Greece: Santorini Beaches and Volcanoes

We had limited time in Santorini because we had to catch the night ferry back to Athens at midnight, so we made full use of our day and woke up early to hit some beaches.  Sleep in or sleep on the beach.  Same thing, right?

The main island of Santorini and the few smaller islands make up a huge caldera.

Our first beach, with red rocks and sand.  Look at the clear water!!

It was a little hike to get to the beach.

No one was home, unfortunately :(

Feet in red and black sand.

The Aegean!

Beach #2.  Because we planned our trip before peak season, there were very few people wherever we went.  I can imagine that these beaches are absolutely packed during high season.

Black sand!  It absolutely sparkled, and I wish I was able to capture that in a photograph.

After the beaches we made our way back to town.  We had booked a trip to the small volcanic islands and needed to get to the old port to catch the boat.

The view of the caldera from town.  The island in the middle is where we were headed.

There are three options for getting to the old port: walk down, take a donkey, or ride the funicular.  We decided to walk down and take a donkey back up.  We didn't realize how long and far down the walk was until it was too late to turn back.  You can see part of the pathway here.

We passed by the donkeys as we walked down, and they were in sad shape, so we decided that for the way back up we would take the funicular instead.  I fell in love with donkeys in Egypt, but that's because they were so well taken care of.  Here, they are for the express purpose of carting tourists around, and so, unfortunately, they don't seem to be in the best health.

Our boat to the islands.

On the boat, looking back towards town.  The zig-zagging line in the middle of the photo is what we ended up walking down.  It was quite steep, slippery, and with the scattered donkey shit everywhere, quite unpleasant.  But, as Ashley said, "go big or go home!".

The central volcanic island.

Making friends with the locals.  I tried to remain as still as possible, but sadly he didn't climb on my foot.

After the boat trip we sought out some hydration.

We drank the FRESHEST daiquiris on the bar's terrace and took in the fabulous views.

Greece: Santorini Sunrise and Sunset

The next morning we woke up at an ungodly hour to catch the 7am ferry to Santorini. 

Walking to the subway in Monastiraki square before dawn.  You can see a tiny bit of the Acropolis on the upper left.

I have no idea what this sign says, but I love the way Greek looks.

Waiting for the subway.  I love that Susannah captured the clock in this photo, as you can see that it isn't even 6am yet, and hence our grumpy expressions.

The port of Piraeus at sunrise.  Our ferry was the one on the right.

Proof that I am able to manage a smile in the early morning.  Of course, it helps when you're in Greece with friends.

Leaving port.

This photo doesn't really give a clear sense of scale, but the wake from our ferry was absolutely huge.

Exploring the boat with Clelia.

You can also get to Santorini by plane in about 45 minutes, which is obviously a MUCH quicker trip, but much more expensive.  Moreover, if you travel by plane you miss out on the breathtaking views of the island upon arrival.

Pure glee as we set foot on the island!

Our hostel, Villa Manos, for 9 euro a night!!

We rented ATVs to get around the island and do some exploring. 

All of us with the owners of the ATV rental place.  They were hilarious, as you can probably tell from this picture, but also the nicest people.  In fact, everyone we encountered on Santorini, and in Athens as well, was the most sincerely helpful and friendly.

After a brief drive around town to get used to the ATVs, we drove out to Ia on the northern tip of the island.  The drive was about 20 minutes, and was quite cold, but the legendary sunset was worth it.

Greece: Athens

For a few years I had toyed with the idea of how amazing it would be to spend my 30th birthday in Greece.  I always told myself, if I have to turn 30 I'm going to do it on my terms!  I still can't believe that it actually happened, and how easy and cheap travel is over here, therefore allowing it to happen.  I traveled from Rome with Katie, and we were met in Athens by Clelia and Ashley coming from Milan, and Susannah coming from Munich.  We planned to spend the first day in Athens, the next two days on the island of Santorini, and the last day back in Athens.  A major transportation strike altered our plans a bit, however, and we ended up having to stay three extra days in Athens.

Our first day was a bit of a misc. day since we all arrived at different times, and because May 1 is a holiday in Europe and therefore most of the sites were closed.  But this gave us the excuse to walk around and see the city, explore the markets, and take it easy.  The weather was beautiful, and the food was delicious.  Not much else you can ask for!

Our first view upon exiting the subway in Monastiraki square.  That's the Acropolis up on the hill!!  Our hostel was located just around the block from this.

We had read about a poet/sandal maker who is apparently quite famous, and had hoped to check out his shop while in the city.  Coincidentally, it happened to be located a few doors down from our hostel.

 Once we had all arrived we decided to hop on the "Sunshine Express", a little Disneyland-type train that we had seen circle the city.

It went down some of the tiniest streets, forcing pedestrians to line up and wait for it to pass.

Susannah, Clelia, and Ashley.

Dinner!  Chicken souvlaki with potatoes and rice.  Delicious!

View of the Acropolis lit up at night from our hostel roof-top bar.