Advertisement
Santorini
Every view is worth a photo A great nights sleep and we awoke to another clear beautiful day with prospects of warm temperatures.
Our breakfast purchases yesterday will see us right and cheaper way to go by far than the €5 cost each for breakfast at Pension George.Bringing two plates,bowls and plastic cups as well as cutlery for us both including a super sharp little knife means we are fully equipped for breakfast,lunch and dinner if we want and none of it takes up much room in the suitcase.We even have salt and pepper in a container.We are even thinking of buying a cheap microwave in London when we get our car so we can heat up frozen meals etc.
The showers in both Turkey and Greece have presented their challenges.All have beeb showheads on the end of a flexible hose.Occasional we have encountered a hook up the wall that the head hangs onto and its almost like being in the shower at home.Other times you need to do the job holding the hose and directing water where it is necessary to wet ones body down or rinse off the soap.Its a bit like that game you play where you rub your tummy and head at the
same time and most people can't manage it all at one go.Co-ordination is the key !!
We wandered up to the bus station in Fira town and caught the bus out to Perissa Beach which is reportedly the best beach on the island.We got our €2 fare's worth as the bus meandered the roads onthe island heading to the southern coast.The big Mercedes bus didnt have any trouble negotiating the narrow road but then again we didnt see what was happening to the cars coming the other way as the bus bore down on them.
After 50mins or so we reached the beach.It was black sand,a leftover from the volanic environment that makes up this island.The water was clear and inviting but way too cold yet to immerse ones body in it.Towering up behind the small town area and beach were huge barren cliffs to the plateau above where our pension is located.There was a little(at least it looked that way from where we were on the beach)church built into a tiny flat piece of land in the cliff face.There were people moving around the church and it took some time to look at the cliff face to work out
how they had got up there.We thought it looked like an interesting hike but we werent sure how long it would take and there were only a couple of buses back to Fira so we decided against taking it on.
There were small restaurants lining the road overlooking the beach,some open and some not.It was a pleasant spot but not a match to any of our beaches back in NZ other than the imposing cliffs that were in view from wherever you were.
We bussed back to Fira,this time the bus seemed to take a more direct route and before we knew it we had to decide on our next moves.
We strolled along the caldera ridge path in the town and dropped down a couple of paths to wander amongst the houses and exclusive hotels built on the cliff edge and down the cliff side.Construction of these places must have been interesting and goodness knows what would happen in a decent earthquake striking directly in this area or the volcano erupting again!! It doesnt bear thinking.
Gretchen tooks heaps of photos and the scene lends itself to video as each place you focus on you see something different right
Fira,Santorini
Looking at the edge of the town on the caldera rim next door.So much so that I had to keep my finger off the trigger so as to not take too much video!!
We found the steps down to the old port below the town.There are reportedly 588 steps to the bottom.Now each of these steps actually require you to take at least one and more often two steps to get to the next step so the 588 is actually multiplied a bit in reality.
We actually smelt where the pathway down was as the donkeys droppings gave it away.We were offered a donkey ride down but we wanted to take in the view without hanging onto a saddle as the donkey swayed its way down the steps.The laughing and screaming of particulary the Asians taking the donkey rides didnt seem to upset the donkeys which was just as well as goodness knows what would happen if one got out of control on the steps.
The pathway zigzaged down and at every corner there was a different perspective of the caldera rim and the views out over the water to take in.It was interesting taking in the black volcanic rock at close hand and noting the way the lava had flowed making different patterns.We passed little groups of donkeys and clients on their way up all lead by a local.Every so often you had to dodge the donkey doos and it will be interesting to see what happens to it all when it finally rains here.
The views back up to the rim and the buildings clinging to the hillside is something very special to see and it would have been easy to sit in the warm sunshine and just admire the all round view.
However the bottom of the steps beckoned so we kept on.
At the bottom we had the option of walking back up(NOT really an option),riding a donkey(also not really an option unless the cable car was out of action) or the cable car at €4 for the ride.So we took the cable car option.
It was a very short ride but almost straight up the cliffside.It wasnt a good idea of wondering what would happen if the cable broke or the cable cable car broke down as there was no way you could have climbed out and got a foothold on the cliff face.
From the cable car we strolled up further along the rim as the views over the town and out to the water were just too hard to ignore.Some of the boutique hotels along the path looked very exclusive.All of them were in tune with the surrounding buildings which makes this place and the scenery so pleasant on the eye as there are no ugly buildings and they are all of a similar height.
Eventually the desire for a beer and an early dinner got the better of us and we turned off the path and headed back into the town.
Here we found Luckys Souvlakis,a takeaway bar,serving up gyros at €2.30.It was fun and fasinating sitting up at a table watching Sonny at work making gyros to order.We had one each plus a Mythos 500ml beer each all for €11 and felt quite full.It will be hard passing the Turkish takeaways up Devonport Rd in the future,although we suspect they don't actually make gyros there.
We finished off with a gelato from an ice cream shop in the square at €2 each and we had been fully fed for €15 !!
We strolled back down the hill from the town to our pension and decided to finish off the day with an ouzo over ice.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.57s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 15; qc: 80; dbt: 0.3245s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
KJ
non-member comment
Picture postcard stuff
Kia ora Great to see the "postcard like" shots starting to happen-looks glorious and vaildates all I have ever imagined about the Greeek Islands. Keeping a steady flow of ibofrmation going to DD too!