Deb's Blog

The Island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, once ruled by the Venetians, English, and French before it was united with Greece in 1864, is now a popular destination due to its excellent weather, gorgeous crystal-clear beaches, delicious Mediterranean produce, and its cosmopolitan Old Town. The town of Corfu has the same name as the island.

My Viking excursion—“Traditional Flavors & Modern Cuisine of Corfu”—began with a walking tour of the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sitting right across from the Old Town and guarding the entrance to the city lies the Old Fortress of Corfu, a Venetian fortress that initially contained the town of Corfu during Byzantine times. The Venetians ruled Corfu for over 400 years.

We had a guided tour of the Casa Parlante living history museum, a 19th century mansion which depicted the everyday life of a noble family. The lifelike moving robots gave it a kind of creepy but fun aspect.

We toured Corfu’s Old Town along the picturesque narrow streets, peering into colorful shops and vendor stalls.

One of the shops is a traditional dairy (1926) known for its famous customers including Aristotle Onassis, who arranged for three kilos (6.6 lbs) of fresh butter per week to be flown into London for his wife Jackie to enjoy with her breakfast.

After the walking tour, we traveled to the Villa of the Roses, perched on a bluff overlooking the sea, located in one of the most exclusive residential areas on the island, known as Kommeno Bay. The resident chef greeted us with Ouzo, a Greek liqueur made from grape must (unfermented juice remnants pressed from grapes for winemaking); it has a very strong anise taste. Thankfully, she had diluted it with water.

We enjoyed watching a cooking class covering a full traditional Greek meal: Tzatziki (full-fat Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and fresh dill); Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, kalamata olives); Moussaka w/bechamel sauce (eggplant, potatoes, minced beef, onions, tomatoes, red wine). The meal was served with bread and wine, and ended with baklava, kumquat liqueur, and Greek yogurt w/kumquat jam.

YUM!!!