Santorini- July 2, 2012
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| Sailing into Santorini |
Got up early to watch us sail into Santorini. This was once
an active volcano known as “Round Island” but a powerful volcanic explosion in
1620 BC blew it apart. A huge chunk of solid rock shot straight up in the air,
landing in the sea with such violent force, it spawned a catastrophic tidal
wave. Many scientists believe the disaster wiped out the late Minoan
civilization on Crete 70 miles away.
It looks like many separate islands but really it is one
piece of land mass. The watery separations are places where the remnants of the
volcano rim are submerged. The area is so deep that ships cannot anchor but
just stay in place through the engines. To go ashore passengers must use local tenders
so those boats are busily going back and forth from ship to shore all day.
We are at the base of the town of Fira, a charming,
pedestrian-friendly community of mostly shops and restaurants. It is the town
you most often see on travel posters of Greece- blue roofs, white buildings and
spectacular cliffs.
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| Cable Car to right and Donkey path to left |
We can see the cable car and also the donkey trail up the
hill. It is a steep, long way to Fira Town. But the area is so beautiful with
bright white houses sprinkled across the top of the hill and almost sliding
down the side. The beaches in the area
feature red, white and black sand. The
red and the black sand are volcanically created and absorb heat easily.
The Nashville part of the family rode donkeys down because the line was so long for the cable car. Bill's family walked down for the same reason. Bill and Ella spent some time playing a game on the iPad as some other rested or chatted.
The moon in the evening was spectacular and people came and
went from our suite. We had all shared dinner together and now was the time to relax and catch-up. Terrific fun!
posted by Jim and Elaine Barnett @ 11:50 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I, too, remember the donkeys and the steps slick with donkey doo! And we also chose to wait for the cable car down, which was so hot and long. And, just as we got to the cars, a tour person with a bunch of Japanese barged in front of all of us with tickets and tried to take the cars. All of us yelled and got furious!! Bos and another guy blocked the Japanese from getting on and we got safely down. We also had lunch at a restaurant, with a cooking class, and all I remember is that their zucchinis were pure white!!! I know what fun you are having. It is probably cooler there than here, where we are projected to have triple digits for the foreseeable future!!! UGH.
I also remember that, to get to the cable car, you had to pass through 100's of gift shops, as you slowly wound up the hill! Those clever Greeks!
I remember that long line of gift shops too -- and a lot of other things about our day in Santorini. Funny about your comment at the end. I was just thinking yesterday too about your first three-day cruise so long ago. We didn't do the donkey steps either way -- we were chicken. Sounds like everyone is having a wonderful time and I am happy for all of you to have that experience.
Lucy
Thanks for remembering our APCE cruise with Shirley Guthrie. The ship, length of voyage, food and amenities wouldn't come close to what you have right now, but it was truly a unique cruise. Worship and games in the neon piano bar! Great memories.
Betts and I were in Santorini twice on cruises and it is one of our very favorite places to visit ever -- imagine living there! -- because it is so different from anywhere else. We never tried the steps or donkeys, took the cable car each time, and never had a wait! Martha Huntley
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