Day 3 Santorini

 Another glorious day dawned with all sorts of possibilities for adventure before us.  Our tour for the day would begin at 2:30.  We decided to relax and enjoy our pool rather than rushing out into the crowds.  Each day, the crowds ebbed and flowed in intensity depending on how many cruise ships were in port.  One day there were four of them and the crowds were fierce.  We were told that at the height of July and August, the crowds were twice or three times as bad.  Boy, am I glad we came before that!

We met our driver at the base of the hill and hopped into the van ready for the what would be a wonderful adventure.  We headed to the old port.  Not surprising, it looked like mass confusion with crowds as tight as bees on a hive.  But, we were booked for a private catamaran cruise and sunset dinner so our driver led us away from the crowds and out a different slip area.  First up, remove our shoes.  Then, we walked a plank on to one catamaran, crossed it and stepped from the edge to a second on and finally to a third.  As I reached the third, I was hesitant and fearful I would slip and fall.  I looked up and there was a handsome Greek man, Mike with his hand extended to me.  Handsome, oh yes but with the kindest, deep blue eyes ever.  As he took my hand, he said, “trust me, I won’t let you fall,” and he didn’t!  That is the third handsome Green man I have held hands with, LOL.

Once on board, we met our Captain, Andy.  He gave us a short safety talk and ask us to stay at the back until he navigated us out of the port.  To say we were blown away would be an understatement.  This was no small vessel, it was a full sized catamaran capable of carrying 10-12 passengers and we had it all to ourselves.  In no time, we had cleared the port and were heading out into the beautiful Aegean Sea.  We made our way forward where we stood and enjoyed the wind in our hair and spray on our faces.  I could not help spreading my arms and shouting into the wind, “top of the world”.  Debi stretched out on a mat while Jim and I stood taking in everything we saw.  Watching Debi was fun.  Her inner girl came out and her laughter bubbled uncontrollably.  Such fun to see.

There is something about sailing that is magical.  There is a sense of freedom from everything but the sun and the sea.  We visited the black sand, and the red sand, and the white sand beaches.  We could have stopped to swim but elected to wait until later when we would be at a place where the current was more gentle.  We visited a hot spring where sulfur gives the water a rusty, orange color.  We again elected not to swim over and get into the water as it would stain anything we had on.  We sailed past the tiny light house that sits high up on a cliff.  It reminded me of Manteo’s lighthouse.

From the water, we could see all the colorful layers of the walls of the caldera.  Red, green, black and white the geological history was clear to see.  We sailed past the remnant of the volcano and on to a cove where they tied up to a buoy in the water.  Mike, was busy in the galley making dinner.  The smells made our stomachs growl with hunger.  It was time to swim in the sea.  I decided it was best to just jump in and avoid the slow, agonizing entry into the cold, crisp water.  I hit the water and came up sputtering — cold!  But, it did not last long and soon I was swimming feeling refreshed.  Debi made her way down the ladder making a more agonizing entry but in the water none the less.  Jim decided he would stay on board.  I have to say, I would not have missed the swim for anything.  I came to Greece and swam in the Aegean Sea, yes!

As we exited the sea, Mike wrapped warm towels around our shoulders and invited us to come to the table as dinner was about to be served.  We settled in for a feast!  There was shrimp in a tomato sauce, yellow rice, bbq chicken and bbq sausages, eggplant dip and tzatziki and mussels.  The mussels stole the show.  I ask Mike how he made them and he told me he made a sauce with sautéed onions, honey, mustard, lemon, salt and pepper and oregano.  He added the mussels to the sauce and cooked them till opened.  Oh my gosh, so very good.  Even Debi ate them!  All this was washed down by crisp, white wine.  What a wonderful meal.

Soon it was time to set sail and move along.  The sails were hoisted and off we went.  We viewed the sunset from the back of the boat and sighed, sad to see the day end.  We spent six hours on board but it felt like only a few minutes.  What a special day.

Our Captain deftly, “parallel parked” our vessel.  We left the boat in the same way we boarded, crossing over each on till we reached the dock.  Once again, Mike took my hand and promised not to let me fall.  *Sigh*. Such a nice person and such blue eyes.  Our driver was at the dock to collect us and take us back to the hotel.  There would be no Uno tonight.  Sun, Sea, Good Food — only sleep on our minds tonight.

Day 2 in Santorini

Day two on Santorini dawned, another clear, blue sky above and the beautiful blue sea below.  Our afternoon tour was not due to start until late afternoon so shopping sounded like a good thing to do.  Linen is for sale all over and white is especially alluring.  So, we found an alley that was lined with cool, crisp garments.  It was fun looking and trying a few on.  I bought a fun top and shorts that would be cool to wear.  Jim was very kind to go along with us without complaint.  His reward was a cold beer at one of the taverns overlooking the sea.

