Santorini

Two happy girls loving Santorini

Saturday 21 June

Summer solstice and I am lying on a sun bed by the pool at our hotel reflecting on our days on the island of Santorini.  In some ways this place is a tourist trap but no one could deny the spectacular beauty of the the island, the friendliness of the locals and the sheer joy of basking under the Mediterranean sun!  Today is calm and already warm - a relief from the strong winds of yesterday and Thursday evening.  We are told that the wind called the meltemi is common in August but unusual for this time of year.  Anyway it seems that our last day here will be perfect.

Thursday 19 June

We departed Mykonos on the 10.15 ferry, briefly stopping at Naxos Island, and after passing many other islands, arrived at the port around 2 pm wondering how we would be transported up the 300 metre high sheer cliffs of the caldera.  All along the top of the cliff white villages sparkled in the sunshine.  What a spectacular way to arrive!

Arriving at Santorini.  Not sure how we get to our village at the top of the cliffs!

In no time at all we were off the ferry and winding up a very scary road to the top of the cliffs being assured by Lisa that our local bus driver was very experienced and competent.  Our hotel, Andromeda Villas, tumbles down the cliff in the village of Imerovigli, the highest of these clifftop towns and has spectacular views over the whole caldera right to the most northerly town, Oia.  Best for viewing the sunset according to Lisa.  Although marginally less luxurious than our Mykonos hotel it is nevertheless very nice and five star with a fab pool area and of course it is all about the views which are indeed spectacular.

Arriving via the roof top at Andromeda Villas Hotel - Oia in the distance

It was quickly into swim gear and sunbeds by the pool for the afternoon.  Jess arrived from her hotel in Thira - just a few minutes away by bus or cab.  The pool bar provided a nice lunch so we were all set.  Our room has amazing views across the caldera to the smaller islands of Santorini.

View from our room at Andromeda Villas

At 6 pm Lisa took us walking along the clifftop footpath which leads from our hotel in Imerovigli to Thira, the main town on the island.  It is a twenty minute walk but with numerous photo stops our journey was much longer.

Amazing views along the clifftop walk to Thira

The cliffs rise 1000 ft above the caldera that was formed by a huge volcanic eruption around 1620 BC.  On the far side of the caldera are a couple of smaller islands and with the curve of the big island in a crescent shape it is easy to see what Santorini would have looked like pre-eruption.  Clinging to the side of the cliffs and along the top are white-washed holiday villas, resorts, hotels, little churches and restaurants. The views almost defy description, particularly in the evening light.

Caldera clifftop walk  - looking down to Thira

 During our walk the wind strengthened quite noticeably - almost a gale really - leaving Lisa muttering about strange weather patterns. We finally reached Thira which was buzzing with shoppers, diners and locals on motorbikes.  As I had left Jess and Caroline by the pool at the hotel I returned and we enjoyed a lovely meal sheltering behind the glass screens of the pool bar, but still in full view of the spectacular sunset - every bit as mind blowing as the travel advertisements claim - no photo-shopping needed.  Because of a hazy atmosphere (dust particles blowing across from Africa apparently) the setting sun was a huge ball of red. Breathtaking!  With the wind howling by now we were happy to climb the stairs to our room and shut out the weather.  Tour time again tomorrow.

Thira from the cliff path

Friday 20 June


The wind was still blowing as Caroline and I took an early morning walk along the cliff path.  Not quite so squinty this morning with the sun coming up behind us as we walked.  Instead of returning via the town we continued on the path and promptly became lost in the maze of clifftop lanes that zig-zag amongst the hotels and guest houses.

Early morning on the cliff path, Santorini

 We did make it back in time for breakfast and a 9 am departure on our island tour.

Early morning sun on Oia from our hotel entrance

The first visit of the day was the picturesque village of Megalochori, set amongst the vineyards in the southern part of Santorini.  Besides having a very pretty main square the village also has ruins of houses destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 1956 when 70% of the island's buildings were destroyed.

