Blogs from Santorini, South Aegean, Greece, Europe - page 3

Took the bus to Oia this morning, seeking THAT photo of the three blue tops of churches. Yeah, I spent weeks working on a puzzle of Oia this winter. It had too many blue pieces, and after I completed the town with its famous blue-domed churches and landscape, I gave up on the blue sky and clouds. This morning, I was eager to see those private balconies with pretty coloured gates and flowers in terracotta pots surrounding the churches. Nobody mentioned the hair-pin turns around steep cliffs during the drive to Oia. Whew! I did not have a window seat, but did try to snap a couple of photos. On the way back, the bus took the lower road where we could see lovely beaches and parched farmland. At first I thought I was on the ... read more

Today I put myself in that classic postcard view. I took the bus to Fira and walked over to the caldera view. OMG Stunning! I just had to have an expensive coffee on the edge of an expensive restaurant balcony. Then I ordered a Greek salad, to extend the stay, though the waitresses were uber friendly and would have let me stay. There were people waiting for these premier tables. It is surreal, sitting there, overlooking the caldera that exploded and destroyed the Minoan city. I wonder how many people know this history as they admire the view. A really sad fact is that over fifty percent of the people sitting in this beautiful balcony with outstanding views were on their cell phones. Freaks! What a sad lot. There was a girl around ten who sat ... read more

I was really happy when I was assigned to join a hike in Santorini, because most of the tours lately were bus or city walking tours. When it said volcano hike I prepared myself for long day out, but it turned out to only be a very small volcano and the hike was only over an hour. I was still very happy to get off the ship to go on a little hike. Since we are anchored just outside the cliffs of Santorini we had to take a boat to the island of Nea Kameni. It was a really pretty sail boat, almost like a pirate boat. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the island and from there we walked up the hill to see the small creator. The walk itself was not ... read more

So, after spending nearly three weeks in Greece, I tried many wines. And I visited several wineries in Santorini, known for their famous Assyrtiko wines. BTW, it is pronounced "us-EAT-teeko" and has a definite "volcanic" taste, in other words, a quite pronounced minerality, for lack of a better term. Karen at Winespeed is spot on about this wine: Assyrtiko, the white wine that brought world attention to the stunningly beautiful volcanic island of Santorini, is made in several styles today. But my favorite has always been the original style—fresh, pure, bone-dry, and made without the merest trace of oak. Santo Wine’s Assyrtiko—from 60- to 80-year-old vines —is exactly that, a wine that captures the lemons-and-salt-air crispness that Assyrtiko is known for. Sparks of minerals and acidity light up the wine, making it extra delicious with seafood. ... read more

Our last trip overseas was in the Peloponnese in October 2019. It seemed fitting that our first trip away post-Covid should also be to Greece. I hardly believed we were going until we were actually on the way, flying to the Greek islands -- first stop Santorini, a place I never expected to see. It's a dream destination for many but is usually overrun with tourists. A visit now seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Did we beat the crowds? Not exactly. We weren't alone, the Americans and French were already there but in numbers much less than usual. Usually there are a few cruise ships anchored offshore. Sometimes three or four of them at the same time. That means about 10,000 people deposited on this small island all at once. Unbelievable! When you ... read more