A Landscape Architect and a Passport: Corfu, Greece: The Greek French Riviera

Our Magnificent Cruise Ship...
Seriously though someone should tell this guy
that the water goes on the outside of the boat.

After cruising for a full day and a half we made it to our first port of call, Corfu, Greece and the port of Kerkira. We walked from the port through the streets making our way into the narrow alleys and shop-lined streets of the 'old town.'

Narrow Streets in the Old Town

We met a woman in one of the shops who was eager to talk. She was born in England and had relocated to Corfu about 13 years ago. She began to tell us all about her life, maybe a little bit more than necessary, but as I said, she was eager to talk. She told us about her divorce, and about her three children and where they lived, how old they were, and what they did. One was a model in Thailand, one lived in England and I can't remember the profession, and one son was a Landscape Architect in Australia. Normally I would be suspicious about such a claim, like the exchange was more like a sales tactic and she was just trying to find common ground before trying to get me to make a purchase. However, this was an unsolicited conversation from her about her life. It's a small world!

Anyway, she gave us some tips about what to see and where to go and what to do. She directed us to the main street in town that was near the esplanade and the old fort. Before we left the store she told us that the main street area was known as the 'Greek French Riviera,' and when we arrived it was very clear why!

It was a beautiful wide street lined on one side by stores and restaurants, and on the other was the esplanade with the Mediterranean Sea beyond it. The street itself was wide and incredibly clean. It was predominantly for pedestrian use with only a few vehicles thrown into the mix. Smooth 12 inch stone tiles were selected as the material for the street surface. Above the first floor of the restaurants and shops the buildings appeared to be primarily residential. Many of the buildings were clearly influenced by French style down to the small balconies and the color of the paint. As these entries are supposed to be Landscape Architecture at a Glance I will wrap this up and let the photos tell the rest of the story.