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Chapter 29
Wearing a light cotton dress and comfortable sandals, Lili walked through the restaurant and straight outside. It felt like déjà vu. She’d only been sitting out there on the patio the evening before with all the pamphlets and the street map of Corfu Old Town. This morning, she had brought just the map.
She was one of the first down to breakfast, and the staff were still setting up the tables. There was a reason she wanted to get an early start; she intended to set off on the walking tour before the mercury rose towards midday and the heat became stifling.
Lili chose a table under an arbour formed by some wisteria trees, whose sweet perfume hung in the air. She appreciated the shady spot, even in the morning sunshine. She ordered a pot of tea from a waiter and then went to choose some items from the buffet inside the restaurant. Returning to the table with some fresh fruit, cereal and a pastry, she spread out the street map to get her bearings. The hotel was situated just a couple of minutes’ stroll into the Old Town.
After breakfast, Lili left the shade of the garden, picked up her sun hat and a bottle of water from her room, then handed her key to the concierge on reception. She already had a plan for how she would spend her day. She decided to visit the Old Venetian Fortress in the morning before it became too crowded. Spiros had told her how the population of the small Old Town swelled every time a cruise ship came into port. There was one docked that day.
Lili made her way down the stone steps of the hotel and turned right. She followed the street map, heading for the Spianada, a large square in front of the old fortress. As Lili entered the square, she slowed and took in the views. It reminded her of a leafy London park, with huge trees and statues and monuments pointing to Corfu’s illustrious past. Lili smiled when she saw the garden benches, well-positioned in shady spots for people to rest out of the heat. It would be the perfect place to take a break later in the day, after her visit to the fortress.
She had read in her guide that the area dated from around 1628. It was surrounded by some fine old buildings and fronted by the sea, and Lili thought it was charming.
Making her way through the park, she crossed the bridge over the artificial moat and reached the entrance to the fortress. Small fishing boats nestled in the water below. Lili stopped and took a picture on her phone. She hadn’t intended for the trip to be a holiday, but once she was there, the opportunity to see some of the sights on the beautiful island was too good to miss.
Inside, the citadel was just as impressive. She made her way up the winding paths to the top, which afforded glorious views of Garitsa Bay. Pausing to take more photos, Lili spotted a small cafeteria, the perfect spot for a break from sightseeing. Taking a seat on the veranda, she ordered a Greek iced tea and admired the spectacular views. With the blue waters of the bay below and the rooftops of the Old Town glistening in the sunlight, it did not surprise Lili that the fortress attracted so many visitors.
She opened her map again. Sipping her ice-cold drink, she read about some of the highlights she had to look forward to. She had planned to devote the cooler part of the morning to wandering the streets of the Old Town and then visit a museum in the afternoon. The trouble was that the views were breath-taking; if she wasn’t careful, she would spend the rest of the day in the military stronghold.
Gathering her sunhat and shoulder bag, Lili left some euros, including a tip, in a little tray for the waiter. She retraced her steps and exited the fortress. Turning right, she skirted the Bosketto Durrell, a quaint garden with statues dedicated to writers and artists who had once lived on the island.
Lili heard children’s laughter coming from the playground. It reminded her that she wanted to buy souvenirs for Maisie and William. Passing a beautiful colonnaded building housing the Museum of Asian Art, she continued her walk around the bay past the St Nicholas Gate, one of the four original gates into the old town. Looking down from the fortification wall, she noticed sunbathers already stretched out on the rocky shore below. She thought it looked a delightful spot to catch the sun or take a cool dip in the sea.
She made her way along one of the little side streets. She looked up at the tall Venetian buildings and shuttered windows and noticed a red bell tower in the distance. Continuing along the cobbled street, with its myriad of souvenir shops and more upmarket individual boutiques, Lili glanced at her map and discovered she was heading toward Saint Spyridon Church.Little wonder I spied the bell tower, thought Lili. According to the informative appendix at the back of the map, it was the highest in the Ionian Islands.
The streets were now buzzing with locals and tourists. Following the walking tour, she came across the entrance to a small church in a square.Before entering its calm interior, she covered her shoulders with a light rainproof jacket from her bag and put on a headscarf. Inside the church, paintings decorated the ceiling. She paused to examine the wonderful silver incense burners that were dotted about.
Lili turned over her map and read the description. Built in the 1580s, it was a Greek Orthodox church. She was about to continue reading when she heard an infant crying. She looked up and noticed a small gathering at the front of the church. A baptism was taking place. Unsure whether she should stay, Lili hovered by a stone pillar, reflecting on the loss of her parents and the details of her early years; had she been christened or baptised? Watching the ceremony, it struck her that she might never know.
Leaving the church, she retraced her steps and walked toward the Liston Arcade. With its impressive colonnaded arches, it was an ideal spot for Lili to stop for lunch, as it faced the Spianada and the old fortress. She wasn’t surprised that it was very touristy, with many bars and restaurants, but it was in a beautiful setting.
Taking a seat at a table outside a restaurant, Lili ordered a simple Greek salad and some sparkling water and sat reflecting on what to do with the rest of her day. She had intended to visit a museum in the afternoon, but with the influx of tourists from the cruise ship, she imagined long queues for tickets. Lili thought she might leave that for another time.
Instead, after lunch, she headed back into the Old Town to browse the shops and pick up some souvenirs. She wanted to buy some postcards too and send one to Maisie and Hannah. She smiled to herself, thinking that she must thank Hannah for encouraging her to make the trip. It was something she had been meaning to do but had always put it off. Finally, she was there, and she wished she’d visited years ago.
After wandering a myriad of alleyways and cobbled lanes, and discovering hidden squares with fountains and monuments, Lili found she had fallen in love with Corfu Old Town. By the time she’d strolled up and down the streets with far too many souvenir shops, she felt laden down with purchases.
She’d bought gift boxes of Kumquat, a traditional sweet that looked like small oranges and lemons, along with a colourful bracelet for Maisie with beads that spelled out the name of Corfu’s capital in Greek. There was a matching necklace that Lili just had to buy for her too. She’d also found something for William – a hand-carved yo-yo – not that she felt she would see him any time soon after the way she and Nate had parted. Lili tried to brush that thought from her mind as she retraced her steps to the hotel.
Leaving the presents in her room, Lili walked through reception and out into the garden with a postcard and pen. She sat down and wrote one to Maisie and Hannah, telling them all about her day exploring Corfu Old Town.
Lili wandered back inside to ask the concierge at the desk if she could post them from the hotel. The young man nodded and smiled, asking Lili if there was anything else he could help her with.
‘Yes, as it happens, there is.’
Lili returned to the garden with a bus timetable. She had already planned what she would do the next day. She wanted to return to Benitses.
