Island of Santorini
(click on the small image below to see the full size image)
| Santorini is one of the most beautiful islands in the Aegean. The island was once more or less round, then the volcano erupted and parts of the island sank. Now, the island is crescent shaped and only about 18km from end to end. The towns are built on the remaining cliffs, and the active volcano remains in the centre of the harbour area. The scenery on Santorini is breathtaking. A visit is not for those who aren't fit. The towns are hilly and full of stairs--but the climb is definitely worth it! | |||
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This
is the view as we approached the island by ferry. The white on to
of the cliffs is the town of Fira
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When you land on the island, there are few choices on how to get up to the town. If you are lucky enough to land at the new port, Athinos, you will be able to take a bus or taxi up to the town of Fira. If you land at Oia or Fira, then reaching the town becomes an adventure. You can climb the steep stairs that go in a tight switchback pattern to the top; or, you can pay 3€ to ride a donkey up to the city on the same stairs as the walkers; or, if you land in Fira you can take the cable car up for 3€. If you are adventurous and take the donkeys to the city, do not take them back down to the port. The food for the donkeys is kept at the bottom of the stairs and they tend to run down the stairs. From what I've seen , it cannot be a pleasant trip. |
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This is the Bascillica at Fira |
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One thing people always ask about Greece is the food. We had some of our best meals on Santorini. We went for dinner at a restaurant in Fira called the Volcano. They gave us 1kg of fish (shrimp, squid, swordfish and whitefish) with rice and potatoes for 2 people for 40€. It was fabulous! Make sure when ordering fish that you check to see if the price on the menu is by order or by weight as many of the restaurants charge by weight. The two pictures to the right are from our last lunch on Santorini at a lovely restaurant called the Argo. They had a wonderful view. The food was fantastic! They had the best stuffed grape leaves (dolmades), and the best vegetarian mousaka that we had on the entire trip! The picture to the far right is a traditional dessert called baklava. It is essentially a pastry soaked in honey and the serving we had at the Argo was excellent! |
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