Gallivanting Grandma

Thursday May 24, 2018

This morning the ship sailed into the gigantic caldera of the Santorini volcano.  In 1600 BC, this was one humongous volcano before it erupted.  4000 years later, the only surviving fragments left above water are several islands in a circular arrangement which is the rim of the caldera.  It’s miles across and very impressive.  Over the centuries, cities were built on top of the volcanic rims.  I felt like we were anchored inside a sleeping volcano whose sides loom high above the ship.

Today, the island of Santorini is a major tourist destination because of the geological uniqueness of the island, the incredible beauty of the region, and perhaps, the shopping opportunities!  Fira is the main city on Santorini and was built on the rim of the volcano 1200 feet above sea level.  From a distance, the white buildings look like snow on a mountain top.

For visitors who arrive by sea, there are three ways to get to the civilization at the top of the cliff: climb 588 steep steps up a zigzag path, wait in line to take a cable car, or ride a donkey.  Everyone discouraged donkey rides as “too dangerous.”

We found another option.  We signed up for an early excursion to the historic village of Oia (pronounced “ee-ah”).  The plan was to ride a tender to a different port and take a bus up to the top of the cliff and then continue on to Oia.  After the excursion, the bus would drop us off at the main city of Fira 8 miles away.  Then later, we would have to decide how we want to descend the mountainside to sea level.  Same three choices: steps, cable car or donkeys.

The tiny cliffside town is known for its cave houses which were built into the rocks high above the sea as protection against pirates.  Fishermen and their families lived in the two-room stone dwellings carved out of the side of the mountain.  I felt like a mountain goat clambering along the path.

Higher up the side of the cliff were the captain’s houses. These were larger two-story houses with tiny gardens. All the buildings were painted white, originally to ward off disease according to the guide, but later to reflect sunlight and keep the homes cooler. Why people chose to live on top of the high lifeless, waterless, treeless cliffs is a mystery to me.

Today, most of the buildings are commercial shops, restaurants, or luxury boutique hotels. Oia reportedly has the best view of the entire caldera which is enough to make photographers happy.

We had a couple of hours to explore Oia by ourselves then we boarded the bus again and drove slowly through traffic to Fira, the capital city of the island.

Our guide, Sophia, led us up to the main pedestrian walkway and set us free.  Jeff and I took more pictures of the caldera and the sea and the lovely whitewashed buildings.

The weather was perfect: a strong cool breeze and warm bright sun. We strolled along the path with many tourists.  Fira was very crowded with too many cruise ship passengers.

It might be more fun to stay on the island for a few days and visit Fira in the evening after the tourists leave. Sophia recommended staying in one of the smaller villages elsewhere on the island away from visitors.

Before we left Santorini, we stopped at one of the many restaurants perched on the cliffside overlooking the sea.  We relaxed, away from the crowd, with iced ‘cappuccino freddo’ and a strong breeze off the water….

We strolled along the main pedestrian walkway in Fira and eventually, we rode a cable car down to a waiting tender to return to the ship.  We opted not to ride donkeys down the steep path.  It was an incredible view to look up at the inside walls of the volcano.

What a day!  Santorini is an amazing place.  How often can a person stand on the rim of a volcano and look down into the caldera?  Not like anything I have ever seen before.

Tonight we sail to the port city of Piraeus and visit Athens.

Wednesday – May 23, 2018

The ship arrived very early in the morning at the beautiful island of Rhodes. It was a glittering sunny day with a pale blue sky and a nice breeze blowing. I peered out of our glass door and saw the medieval red roofs of Rhodes. It was too early to stay up so I went back to bed for another hour.

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands of Greece and was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  An earthquake in 226 BC destroyed the huge statue.  Throughout history, Rhodes played an important part on the trade routes between the West and the East.  The island has been inhabited since 4000 BC and was dominated by every civilization in the region.

Our ship, the Celebrity Reflection, was docked just across the road from the ancient wall of the “Old Town.”  We followed the wall to one of the seven gates to gain entry, which turned out to be Virgin Mary’s Gate.

Many shops hadn’t opened yet and a few shopkeepers were just opening their doors for the early risers. The town was quiet and we heard birds singing and the sounds of people inside their homes.

The island of Rhodes is located only 12 miles away from the Turkish coast and boasts 200 days of sunshine per year. There’s a modern city on the other side of the Mandraki peninsula but we just had time and energy for the historic part.

The Old Town is supposed to be one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The impressive fortifications with towers and a deep moat, were built by the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John beginning in 1309.  Today, 6000 people live inside the ancient walls.

Unfortunately, there were many tourist shops and plenty of visitors, but it was still fun to walk along the narrow streets on worn sea stones.  We stopped for cold drinks at a taverna that also offered free Wifi and we explored the castle with a full moat.

Later on the ship at night, the Blu Dining Room served Greek food: hummus, baba ganoush, and cold cucumber & yogurt soup.  Yummy!

Tuesday – May 22, 2018

After several unsuccessful attempts and many decades, I finally made it to Greece!  I fell asleep last night and had a wonderful dream that I was on an enchanted island. I opened my eyes and we were on Mykonos!

The ship arrived at the island very early in the morning.  I was awake and looked out to see the sun rising above the rocky shore as the ship dropped anchor just beyond the little harbor.  

We skipped breakfast and took an early tender into town to walk around before the shops opened and the hoards of tourists arrived. The weather was very windy but sunny and a comfortable temperature.

We walked along the narrow alleyways and past countless tiny whitewashed churches and buildings with no direction in mind.  The shops in the port town of Chora were still closed and there were very few people out and about. The town was very well maintained and beautiful: whitewashed houses and colorful trim.

Finally we came upon the famous windmills of Mykonos. They were originally built in the 16th century to grind wheat into flour and today remain the most recognized landmarks of the island.

The “Little Venice” district across the bay from the windmills is famous for its picturesque Medieval houses with colorful balconies. Comfort is a far stretch of the imagination because the restaurants are right on the water with wind-driven waves splashing over the low wall. It’s recommended to dine here and watch the sunset from one of the many bars and cafes.

We wandered some more and found ourselves back at the waterfront and stopped for cups of double Greek coffee and baklava about 10:30. The coffee was strong and gritty like Turkish coffee and the baklava was sweet and delicious!

It was still early and we didn’t want to go back to the ship so we zigged and zagged along the narrow walkways searching for new areas to explore. There were four big ships anchored beyond the harbor so now the streets were very crowded with tourists.  The tiny shops were opening and there was a noisy festive atmosphere.

Eventually, we stopped at a restaurant named Taverna Panagia Paraportiani which overlooked a small church of the same name. The church was built in 1425 and is supposed to have four chapels.  I had delicious grilled octopus (two tentacles) and Jeff had a spicy “piquant” cheese salad. They also served Greek bread with olive tapenade and herb butter.  Yummy!

While we sat at the restaurant, suddenly an older man walked out of the back room holding a small fish in the air. A large pink pelican waddled along behind him. When the man had everyone’s attention, he gave the fish to the pelican and everyone cheered and took photos.

This must have been “Petros” the Pelican, or one of his two brothers. The original Petros came ashore in the 1950s but died in 1985. Today, there are supposed to be three pelicans inhabiting the island and entertaining tourists.

It was a wonderful day on Mykonos island.  We were back on the ship later in the afternoon to rest up for tomorrow when the ship docks on the Greek island of Rhodes.