Santorini

We did very little research into our Santorini stop so everything was like a big surprise as we went through the day. Santorini is an island circling the caldera of a volcano. The cruise ship sail into the caldaera and you take a tender boat to the Old Port of Fira. From there you can take a cable car, ride a donkey, or walk the trail with 500plus stairs to get up the caldera cliffs to the city of Fira. We were surprised at how high up the city was from the water. When we arrived in Fira by cable car the streets were crowded with venders, shops, and tourists. Almost every building was painted white which gave it the quintessential Greek island feel. We saw a few of the blue church domes and walked around the city to get a better view of the most famous ones of Fira. Those postcard views of the domes were mostly unavailable from the town but we did see them in the distance. Our first stop was in a small museum all on women in Greek history. Everything was translated to English which was perfect for us. The transformation of women through history was fascinating. The juxtapose of how they portrayed goddesses in Greek stories and how they treated real women during the time was called out again and again in the information. The small amount of Greek history we are exposed to in the US led us to feel their may have been better treatment of women during that time but alas it was pretty much the same as everywhere else in the world.

Walked to the church of Three Bells of Fira and then the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. Went in the Cathedral the messages on all the walls was one of love for all. Loving others and spreading that love through your actions is how we try to live everyday. Stopped at Veranda Restaurant for a Greek lunch of moussaka, gyros, and pork skewers, mojitos, and a special shot of local liquor for the parents and cranberry juice for the kids. Everything was delicious, although the kids were kind enough to say they enjoyed the moussaka, but their favorite moussaka is the one mom makes. We love that in Europe it is normal to bring guests little surprises before, during, or after the meals. A small tough that makes you feel seen and loved goes a long way. We walked the area a bit longer and did some shopping although most everything there was pretty touristy. It was a very hot day and a bit windy by early afternoon we were ready to head back down the cable car and take the tender back to our boat. If Santorini is ever in our travel plans again we will avoid Fira and take a trip to a red or black sand beach or hike the inner Tholos Naftilos.