Santorini is the most beautiful place I've ever been.
I've wanted to go to Santorini ever since the last time I went to Greece, over thirty years ago. Back then, time and money forced a choice between Mykonos and Santorini, and somehow Mykonos won. But I had read about Santorini, and I've been wanting to travel there ever since. And so, when Dan asked, "Why are we going here?" The answer I gave is the correct one: "Geography." Still, when the taxi from the airport crested the ridge and the road tipped toward the caldera, we were both simply blown away.
The white town Fira clutches onto its perch on the edge of a cliff twenty times its height as if it too might at any moment be blown away. As indeed it might. The volcano on which it perches is still active. It blew up twice in the 1950s, destroying most of the towns along the rim. Actually, this volcano was the source of an unparalleled disaster in ancient history. Read about it here.
I knew this background before I came here, but what I didn't expect is the *scale* of the thing. It's huge. A toy cruise ship pauses in the caldera below us, no bigger than a cricket. The entire town of Fira, the island's capital, clings like a model-railroad village on the towering vertical cliffs. It is breathtaking.
Thirty-some years ago, the guidebooks indicated that the town of Fira was unattractive, having been largely destroyed in a volcanic eruption only fifteen years previously. But, whether it is the passage of time or a different perspective, the town is not ugly. Whether in the streets or looking down, out, south, or north, the town is lovely. Judge for yourself.
Our hotel, the tranquil Anteliz Hotel Apartments, is about a ten-minute's walk from the town center. Our innkeeper is the bubbly, cheerful, energetic Iliana. |
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The hotel is not accessible by automobile. In fact, it is not accessible by anything with wheels--even rollaboard suitcases. We front onto a walkway that is, I think, strictly speaking, paved. What it's paved with are jagged, sharp, uneven volcanic rocks arranged in a steeply sloping stairway. There is nothing horizontal, smooth, or comfortable about this walkway. On the side opposite the buildings is a low wall and a thousand-foot drop-off. And a million-dollar view. Tourists traveling up and down the walkway peer through the hotel's wrought-iron gate. We feel like some kind of celebrities, lucky to be staying here. |
After only one meal, our favorite restaurant in town is definitely "The Flame of the Volcano", located on our walkway just short of the town. It is run by the busy, friendly, and impeccably hospitable Raymond. Raymond speaks five languages and wishes he knew at least three more. Raymond plies us with wonderful food. And so we come face to face with the problem of garlic (click here to read more about it).
At this time of year, the sun sets directly across the caldera from us, giving us beautiful sunsets, and just down the way we can watch the town of Fira melt into that golden light.
The day after we arrive, we get a map, rent a car, and head out to see the island. By clicking here, you can too.
On our last day on Santorini, we head up the path by our hotel instead of down into town. We are going to Imerovigli, a short kilometer or two away. It is the highest point on the rim of the caldera, and we are looking for dinner and a sunset. Both are quite good. The sun sets over the ruins of an ancient castle on its craggy promontory. (You will have to move the scroll bar from left to right at the bottom of the page to see it all!)
Click here to see an interactive map of our trip
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