My room (E45/nt) is right by the pool so each morning I’ve had a refreshing dip/exercise (doing qi gong, tai chi, yoga – whatever mixed-up) in the cool pool before heading out. The proprietess speaks excellent English and prepares tea and 3 pieces of toast and Greek yogurt for breakfast. She recommended two places for dinner, gave me a complimentary glass of white Santorini wine (that and small tomatoes are their products here. Had plenty of the wine but not the small tomatoes yet. Today’s tour includes a winery tour (no wonder Sandy and Brian like it here! They are such wine afficianados!). That first night, I hopped a bus (E1.60) out to see the sunset at Oia, on the western end of the island. Along with everyone else on the island!!! It was mobbed and I just followed the crowd to a standing spot, saw the sunset which didn’t have the spectacular colors as in the postcards, but got a round of applause when it sank, anyway! Took the bus back in the dark to Fira and to bed!
Yesterday the tour took us back to the port, then aboard the King Theras (the original name of this island was Thira. Changed to honor the patron saint – Santa Irini – changed to Santorini). We headed out after a couple of other busloads came aboard. Turns out their leader, “Mama” (and we were all her children!) was the leader of our tour as well. We boated across the harbor to the volcano iin the middle of the bay = Nea Kameni – whose eruptions had a lot to do with the formation of these islands. Legend has it that this was the famed Isle of Atlantis, that sank into the sea when an eruption occurred. Also it had a major reuption in 1450 BC that was responsible, along with the following 100 meter tsunami that hit Crete, for the destruction of the Minoan civiliation at Knossos (see previous entries). It’s a huge pile of volcanic cinders – the black more recent eruptions in 1936 and 1950 – most recent. This was shot up and then cooled quickly to form the black, very shiny – almost glass like cinders. The red rocks from other slower eruptions cooled more slowly. There is a red beach that I haven’t seen yet. Also several black beaches that I’ll see today.
We followed “Mama” to the winding trail on the top of the caldera to see the view in all directions. I was really glad I had carried my sneakers for this part as people with flipflops and sandals were struggling.
We then sailed around to the other side of this island where there were hot springs gushing into the ocean. Some of us (yes, I did it) jumped off the boat and swam about 400 meters in toward short where the water was decidedly warm. I had gotten acquainted with my neighbors in the hotel, who ended up at the next table when I went to dinner the first night, and now were on this trip. They sat next to me on the boat so we started talking, finally. The parents, around 70, don’t speak much English, only French. They were traveling with their son who does speak, and he swam with me into the springs to where we could stand on a rock. He just took my e-mail as his dad had taken pictures of us from the boat so he will e-mail them to me.
They are from an island between Africa and India, near the Seychelles that begins with an R, was a French possession and has a real mix of Chinese, Pakistani, French, and whatever natives had been there. His father is a retired policeman, his mom was an elementary teacher, and he works for the post office as a computer guy. It’s hard to tell but I’m guessing in his 40s. Very good and solicitious son! He said they’d traveled in Athens, Crete and now here. Before on another trip they went to Morocco and Tunisia. Mom said she had been in Florida, Texas and Louisiana once. She watched my bag while I was swimming.
We then switched to a smaller boat and went across to Oia again. I thought we were going to watch the sunset from the boat, but no! We had to either climb 258 steps up to the town, or ride a donkey up. For E5 I chose the donkey.
Mine kept leaning to the left near the wall, making me nervous, so I kept pulling to the right. The guy at the end scolded me, I think he was saying, for doing that, as he pulled me off as we got near the top! Apparently the donkeys don’t go all the way up because of the crowds gathering for the sight. I found a spot in the shade to wait as we had about 2 hours until sunset!! And people-watched. It was a bit more colorful than the night before, and then we were told to meet “Mama” at the church with 6 bells! She gathered all 81 of us left, and herded us to the two buses and back home. I was full from lunch – Oh, I forgot, we boated to another island, Thirasia, and had lunch and some of us swam – to wash off the sulfur and other minerals from the hot springs! She said we might turn orange!! Before we boated to Oia.
It’s now my last full day in Santorini, had my breakfast, good night’s sleep, a swim and yoga and sitting in the sun for my hair to dry (my curling iron doesn’t work with my plug!). That same family from R. is also going today on the tour of the southern part of the island to see a monastery, some ruins, and beaches and then the winery tour. It’s only from 11 – 5 or so. Tomorrow to Athens!
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