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“ A 11-day adventure by Elisa
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  • Elisa Chieno
    Day11

    Last Sunset in Santorini

     September 13, 2020 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
    11

    After our on-board dinner, we slowly start heading towards Oía, the North-Western cape of Santorini as well as the best viewpoint for the sunset.
    The last time we watched a sunset from Oía was no later than three days ago, but doing it while sitting on a boat creates a completely different atmosphere.
    We witness the sun set the sky on fire before diving into the water, while the lights of the white villages perched on the cliffs of the Caldera slowly turn on and look like shining snow on a mountain top.

    With the sun below the horizon, we start sailing back to the old harbour Fíra. We get there just in time to catch the cable-car, walk back to our hotel and drive to the airport, where our plane is awaiting us.
    Despite the tight schedule, we still get the time to take a last glance at the beautiful Firá illuminated by the night lights. We couldn't have asked for a better last memory for our Aegean holiday!    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    And here we see Elisa bravely facing her greatest and more vicious enemy: water droplets!!! She resisted around 5 minutes before the wetness of the waves discouraged her...

    11/29/20Reply
    Ludovico Castelvetri

    She is actually sleeping...

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day11

    Sailing in the Caldera

     September 13, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
    1

    Today's boat tour is very similar to the one we did at the beginning of our holiday, with three major differences: the boat is much much nicer, dinner will be served on board and we will admire the sunset from the deck.

    After a stop at the volcano (that we use to relax on board of our wooden vessel), we sail to the hot springs. However, these are not the same hot springs as last time: forget the crowd... we are literally the only boat in sight! And the water is simply spectacular: warm (but not too much) and so crystal clear that we can see the seafloor. Not to mention the floating sausages that Ludo gets me and that basically allow me to comfortably sit in the water with no need to make any efforts not to sink! 🧘‍♀️🏊‍♀️

    As soon as we are all back on board, we sail towards the island of Thirasia, where we are given another swimming option before dinner is served.
    Despite all the Covid restrictions, we still get a lovely meal consisting of chicken skewers, meatballs, rice, salad and tzatziki. Not to mention the glass of wine 🍷 that I promptly barter with a bottle of water. All with the stunning background of the Caldera. 🤩    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    This is a remarkable day. Elisa swims roughly 10 meters in only 20 minutes, while sitting on a floating sausage and moving water around her at the same time! Amazing...

    9/15/20Reply
    Elisa Chieno

    Please remind me why exactly I love you. Because right now I'm out of ideas... 🤨

    9/20/20Reply
    Ludovico Castelvetri

    The captain got a little concerned when he realized that Eli was driving 👮‍♀️🛥️🚀

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day11

    Walking to the Old Harbour

     September 13, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
    1

    The long-feared day has come: tonight we will leave Santorini to go back to our normal life. However, the good news is that we won't be flying out until 10.30pm, which means we have the whole day in front of us.

    After finishing packing and checking out, we drive to Firá to do the last shopping and fill the tank. We still have almost two hours before our boat tour, so we enjoy a picnic lunch on the roadside before slowly heading to the harbour.

    Despite the sun being reeeeeaaaally hot, we still decide to walk all the way to the harbour and save some money! Well, it turns out that there is a very good reason why everybody is opting for the cable-car: the track to the harbour is long, tortuous, without shade and... occupied by donkeys!
    Thanks to the lack of tourists, these cuties are just snoozing on the side of the track, so we have to zigzag through them... and their output! 💩🥴

    Half an hour and a few liters of body water less (but with the astonishing sum of 6 euros saved) we finally reach the harbour and we have just the time to drink something before our boat arrives. Now we are ready to sail one last time around the island of Santorini! ⛵    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    Elisa wanted to bring a DONKEY back home, in our München apartment...

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day10

    Last supper in Firá

     September 12, 2020 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
    1

    It´s a bitter-sweet evening: tomorrow night we will fly to Milan and our holiday will be officially over. That´s why, for once, we decide to eat out to give a proper goodbye to the beautiful island of Santorini.

    During my wanderings around Firá some days ago I spotted a restaurant with decent prices and a roof terrace offering a nice view of the caldera. We quickly pack our stuff for tomorrow and run there hoping to find a table before the sun start setting... but that turns out to be totally unnecessary: once we get there, we realise the place is almost completely empty! Maybe it´s due to the fact that last week´s tourists have already left, while next week´s ones haven´t arrived yet.. 🤔

    Whatever the reason, we enjoy a pleasant traditional dinner consisting of baked aubergines with feta topping, moussaka and a mixed fish plate. All this with the beautiful background of the sun setting in the Caldera...

    After dinner we go for a stroll in the narrow alleys of Firá and buy a couple of souvenir as a memory of this very special holiday. Not that we actually need anything to forget these magical sunsets...    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    Such a stunning beauty . Elisa is beautiful too 🍽️🥘❤️...❤️🐥

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day10

    White Beach

     September 12, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
    1

    To reach the next beach we have to sail around a rocky promontory. As soon as we approach it, what looks like a huge white marble cliff suddenly appears like a mirage. The size and pureness of colour are really striking and remind os of the Faraglioni in Capri.

    Just beyond the promontory lies an equally white beach with fine black sand. The absence of the classic black pebbles is already surprising, but the most remarkable element is the crystal clear water. We eagerly get off the boat and realise the water is not just beautiful, but also very pleasant temperature-wise. 😍

    We end up spending here an hour and a half, before finally getting on a boat and sailing towards the third and final stop of the trip: the Black Beach. Differently from the previous two, this is however not even worth a photo...

