10-11-2018: Santorini

Our port of call today is the awe-inspiring Santorini. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago, which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. The caldera is the large hollow that forms following the evacuation of a magma chamber during a volcanic eruption when the peak sinks into the hollow of the volcano.  The sea around Santorini is called the Caldera Sea and looking around the area you can clearly see the round archipelago of smallish islands that once were the rim of the volcanic caldera.  Most of the islands are magma, and certainly Santorini is.  The island has 3 colors of rock; yellowish sandstone, red from the iron, and black of the lava.

You can hardly believe your eyes when you look at Santorini and its cities, towns and villages at the very tops of the mountains of magma.  At first, it kind of looks like snow-capped mountains, but then you realize you’re seeing houses jammed together and on top of each other.  And many appear to just be suspended at the edge of the cliff.  It’s an incredible sight.

We went on an excursion today called Sailing the Caldera of Santorini.  We were in a traditional Greek boat called a kaiki.  It was a windy day and our voyage was quite rocky with waves splashing up into the boat soaking some folks.  But it was so fascinating looking at all the cliffs, seeing the various kinds of rocks and gazing up at the houses above the cliffs.  I must have said a hundred times, “that’s unbelivable.”  We sailed up the coast to the very picturesque town of Oia.  A woman on the boat talked about her 2 stays in Oia and said that it was one of the most beautiful places she’s ever been.  Of course, we were down in the sea looking up at the town, so it was difficult to see much.  But I managed to take some long-range shots of blue domed churches and bright white houses.

After a brief stop near a sweet little shrine to St. Nicholas that sits on a tiny islet of rock, we made our way back.

There is a tiny port that sits at the base of the cliff below Fira, the largest town on Santorini.  So we’re down below, and you look up the cliff face and wonder how you’re going to get up to Fira.  There are 3 choices; walk up a steep set of switchbacks, ride a donkey up the steep set of switchbacks, or go up by cable car.  Christine chose to return to the ship, but I went up by cable car.  The ride up takes only about 90 seconds as you dangle from one of 6 cable cars that are together, 6 people to a car.  It was an experience, for sure.

Once at the top of the cliff, Fira is jam-packed with tourists.  I think there were 5 cruise ships in port today, so getting around the narrow streets was difficult.  The main tourist area is chockablock with souvenir shops and jewelry shops. Not my cup of tea, so I tried to find some streets off the beaten path so I could take some photos of the houses and lovely churches that cling to the side of the cliff.

Nowhere in Fira is very much off the beaten path, come to find out.  So, I kind of went with the flow and took in the sights and followed people who were walking along a main pathway from a conference center back to the cable car.  This conference center was perched right on the edge of the cliff.  It’s restaurant and bar were really perched on the cliff edge.  Many of the rooms at the conference center were small little villas, with private swimming pools, also mostly perched on the cliff.  What a place for a conference!  The views were breathtaking.

After a long wait in the queue for the cable car back down, I boarded an Azamara tender for the short ride back to the ship.  Santorini is definitely a place to see and visit if for nothing more than looking up at the mountaintop and seeing all those houses hanging off the cliff.

Fira spread across the mountaintop on Santorini

 

 

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