Our second stop on this cruise was Santorini, Greece, which is one of those places
that look amazing in pictures, but really must be experienced. The incredibly huge
and famous caldera was formed when the island was destroyed by a massive volcano
that left fragments of a rim surrounding the water. The cruise ships tender to a
small dock and then you have to get up to the city way, way high up on the rim of
the caldera. There are three ways to get up there. A cable car which had a huge
long line, a seemingly unending cobbled walkway, or a ride on a donkey up the same
walkway. We had arranged a private drive around the island, we were already late
and the cable car line was at least an hour so we considered the donkeys, but finally
opted to hike up. It was strenuous, and we shared steps with the donkeys and their
droppings. Our guide waited at least an hour for us and luckily for us was there.
We visited Akrotiri, a vast covered Minoan archaeological site, then visited the
monastery at the tallest peak on the island, one of 33 churches, and visited one of
the many Blue Domes. At the time of the explosion, the Minoan culture on Santorini
disappeared. The theory is that they had warnings due to pre-tremors, took to
boats, and were destroyed by tsunamis. Unlike Pompeii, which was destroyed by
Vesuvius, there are no skeletal or other remains of the inhabitants. The cable car
line was even longer for the trip back down, so we walked again. Walking down was
more treacherous than up because the steps were slightly tilted and slippery, but
we made it.
(Click on a picture to see it larger. Opens in a new folder.)
|