Megalochori Town Square

From Megalochori we travelled a few kilometres to the buried city of Akrotiri (the Pompei of Santorini).  The city was partially destroyed by an earthquake a few weeks before the giant eruption (which also created the caldera) buried the site.  This eruption and subsequent tsunami was also destroyed the Minoan civilisation on Crete.
Akrotiri was discovered by a local people in 1867 but serious excavations did not commence until 1967.  At present only part of the city has been exposed and the fragile pumicestone structures are sheltered from the elements by a huge roof with angled skylights. Visitors view the excavations - the houses, streets, commercial buildings - from an elevated boardwalk which encircles the site.   Strangely no human remains have been discovered here so it is a bit of a mystery as to where the population went.  They possibly abandoned the city during the earthquakes which preceded the eruption. I guess sometime in the future archaeologists will solve this puzzle.

Ruins at Akrotiri

Our next stop for the day was the famous Red Beach on he southern tip of Santorini.  It is a rather grim looking beach overshadowed by high red coloured volcanic lava cliffs - not the kind of place for a pleasant seaside holiday and in fact it is part of the Akrotiri archaeological reserve, so no swimming or camping.

Jess and Caroline at Red Beach

For something completely different we were taken to Perivolos on the 7 km long black sand beach of Perissa.  Here we kicked back in sunloungers beside the sea and ordered an excellent lunch from the restaurant across the road.  A very energetic waiter transfered food and drink to us and we enjoyed a lovely couple of hours swimming, sunbaking and snoozing under our straw umbrellas.

Perivolos Beach

Our next  island experience on the tour was a hair-raising ascent to the top of Santorini's highest point, Profitas Ilias, at 1800metres.  From the top the whole island can be viewed and the entire crescent shape of the caldera is plainly visible.  Santorini is an island without water - very brown and dry - so it is surprising to see grape vines and tomatoes thriving in the volcanic soil.

High up on Profitas Ilias Mountain

 Fortunately the wind dropped off this afternoon so were were not blown off the mountain top!  We bought delicious cherries from a road side stand (they come from northern Greece) and then half way down the mountain we stopped for a brief walking tour of one of Santorini's prettiest villages, Pyrgos which is surrounded by vineyards.

Fun in Pyrgos

There we enjoyed Greek coffee and ice cream with views over the countryside on the terrace of a hillside cafe.

Views from the cafe, Pyrgos

The tour finished back at the hotel - such a varied and interesting day and thankfully the gale-force winds had turned into a gentle breeze.
 Jess and Caroline indulged in chocolate body therapy and massage while I enjoyed a couple of hours by the pool, chatting with other guests and managing to get a nice tan without turning red.   At 8.30 we had a booking for a highly recommended Imerovigli restaurant and oh what a gastronomic delight.  Definitely our best meal in Greece!
Entrees
Grilled octopus
Zucchini balls
Spicey cheese
Cretan barley bread with tomatoes, onion and feta
Mains:
Roast beef and pasta
Chicken souvlaki and baked potato
Lamb and rice with cream sauce
The owner (a friend of Lisa) then presented us with a typical Greek desert and a very good "digestive" wine (locally produced).  The local red and white wines we had with our meal were superb too.
Caroline and Jessica decided to check out the nightlife of Thira after dinner and I was happy to relax at the hotel and sleep.

Saturday 21 June
Our last full day in Santorini and the weather was perfect. Hot, sunny and clear with just a hint of a breeze.  We settled onto daybeds beside the pool right after breakfast and only moved when necessary for a swim.

Poolside, Andromeda Villas Hotel with Oia in the distance

  The pool bar boys supplied food, drink and good cheer and with the stunning backdrop of the caldera it was pretty close to paradise.

A day by the pool, Andromeda Villas

We decided that we would enjoy the hotel facilities for the day and then join Lisa and some of our group on an evening excursion to Oia at the northern tip of the island for dinner, shopping and the sunset spectacular - best free entertainment going!
We caught the local bus which then sped along a winding road with little regard for other traffic or the sheer descent to the plains below at the edge of the road.  It was certainly a route with a view, but we were happy to arrive without mishap.

