?

you never know what treasure you will find around the next corner

Without great beauty in their landscape, the Venetians shaped beauty from their own creativity. When you bop along the choppy waters and look around at the man made grandiosity there is a feeling of specialness that over comes you. Mostly I feel humbled by grand vistas from mountaintops or waterfalls or sunsets, but here these innovative people were able to engineer the same feeling; so hats off to them, the Venetians, proud by culture, mind and deeds.

After the water taxi takes us the length of the city we meander back through the town, heading in the general direction of our hotel, but not caring if we take a circular route. The charm of Venice is in getting lost and seeing the random sights along the way. A black cat sitting atop an ancient wall, an old lady closing her shutters against the rain. And of course finding off the beaten track places to try the pizza.

Far too soon it’s time to get our backpacks from the hotel and make our way to the train station. We are all a little sad to be leaving so soon. Randall and I both think this is a city that needs a full two to three days to be in, to be able to fully soak in the culture.

“I am going to live here someday, says Clara!” Of course she’s said that about most of the towns we’ve visited in Italy so far. But then, I wouldn’t put it past her.

the courtyard of our 10th century b&b

We make it to the train station in plenty of time, only to discover that our Eurail passes have been stolen from my backpack. Damn it! A whole lot of shuffling around occurs before we finally just buy tickets and barely make the train. Unfortunately the tickets we get spread the six of us out over four different train cars, not exactly ideal when there are only two adults. Luckily we meet a super nice Mormon family from Utah who take us in and share their seats with us. And over the next few hours between Venice and Florence we chat away like old friends. It’s my favourite thing about travel: meeting strangers and discovering the commonalities that we all share. By the time the train slowly stops I have relaxed somewhat and we are excited about our next destination – Florence.

The birthday boy with his Venetian Lion tie

Off the train we take two cabs to our next hotel, part of an old palace that is just a short walk out of the main touristy part of town. We arrive and discover that we have to walk up 90 stairs to the hotel, and once checked in at the main lounge, we have to walk about 40 stairs down the internal stairwell of the hotel to get to our room. Um, OK. I guess we’ll be fit after our three nights in Florence. At least there is a luggage lift for the first part, and some strong bellboys who manage to get our bags to our room. Crickey Dickens, mate, it was some feat!

It’s a bit later than we had planned, but we are all dressed up in our finest clothes and Randall takes us all out to a fancy dinner to celebrate Liam’s real birthday. He chooses a restaurant that is right on the Arno River, looking across at the old town. The food is superb, the kids in awe of the fancy restaurant and we can all relax that the hassle of European train travel is over, for a few days at least. And we can all discuss the fun of exploring a new city and the culture that comes along with it.

After dinner we treat Liam with as much gelato as he can eat. He orders the most massive cone ever constructed and begins chowing down; completely oblivious to the fact that we are standing on the edge of the Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence, or indeed anything other than the massive cone of sugar and cream in front of him. Some Japanese tourists ask him to pose for them so they can record this monument to Florentine gelato, not sure if they could see his face over the cone but they were very pleased with their photographic find.

Liam's massive gelato!

Amazingly he finishes the whole thing and walks up the 90 stairs with one heck of a bellyache. It’s midnight and we are knackered; straight to be for all of us. It is hard to believe that just this morning we were riding on the canals of Venice and now we are landlocked in the heart of Renaissance Italy – Florence. 

Venice - the most serene republic

Venice

Venetia – the most Serene Republic

Everyone has heard of Venice. The city with streets of water, where cars are boats, and at high tides even the side walks require gum boots. A city of history, trade, the crusades and ancient trade routes; also of renaissance artists, composers and architecture, where scientists could be free of the harsh censure of the medieval church.

Venice is my pick for the trip - one of my favourite cities, a place that I want to experience with the kids and my husband.

There is something so different in

Venice from any other place in

the world, that you leave at

once all accustomed habits and

everyday sights to enter an

enchanted garden.

Mary Shelley

And that is where we are today. Getting ready to enter the enchanted garden, the unreal beauty of time out of place. But first we much pack our bags a day early so that we can escape the ship. Even though we are meant to stay one more night on the MSC Musica and end up back in Bari, we just cannot stay - the service is too poor, the ship unclean and just not comfortable to be on... So off we will get and having booked a hotel using my iphone the night before, (oh how different travel has become these days!), we can look forward to not just a day in this marvellous city, but a night and next day as well.

our guide showing the kids a map of venice

The skies are looking an ominous grey and the forecast is for rain. Luckily the charm of the city is not in its blue skies and perfect beaches, but the history and the accessibility of its art and architecture.

