thira

The island of Santorini, locally known as Thira, is probably the most recognizable of the Greek Islands. Chances are, if you have seen a movie filmed in Greece, or have any imagination about what Greece looks like, it would come from an image you saw of this beautiful island with cascading white houses built into the cliffs.


The island is a volcano that was likely one of the world's largest explosions in recorded history. Since the most tremendous of the eruptions around 1650 B.C, the island has noted other volcanic activity, including the appearance of lava rock in the middle of the cauldron where a the volcano continues to stir and grow.


I had one full day on Santorini and rather than rush around to see everything on this island, I decided to hike from Firastefani, where my hotel was, to Oia, the famed white village boasting the best sunsets. It was a long walk; somewhere between 8 to 10 kilometers by the time I reached the town, but well worth the walk.


Winter is the low season for tourism, so I had a wonderful opportunity to take photos with no one in my pictures. The winter season is time for the island to recouperate and ready itself for the next season of visitors. So, instead of people tending their shops and hotels, they either left the island for the winter or changed to builders, cleaners, painters, and caretakers. Donkeys carry goods through the empty streets and dogs wander the winding alleyways. The maze of buildings and walkways was constructed to confuse enemies if they were able to come ashore. These towns are certainly a lot of fun for a tourist to get lost in now, though!


I did not stay in Oia for sunset, but instead, wandered the cobblestone streets by day in search of food after my four hours of walking along the rim of the crater. I waited for awhile for the bus before a taxi driver found me and offered me a ride back to my hotel. What a lovely way to spend a day!


In the evening, I found the Taverna El Greco that two women from Singapore had enjoyed the night before and was welcomed by a nice Greek man who gave me a free glass of wine with my octopus and also caught up to me in his car on my way back to the hotel to bring me back to my room. "Next time" I am on Santorini I am going to a jazz bar with him.