Finally the time arrived for our tour.  The guide and driver picked us up at the hotel and we headed out.  First we climbed to the highest point on the island to visit a monastery and church.  The monastery is only for the Monks but we could visit the gardens.  At the entrance is a fountain.  The custom is for one to wash away your sins in the fountain before entering the church.  One of the few springs on the island feeds the fountain so the water was cold and fresh.  The spring gives them the ability to grow the tomatoes.  There was a time when grape tomatoes were grown all over the island.  They are unique in flavor and only grown here.  Now, because of both lack of water and farmers to grow them, families grow them for their own use  only.  The Monks also grow these tomatoes and a few Olive Trees.  Olive oil is made that they can sell to help sustain themselves.  The monastery goes back hundreds of years and once housed over a hundred Monks.  Today, there are only about 40 Monks left.  We enjoyed the gardens and the view as well.  There was a small stand where they sold dried tomatoes and other things they produce.  I bought some of the dried tomatoes that I will put in Greek Olive Oil as soon as I get home.

Our guide took us inside the small church.  Typical of Greek Orthodox churches, it was decorated with beautiful paintings and icons.  He explained that the chairs lining the walls of the main worship area were only for the elderly and pregnant women.  All other worshipers stood through the three hour service, yikes.  I took the opportunity to light a candle and say a prayer for Dan.

One of the highlights of the tour was a visit to the Art Space Santorini, a winery as well as a gallery.  It was not actually on the tour, but our guide told us this was our tour so we could do whatever we liked.  Of course, we liked the idea of a winery.  This winery has been in continuous operation since 1861 and has remained in the same family as well.  The building was made up of three caves and housed not only the wine making but also moonshine too!  The present head of the family decided to add art to the mix as well.  The walls are lined with paintings of all types.  In one room, sculptures of a famous Greek sculpture were on display.  He actually designed a life sized one for the 2004 Olympics.  They were amazing.  The basic structure was actually olive wood with the branches and leaves encased in gold.  There were olives on the trees, some ripe and some not.  I wanted to get one but talked myself out of it.  Now, I regret my decision.  Perhaps once I am home, I will reach out and buy one anyway.

After touring the facility, we enjoyed a tasting.  They only grow white grapes.  Grapes are not grown here like we see them grown in the US or France, etc. in rows, upright and wired.  Here because of the lack of water and the fierce north winds that pound the island, the vines are grown on the ground.  A circular “basket” shaped foundation is used to train the vines to grow.  As the vine fills out and grapes form, they grow inside this circle where they are protected from the wind.  The volcanic soil actually pulls water from the clouds and air around the plants which allows the grapes to flourish.  Pretty amazing.  I am not much of a white wine drinker, but I do like a Vensanto.  We tasted a 2005 Vensanto that was soooo good!  So good in fact, we purchased six bottles to be sent home to NC.  What a treat.

Part of the tour was to see the sunset from Oia (pronounced Ea).  We made our way there but our guide told us that we would not stay there to see the sunset but just to experience the “crowds”.  He would take us to a secret place where we could see it just as well.  Oia was a mob!  So many people rushing to get a good spot well in advance of the sunset — it was crazy.  But, he wanted us to have the experience.  We hopped back into the van and headed out.  We climbed up what amounted to a donkey trail, more track than road.  At the top, a church and a view that was nothing short of spectacular.  There were a few other people there, sitting on the stone wall sharing bottles of wine and champagne.  George, our guide commented that he guessed his secret was out.  No matter, the view was wonderful.  A perfect ending to a good day.  As the sunset gave way too evening, we made our way back to the hotel.  Perhaps a game of Uno to wind down from the afternoon of touring.

Last Stop Santorini

 
The last stop of our enchanting tour of the islands      was Santorini (also known as Thira by the locals).  She rises from the Aegean Sea more beautiful than we could ever have imagined.  Strange red rock formations rise dramatically while overhead blue-domed villages cling precariously to the island’s edge.  Santorini was born out of catastrophe:  a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in 1400 BC that wiped out the Minoan civilization.  Behind the obvious beauty, Santorini has a strange, almost dark energy.

