We woke up this morning to one of the most beautiful sunrises ever—there were just enough clouds to make the rays of the sun change colors, mountains along the water and extremely calm seas…and even Teena got to see it!! (She likes to sleep a little later than the rest of us). We enjoyed watching the ship dock in Corfu and she & I decided this is our favorite place so far. The island is very green, the houses aren't cookie-cutter & stacked on top of each other & there are mountains & trees everywhere. I’m sure the photos won’t do it justice.

We had a ship excursion booked but decided that it was just too long (7.5 hours), so we cancelled & decided to do it on our own. We rented a car at the Port Terminal & with Brian driving (a stick no less!) and Rich navigating, off we went. Our first destination was to find a pharmacy for me—I’ve developed an annoying congestion cough, so Rich was determined to find some antibiotics for me. Over here, you can just tell the pharmacist what you want & they’ll give it to you!! We looked up what I’d been on previously and for only 8 Euros, got the pills. Pharmacies are abundant over here, with a green cross outside their stores…sort of like our Rx I guess.

Next stop was a breathtaking view from the top of a mountain overlooking some of the most beautiful, clear water we’ve ever seen. You could see all the way to the bottom and there were various shades of blues & greens…just spectacular! There was a guy snorkeling (in a wet suit) and Brian was turning a little green himself from jealousy. Off to our next stop, which was the Monastery of Virgin Mary. This was set up on top of a mountain overlooking the sea and was a little crowded with tourists but we managed to find a parking spot & got inside. I was able to take a photo which I’ll try to post once we’re in port & I’ve got a good connection. It was about lunchtime at this point, and a restaurant was right next to the Monastery, so we snagged a seaside table & enjoyed the ambiance.

Off we went again to find a beach on the west side of the island. The sand here is a tan color & not as pebbly as some of the Greek Isle beaches we’ve been on before. Resorts are everywhere, this must be a popular European vacation spot. We stuck our toes in the water (which is amazingly clear) and couldn’t believe there were people actually swimming…it was VERY cold. Back into our car & we were on a mission to find some Baklava, which proved to be more difficult than we thought it would be. We finally found a bakery that had a tin of it for 10 Euros, so that itch was scratched. We (Teena & I) toured Old Town Corfu while Brian & Rich climbed up the Old Fort, which overlooks the port. By this time, we were all ready to get back to the ship. The best part about renting that car was that we got to drop it off right at the Terminal—which was such a treat.

We decided to catch the theater act before dinner, and he was Mark Preston, a former member of The Lettermen. He came down into the audience & shook our hands--he's definitely a performer. Dinner was another great event, the food here has really been good. We're at sea tomorrow, so probably no blogging until we get to Croatia.