This past weekend, our entire CSB/SJU group organized a trip to the island of Santorini. Early Friday morning, we left our apartments (5:45 am) to catch a train at the metro station for Pireaus, the port where we could catch our ferry. I had imagined a ferry like the one carrying passengers between Bayfield, WI and Madeline Island and was surprised to see a ferry the size of a cruise ship waiting at our gate. We only bought deck seats, so we sat outside on patio-like chairs around tables. It was nice to be able to be outside and get the chance to see the scenery during the trip, but the weather was cold and rainy, and the clouds prevented you from seeing very far.
On our way, we stopped at Paros and Naxos so our journey was about 8 hours long and we didn’t arrive in Santorini until about 3:30 pm. The port itself was quite a sight. Straight in front of you as you get off the ferry is a vertical cliff—the wall of a caldera formed by a volcanic eruption centuries ago. You can see the layers of rock in this crosscut view and it tells us about the history of Santorini. This island is over 2 tectonic plates and was created from the lava that poured out between the plates. It used to exist as a round island named Strongili meaning “round one.” Volcanic activity has changed the shape of the island and at one point, a huge center portion sunk beneath the sea (many say that this is the lost city of Atlantis). Now, the island is shaped like a crescent moon with a small island, Thirasia, which separated to the North West. There are also a few other small, uninhabited volcanic islands called Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana.
From the port, Athinios, a mini-bus brought us to our hotel, Anny Studios, on Perissa Beach. Perissa beach is a black sand beach, something I’ve never seen before. The sand was very course and more like pebbles and rocks than sand, but it was black. The dark sand made the water look dark too, even though the water is clear. At the edge of the beach, a smooth flat slab of rock protruded into the water and had the shape of rippled waves carved into it. This was super slippery to walk on. Like I was saying before, the mini-bus drove us from the port to our hotel. We had to go up the vertical cliff of the caldera on a narrow, winding road. The sight was beautiful, even in the rain, but I was nervous that the bus was going to tip right off the edge and go rolling down the cliff with how fast the driver was going.
Our hotel was tucked behind the main strip on Perissa Beach. A thin cobblestone walkway led us to a white building with blue trim. I stayed in a room with Sara Kokkila, Ashley Wenning, and Melanie Ostertag. Pink flowers burst over the blue fence on the walkway to our room, and in the back corner, we climbed 6 or 7 marble steps to our blue-doored hotel room. Off one bedroom, there was a cute little balcony.
For dinner, we ate gyros. That seems to be the Greek fast food. They taste good and are inexpensive (about 2 Euros). Friday evening, we walked along the strip looking at all the little shops.
Saturday, a group of us took a tour of Santorini. We rode a sailboat that first took us to Nea Kameni, a volcanic island and national park. We got to climb around and see two inactive craters and one active crater. When we put our hand close to one section of rocks, we could feel heat radiating from it (about 75 degrees Farenheit). The lava is about 5 kilometers below, so you can imagine how hot it must be down there!
After exploring, the boat brought us to hot springs on Palia Kameni. Since the boat could not dock, we jumped off into the water and swam to the springs. The water over the hot springs was warm, but not hot like I expected. We took turns reaching to the bottom to grab mud which we smeared all over our skin and faces like we were at the spa. It’s supposed to make us look 10 years younger. I’ll let you be the judge of that when you see my pictures. We only spent about 30 minutes at the springs before we all climbed back on the boat and rode to Thirasia. There was a little strip of restaurants and shops along the coast of pumice rocks. By it the time we made it to this island, it was about 2:00, so we ate lunch. I had Mousaka, a traditional and popular Mediterranean dish of layered potatoes, eggplant, and ground beef. It tasted good.
Our last stop on the tour was Oia, a village at the North Western tip of Santorini. The main reason for this stop was to watch the sunset. From the water, Oia and other cities on Santorini looked like snow on the mountain peaks. Up close, Oia looked exactly how I pictured all of Greece to look. White, traditional-style homes sat nestled in the rocky cliffs high above the deep blue water. Churches with rounded blue domes with white crosses standing on top sat among the homes and pink flowers sprung out like fireworks in front of some of the houses.
After arriving at the port, we took donkeys up the cliff side to the actual city. At the donkey station (so to speak), I handed over my five Euros, and made my way through the pen to a donkey with a colorful blanket and saddle. Before I could even process anything, an old Greek man had tucked my foot into a stirrup and slung me up and onto a donkey. Then, my donkey took off, making its way to the front of the pack and began its way up the steep slope. I had no control, so I just held on tightly and prayed that my ride didn’t tip over the edge and tumble down the rocks to that beautiful, now threatening, looking sea. I swayed and jostled side to side as the donkey walked up the steep steps. Sometimes, it came close to the wall, squishing and scrapping my leg. And, it seemed to have a problem with being behind the other donkeys and tried to pass them whenever he had an inch of space, crowding the other donkeys and people. Let me just say, this donkey ride was much more exciting, terrifying, and thrilling than I ever thought it would be.
Once in the city, there were several little shops to look in. Later, a small group of us found a little square where we sat on the walls to watch the sunset. It started out very pretty, but then it clouded over, so we didn’t get to see much. That was a bummer. From where we were, the sea met the sky at the horizon line and it was uninterrupted by land or buildings.
Oia was the most beautiful town I’ve ever seen. I loved it.
Sunday morning, Sara and I woke up early and went hiking up Cape mesa Vouno, a rocky mountain-like formation, to Ancient Thira. The hike was up a narrow, rocky pathway that wove up the steep formation. The sights were stunning. We could see Perissa Beach from above and the water extended further than you could see. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the top. We were fortunate to have shade for most of the climb because we started early. At the top of Cape mesa Couno, we got to see and explore the ruins of ancient Thira. There was a church, homes, temples, an agora (market place), a theater and a gymnasium. It was so awing to see where people actually lived so many years ago! (Dorians first settled in Thira in the 9th century B.C.) The sight was truly splendid. The sea stretches further than you can see in a blue mass that meets another blue mass that is the sky. The ancient theater was built into the sloping cliff with the sea for a backdrop. I tried to imagine myself sitting in the theater listening to ancient Greek poetry while gazing at the sea serving as a backdrop.
At the end of our exploring, Sara and I began our walk down Cape mesa Vouno, this time to Kamari Beach. When we made it to the beach, we found a place called Gyro Stop and ate gyros again.
To get back to Perissa Beach, we took a boat ride around cape Mesa Vouno rather than hiking back over the mountain. We got to see some more excellent scenery while resting our legs.
Once on Perissa Beach again, we went for a dip in the Agean sea before we had to leave to catch our ferry home. Being away for the weekend made Athens seem a little more like home. By the middle of the 8 hour ferry ride, all we could think of was being back home and in our beds in Athens. Traveling can be so exciting, but it makes you appreciate and long for the familiar, and it’s funny how quickly something still so new (Athens) becomes the familiar.
No comments:
Post a Comment