Santorini

Santorini is an island in the Cyclades Islands that form a group southeast of the main portion of Greece. The island was once part of a large volcano that suffered a massive eruption in 1628, blew apart, and left a caldera, the largest part of which is Santorini. Naturally, the entire area consists of volcanic rock and pumice and is beautiful in its many different-colored layers. The villages of Santorini cling to the rim of this caldera and sit high above the sea, so that one has to travel either by a cable car or donkey (really!) to reach them. Actually, we were picked up at another area where tour buses can gather, but we did find our way back to the ship at the end of the day via the cable car. This was one of the ports where we had to use tenders (small boats) to move between our ship and the shore. The buildings are mostly white, although there is lots of the Greek blue color mixed in. They are stacked one atop another and so are sometimes described as the sugar cube villages.

After our tour bus reached the top of the caldera, we drove to the highest point on the island to Mount Profitis Ilias. Along the way, our guide described some of the local crops, including pistachios and grapes. Grape vines are quite different here. They are trained close to the ground and wrapped into circles. The grapes are trained to grow in the interior of the vine circles so that they are protected from winds, including the blowing pumice, and also so that they can benefit from natural humidity, because the islands receive infrequent rains. There were beautiful red poppies growing everywhere too. The views from the top of the mountain were quite dramatic, and we could see out to sea a very long way as well as seeing virtually all of the island, including its agricultural areas on the eastern side. Looking down at our big ship sitting in the middle of the caldera was very picturesque. Unfortunately, we caught Santorini on one of its cloudy, hazy days, and without the sun, I think the natural beauty of the area was somewhat diminished. Sunsets are supposed to be quite dramatic here, but we had no chance to see one.

Next we were driven to the northernmost village of Oia (prounounced “eeya”) and were given about two hours of free time to wander through shops, see other vistas, see panoramas of the “sugar cubes”, and enjoy cafes if we wished. We chose to spend most of our time in a secluded café with a great view of the sea to the north. There we had two excellent snacks and some Greek beers and coffee. One snack was large black olives, stuffed with cream cheese, then dipped in a beer batter and deep fried. There were served with fresh lettuce and had an olive oil balsamic glaze drizzled over them. Yum! Second, we had a tart, made from corn meal, and filled with eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, an unsalted white Greek cheese, feta cheese, and oregano. This was baked and looked something like a quiche when served to us. Yum again! I chose to polish this off with the Greek coffee and an excellent piece of baklava. We purchased a largish bag of pistachios on our way back to the ship.

We returned to the ship later via the cable car. Santorini has been described by many to us as one of the most beautiful of all places to visit. We very much enjoyed it but imagine that it would be most beautiful on a bright sunny day, with blue skies, the blue sea, and the “sugar cubes” all blending together. I found it geologically, geographically, architecturally, and culturally very fascinating, nevertheless.

Later in the evening, the Indonesian crew performed for us. They had put together a complete show with funny bits, native dances, songs, and a humorous “1000 hands dance.” This is our fourth cruise, and these Indonesian and Pilipino crew members are always so friendly, helpful, and accommodating.