We are scheduled to meet our guide Erika at 11 am at the church of San Zaccaria, right in the heart of Venice. This is another of the tours that we have booked through Context Travel (like the one in the Vatican city), which is tailored for families with young children to bring the city alive. I may know about the history of Venice, but I am not familiar enough with the city itself to teach the kids without loosing their interest. I’m pretty sure that if we go to a museum at this point in our trip the kids faces would glaze over so bad they’d turn into museum statuary. So instead Erika is going to be taking us on a “Lion Hunt” in Venice, something that has supremely caught the kids minds and imaginations for weeks. And of course during our travels through the Mediterranean and up the Adriatic we’ve been constantly reminded of the Venetians and their part in the history of the region.  We’ve spotted many a lion proclaiming who controlled the region along the way….

After a long winding walk through Venice we meet up with Erika, ready to start our hunt, but before we are allowed to learn about the Venetian Lions she sits the kids down on an old well outside the church, pulls out a huge map of Venice and it’s surrounding territory and launches in to the history of early Venice to help the kids understand this extremely unique city.

The Doge's Palace

When Rome was falling and the barbarians were ransacking what is now Italy, the people who lived in the north got tired of being brutalised. So they took to the marshy islands at the top of the Adriatic and started building a community that wouldn’t be plundered. At first they built on the furthest island out, the Lido. But when the times changed and the so-called barbarians got ships they found out that this strategy wasn’t the best. They retreated to the islands that are today known as Venice, nestled in between the outer islands of the Lido and the inner islands that act as a buffer to the mainland. Venice is unique in cities as it has never had a defensive wall. It doesn’t need one. It has the sea and the ever-changing course of the sand islands that are created by the tides of the area. And so a seafaring nation of traders ruled the waves for a thousand years. A proud culture that was the height of western civilisation of its day, and as it’s symbol it adopted the winged lion…

The Lion, as the symbol of Venice, is simply everywhere here in the city. It is usually depicted with wings and it’s paw upon a book, either open or closed, depending on whether Venice was at peace or at war when the statue was carved. Generally in Venice itself the Lions have an open book with the Latin inscription:

“Pax Tibi, Marce, Evangelista meus”

Which means to those of us who doesn’t speak Latin:

“Peace be upon you, O Mark, my Evangelist”.

It is said that the Lion is a metaphorical representation of Mark the Evangelist who is the patron saint of Venice; at least he has been since the 800’s ad when some enterprising Venetian merchants stole his body from Alexandria. He was brought back to Venice to give the city religious prestige to go along with its up and coming business reputation. Not a bad ploy, and even today St. Mark’s body is entombed in St Mark’s basilica, in St Mark’s square – the heart of Venice. And we think marketing is a modern invention. Bwahaha.

Liam learns about roman numerals

All background history lessons checked off the to do list and the kids are armed with a page of photos each. There are lion’s to be found! And we are off. Through the crazy crowds we maze through the winding back streets until we pop out onto waterfront, past the Doge’s palace, the eerie bridge of sighs and ease our way into St Mark’s square. We stop over and over to see if the Lion’s they find are the one’s on their treasure map. And along the way Randall and I are able to pepper the guide with a few of the grown up questions as well.

One thing we didn’t figure into our tour was that not only was it Sunday in Venice, and the Feast of the Ascension but it was also the final day of the America’s Cup so the city was completely filled to the brim with tourists from all over. Wow. As we headed in to St Mark’s square just before noon the crush of bodies was at its height! I think I now know the real reason Venice is “sinking”!

Parade of the Ascension in St Mark's Square

But along with the crowds we also lucked into a rare event. The ancient clock tower in St Mark’s Square had a special show that only happens on the feast of the Ascension. When it strikes noon there is a parade of the three wise men following the angel do a slow walk across the ancient face of the tower. Statues that date back nearly a thousand years - and they get to come out and show off to the world just once a year. The kids were not that impressed, they were more excited by the Lions and the sheer scale and intricacies of the buildings around us, not to mention the novelty of the streets made from water. But for me it was a unique handshake with the past. There go the statues that were carved so long ago, who would have been state of the art technology way back then. And they are carrying containers of Frankincense, just like the ones that we so recently saw in Oman. History seems so far away, but really it’s right here with us, you just have to have eyes that are not dead to the past or the present.

