Back to the Grecian Isles for a bit

I thought I would take you on a little vacation today and go back to Greece. I left off when we were in Mykonos for the day, then apparently really got into the island mode and didn't post again while we were on the trip. Santorini was my favorite island we visited. When you think about the Grecian Isles, with the whitewashed buildings built into the cliff, beautiful blue water and stunning views all around, Santorini is what you're picturing. And I can tell you, it looks just like that and does not disappoint.

Santorini at dusk

We were there at the end of September, which I thought was a great time to go. The weather is still pretty warm, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. The nights on the caldera side of the island can be a little chilly, but only because of the breeze coming off of the ocean. On the island you can choose either the Caldera side, which is the cliff side, or the beach side of the island. We stayed on the caldera side in Fira at a great hotel, Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites, just on the edge of Old Town. The only disappointing thing was that there was not a view off the caldera, but otherwise the hotel had great service and the location was ideal.

We did much more relaxing in Santorini than we had done in Athens, but did get out and go the first day. We rented an ATV to get around the island, and yes, the Lentil and I rode on it too. But don't worry too much, there was no off-roading, ATVs are used just like cars in Santorini and BK and I wore helmets the whole time we were on it.  You can get around the entire island quickly, as it is pretty small in terms of area. My advice is to just jump on one of the main roads that go around the island, then when you see something that interests you venture off there. For example, the red sand beach is a great stop to make.

Red sand beach

A couple of our highlights from the drive around included stopping for lunch on the black sand beach, and just taking some time to chill out for a little while.

Our spot on the black sand beach

And venturing to a monastery at the highest point on the island which offers 360 degree views of Santorini. The monastery's grounds and buildings are really pretty as well.

Entrance to the monastery

Seem like we had a big first day traveling around the island? That was only the first part of the day. In the afternoon BK and I regrouped at the hotel then did the hike from Fira to Oia. It is a great hike right along the cliffside that allows you to discover some of the island that is not right on any road and not in any of the towns.

It took us between two-and-a-half and three hours, and even though BK did time us getting there, we stopped to take plenty of pictures and have water and snacks. The hike is pretty easy- you can take it at your own pace, and I would say unless you have serious health issues you should be able to do it with no problem. Our goal was to get to Oia by sunset so we could sit and enjoy the view from the west side of the island. It was relaxing after the hike, and we enjoyed talking to others who had come for the same thing.

Sunset in Oia

The next couple of days in Santorini weren't so packed with activity. We kept the ATV so we had an easy way to get around, but pretty much spent our whole next day on the black sand beach relaxing. We did make one other stop for lunch before we went there and did a little bit of driving around the island, but otherwise napped and read on the beach. We ended our day with a massage at the hotel spa and an easy dinner across the street from our hotel. I feel relaxed just thinking about it…

We had one last day on the island, with most of the day in Santorini before our ferry left for Crete that evening. We explored more of Fira's Old Town, which offers tons of shops and lots of easy places to stop and grab something to eat. Speaking of which, I haven't said much about the restaurants in Santorini. There are many restaurants on the island, most of which either offer traditional Greek food or seafood. All of the food we had was good, and you can easily find quality places by just asking around.

The other thing we decided we should do on our last day was walk down to the old port, which seems to be right below Fira. You can take an aerial cable car up and down, take a donkey, or walk the 800ish steps down. BK and I walked up and down.

Old Port

The worst thing about the walk is the donkeys. You're constantly competing with them for a place to walk, and when you start your descent the donkeys are lined up against the wall, and you have to walk behind them to get by- it's a little unsettling. It also smells like poo because of all the donkeys. There's not much to the Old Port, but I'm glad we walked down to explore a little bit more.

Donkeys on the way down

Like I mentioned before, Santorini was my favorite island and was incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. We were off to Crete after this, but I'll save that one and take you back there tomorrow. Time to get back to reality…time to finish laundry and practice German.