Our third day in Greece brought us to the island of Santorini, which consists of a huge caldera formed by a 6th century BC volcanic eruption, with towns and other residences perched on the cliff rim of the caldera, then sloping down toward the Aegean Sea on the other side. Passenger ships anchor in the caldera which is open on one side. The plug of the mildly active volcano is in the center of the caldera. The island is also prone to earthquakes - the last big one occurring in 1956.
Our "walking" tour consisted of a small boat ride from the ship to the small port, where we met our bus and guide. We rode to the town of Oia while the guide gave an overview of the history of the island and its unique cave houses - residences partially dug into the soft volcanic rock. In Oia we had free time to browse the main pedestrian walkway lined with shops, boutique hotels and churches. Most of the buildings are made of concrete and painted white - from a distance it looks like snow on the hillside.
From Oia we rode again to the capital city of Thera where again we had free time to browse the pedestrian walkways, window shop and enjoy a cone of gelato. The way down the cliffs to the water's edge is by cable car or by donkey cart. We chose the cable car.
Back at the ship, again by small boat, we had lunch and went for a swim. Because so many folks were still in Santorini, we had the pool to ourselves and it was so relaxing after the push and shove of all the other tourists on the island.
We joined our friends again for dinner in the restaurant - arugula salad, prime rib, and a Grand Marnier souffle for dessert. Tonight is the Captain's farewell, as tomorrow is the last day of the trip.
Tomorrow is Athens, and our tour will take us to the top of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and other ruins there. Later we plan to see the new Archaeological Museum. More to come...
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Our "walking" tour consisted of a small boat ride from the ship to the small port, where we met our bus and guide. We rode to the town of Oia while the guide gave an overview of the history of the island and its unique cave houses - residences partially dug into the soft volcanic rock. In Oia we had free time to browse the main pedestrian walkway lined with shops, boutique hotels and churches. Most of the buildings are made of concrete and painted white - from a distance it looks like snow on the hillside.
From Oia we rode again to the capital city of Thera where again we had free time to browse the pedestrian walkways, window shop and enjoy a cone of gelato. The way down the cliffs to the water's edge is by cable car or by donkey cart. We chose the cable car.
Back at the ship, again by small boat, we had lunch and went for a swim. Because so many folks were still in Santorini, we had the pool to ourselves and it was so relaxing after the push and shove of all the other tourists on the island.
We joined our friends again for dinner in the restaurant - arugula salad, prime rib, and a Grand Marnier souffle for dessert. Tonight is the Captain's farewell, as tomorrow is the last day of the trip.
Tomorrow is Athens, and our tour will take us to the top of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and other ruins there. Later we plan to see the new Archaeological Museum. More to come...
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