In this crowd there is no time to argue about sandwich choices!

Moving on through the square – oh so slowly through the crowds – we finally convince the kids there is more of Venice to see than just St Marks Square. We pop into a little sandwich shop and pick up some sandwiches to eat along the way. It’s a crush, but with a little food we are all happy again. Lolling on a huge Lion statue we polish off the last of the food and are off again.

We stop to admire a plaque high up on a wall that shows an old lady holding a cooking pot. This, Erika tells us, is to commemorate a rebellion that almost happened. It seems the nobles of a particular family thought that they could be running the government more efficiently than that of the current Doge, so they decided to stage a rebellion and take over the government.

As you do.

So, as they rode down the street, early in the morning, to take over the government and gain control. As they rode past, an old lady looked out the window, figured out what they were doing, and, liking the government that was already in power threw her stone cooking pot out the window and hit the leading horseman on the head. He fell off his horse causing such a commotion that the troops in back, thinking that they had been discovered before they could gain the element of surprise, turned tail and fled. Thus ending any coup that was intended to happen. The old lady was thanked by the government, (the one that stayed in power) by guaranteeing that her rent would not be raised for the rest of her life, and that of her descendants. And they continued to live with the low rent for over two hundred years. Sweet!

That’s one of the things I love about Venice. It may have been ruled by a certain number of patrician families, but the common people certainly were an ever-present force that shaped what those families did with their power.

The servant's entrance of an old Venetian palace

Most of the tourist shops along the way sell carnival masks and they enrapture Liana. The history behind the “doctor’s” masks is so intriguing to me. Everyone has seen the mask with the hideous long nose, something like a huge hooked beak of a bird. The doctors would wear these masks when going into houses of plague patients. Back then they thought the plague came from noxious gasses in the air so they wore these huge beaked masks and filled the nose with herbs and spices to ward off the disease. (Let’s hope it warded off the fleas that actually carried the disease.) The masks they sell these days come in many shapes and sizes (including the doctor mask) and just about every colour. Some are truly artistic creations, with feathers and paint and blown glass.

in front of the Rialto Bridge

By the time we reach the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge it is time to say goodbye to our lovely guide. But before she goes she offers to help us find our hotel, given how maze-like Venice can be, we gratefully accept her offer. Once we know where we are going it seems so simple, but I’m sure if we had been trying to find it on our own it would have taken quite some time! After walking down a very narrow (think one and a half people wide) alleyway we pop out onto a very deserted canal and square. We knock on the door of the building that faces the canal and presto, here is our hotel. It was once a nunnery back in the 12^th century and has mainly been a private residence all these years. Now our hosts have restored a few of the rooms and are renting them out. We have two bedrooms with a kitchen and dining room – all with windows and a small balcony that overhang the canal! And original period paintings painted into the plasterwork. What luck, we couldn’t have found a better place for our family if I’d spent a year researching it!

We spend the better part of the afternoon getting our bags from the ship (a drama in itself!) leaving them at the Venice train station and making our way back into the town by water taxi.

Liam's night before his birthday dinner

Today is Liam’s 10^th New Zealand birthday – meaning that if he was in New Zealand at the moment it would be his birthday – so in true only son spoiled fashion we decide to take him out for a “night before his birthday” dinner celebration and eat at an old restaurant that has been around since the 1400’s. The kids have the pizza (imagine that!) and I have the traditional squid and polenta cooked in squid ink. The kids are revolted, but all have to try a bite at the same time. We then comb the streets looking for the perfect gelateria to end the evening, and end up buying some masks as well. The girls pay out some of their own money to buy Liam a statue of a Venetian Lion for his birthday present tomorrow.

Even though it is after nine o’clock it is still quite light, but we herd the kids back through the narrow alley to our hideaway apartment. They are mostly used to sleeping in one room now, but there is always the restless giggling and/or arguing that accompanies the settling down process. But soon all is quiet and Randall and I can enjoy the sounds of the canal outside our window and the occasional gondola passing by.

