We visit Santorini, a hauntingly beautiful island where whitewashed and azure-crowned is the standard. This hilltop town always amazes and delights the senses!
Friends who have joined us onboard the MY Patriyacht, our summer home-office, are met in the salon with a panoramic photo of cruise ships adrift in Santorini’s caldera. Our love for the water is no secret, and when sailing the Peconic bays or just relaxing dockside, I treasure being continually reminded of the ethereal beauty of Santorini.
Thought to have once been ancient Atlantis, the caldera was formed about 3600 BC during a catastrophic volcanic eruption which literally blew the center out of what was once a single volcanic island. Although dormant, Santorini is actually still a volcano. Ironically, this cataclysm created one of the most breathtaking places in the world!
We disembark our tender a few meters’ walk from the base of the funicular, a dizzying uphill ride that is far superior to hiring a mule for a rather malodorous zig-zag up the steps. For the uninformed, a walk up almost certainly necessitates burning ones shoes upon reaching the summit.
We are spirited up to the town, perched atop the mountain where greater defenses from marauding pirates were to be had. This is a far less inventive, albeit more picturesque solution to the ancient looting quandary than the Mykonians selected, but more on that later!
Upon reaching the promontory, we are captivated by breathtaking views in every direction! We see our speck of a ship, continually held in place by the skillful navigation of our tireless ship’s crew, as the sea depth here is far too much for any anchor!
Beside the islands of Nea Kamini and Palea Kamini, we can look almost straight down the dizzying cliffs to the bottom, and walking is slow because every few steps present yet another photo opportunity!
We turn directly onto the high street, alternately dotted with cafes and tavernas and jewelry shops (Note to self – Update my Will to have ashed scattered here!), and savvy travelers like us already plan to select a cafe on the right. The simple exterior conceals a hidden wonder beyond the threshold. No sooner do our eyes adjust to the dark interior, but we are seemingly blinded anew with light coming from the rear.
Following through to the outside, we are delighted to find an outdoor cafe, with prime tables perched along the rail, affording not only the most delectable espresso and sweet crepes, but a millionaires view over one of the most breathtaking sights in the world!
Throughout my travels, I occasionally return to a favorite haunt, never getting enough of the experience, and this cafe in Santorini is most certainly one of those must-do’s! The apple, raisin and honey crepe is a delight, and I will no doubt walk it off shortly on the hills throughout Fira town.
As with all things in Europe, we are not rushed, but rather encouraged to sip another espresso, chased with ice water, while taking this all in. And sadly, we must depart (with the promise to return again soon!) for our onward journey, as I have a date with yet another favorite jeweler, George in Mykonos, who certainly has my 20th Anniversary present in one of his prize cases!
We shop on, and stroll, and stop to chat with new friends from the Jewel, before we bid antío to this bucolic and most hauntingly stunning gems of the Aegean!