We arrived after a final ferry ride from Naxos to Santorini.  As expected, it was chaotic but effective.  The port was even more chaotic than the ferry but our transport driver was there to meet us and collect the luggage for the ride up to the Aressana Spa Hotel.  The road zig zagged upwards jammed with vehicles all headed to the top where the hotels and other accommodations were located.  The road is made of volcanic cobble stones.  They were narrow and crowded with all sorts of cars, vans, motorcycles and people rushing to get to their destinations.  Our van could not take us all the way to the top to our hotel so we were met by a bellman driving a golf cart at the bottom of the hill.  Our luggage was loaded from the van to the cart along with me!  Jim and Debi followed on foot with our guide and met me in the reception area.  The Aressana Spa Hotel was to be our home for the next four days.  Eleanor, a lovely, friendly young lady from the reception staff sat with us in the lobby and did the necessary paperwork for us to check-in.  Afterwards, she took us on a tour of the hotel facilities that ended at our room.  The hotel itself is very elegant with a spa, restaurant, bar and large pool.  Our suite was such a surprise.  Not only was it well appointed, we had a private pool!  Oh my gosh!  Well, I say private, we shared it with three other rooms that were adjacent to ours.  Still, we would not have to go the the crowded pool but rather enjoy the sun and water right in the comfort of our suite.  What a treat!

We immediately went out to explore Fira, the capital of Santorini.  The view from the top was magnificent!  We stood at the edge looking down at the beautiful, blue sea below surrounded by the caldera.  Yes, caldera.  Santorini is actually a big caldera.  From above one cannot appreciate it fully but from the sea, the various layers that show all the eruptions are clearly seen.  Below, there were three cruise ships anchored; a sight we would become accustomed to as the days passed.

Unlike the other islands we had visited, Santorini is crawling with tourists.  Though it is unfathomable now, for much of its modern history, Santorini has been a place of extreme poverty.  Ironically, it is this hardship that created some of the island’s most unique features; the volcanic soil that allows assyrtiko and vinsanto wine varieties to flourish, and the sweetly curved bioclimatic dwellings intended to protect the environment and shield homeowners from the harsh sun.  Tourism slowly trickled starting in the 1980s and today, it is one of the most visited places in the world.  It is the dream destination, especially for honeymooners.  Beautiful beaches and sunsets beacon many to come.    

All this tourism creates problems for the locals and the environment.  Why?  Lack of potable water.  It only rains here once or twice a year and there are no rivers.  A few springs exist in the highest elevations but mainly water comes from desalination of the sea.  This water is good for cleaning and bathing but not for drinking or watering crops.  All drinking water must be brought to the island in plastic bottles; therefore they do not produce olive oil or grow crops like the other islands — but more about that later.  Santorini is a master of elegant tourism.  Anyone who has a house or property wants to cash-in by turning it into either a hotel or a B&B or some other type of private tourist destination.  In years past, the poorest of the people made caves in the sides of the cliffs and hills to create low cost housing.  Today, those very humble homes have been elevated to costly tourist accommodations.  The amount of cost for a hotel room or villa is staggering!  At Oia, some of the rooms cost $5,000 a night!  Too rich for our blood for sure.

But I digress.  We moved through the streets going up and down stairs over cobble stone walkways trying to take it all in.  We were shoulder to shoulder with tourists of all sorts.  The shops ranged from high end to street vendors.  Everything for haute couture to t-shirts was there if you had the price.  We could see immediately that things here were much more expensive than the other islands we visited.  After walking quite a bit, shopping as we went of course, we turned and headed back in the direction of the hotel.  Suddenly, we could hear folks talking loudly and hear laughter as a group of donkeys appeared in the walkway.  We had seen lots of donkeys on t-shirts and even some that advertised Red or Yellow Donkey Beer!  Why donkeys you may ask?  Well, from the base of the caldera where cruise ship patrons disembark to the top are 400 steps.  One must either climb all those steps or, yep, take a donkey to the top!  Oh my gosh.  Back in the day, donkeys were the only mode of transportation except for bicycles.  So you can see the significance of the donkey.  Of course, now donkeys are more of a bit of fun as there are cable cars to bring tourists to the top.

Back at the hotel, we showered and dressed for dinner.  Our destination was Naoussa Restaurant only a short walk from the hotel.  It sits on the edge of the caldera with a great view of the sunset.  Sunsets in Santorini are a must see for any tourist.  The restaurant was small and quaint and bustling with activity.  We settled at our table and perused the menu filled with Greek delicacies.  We had traditional Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, capers and of course Feta cheese, no lettuce.  Funny, we all ended up ordering chicken with lemon sauce on rice for Jim and Debi and pasta for me.  A compliment of pita with olive oil rounded out our table.  There is only one word for the food, delicious!

Soothing music played as we ordered and began eating.  Then suddenly, traditional Greek music started playing and the volume ratcheted up several decibels.  An older gentleman, threw his arms out to his sides, began to dance shouting Opa!  This was followed by the sound of plates crashing to the floor, shattering in to bits and pieces.  It was a bit of a shock but then we remembered that Eleanor had told us we would be there for the breaking of the plates.  If you have seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you would remember this custom.  It was a raucous, fun evening filled with food, beer and laughter.  Oh, how we love Greece!

While all this was going on, the sun slowly sank below the horizon.  The sky filled with color and everyone enjoyed a sense of peace as the day gave way to the night.  We left the restaurant sated and happy.  Sleep was not far away but first, a game or two of Uno Flip, a wicked twist to Uno that we had started playing each evening before bed.  Perhaps tonight I might actually win!

Athens

The day dawned sunny and clear, a perfect day to tour Athens.  We met Maria, our guide in the lobby and headed off for an adventure.  Needless to say, there are many sights to see in Athens.  One of the first things we saw was the changing of the guard at the Parliament and tomb of the unknown soldiers of WWII. These are not just ceremonial guards but actual soldiers.  In Greece, all men must serve, just how long I am not sure.  These guards are firstly volunteers.  They must meet certain height requirements and must be pleasing to the eye — mmmm, eye candy!  They wear traditional dress that includes a type of Fez with a long tassel.  Then they wear long, heavy stockings that extend up their thighs. 

Their shoes are red, pointed and topped with a type of black Pom Pom.  The soles of the shoes traditionally have nails in the heels but the more modern ones use taps.  They wear these so they can make sounds as they walk and other scrapes they make.  I cannot begin to do justice describing how they march but to say they make the “goose step” we see Russian, German and Chinese do look like child’s play. 

They move in precise, slow steps that include raising their legs parallel to the ground while moving their arms backwards parallel to the ground.  This position is held for several seconds before they proceed.  They were amazing to watch.  The guard changes every hour because it is brutal to stand completely still in the heat in heavy, wool clothing.  Another guard dressed in camouflage uniform will go to each of the guards and adjust their stance and wipe their faces of perspiration.  Their uniforms have a heavy jacket and a skirt with a type of slip beneath that has 400 pleats representing the 400 years Greece was under Ottoman rule before finally gaining independence. On Sundays, they are dressed in white.  Each soldier will stand three times in a day and serve in the guard for a period of six months.  Really is a sight to see.

Next we went to see the Parthenon.  In route, we passed the National Gardens that we had visited the day before and other ruins that are under restoration and are encased in scaffolding.  Vehicles can only take people to the parking lot below the Parthenon.  From there, we walked up steep sidewalks and climbed lots and lots of steps all packed with tourists. 

All along the way, Maria explained how this structure was built and the various Gods and Goddesses that were worshiped.  It is such an amazing structure built from marble mostly and carved with so many amazing figures.  Naturally, having stood for hundreds of years they are worn and broken and lots of them missing altogether.  Before Greece won their independence the ruler decided that he wanted to take the best of the carvings back to his palace.  Later, many found their way to the British Museum.  Greece has been trying to get them returned but so far no go.

Just below the Parthenon are the ruins of an open air amphitheater.  In ancient times, it was the place where plays were presented.  Only men were allowed to perform so they wore masks to represent the characters they were portraying.  The structure is still being used today for concerts.  It will hold 4,000 people.

After the Parthenon, we went to the museum that has been built to display and inform people about the Parthenon.  They made the decision to remove all the originals and display them in the museum.  Duplicates were created that are on the site; pretty smart I think.  The museum itself sits atop an active archeological site.  There are glass floors scattered all over the museum so you can see what they have uncovered, amazing.  The upper floor of the museum is designed to mimic the actual structure.  Steel columns are placed to represent the actual columns.  The walls are sectioned in large squares the size of the actual art.  Some squares are white plaster instead of the actual art.  They were able to go to Britain and cast the real pieces so they know exactly what they look like.  Some areas were blank as the art has been lost or destroyed and they do not know exactly how they looked.  The east and west side of the building was open and allowed entry.  Above the openings were a series of statues many of which are missing.  Plaster cast pieces are there so we could see how magnificent they were.  All in all, it was amazing and very educational.

Afterwards, we left our guide and headed off to the Platka or old part of the city shopping area.  We enjoyed roaming through the shops and eateries and picking up a few items to take home.  Of course we got a bit displaced but eventually found our way back to the hotel area.  We were all weary so decided an early dinner was in order.  We dined at a different street cafe from the previous night.  The food was good and the atmosphere pleasant.  Another day gone.  Tomorrow we head out for a ferry ride to Milos.  For now, early to bed, early to rise.