What a beautiful city. It is certainly beyond expectation to be here with the family. Accessible history, art, architecture, food and an inclusive ambiance, it’s easy to see why Venice is, and has been, such a draw to people from far and wide.

Corfu

Pictures do not do justice!

Coming into Corfu must be one of the most brilliantly beautiful sights to see from a boat.

The "new" Venetian fortress

Smooth blue ocean with the island of Corfu on the left side and the mainland of Greece and Albania on the right side. Green forests and sturdy looking Venetian citadels. A cheerful looking town perched between two massive forts with brightly coloured houses spilling bougainvillea and geraniums down their sides. Sheltered bays on one side of the island and pristine beaches on the other. Could you ask for anything more in a holiday destination?
And sailboats a plenty sail these waters with merry makers from all nationality types. Just as ships and sailors have been travelling through here since the dawn of human history.

I've never been here, and it's been thirty years since Randy was here, so this is new territory for the family. We are only stopping for a few hours, but it's the perfect place to have an afternoon stroll, eat some food and say goodbye to classical Greece and prepare for medieval history. Although it seems like we did that yesterday when we left Athens as Corfu is distinctly Venetian!

walking through the old streets

The Venetians ruled the Adriatic for hundreds of years and Corfu was one of their beautiful cities that sprang up along the coastline. The fortresses are Venetian, as is the layout of the town, but Corfu does have a history that spills back to ancient times. This was the island that Poseidon brought his new bride, Kerkyra, the daughter of a river god, and as a wedding present named the island after her. The beautiful nymph Kerkyra (which became Corfu over the millennium) left her name as Poseidon's gift of immortality to their love.

Checking out some of the old Venetian canons

And now it's our turn for a taste of Nymphs, Venetian forts and gyros if I'm lucky.

Inside the walls of the old fort

Midway through the day we disembark in the main town of Corfu, also named Corfu. It's a good thirty minute walk from where we are docked up into the UNESCO heritage old town. It's not hard to navigate through the old streets, just follow the simple rule of keeping the top of the (new) Venetian fortress in line of sight. Then once you pass the "new fortress" (started in the late 1500's) you wind your way through the streets toward the "old fortress"(built after the town was destroyed in the late 6th century AD).... Both are imposing structures and the town grew up between the two, safe from pirate attack and worse. The streets are winding and somewhat torturous, especially for pushing a stroller in, the first and last time I would use it on the trip! Poor Juliet, she was humiliated that I pushed her around all day in it. But now I know that my baby is no longer a baby and can hike with the best of us, it's time to leave it behind. Gee, where does the time go?

yum, yum, Gyros!

After suitable meandering through the town we end up at the old fortress and cross over onto the little island that it sits on. The kids are all on lookout for Venetian Lions, something that we have prepped them for. The Lion was the symbol of Venice and depending on what the circumstances were when the Lion was erected the meaning would be different. But, more to come on that subject when we reach Venice itself. Needless to say we identified quite a few, statues and plaques on the walls to identify the Venetian buildings.

The fortress hosts a number of ancient cannons and Liam would probably still be there today inspecting the mechanisms that made them work if the girls hadn't unanimously bullied him out of the fort and into the main town for lunch.

It's our last chance for Gyros! So of course we stop for the most extravagant helpings of gyros (and coffee for me) before walking back to the ship, or should I say waddling after all that food?

We leave Corfu after such a short amount of time, but as Randall and I stand on deck watching us depart the Ionian waters, we make a promise to return, when we have the time to do justice to this destination, and get to know it a bit better.

As the sun starts to sink we watch the shoreline of the mainland go by. Somewhere along the shore is the border between Greece and Albania. What a difficult time this shoreline has had in the past hundred years. What would it have been like for the Albanians living in abject poverty to watch the sun set behind Corfu with its abundance of Western holiday makers? Or was it really as simple as they hopped on a boat and got work as cabana boys without need of a Greek passport. I am ignorant of the ways of the Eastern block in this region and its hard to know the truth of those times with all the cold war propaganda from both sides. But when you are in this area and you see how close it all it, you would be blind not to sit back and wonder just a little bit what makes people so closely related geographically have such different fates.

And speaking of fates, Croatia is next, another brief stopover, but a taste of this world none the less....

One last Greek sunset

If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God.

G.K.Chesterson