After an overnight of travel, the boat made it to Santorini, one of the most beautiful, and beloved islands in the Cyclades chain. It is known for its whitewashed buildings and blue domes, but it turns out that there was one building I saw in Pepto Bismal pink! In my next life, I would love the white paint concession, as it would be an annuity for life!
After another incredible breakfast, we took a large tender to take around 46 of us, to Santorini, where we then boarded a bus to go into Fira, the main town. You can take a chairlift up the mountain, but our bus took us up the switchback road to the top, where the towns are located. You can see the road in the picture. How the buses maneuver the switchbacks, I have no idea.
Our first stop was a tour to Akrotiri of Thera, the amazing excavations that have been uncovered and continue to be uncovered, with Yanis, a trained archaeologist and our guide for the four hour visit. He was excellent. He gave a wonderful tour, exhibiting his vast knowledge, and participating in many of the work to unveil more and more of the history of this island.
We went to the site located in a covered building built exclusively for the purpose of protecting the ancient ruins of Santorini dating back 4,000 years. We found out that this civilization was very advanced, with a matriachal society where women had a high level of autonomy and power. the island was incredibly advanced. It had indoor plumbing (even using using bathtubs), light wells (skylights) in the homes, unique ways to store food, and the ability to make beer and wine.
Due to the geographical location of the island, the gateway from Africa Crete and beyond, it had a very prosperous economy, with many wealthy inhabitants. The island was much larger than it is now. It is actually a giant volcano, with the majority of the island below the water. In 1600 BCE, there was a catastrophic eruption, triggering tsunamis and ash fallout that blew most of the island away, leaving a crescent shape with two smaller islands (actually the center of the volcano) still evident. The bay inside of the crescent and center islands is called the caldera, with warm water that is still fed from the volcano far below. It is in the shape of a crescent. The eruption also caused the decline of the Minoan civilization on Crete, Greece’s largest island only 83 kilometers away. The area is still active, with small earthquakes regularly.
Santorini had many names, although the one that is remembered is Thera (or Thira). It was changed to its current name by the Venetians during Medieval times who wanted to honor Santa Irini (Saint Irene) referring to a church dedicated to this saint on the island.
After our tour, we went to Oia, a town near Fira, to see the iconic blue domes that you see in all the ads. It is a small, charming town, with minimal crowds. As it turned out, it is not uncommon to have three or four giant cruise ships at the island, with busloads of tourists descending on the streets. Today, there were no cruise ships in the morning, although one stopped there in the afternoon. We were fortunate to miss the busloads of people that came later in the day.
After a little time in Oia, we went to Fira to enjoy the capitol of the island, as well as have lunch. Sofia, our tour director, suggested a restaurant that offered excellent food, without a water view, at reasonable prices. Six of us found it easily and had a wonderful meal. Jim had moussaka for the first time and really enjoyed it. He is normally not an eggplant fan, but he hardly even noticed. I forgot to take a picture of it, but suffice it to say that it was presented beautifully.
Time to return to the tender for our return to the yacht. The harbor’s choppy water made the trip back to the boat challenging, as it was moving from side to side. A short time later, it was time for dinner, and it didn’t disappoint. It was Italian night and there were many choices, including chicken cacciatore, three types of pizza, tiramisu, and panne cote, not to mention salads and sides that were delicious. Our table companions were very interesting, allowing us to get to know more people on the boat.
Tomorrow, we will be in Crete, going on a tour of Knossos Castle. We planned to skip it, but after hearing more about it, we opted to go. Breakfast will have to be fairly early, as we start on the tour at 8:30. I need the sleep, since I was up for a few hours last night! Ugh!