Santorini, Greece (Σαντορίνη)



Village of Oia

Dear Family and Friends,

The next stop on our cruise was the island of Santorini in the chain called the Cyclades. The small crescent-shaped island and caldera is the remains of a massive volcano that is reported to have wiped out the sea-going Minoan civilization about 3,600 years ago. The volcano is still active and causes occasional earthquakes, like the one that destroyed most of the island's buildings in the 1950s. Today, Santorini is well-known for its sunsets, white-washed villages, and fresh fish, tomatoes, capers, and kalamata olives.

After the ship dropped anchor, we boarded our first tender boat for the short ride to the island. With the crystal-clear blue sea and sight of the island in front of us, this turned out to be an exciting journey by itself.

Port at Fira

Upon reaching the small fishing port, we had to choose between the three options for getting to Fira on top - cable car, donkey ride, or walking. Since there was a long line for the cable car and walking would have consumed hours of our visit, we decided to take the donkeys. Our decision was made easier when we discovered Nicolas missing because one of the handlers had already put him on a donkey and sent it up the path.



Doney Ride to Fira

The areas where the donkeys were staged was complete chaos. Handlers were busy shouting orders in Greek to their animals and to each other while tourists lingered about not sure what to do or where to go. Finally, Julie and Elyse were helped on to their donkeys while Joe took Nathaniel with him. The donkeys knew exactly what to do and where to go, having no doubt taken the path hundreds of times, but would stop take a break whenever the moment suited them. The ride was very enjoyable for the kids, who watched to see who would make it to the town first. It was a little scary for the adults, however, who from time to time peared over the small rock wall straight down to the port hundreds of feet below. Joe made sure to hold on to Nathaniel extra tight just in case his donkey lost its footing or decided to shed some extra weight.



Joe and Nathaniel

We finally arrived at the top and re-grouped in the village. We then began searching for a taxi to take us to Oia on the other side of the island. Along the way, we passed several pretty churches, like the main Orthadox cathedral in the center of town.

Greek Orthodox Church in Fira

Our half-hour taxi ride from Fira to Oia took us along the tops of the cliffs and around the mountain side, giving us a good chance to look around the volcanic island. Along the way, our driver explained how the locals get their scant water from cisterns, ships, or a recently-constructed desalinization plant.


View from Oia

The village of Oia is the most popular tourist destination on the island because of its white-washed dwellings built partially into the cliff. Besides the many blue-domed churches, the village boasts some of the most picturesque pools in the world.



Exploring the Streets of Oia

Having left the cold and rainy weather of France and Italy, it was very nice walking around and seeing all of the flowers. It was hard to believe that it was November! Meanwhile, the kids enjoyed taking pictures of the many island cats snoozing in the sunshine.

 

Churches in Oia

 There are over 250 churches in Santorini. The Catholic cathedrals, like the one on the left, are often constructed right next to more traditional Greek Orthodox churches, like the one on the right.



A Taste of Baklava

After walking around Oia for a while, the kids were a little tired and needed to rest and eat. We were able to find a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the bay and ordered some baklava. The flaky pastry made of alternating layers of filo dough and a nut-cinamon mixture drenched in a sugary gravy is a specialty of Santorini and is served both as a breakfast or desert. According to Nicolas, it should be called "backla-yummy!"



View from Fira

Remembering the stress of the day before in getting back to the ship before it left, we decided to head back a little early. Unfortunately, there were no taxis in the main square and there was no way to call one to come pick us up.  Joe started hiking down the road, where he was finally able to hail a single cab. All along the 30 minute ride back to Fira, we looked for other taxis heading to Oia and saw none. To this day, we wonder if other passengers in Oia were left behind.

Oia from the Volcanic Caldera

When our ship left the caldera on our way to the next destination, we were sorry to not be able to have spent more time in Santorini. Nevertheless, our experience there will be remembered as one of the highlights of our trip.

Antío sas!

Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel