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Corfu, or in Greek Kérkyra, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea.
Its Greek name, Kerkyra, is related to two powerful water symbols: Poseidon,
god of the sea, and Asopos, an important Greek mainland river.
According to myth, Poseidon fell in love with the beautiful nymph Korkyra,
daughter of Asopus and river nymph Metope, and abducted her.
Poseidon brought Korkyra to the hitherto unnamed island and, in marital
bliss, offered her name to the place: Korkyra, which gradually evolved to Kerkyra.
Together, they had a child they called Phaiax, after whom the inhabitants of
the island were named: Phaiakes.
In Grecian: Geia!
Visiting Corfu in Greece, the first sightseeing I did was
the Achilleion Palace.
Yes, as in Achilles from the Greek mythology.
And yes, as in the part Brad Pitt played in Troy. Yum.
The palace was owned by the Empress of Austria Elisabeth of Bavaria,
also known as Sissi, and became her favorite vacation house.
Elisabeth was a woman obsessed with beauty, and therefore took a keen
liking towards the mythical hero Achilles, and, almost in an obsessive
manner, dedicated this house to him.
I loved the decorated ceilings of the house, as well as the breathtaking
garden surrounding the property.
The casino scene of the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only (1981)
was filmed at the Achilleion.
Greece greetings,
