Here's to Santorini

Sam and I slept in today. When we awoke, we got dressed and ate some cereal. Then, we walked into town and caught the bus to Kamari. From there, we searched for the way to Ancient Thira. Sam had read in a guidebook that there was a footpath leading to the ruins and we wanted to take it. Long story short, we found that we were much too late to walk to the ruins, which were atop a mountain. Even if we took the bus, we would only have a half hour before the site closed. We took a mini-bus up the mountain. It was really nerve-wracking as the bus swerved back and forth up the mountain. Finally it parked in a little promenade and Sam and I had to walk further up the mountain to see the ancient city.

WTF, Ancient Thirans?!?! Why would you build you settlement on the top of a mountain, when there is clearly primo real estate closer to sea level? That said, the ruins were pretty cool. Most of the structures were from about the third century BC. The amphitheater was especially cool. It looked out over the cliff, so the ocean would be the back drop for any performance.

Then we had to book it back down so we didn’t miss the bus. We rode down and went to the beach. Not having planned to spend time at the beach, we didn’t have bathing suits, so we just sat there, soaking in the scenery and trying to make our final hours on Santorini last.


Back in Karterados, we rested for a few hours before going to dinner. Tonight, we tried another small restaurant in town called Fish Taverna (it also had a longer, Greeker name, but is has escaped me). It was a lovely little place with light wood furnishings and vines winding up the walls. The whole effect made the restaurant look like a tree house. We also liked Fish Taverna because the waitstaff had a inordinate number of very attractive men. Indeed, Sam and I discussed how we thought the average looking Greek was about a 7 on American scales. Just one more thing that makes Greece a great vacation destination. Anywho, Sam and I were still resolved to try new foods, so Sam got Stuffed Vegetables and I had Chicken Schnitzel a la Crème. Sam’s was really good; mine was basically breaded chicken. After dinner, we walked to Thira to do some shopping.



Sam and I both agreed that we had grown quite attached to Santorini. In the short time we had been there, we had become very familiar with the island, and especially with Karterados. We walked into town everyday and went to almost every establishment there. And Stavros and his family were so kind that we felt at home.

Tomorrow, we leave for our next adventure. It will be sad to fly away from Santorini, but I'm definitely ready to do as the Romans do....