Buses, ships, ferries and shuttles

Can anyone guess how long it takes to get to Corfu, Greece from Florence? I bet you wouldn't guess 30 hours! We left at 7:00 AM on Thursday and checked into our hostel/resort in Corfu on Friday at 1:00 PM.  We took a bus from Florence to Ancona, then an overnight ship ride to Igomenitsa, Greece, then an hour ferry ride to Corfu, and finally a shuttle to our hostel.  It was a crazy amount of traveling (which was not made very clear on the trip itinerary), but once I saw the beach from the last ferry we took I knew it was worth the wait.

We spent over 36 hours total on this ship!

My group of six girls traveled through the student travel company Florence For Fun.  All of the student programs took the same ship/ferry to get there, but one of the companies made a mistake and left about half of their students without a seat on the 18 hour ship ride.  By 1:00 AM, every square of floor space in the seating area was occupied by sleeping people huddled together.  It was such a sight to see, and I was very thankful for my seat!


We stayed at a hostel called The Pink Palace, but I would actually refer to it as a resort instead.  It was indeed bright pink, and right on the water with a private beach.  When we finally got there, everyone headed straight to the beach.  Thankfully we didn't waste any time, because little did we know that first day would be the only sunny day that weekend.

The Pink Palace is actually pink!

Corfu Town

Evil Eye

There is a lot to do in Corfu besides lie on the beach.  You can rent an ATV four-wheeler and ride around town, or go on a guided ATV Safari.  There is also a beach-hopping boat tour but after waiting over an hour and a half in line, we just missed the cutoff for that one.  Instead, Bre, Ashley and I went into the actual Corfu town for the afternoon.  It was very cute and not too crowded which was a nice change from Florence.  Also the people were so friendly!  They live life at a slower pace which was very relaxing.  We had lunch and then walked around and tried some kumquats and other Grecian foods.  We also bought way too many Evil Eyes which are supposed to ward off evil.  I have one in my car and I swear it has kept me safe driving around Chicago!

Bre strapped into the top bunk on the ship home

After another rainy day, we packed up and prepared for the lengthy trip back to Florence.  We waited in the port for quite a while and I took this opportunity to FaceTime my parents because it was Easter Sunday.  I think the Grecians thought I was crazy, talking into my phone like there was a person there, but it was nice to see my parents!  When we finally boarded the overnight ship, we were exhausted and decided to get a cabin room.  This was one of the best decisions we made on the trip.  The cabin room was very clean and fully equipped with anything we needed, beds in particular.  We slept peacefully through the night until around 7:00 AM when I jumped out of bed because it sounded and felt like we hit an iceberg.  After a few more 'hits' we decided to investigate.  It turns out it was just a bad storm, but at the time it was very scary.  The ship was eerily quiet except for when we would crash into giant waves.  I still don't know where all the people were hiding, but being the only people in sight while we walked around was not very comforting for my newfound fear of the sea.  The rest of the ride was very bumpy and I was literally tossing and turning in my sleep.  At some points I swear my entire body was lifted up from the bed.  This made for some pretty interesting dreams.  I think my REM sleep was going out of control or something.  But we ended up falling back to sleep and made it through the rest of the ride.


The bus ride back to Florence took a lot longer, and the entire journey home lasted 36 hours.  So, I traveled for a total of 66 hours, which was longer than how long I was actually in Corfu....but again, I think it was worth it.  Definitely an experience! 

Forza Fiorentina!

This week has been super busy but I found time to check out a soccer game. We saw Florence versus Palermo, which made for a pretty picture (purple versus pink!) but not an exciting match.  They tied 0-0 and the only exciting moment was when Florence almost scored and a fight started.


Coming up this weekend we are heading South to the Amalfi Coast: Pompei, Capri, and Sorrento. Although it is pretty far, I am sure that the traveling part will pass by quickly compared to last weekend.  This is one of my last trips and then I'll get to enjoy Florence for my last month abroad. Crazy to think I'll be back in Chicago in four weeks!