In the preceding months I have alternated between an intense desire to see the fabled volcanic island of Santorini and an equally potent gag reflex that surfaces every time one of the girls here giggles and references the filming location of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants ----> "Like, OMG, it's going to be sooooo super cool and stuff." Cringe. Tourist trap.
Upon return to sunny Paros from a splendid weekend expedition I have this to say: SANTORINI GOES FAR BEYOND AWESOME. I can see why the film studio just had to bite the bullet of expense (it's a wickedly pricey location) and shoot their flick there; it has some of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. And, in comparison with all of the other Greek islands I've seen, it is a unique natural treasure. (yeeeees, I'm aware that sounds like a terribly cliche and cheesy travel brochure, but its absolutely true).
For starters, as your boat pulls into the harbor of Fira, all you can see are cliff faces and the city built far above, silhouetted against the blue Mediterranean sky. You either have to walk up a series of killer stairs, take a donkey, ride their version of a ski lift, or attempt to traverse a scary winding road in one of their trusty rusty Greek buses. The adventure begins.
We spent Friday afternoon winding around the beautiful twilight streets and admiring postcard- perfect views. On Saturday we got up early and sleepily staggered down those aforementioned hundreds of steps in Fira to a waiting sailing ship that took us to the small uninhabited volcanic island in the middle of the caldera (Santorini is a big crescent moon shape; the interior being a collapsed volcanic crater that formed as a result of a HUGE eruption in the BC era -- thus the tales of Atlantis) and to a series of hotsprings where we got to lounge and paint ourselves tribal style with red oxidized mud. We went to another smaller satellite island for lunch, then headed to the town of Oia for some cliff jumping! Seriously. The Travelling Pants crew would have been proud. And so would have the Croc Hunter...I got some seriously crazy critter action when I stepped on a sea urchin (ooooh, bad karma) and had to yank its spines from my foot. OUCH.
We stayed in Oia for several hours after yet another trek up some massive stone stairs, waiting for the long-awaited world famous sunset which turned out to be perhaps the most colorful and spectacular sunset I've ever witnessed. As much affection as I have for Petoskey and its night time light show...Oia beat it. We went out for a night on the town under a full moon and danced until nearly sunrise. On Sunday after a not-quite-satisfying 3 hours of sleep, we trooped to the museum and attempted to absorb some history. Needless to say, the acres of identical pottery shards did little to resuscitate my tired legs. We finished our trip with gelatto and some shopping and cliff-side relaxation, then hopped the 4 hour ferry back to Paros.
It was a trip I'll never forget, and I really hope to go back someday. Touristy? Yes. I heard more English and saw more American pizza and bad Hawaiian shirts than I have during my entire time in Greece. Worth it? Absolutely. My verdict for Santorini is: best island destination yet. Aaaand quite possibly the lost civilization that Big Foot hunters hypothesize about. ;-)
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