Corfu - It's All Greek To Me

Yassou, (phonetically speaking) from Greece.

Wow Greek is certainly different from any other language we have come across. To start with shaking your head means yes and nodding means no, the word for no sounds like okay and the written words are slightly less readable to me than Arabic.

However everyone has been lovely and friendly with random strangers saying "good morning" to us in the streets. Corfu is beautiful with crystal clear water and dramatic rocky beaches. I (Amelia) am feeling very rough this morning as we had a toga party last night at another Contiki hotel then went to this awesome bar right on the beach called Edem. We drank hollowed out watermelons into which was poured an entire bottle of vodka!

We are currently taking part in "Corfu Dares" which meant that at the toga party Jonathan had to act like a chicken every time someone introduced themselves. So of course we rounded up everyone we could drag over. At one point a guy from one of the other Contiki groups went outside and yelled "Hey everybody, theres a guy inside who acts like a chicken... just go introduce yourself to the guy who looks like Jesus!" Good times, good times.

The last few days in brief:

Rome - So much history, thank god for the TV series that made it easier to visualise everything. Unfortunately we missed out on the Sistine Chapel as it was closed for the day we were there. Went inside St Peters Cathedral, all I can say is wow, so much detail, gold and marble, in the biggest church in the world. Also saw the Spanish Steps, The Pantheon (one of the worlds oldest buildings), did a tour through the Imperial Ruins and the Colosseum, threw coins in the Trevi Fountain and had dinner in the Piazza Navona.

Pompeii - Just massive. Had a quick guided tour through the city ruins. Very cool to see the original plaster and paint on some of the walls. Very original street signs such as a giant penis carved into the road to show the way to the brothel. Hard to believe all the mafia stories are true. When in Pompeii which is in Napoli we had to eat in a certain cafe as it is owned by the "family" Contiki is associated with. All tour operators have to get affiliated with a family to operate in Italy as it is completely controlled by the mafia.

Overnight Ferry from Bari to Corfu - definitely an experience, this Greek ferry was full of truckers and thick with cigarette smoke. Got to relive our childhoods by sleeping in bunk beds in a tiny cabin. Very rough seas not fun. Something no one mentioned till we got here is that you can't put toilet paper down the toilet as the pipes are too small so you have to wipe then try to remember to put it in the bin beside the toilet. This is not just on the ferry but throughout Greece so also applies in our four star hotel, The Divani Palace.

Right off to lie very still for a while to prepare for a Greek dinner tonight and maybe have a swim in the pool. Not looking forward to the 24 hour ferry but definitely looking forward to Venice in 2 days time.