A TRIP ROUTE
INTERESTING STORIES
Korkyra is identified with the ancient island of Scheria, inhabited by the Phaeacians, ruled by King Alinous. Scheria was the final stage of Odysseus' 10-year return journey to his native Ithaca, which was described in Homer's Odessey. The goddess Athena used the king's daughter Nausicaa to help Odysseus when the sea waves washed him shipwrecked on the island. For this purpose, she sent Nausicaa a dream in which her friend she urged her to go to the river to wash her clothes. The next day, she and her servants actually went to the river and the girls washed their clothes, spread them on the grass to dry, and started playing football. The ball fell into the water and the girls' screams woke up the sleeping Odysseus. After talking to the stranger, Nausicaa helped him. She fed him, gave him clothes and invited him to the palace, where his father and mother organized a feast to entertain Odysseus. Moved by the story of his wandering and captivated by his beauty, she was ready to marry him, but Odysseus already had a wife and had to leave. Alcinouss gave him a ship to return home. The myth of Nausicaa was used by Sophocles in Greek theatre, Johann Wolfgang Goethe in literature, Peter Paul Rubens in painting, Jacek Kaczmarski in poetry and Hayao Miyazaki in animated films.IT IS WORTH KNOWING
Polish senators, representatives of diplomacy and the army, as well as members of the uprising government of 1794 focused on emigration in Venice, became interested in the political situation prevailing in Greek lands at the end of the 18th century. The main area of Polish emigration was the Ionian Islands, which at that time became of interest to European powers - Russia, England and Austria. Gen. Jan Henryk Dąbrowski made plans to liberate Greece with the participation of Polish legions and create a new nation called Greco-Polish. In order to assess the situation in the archipelago, Lt. Col. Józef Chamand was delegated to Corfu. He came from a French family settled in Poland, but he felt like a Pole. He took part in the Polish-Russian war of 1792 in defense of the Constitution of May 3, where he obtained the rank of lieutenant, and during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After the partitions, he emigrated to Vienna, and in January 1797 he joined the Polish legions in Italy. His mission on the Ionian Islands did not bring the expected results, because under the French-Austrian treaty in Campo Formio in 1797, the Ionian Islands were awarded to France. (www.irjp.gov.pl)May 2024
I had been planning a joint vacation with my son for a long time. The opportunity came in May, when Julek had a few days off from school. Destinations were somewhat limited due to the unstable situation in some regions and the associated risks. Ultimately, the choice fell on the Greek island of Corfu.
I took advantage of the all inclusive option and bought the trip at a renowned Itaka travel agency. The choice turned out to be a bull's-eye. The flight from Katowice was a bit of an inconvenience, but we somehow survived it and arrived safely. Julek was very happy because he had nice memories of his previous stay in Greece on the Chalkidiki peninsula. This time he wasn't disappointed either, and neither was I. So that the rest would not be monotonous, as usual, I organized trips to the most attractive places in the area. Although we didn't see everything I had planned, it was still not bad.Julek is resting
Our hotel was located in the small village of Agnos in the north of the island. Although there were almost no attractions in its immediate vicinity, the facility itself provided a lot of opportunities to spend free time. The hotel grounds were vast and full of greenery. We relaxed in various ways, moving between the pools and the beach. Julek often swam and played basketball. And tasty meals eaten on the terrace overlooking the sea were a real feast for the spirit and body.
Corfu island
In Corfu, attractive historical and natural sites are located mainly in the central and northern part of the island. To see at least some of them, I rented a car and we went sightseeing. The weather was good, the sun was shining almost all the time, but it wasn't hot. We were most impressed by the Love Canal, the cliffs in Peroulades and the ruins of the medieval Angelokastro castle suspended on the top of a rocky hill.
Corfu city
Although many of Corfu's historic buildings were destroyed as a result of German bombing during World War II, its old town part was included on the Unesco list. The historical center between the Old and New Fort is a real tangle of narrow streets crowded with tourists seeking excitement. We simply got carried away by the crowd and still reached Liston, Agios Spyridon, Mitropolis and other attractive places.