Corfu Trail Days 3 and 4

DAY THREE

Rekini to Spartylas NE Corfu

After spending a night in Corfu Town we were ready to get back to our hike.  Day three started at the village of Rekini, north west of Corfu Town.  Our taxi driver, Dimitri, drove us into the hills but stopped at a fantastic bakery so we could buy spinach pastries for our picnic lunch.

Not so much stepping stones but a thin plank

Our walking notes described a river where there were apparently plans for a bridge but in the meantime we had to make do with stepping stones...........

At this early point in the walk we managed to get lost.  Begona got us back on track using a basic map and compass.   Most of my images show clear pathways but much of the walk seemed to follow tracks that were well hidden and obviously rarely used.  Not only did we have to find secure foot holds but we also had to tackle vast amounts of undergrowth as our bodies fought a way through.

We stopped for a break as there was another steep ascent ahead - the hidden pathway climbed a precipitous hill to our right

Begona leads the way

The village of Sokraki provided a civilised stop for light lunch and refreshment.   The remainder of day 3's walk  proved to be difficult to follow, occasionally we would catch sight of a yellow CT sign and we would feel reassured, but these signs were scarce.   However, this didn't detract from our enjoyment of the beautiful countryside.   We eventually ended up in the mountain village of Spartyllas which had good views of Albania.   Here as if by magic, Dimitri appeared - we were all glad to get the weight off our feet and lie back in his luxurious Mercedes.

DAY FOUR
Walk from Porta to Agios Spiridonas
across saddle of Pantokrator Mountain, NE Corfu

Rosie at summit of Pantokrator Mountain

We were warned that this, the last day of our walk, would be the most strenuous - it started with a two-hour climb finally reaching the highest cull of the Karst Plateau.   Once we reached the summit we were welcomed by a large herd of goats and spectacular views. 
  

Palia Perithia, a semi abandoned Byzantine village

From here we followed a rough trail downhill - again signage was scant and it was mostly guesswork.

We finally ended up at Palia Perithia, which is a popular haunt for tourists, there were numerous tavernas and we enjoyed a rest over a refreshing cool drink.  From Palia Perithia we descended further via old mule tracks through a gorge with distant views of the sea

A distant view of  the sea -  still very distant!

We walked through oak woods......

through quiet villages, Rosie stopped to admire rampant Pelargonium

Of course, the wild flowers were our favourites

 and then though more oak forests. 

We ended our walk at Almiros on the north coast.  Begona and Rosie have a toast at a welcome beach taverna whilst we wait for Dimitri to drive us back to our hotel at Nissiaki Beach.

Dimitri with Begona and Honey (Rosie)

Finally I'm including a photo of Dimitri, taken a few days later as he became our permanent taxi driver whilst in Corfu.  Dimitri was a real character, he had worked in New York for decades so was very 'service' orientated - extremely puntual sending us updates by mobile texts, great NY English and a way with words  - he was quite charming.