Day 14, On Top of a Volcano in Santorini

When the Pacific Princess departed from Patmos, the weather began to change and the ship experienced a few rain showers. But, the next morning arriving in Santorini, the weather had improved under warm and partly cloudy skies.

Santorini sits on top of the caldera left from a major volcano which erupted more than 2500 years ago. Its white washed buildings and blue roofs are often used in promotions for Greece because of its scenic beauty. The ship anchored in the harbor not far from two islands which appeared with the past 300 years.

Arriving ashore the choice was to ride the donkey train up a path full of switchbacks with more than 500 stairs, or to ride a modern tram right next to the dock where the ship’s tenders arrived and departed. All of our group chose the tram, and it was a nice, scenic ride up the Cliffside to the top.

This island is extremely popular with visitors, but because of the time of year we were the only ship in port and our numbers did not overwhelm the small town atop the caldera. Most of the tourist shops looked ready for the season to end.

A large number of our group decided to rent four wheel ATV’s and explore the island. It was a humorous sight to see these “some kind of Angels” taking their pack through the streets and roads of Santorini.

Most everyone had a quiet day as we looked ahead to the end of our cruise. After arriving back at the ship, considerable time was spent in packing to depart the ship the next day. Most everyone realized all of the things they had purchased along the way had to be jammed into their luggage, and it became a substantial challenge.

That night at dinner, Princess held the traditional Baked Alaska ceremony. It’s one of those traditions which is slowly disappearing from cruising, but it still was fun and kind of goofy like it always is.

Tomorrow, the ship arrives at Piraeus, the port of Athens and our 12-day cruise comes to a close. It’s always amazing how fast the time goes when you are exploring some of the most amazing sights in the world.

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