Santorini, Greece: 24 July 2012

Our 6^th port of call was Santorini, Greece. If you ever look at travel pictures of Greece and wonder what you are seeing, unless it is a picture of Athens you are probably looking at Santorini. Santorini is the top of a massive volcano that blew its top some 3600 years ago. It is theorized that this was at least partially responsible for the collapse of the Minoan Civilization. The crater was jagged enough that the sea made it over the lip in some places forming a ring of interconnected islands. Around 2000 years ago there was another eruption, this time forming a new island in the interior of the caldera. We sailed into the sea-filled crater of the volcano around 7 am, shortly after sunrise.

The few beaches are either black or red volcanic sand and that was reflected in the rocks which form the island ring. 

There are a number of towns on the largest island. We were headed for Fira in the middle of the island. The towns sit up on top of the island some 250-300 meters above the sea with a little port-like outpost on the water.

Fira has a cable car which moves 30 people at a time up the mountain, you can walk up or be carried up by a donkey. We tendered in, saw the line of several thousand people from 5 cruise ships sweltering in the sun and humidity waiting for the cable car and opted for none of the above. Instead we bought tickets and got on a fast boat to the northern end and the town of Oia. We were met by a bus at the port and driven up to the town. Quite civilized, if I do say so myself. Once there we wandered among the characteristic white washed buildings and had a lovely lunch at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the bay.

Several hours later we caught a bus back to Fira and made our way to the top end of the cable car to be met again by hundreds of our closest friends. Undeterred, we opted to walk down the donkey shit covered path reasoning that down was infinitely easier than up. I was never afraid of the animals, even when convoys would pass us going both up and down at the same time, but I was afraid FOR the animals. Carrying fat American tourists up a flight of 500+ stone steps didn’t really seem like something they should be doing.