Arriving in Oia for the "sunset show"

 Although it was 7.30 pm the sun was still quite high and casting a lovely golden glow across the village - again white buildings tumbling down the cliffs. As we walked through Oia we had a magnificent view of the caldera and its precariously perched villages.

Looking towards Andromeda Villas(the highest point on the cliff) from Oia

 Far below a couple of cruise ships lying at anchor just offshore looked tiny.  We wandered through the streets of Oia, admiring the trendy stores and finally reached the northern tip of the town which is dominated by an old windmill.

Oia overlooks the caldera on the northern tip of Santorini

Here ( thanks to Lisa's contacts) we scored front line seats at her friend's bar and settled down with our drinks to wait the sunset show.

Waiting for the sunset

The famous windmill at Oia

 Being the longest day of summer we had a bit of a wait but our patience was rewarded with a wonderful view of the setting sun and the sky filled with brilliant colour.

Sunset begins

The fame Oia and the Santorini sunset is certainly well justified.  It is a magical sight, enhanced by the simplicity of the white-washed houses and the silhouette of the windmill.  The sky remained quite light for some time after the sun disappeared and we strolled through the streets enjoying the ambiance until we reached Flora's restaurant where we dined on the rooftop terrace - more lovely views across the island and the sea as darkness descended and lights began to twinkle.  We made the return journey to Imerovigi by taxi, well delighted with our stay on this fabulous island and a little sorry that we would be leaving so soon - early next day.

The amazing and beautiful Santorini sunset, viewed from Oia

Mykonos

Monday 16 June
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The beginning of our second week in Greece and a very early start to the day.  We were packed , fed and transported to Piraeus (the port in Athens) for a 7 am departure on the ferry to Mykonos - a lovely sunny morning with the port already busy and gigantic cruise ships wallowing at the piers.  They are truly ugly monsters holding no appeal at all.   Only 11 of our original tour party took the island hopping option so it was easy for Lisa to keep track of us and our luggage on the crowded ferry.  The ferry was very comfortable and sped through the glassy waters very smoothly, stopping briefly en route at the island of Tinos.
Our first view of Mykonos gave the impression of a large, hilly brown landscape dotted with white buildings.  Sailing into the New Port we could see the town of Mykonos spread around a wide bay and looking very pretty under seriously blue skies.

First view of Mykonos Town from the ferry

Our transfer bus drove across the top of the town, past several bays and then down a short steep driveway to deposit us at the entrance of the St John Hotel and Resort.  We were ushered into the lobby and out onto a large covered balcony where the splendour of the location was revealed, leaving us gasping and very excited.  The resort tumbles down the hillside to a small beach and guests can either walk the stairways between groups of low rise villas housing hotel rooms or be driven in electric cars to their accommodation.  On the lowest level, before the steps down to the beach is a gorgeous complex of pools, restaurants and sunlounging areas.  The gardens that surround the buildings are filled with olive trees, oleanders, and lots of flowers.
 Caroline and I were thrilled with our room - a beautiful bathroom/ dressing room, a quiet twin bedded sleeping area, then through an archway a very comfortable and well furnished living space with French doors opening onto a huge terrace.  What a place - and of course views to the sea.  We were midway down the hill but with great access to the pool area which is where we headed immediately to wait for Jessica.  Jess had flown to Mykonos from London the night before and was staying at a little hotel in the middle of Mykonos Town.  She joined us for our week on the islands - great to see her again.

Enjoying the pool, St John Resort, Mykonos

After a lovely afternoon by the pool we met Lisa and caught the local bus to the town (about 15 minutes) for a walking tour, beginning with the famous row of windmills which overlook the "Little Venice" area and down through the narrow streets filled with restaurants, shops and pretty houses. It was fun to meet some of our former travelling companions whose small cruise ship was anchored at the port.

Little Venice, Mykonos Town

Windmills overlooking Mykonos Town

Once out of sight of the water the town can be very confusing - a jumble of little white walled lanes that twist and turn and all look the same!  Eventually we emerged at the Old Port and received our instructions about bus/taxi transport back to the hotel.

