Chris and I are waiting at the ferry terminal relieved that the ferries are running and changing our tickets was relatively painless. A lot of wind and no ferries delayed our departure to Naxos by one day. The unexpected change in our itinerary was perhaps the best day we had on the island.
We sat at our favorite cafe in Pygros to have one last coffee before changing hotels in another village. There were people tending to the plants around the outdoor cafe, feral cats looking for laps and elderly people living their best life. We had prime seating on the patio with a view of the “village center” where the bus stop met the main road. I saw busloads of tourist get dropped of, people waiting for a the world’s most unreliable bus, chaotic traffic and donkeys hauling stuff up and down the village. We made our way down the hill to Megalochori, dropped off our bags and went wine tasting at Galavos winery. Only one taxi required for the day. We sampled rare local varietals and got a tour of the 300 yr old winery. There were century old oak barrels from Russia still in use! Afterwards we explored the village and watched the sunset.
I was drawn to Santorini for two reasons: Minoan history and the geology of the island.
Minoan civilization is fascinating and I wanted to see Akrotiri, a colony of the empire outside of Crete. The ruins and artifacts discovered are well preserved thanks to a volcanic eruption bigger than Pompeii. The archeological site, a work in progress, showed the city’s multi-story buildings, the town triangle, sewage lines, hot/cold pipes and storerooms and much more. The excavation site displayed the city as it was, unlike Knossos that was rebuilt using historically inaccurate materials. The colorful frescos, displayed in the Museum, showed scenes from everyday life. The glimpse into life 3,500 years ago is fascinating. The pottery, jewelry, cookware, coffins show we have much in common with our ancestors. The basics don’t seem to have evolved much.
We spent one day hiking from Fira to Oia. The scenic hike wrapped the coastline through villages along the coast. The hike was nice once we got out of the congested cities. We finished in Oia where we watched the sunset. We also spent time on a boat tour that took us out to the volcano crater and hot spring. Santorini was a very beautiful island and the sunsets were magical. I suppose that’s why it’s a popular destination. We encountered 6 cruise ships one day and 3 ships another in October. Very grateful we stayed in villages outside of the two main cities.
Another highlight on Santorini was the new friends we made (bus friends and boat friends). We met up for drinks, climbed to the castle in Pyrgros and fell victims to medieval Venetian fortress defense tactics. Our detour down the hill dumped us out of the village a good 10 minutes away from the center. We found a local tavern, drank some wine and parted ways.
I’m glad we visited, however, I don’t think I’ll return. First, the island has no safe drinking water!!! Everyone, locals and tourist alike, are dependent on bottled water. With bottled water comes the issue of plastic pollution and litter E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. Very unsustainable. Second, I had a hard time finding culture on Santorini outside of aggressive selling and feeling extorted. There were specks for tradition here and there, but the pulse was weak.
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