Glorious Santorini

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Sunday 17 June, 2012

Santorini, Greek Islands



Up on deck early today… I didn’t want to waste any part of this day... it is a dream come true.

When I trained as a travel consultant (a lifetime ago) and laid eyes on my first picture of its blue domes, white-washed houses and clear sky that went forever, I knew I would one day visit Santorini.



I was very fortunate to have the same couple join me at my breakfast table that joined me yesterday. They invited me to spend the day with them. Perfect, I thought. I really would prefer to share this experience, and these were like-minded people looking forward to Santorini just as much as I.



So we boarded the tender with much excitement. Again, today was very hot, so the breeze coming from the water was most welcome. When I say hot, I mean, uncomfortably hot, with perspiration continually dripping from face and head. That’s why when you see pics of me my hair usually looks wet and messy.



On shore we took the obligatory photos of each other as we tried to take in the beauty of the island and its’ surrounds. I couldn’t get the smile off my face. There are three ways to get from the port at sea level up the cliff face to the town of Thira. 1) Walk the zig-zag steps (not an option), 2) sit on the back of a donkey while he climbed up the zig-zag steps (definitely not an option – I wouldn’t be that cruel to any animal), or 3) Take the cable car.



Did I say how magnificent the views are? Just take a look at some of these pics. Ed and Miriam found a shop that sold hand-made tablecloths and bought some lovely pieces. They’ve bought quite a lot of bulky items on their trip, including a Turkish rug and hand-made vases so they’ll be sending their purchases back home to California via post, as excess luggage is out of the question.



We continued meandering through the cool of the shops before making our way to catch a local bus to the town of Oia, pronounced Eeya. I wanted to find the blue church domes that one sees in all the classic Greek Island photos. The bus trip took less than half an hour across the top of the volcanic land mass that is Santorini and I wasn’t disappointed when I got there. There wasn’t just one blue dome, but many and many more whitewashed houses and caves dotted all over the cliff faces. By this time we were all ready to sit somewhere cool and enjoy the view over lunch and found the perfect location. I was in heaven, as were my companions. The three of us were blissed out with the beauty and perfection of it all.



After lunch Ed and Miriam headed back to the ship and I decided to board another bus to go check out the black sand at the beach of Kamari. I just had to put my feet in the water of the Greek Islands and I didn’t care what colour the sand was.



When I arrived at Kamari (also the main dive centre for Santorini), I headed straight for the beach bypassing the many stalls on the way. I wasn’t seated long at one of the beach chairs before I was approached by a Thai lady offering a massage. MASSAGE, MASSAGE… how could I say no? My feet and legs were crying out. It was bliss. I lay there a while afterward just taking in the beautiful scene, trying to imprint the experience on my memory for ever.



I slowly walked down to the water and let the waves wash over my feet; the tiny volcanic stones massaging my feet as I walked. Life is good!



I walked around the town for a while, mainly apartments and hotels for the tourists and some cheaper accommodation. I would liken it to say the Palm Beach/Coolangatta area on the Gold Coast, but much, much smaller.



It was 8pm before I boarded the ship again and as I had to pack my luggage and have it outside my cabin door by midnight, I just had a quick meal alone and went back to my cabin to pack, and catch up on writing my travel blog. I haven’t had internet access since I left Athens, so when I get to Venice tomorrow night I’ll have a lot of uploading to do. This has been the best Sunday I can ever remember and definitely an experience for my spirit to cherish.

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Photos

Going ashore and loving it already!
Santorini

Santorini cable car
See cable car centre picture going up the cliff face.

Waiting for cable car
Santorini

Mighty big wheel
Cable car drive

View from cable car
Santorini

I found it!
My first blue dome :)

Restaurant where we ate lunch!
Our table is the one right on the water, centre picture!

Black sand on Kamari Beach
Volcanic rock sand, Santorini