Landscape, Mykonos

We opted to return to the hotel and eat in the lovely restaurant above the pool, enjoying the sunset and views across the sea to the island of Delos.  What a place - I think I will stay forever!

Caroline and Jessica - sunset views, St John Resort Mykonos

Tuesday 17 June
Nothing organised for today so we were free to do as we wished.   Deciding that we were already in one of the nicest places on the island so we ambled down to a scrumptious breakfast and installed ourselves on sunbeds by the pool.

View from our room - St John Resort, Mykonos

It was lovely to relax, swim and sunbathe after a very full schedule of travelling in Greece. We have made some super friends on the tour so it is good to hang out with them as well.  Later in the day a couple of our tour mates who had been taking buses all around the island told us that they considered our beach at Aghios Ioannes the best on the island.

Sunset view of the beach at St John Resort

  After a nice lazy morning we caught the bus to town and embarked upon some shopping.

Jessica - shopping in Mykonos Town

 Mykonos caters for everyone, from back-packers to billionaires on super yachts and the stores are similarly diverse. We did well at a mid-price boutique which was having a sale and then wandered down  to the old port for coffee.

Coffee break - Old Port, Mykonos Town

We also called by at Hotel Pinelopi where Jess is staying - a very pretty little hotel with a gorgeous courtyard garden right in the centre of Mykonos Town - very handy for staying out late at night!

Caroline and Jessica, Hotel Pinelopi, Mykonos Town

 The lure of the St John Resort was eventually too much for us so we were soon back to the poolside.  Tonight Caroline and Jessica sampled the night life and stayed in the town at Jessica's hotel.  I was more than happy to laze about at St John.  The sunsets are gorgeous - the resort faces west so we get the full benefit of the beautiful display.

Jessica - seeing the sights of Mykonos

Wednesday 18 June
Another stunning day on Mykonos and another opportunity to spend the day by the pool and on the beach.  The wait staff keep us well supplied with food and drink and the whole experience is totally relaxing.  Mykonos Town is a bit crazy with tourists - so many cruise ships dock here!

St John Resort, Aghios Ioannes, Mykonos

 Late in the afternoon we met up with our tour party and caught the bus to town where we boarded the ferry for an escorted visit to the island of Delos, just 30 minutes away.  Delos is one of the most scared of the ancient sites of Greece and the ruins of the city are very extensive, covering the shoreline and hillsides.

Delos ruins

Here we learnt a lot more about the ancient Greek civilisation and the way that the myths and legends are intertwined with human history.  The streets and buildings that remain demonstrate the sophisticated nature of the society.

Delos

 Of course the most famous statues are the Delos lions - replicas stand outdoors and the originals are in various museums, including the small one on the island, where they are protected from the elements,

Lions of Delos

The island is a rather dismal place in reality - very rocky and brown and of course now uninhabited apart from the rangers who stay to protect the place.

Rocky Delos - from the ferry

On our return to Mykonos we headed to a restaurant recommended by Lisa which is situated in a pretty square overhung with bougainvillea and olive trees. The sun was going down and the port looked very pretty in the evening light.

Evening light - Jessica at Mykonos Old Port

The food was excellent and we enjoyed the local wine as well. The town was humming with World Cup  football supporters - Australia playing tonight but unfortunately no luck there!

Dinner time - Mykonos Town

 It was a bit of a wait in a queue for a taxi back to St John but we thoroughly enjoyed our last evening on the island.

Evening at Mykonos Old Port

Ancient Greece

 Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Our travels around Greece have been fantastic but time for blogging has been very limited and Internet connections in most places were either non-existent or unreliable.  Our days started with a visit to an ancient site, followed by lunch and then a few hours in the nicely air-conditioned bus to the next destination. Every night we have had a dinner arranged so time out has been minimal.  All this worked extremely well as we were able to climb about the sites early before the heat and crowds.  At each place we had an excellent  local guide and I would never have imagined that piles of old rock could be so interesting.

