Cruise - Day 4 - Santorini, Greece

Today started out very leisurely as we didn’t need to leave for our excursion until 4:00 p.m. Mom, Diane and I scheduled facials as they were 50% off. Stephenie did a wonderful job and my skin was very soft afterwards. Afterwards we went to lunch and then back to our rooms to do whatever (read take a nap!) before getting ready to go. Everyone went today except David.

We had to be tendered in to the port and then took a bus up the steep incline to the top of the hill. One of those don’t look down if your side of the bus is on the outside edge! First stop was Megalochori. We got off the bus and walked through the small village enjoying the architecture and shops. We then drove to the west through small villages to Oia. They have little water to spare so their vineyards are planted in shallow webs. As Santorini and its sister islands are all part of a former volcano that collapsed, there is very little dirt. The underlying sediment is pumice. Our guide, Nikos, explained that because there isn’t much root structure the berries are smaller but much more intense. They produce three varieties of local wine. On a hilltop, near a monastery, they have cisterns to collect rainwater. They use a water purifying system to clean salt out of the sea for everyday usage but it is not drinkable. Our last stop was Fira where the famous double blue church domes are. Every city is filled with white buildings and is just beautiful! We stopped in Fira for dinner and to watch the sunset….just magnificent! Then back to walking and stairs to get to the cable car to take us down to the pier to catch the tender. I sat in the front car with Pam and Diane. Oh my goodness! It was SO steep and fast. The alternative was to take the winding stairs down…..only 587 steps! No, thank you! We’d already done more stairs than any of us imagined and logged over 10,000 steps not counting stairs! We were all glad to get back to our rooms and get a shower!

Pam and I sat on our deck a bit and were treated to a fireworks show.

Interesting tidbit…..we didn’t see any cemeteries. That’s because after a funeral the body is put in a crypt and taken out of the coffin so it can disintegrate. They can’t bury in the ground due to the pumice as the body wouldn’t disintegrate.

It’s also pretty neat to be in the Caldera…..the bowl-like shape that was created from an eruption. The last eruption was in 1950; however, the island just off our ship is still active.

We pull up anchor and leave at midnight…..53 minutes away……I think we’re fine! 😏Read more