    Anyways, we have just had the best swim of our holiday! And now it´s time to get ready for our last evening...    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    the best beach so far. Crystal clear and warm water with a beautiful sun. Meanwhile, I lost Elisa because she turned her pareo in a hut and hid there most of the time #TheSunIsMean #Vampire #PaperottoIncognito

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day10

    Red Beach

     September 12, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Upon leaving the pier of Akrotiri Beach, we sail around a rocky promontory that we immediately recognise as the one we walked on yesterday to reach the Red Beach (yes, the forbidden track). And indeed, after a few seconds, the unmistakable red rocks show up....

    Seen from the sea, the contrast between the blue water and the bright colour of the cliff is even more striking. But what we didn't notice yesterday is that the water is breathtakingly transparent and green. 🤩

    Such a pity we cannot swim here (it's actually strictly forbidden, even though there are dozens of tourists both on the beach and in the water 🙄)...

    After a short stop to pick up some tourists (that were not supposed to be here in the first place) we start heading to our next destination: White Beach! Let´s see if it´s worth its fame... 🏖    Read more

     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day10

    Akrotiri Beach

     September 12, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Another day has come... together with another change of plans.
    Our idea of going for the afternoon cruise is crossed out already at 9.30am, when Pavlos informs us that the tickets for today are sold out. Luckily, our flight back to Milan is late enough to allow us to enjoy the evening cruise tomorrow. No need to say, it would be a great ending for a very special holiday spent between working, house hunting and sightseeing.

    That means that we will cover today what we had initially planned for tomorrow: head back to the Akrotiri Peninsula and explore its three famous beaches - the red, white and black one - by water taxi!
    The departure point is the pier of Akrotiri Beach, just a few metres away from the archaeological site we visited yesterday.
    The seafront is dotted with traditional restaurants offering menus with prices that are half of those in Firá (not to mention Oía)!

    We easily find our boat and for 10 euros we get a bracelet allowing us to hop on and off as many times as we want. Let's see if these beaches stand up to their fame!    Read more

     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day9

    Sunset at the Lighthouse

     September 11, 2020 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 26 °C
    1

    After the crazy experience of the white-beach hunt, we finally get back to a normal road (which suddenly feels like a luxury experience) and reach the South Western end of the island in no time. This side of Santorini ends with a sort of rocky promontory with magnificent views of the rest of the caldera. But the real landmark is a lighthouse perched on the cliff and facing the open sea.

    We climb on the hilly side of the promontory and sit on a rock while waiting for the sun to dive into the waters. Oia is undoubtedly suggestive thanks the its picturesque perched houses and ruined castle, but watching the red run disappear into the black waters of the Aegean sea is a wonder beyond description...

    Again another day with a slow start, but a great ending!    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    One of the most romantic places I have ever been. One can only wish that the sunset would last for an hour

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day9

    Stray dogs, goats... and no White Beach

     September 11, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
    1

    We still have over an hour before the sunset, which means that we should be able to do another stop before heading to the lighthouse. According to TripAdvisor (and, most importantly, to our super-reliable Pavlos) there are two beaches that are worth seeing on this side of the island: the Red and the White one. 
    Well, the former was definitely up to its fame and, since according to Google Maps the latter is just 15 minutes away, we don't see any good reasons why we shouldn't drive to it too. In hindsight, there were plenty... 😣

    We start realising ours was probably not the greatest idea when Google Maps takes us off the main road to what looks more like a mule track than a dirt road. 😳 Still full of hope, we convince ourselves that the beach is only a few hundred metres away and that the road will soon get better. Well, 30 minutes later we are in the middle of nowhere surrounded by stray dogs, goats and junked cars that seem to have come out of a movies on the 60s. We stubbornly keep driving (we haven't come all this way for nothing!) until Google Maps trionfantly announces "you have reached your destination". The problem is... There isn't the slightest sign of a beach.😓

    Actually, by this time our goal has shifted from "enjoying the amazing view of the White Beach" to "getting back to the main road alive and possibly without blowing a tyre or breaking the car axle". And, quite surprisingly, we succeed in both! 😬    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    I also succeded in preventing Elisa from taking one of those stray dogs back home. Elisa: "they looked so cute!". Ludo: "NO, ELISA, NO, ENOUGH ANIMALS AT HOME!"

    10/4/20Reply
    Ludovico Castelvetri

    When Elisa offered me to go on an adventure, she actually meant it. Those dogs looked like thugs that did not want us to leave

    11/29/20Reply
     
  • Elisa Chieno
    Day9

    Red Beach

     September 11, 2020 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
    1

    For once, Google Maps has served us well!
    Leaving aside the fact that we get lost twice whilst trying to reach the main road, once we get on the right track, we easily reach a parking lot alongside the coastline. Just a few metres away starts a coastal track that leads to the famous Red Beach. At the beginning of the track there is a huge "No Entry" sign including a "Danger of Death" subline, but - as mentioned by our concierge Pavlos - absolutely nobody cares...

    We keep walking for a couple of minutes... and it´s there! The beach is at the feet of a cliff consisting of volcanic rocks of a bright red colour contrasting with the deep blue of the sea and the sky. And the evening light enhances it even more.

    As we plan to come back here by boat tomorrow (the "danger" sign might be there for a reason), there´s no need to proceed any further. Also, I doubt there will be a better photo spot than this!    Read more

    Ludovico Castelvetri

    Greeks respect rules like Italians do... occasionally...

    11/29/20Reply
     
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