Friday 13 June

Our visit to Delphi  which dates from 510 BC began with a short drive along a mountain road with spectacular views to the valley a very long way below.   The Delphi site being on a mountainside involves lots of climbing uphill and many stairs.  This is the location of the Temple of Apollo from where the Oracle of Delphi dispensed her words of wisdom to those who sought her advice.  From what I can gather very few life decisions were made without consulting the Oracle.  Delphi was visited by people from all over Greece and there was a huge market (agora), the remains of which are visible along the Sacred Way - the road leading to the temple.  One of the treasuries was reconstructed in the early days of archaeological excavations at the site - today's archaeologists frown upon such reconstruction apparently.

The reconstructed treasury at Delphi

After learning all about the Oracle and the Temple we were able to ascend the path up the hill to the huge and well preserved theatre and on up again through the forest to the stadium which is also very recognisable as a sporting arena.  It is a very peaceful place with only birdsong to be heard.  I love the way weeds and wildflowers are left to grow through the ruins.  The view over the whole site from the top is pretty amazing.
Near the entrance to the site is a modern museum which contains most of the statues and artifacts found on the site - now cleaned and protected from the elements.

Delphi - the theatre and ruins of the Temple of Apollo

Following a fascinating morning of exploring the ruins at Delphi we set off down to the coast and stopped in the seaside resort of Itea for lunch beside the sea.  The food was rather ordinary but the location could not be faulted.  Itea does have rather a run-down look about it but this is true of many of the Greek towns we have passed through.  The dreadful economic difficulties of Greece are very obvious all around the country.
After lunch the drive towards Olympia in the Peloponnese region took us westward to Patra with the blue waters of the sea on the left and high mountains, villages and fields of olive trees to the right.  A very scenic drive although it did become a bit cloudy for a while. We stopped for refreshments at Nafpaktos, with its pretty harbour and remnants of Venetian castles and fortifications.

Harbourside refreshments, Nafpaktos - a Greek wine, mavrodafni

After crossing the Gulf of Corinth on the impressive Rio-Antirio bridge we took the motorway past Patras and with the Ionian Sea on our right, drove south to Olympia which is in a fertile river valley not far from the coast.  Here the landscape changed from dry and barren mountains to lush rolling hills and fields of vegetables and citrus and olive trees.  There is a huge export industry for produce in this region and the port of Patras is very important to the Greek economy.
Our hotel in Olympia was situated on a hill overlooking the town and was very charming - a real country inn.
A wonderful buffet dinner was prepared for us but prior to eating we had the opportunity to try cooking some Greek delicacies for ourselves, under the direction of the hotel chef and the owner.  We made dolmades, cheese pies, tzatziki and zucchini balls - all very yummy and lots of fun.  After dinner a young Greek fellow taught us some Greek dance steps and we had a wonderful evening full of good food, music, laughter, dancing and smashing plates.In the interests of workplace health and safety plates for smashing are these days made of papier-mache.
 Everyone agreed that it was one of the best dining experiences of the trip so far.

Saturday 14 June

Another early start and we were soon at the site of the Ancient Olympics and being introduced to our guide Patti.   After touring the museum we crossed through a pretty park and entered the Olympic complex - wow!   Here there are ruins of temples, gymnasiums, a five star hotel, and of course the stadium itself.  The ruins cover an extensive area and wonderful old trees give shade and great beauty to the site.

The ruins of the temple which contained the 13 metre high gold and ivory statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Patti explained how the games were organised and showed us where the Olympic torch is lit for modern day Olympic Games.  It is a wonderful site to stroll about and imagine life as it would have been in 700 BC.  The excavation of the site is not yet complete and it is interesting to see how this painstaking work is carried out.

Stadium of the Ancient Olympics, Olympia

After visiting the site we drove back to Olympia and had lunch in the middle of this small and pretty town.  With its tree lined streets and pretty houses Olympia has a lovely tranquil atmosphere.

Main street, Olympia

 There was time for a little shopping as well and then a bus trip through the hills of the central Peloponnese to the eastern seaboard and the amazing town of Nafplion which proved to be a favourite of everyone.   Our hotel was the Nafplion Palace, a rather grim looking stone building high on the hill above the town, however once inside we were thrilled with the spectacular views over the bay to the mountains beyond.  There is a small fortified island in the middle of the bay which is quite enchanting.

