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Farewell Santorini!

greek wanderings

Saturday, September 8:  This morning I take my time checking out of Villa Galinia.  The ferry for Athens doesn’t leave until 6:40 this evening, so I have a long day ahead.   I linger over breakfast, reorganize and re-pack my suitcase with all my new purchases, and then go back into Fira, where I take a little walk through the white-washed village one last time.

All day today, the wind is howling and whistling over the island, a bright & cheery tempest.  I wonder if this is the “weather” that the tour company warned about when I decided to take the fast ferry tonight.

I stop for lunch at Mama’s House, a Rick Steves-recommended restaurant.   According to Steves, this is a good budget choice with unpretentious Greek fare.  I order some tzatziki, a yogurt, cucumber and garlic appetizer, and some eggplant rolls.   As these are both “starters,” I…

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Akrotirion!

greek wanderings

Friday, September 7:  I return from the volcano trip to Villa Galinia, where I sit by the pool and relax, and then head out to explore Akrotírion.  I find a beautiful little church with a colorful and lively (!) cemetery out back.   It’s obvious that this little cemetery is well-tended by friends or relatives of the deceased who want to keep the memories of their loved ones alive!

I feel a lot of joy visiting this cemetery.  What a dichotomy, to find such a celebration of life in a place inhabited by the dead.

Click on any pictures below to see a full-sized slide show.

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a red beach in Santorini.

greek wanderings

Thursday, September 6:  The only beach I visit in Santorini is Red Beach, near Ancient Akrotiri, with its high red cliffs.  I’m actually not much in a beach mood here; for some reason I’m most interested in just admiring the landscape and the whitewashed villages.  But while here, I figure I should check out some of the beaches on the east and south coasts of Santorini.

Red Beach looks interesting enough, but for some reason doesn’t entice me for a swim.  I climb around a promontory over a rocky path and check it out.  Then I leave.  Would you be enticed to go swimming at this beach?

After checking this out, I return to Villa Galinia to have a beer on the deck, take a shower, and then head back to Oia for its spectacular sunset.

Click on any pictures in the gallery to see a larger slide…

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“unique sunset view” near akrotírion

greek wanderings

Wednesday, September 5: After deciding I don’t have the energy to stay in Oia for sunset, I drive south on the island and go back to Villa Galinia, where I take a short nap.  I  shower because I’m all hot and sweaty, and then I head up the island again to look for a good sunset view near my hotel in the south.

I come across a place called “Unique Sunset View.”  This is a place set up expressly for the purpose of viewing the sunset.  All the chairs face out toward the sea.  I happen to sit beside a British couple from Northampton, southeast of London, who are at the end of their week-long holiday.  They tell me about some of the things they have done here in Santorini;  one of them is taking a traditional boat tour to the volcano.  They say I should do that.  They also…

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my hotel in Santorini…

greek wanderings

Wednesday, September 5:  I arrive at my hotel, Villa Galinia, in Akrotírion within a half hour after I get my rental car.  I’m anxious to deposit my stuff and start exploring Santorini.  Akrotírion, as I said in an earlier post, is at the far southern end of Santorini, away from the bustle and crowds of Fira and the picturesque beauty of Oia.  Akrotírion has a different kind of beauty altogether, not like the whitewashed villages up north, but more like the earth-toned buildings and landscape of Crete.  I like the area’s windswept beauty, its southern view of the sea and the caldera, and its relative seclusion from the crowds.  This place becomes my peaceful little oasis while in Santorini.

The owners are a married Greek couple.  The wife is sweet and welcoming, despite the fact that she neither speaks nor understands much English.  She takes good care of…

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