A Day Trip to Santorini

Marty and Cathy planned a trip to Santorini today.  Paul was kind enough to make sure they had an early breakfast before they departed for the bus.  Marty even got to use the umbrella she packed even if it was for 5 minutes.  The girls walked to the Dolphin Bay Hotel where they were picked up by the tour bus.

A 90 minute boat trip later and they arrived on the beautiful island of Santorini.  A tour bus took them to Oia where they had an hour to explore the area.  They loved the architecture, the blue domes, the churches, etc. etc.  It was especially interesting to find out there were over 600 Greek Orthodox Churches and 40 Roman Catholic Churches on the island.  Many are small chapels built and owned by individual families.  The tour guide also mentioned there are several “Name Days (Feast Days)” celebrated daily and if you happen to see one, feel free to join in on the festivities and food because everyone is invited.”

The grape vines are nourished by the humidity.  The vines do not need to be staked and appear as bushes.  The harvest is plentiful and the wine is extraordinary.  The early harvest is for table wine and the late harvest is for wine used in Church for Holy Communion (Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic).

The next stop on the tour was at Thira, the capitol of Santorini.  The view of the Caldera was spectacular.  Cathy and Marty browsed the shops and discovered a refreshingly beautiful oasis where they enjoyed and savored Ice Cream (Marty) and Greek Yogurt (Cathy) followed by a glass of Santorini wine – excellent!

The last stop was at the Black Sand Beach at the far end of the island.  Our day in Santorini regretfully was coming to an end.

We arrived back in Amoundara and decided to have a light dinner at a local taverna.  After a delightful meal of dolmathes, fried zucchini slices accompanied by tzatziki and some more wine, we were fully satisfied.  As an extra treat, the taverna treated us to a plate of loukamathes and raki.  What a delightful  and unforgettable day! 

While the girls were on the adventure, Karl remained at the Hotel and spent his day in the library enjoying the peace and quiet.