Caroline on the balcony of our room at Nafplion Palace Hotel

Lisa took us on a walking tour of the town - beautiful little cobbled streets and lovely old buildings which seem well preserved and again the Venetian influence is obvious.  Being within easy distance of Athens, Nafplion is a favourtie weekend getaway spot.

Nafplion town below the old fortress

   The final treat for the day was a delicious celebration dinner in the hotel restaurant where the views of the sunset were nothing short of brilliant.  We all had a most wonderful evening and joined with Martha and Mike from the USA in celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  A place one could spend more than one night quite happily.

Sunset from the hotel restaurant, Nafplion

Sunday 15 June

The last day of our mainland tour and a day to farewell many of our fellow travellers who will be going on a 4 day cruise instead of doing the island hopping program.  We began the day with a short drive to Epidauros to visit the museum and huge, largely intact amphitheatre which dates from the 4th Century BC.  First stop on this visit was a tour of the small museum dedicated to the history of the cult of Asklepios, god of medicine.  The Sanctuary of Asklepios was very important from the 6th Century BC and the amphitheatre became famous for theatrical productions which continue to this day.   It is very well preserved and maintained and the acoustics are certainly impressive.  Caroline and I climbed to the top level and were rewarded with lovely views of the surrounding hills and valleys.

Epidauros

As the sun became more intense we drove 45 minutes towards Athens and made our last visit on the mainland - to the magnificent site of Mykinnes - home of the Mycenaean civilisation which lasted from 1600 to 1100 BC.  Again there is a lovely museum which protects the unearthed artifacts from further environmental damage - it is amazing to see how complex and beautiful many of the ceramics and sculptures are considering that the tools used at the end of the Bronze Age were by our standards, very primitive.
After exploring the museum we climbed the hill, through the famous Lioness Gate and entered the ruins of the great city.
 

Lionness Gate, Mycenae

The ruins of the ancient city of Mycenae are substantial in size and spread over a mountain top with all encompassing views to the sea and mountains.  The cultivated land below is covered with olive trees as far as the eye can see.  From this vantage point the rugged nature of the Peloponnese is clearly seen.

Ruins, olives and mountains, Mycenae

  We also visited the rather bizarre beehive shaped tomb of King Argememnon who was murdered by his wife's lover.  It is a very large structure and the lintel over the entrance is a single stone which weighs 120 tons - how ever did they get it up there in 1250 BC?
 The day was very hot and we were glad to be back on the bus eventually, stopping at a nearby village for a tasty lunch - Greek home cooking and local wine. We were treated to a visit to a pottery nearby where traditional Mycenaen ceramics are still produced.  Our final stop en route back to Athens was a brief one to view the incredibly skinny Corinth Canal which permits ships to avoid the lengthy journey around the Peloponnese when travelling from the west to the Aegean Sea.

Corinth Canal looking eastwards to the Aegean

  By late afternoon we were back in our hotel in Athens making preparations to depart for the islands early next morning.  This evening we were taken to the Plaka district which was humming with diners and shoppers until late.  Our farewell meal was the only real disappointment of this week - a crowded touristic restaurant packed with tour groups, a dodgy band playing Greek music very loudly and quite frankly awful food.  Certainly not value for money.   Caroline and I look forward to returning to this area of the city after our island tour next week.
I have loved travelling through Greece and visiting the sites that have been familiar since school days.  Sometimes it was very difficult to know where mythology ended and real history began, so intermingled are the two in Greek culture.It is rather disheartening to see the devastating effects of the economic crisis as one moves around the country and to hear the stories of hardship recounted by our wonderful Tour Manager, Lisa.   Without Lisa this tour would not have been half as much fun, or half as well presented.  She really ensured that we all were taken care of and enjoyed ourselves.   Our fellow travellers have been a joy and it is sad to farewell many of them as they embark upon their mini-cruise.  Tomorrow a new adventure!