Three thousand years ago the island of Santorini was a near perfect conical volcano. Then around 1500 B.C. it blew its top and created the a powerful tsunami in the Mediterranean. The event caused extreme damage and some even claimed that this was the site of the "Lost Atlantis". Part of the island group is still active and last erupted in 1956. The caldera of the main volcano connects to the sea resulting in a wonderful and scenic harbor. |
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This
is the only postcard picture I have used. Notice our four masted
ship anchored in the harbor.
To reach the town of Fira on top of the rim one can walk, take a donkey ride up the zig-zag
path (shown in the center of the picture), or ride a cable car. After our tender
dropped us off at the dock, we elected to take the donkey ride. |
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The trip up was fun, but at the end things got confusing. We
dismounted and promptly encountered mules on their way back down. Here our
two ladies are caught between a rock and a hard ass. |
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A taxi took us to Oia (all vowels). This town is also on top
of the ridge, but has kept its charm with brightly painted houses, lots of blue
doors and narrow paths to explore. We stopped at several places to admire the
views. |
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At the western tip was a windmill. This wasn't quite like the
ones Jay remembered from his old days in Holland, but it really added to the
scenery. |
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Before we took the local bus back to Fira, we had some wine and a Greek salad
at Pelikanos. |
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As we watched our ship below, a cable car took us down to the dock. We had heard that you don't want
to take the donkeys down because they end up galloping before getting fed at the
bottom, and some people have been thrown off during this last part of the descend. |
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Later that evening, before the Wind Spirit departed, we had cocktails and
a marvelous dinner on deck. Santorini had been a sight to remember. |
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