Anniversary day on Santorini
Trip Start
Sep 14, 2009
1
14
15
Trip End
Sep 29, 2009
Santorini, South Aegean, Greece
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
We took a bus to Kamari beach, the "Black Beach", named for the black volcanic rock which makes up the very long stretch of beach along the flatter, opposite shoreline to where Thira sits. Numerous rows of li-los & thatched shade umbrellas line the shore as far as one can see.
The views were very relaxing and this place obviously accommodates many tourists judging by the number of motels along the promenade walkway along the beach......can't compare to the views from the top of the cliffs though, in our opinion (maybe we are desensitised to beaches, as we come from a home town famous for lovely sand beaches)
where to from here?
.The only disappointment of our time on Santorini this year was that the ancient ruins of Akrotiri were 'closed due to technical reasons', according to the sign on the front locked gates! Really would have been fascinated to walk along those uncovered streets from 1500 BC eruption!!
We then spent some time at "Red Beach" named after the colour of the surrounding cliffs & rocks where the hills climb up & away behind the actual narrow beachfront area (see photos). Small, quiet place and picturesque too. Some of the views we saw of the caldera from the bus on the way back to Thira were stunning.....interesting to be able to see the place from angles different to those we enjoy from our hotel room location on the cliff face.
Feasted for lunch on the beautiful, fresh souvlakis made while you wait, then repacked our bags in preparation for the very long trip home tomorrow. The hotel pool beckoned so we took a dip in the brisk waters (even in September the water was not warm like it is at home)., and enjoyed a cool drink while looking over the waters of the caldera below.
We wandered thru the lovely cobbled pedestrian walkways (streets) of Thira in the afternoon, deciding on what sort of food we might like for our anniversary dinner that night. Fried cheese, spicy meatballs, veal & rice cooked only the way the Greeks can, all sounded good to us! We shared the tucker on our private balcony as the Santorini sun set for the final time for us in 2009. Got some unbelievable video footage of the different shades of colour created as the sun reached different levels before slipping below the horizon once again.
A kind young couple agreed to take our photo on the night of our 25th anniversary and they managed to capture the last orange/red tint in the sky behind us, even though darkness was setting in!
A magical end to our very first holiday away from family & friends since our honeymoon all those years ago! One we will certainly never forget........now home to ponder our next journey to another amazing part of the world (as yet undecided)...........bon voyage!
