Aaah...the Greek island experience

We have just returned from our four-day trip to the western coast of Albania and the Greek island called Corfu. Let me just start by saying we earned every moment of tropical paradise that I'm about to share with you, because squeezing 11 people into a car built for 8 and then traveling on windy, pot-holed dirt roads is a harrowing experience. Our friend Mark is quite the masterful driver, but the narrow roads and obstacles ranging from sheep and cows in the road to oncoming traffic -- and I do mean ONCOMING!!!! -- makes for a nail-biting journey. (Ever been on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland? Yup, that's what I'm talking about.)

Anyway, after 5-6 hours on the road, a tedious border crossing and a 2-hour ferryboat trip, we finally got to experience the lovely Greek island of Corfu. Corfu is one of the Ionian Islands, and because it was once

occupied by Venetians, it looks more like Italy than the southern Greek Isles you've probably seen in pictures. The houses are all shades of Mediterranean colors and the foliage consists of mostly

olive and fig trees punctuated by eye-popping bougainvillea bushes. Even so, the water is that same tropical island blue, and the Greek food is tremendous -- moist, saucy gyros wrapped in warm pita bread, seasoned grilled meats served with tomatoes and olives, and fresh fish of every

kind, including grilled octopus, which looks frightening but is actually buttery, garlicky and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

We stayed at two apartments owned by a local pastor and his wife, Milt (pictured with Jeff below) and Vette. They served us coffee and crema pastries one morning and told

us about their ministry

on Corfu. Their testimonies are especially remarkable when you consider that protestant Christians endure quite a bit of persecution in

Greece, because the state religion is Greek Orthodox. The Orthodox church controls the press there, the police, the schools...you name it.

Makes it hard to reach out to the community, but Milt is a jovial, determined man, and he grinned as he told us about how he manages to circumvent all the trials he faces by combining cleverness with old-fashioned diplomacy.

Corfu has lovely beaches; a picturesque, cliff-side

monastery; and a cramped, colorful "old town," so we soaked in all of these...and we have the sunburns to prove it. Then, for our last night, we ferried back to Albania and spent a night in Saranda -- an Albanian re

sort town, which is not as sophisticated as Corfu but more like a down-to-earth beach town: lots

of street vendors, much cheaper prices and waiters who treat you like royalty.

We returned to Erseka on Saturday feeling relieved that we're not traveling from place to place each day. It is so exhausting navigating new places constantly. That said, it was a treat to see a very different part of this country and soak up some sun and surf to last through the next few weeks in Albania.