Friday: Santorini
Jun. 9th, 2007 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deirdreSantorini is one of those islands I was always a bit wary about visiting. I don't like roads you can fall off of, and Santorini is basically an island one can fall off of. If you've seen the second (I think) Tomb Raider movie, which starts with a bunch of cliff homes falling during an earthquake -- that's Santorini (though the earthquake was special effects).
The seas were choppy, and this was a tender port, meaning the ship anchors (yes, with real old-fashioned anchors and the concommitant clanking of chains) near the port and then we take smaller boats into the port. It's really odd when you feel hardly any motion of the ship, but have to time your step onto the other port so you don't fall because the waves are that bad. Several people got seasick, but the waves weren't that bad.
From the new port, a road winds up to the top, and you pass all the volcanic layers on the way up. We drove out to the town of Oia, where all the luxury hotels are, and in fact we passed several I used to sell.
The old port had two traditional ways down: donkey and footpath, complete with 600 steps.
Until the 1950s, Santorini survived on a traditional lifestyle: there was no airport; there were no roads other than donkey trails; there were no cars; there was no electricity; and the only route down to the port was a donkey trail. When the earthquake hit in 1956 and destroyed much of what was on Santorini, the rebuilding efforts required more infrastructure, so the roads were built, the new port (with the road up) was built, and, in 1979, the island got its airport. Suddenly, being more connected to the world gave them new opportunities: instead of grapes, pistachios, and so forth being the main industry, the main industry became tourism. To make the old port more useful, they added a cable car route down. We were each given a ride up in a bus (from the new port) and tickets to take the cable car down.
We had a great guide who, like many on the island, lives in a traditional cave house. He was very funny, and explained a lot about the island history (some of which I've summarized). We visited the town of Oia for an hour, then we went to go see the new archeological museum, which covers items found in the excavations at Akrotiki. Jars with paisleys on them (the oldest I know of), many beautiful pieces. Pictures forthcoming.
Avoiding the restaurants recommended, we found a great place that had onions stuffed with ground beef, rice, and pine nuts -- and the onions were fabulous. The cats of Santorini largely ignored us, unlike the cats of Delphi.
When it came time to go back to the ship, I took the cable car down. Rick, however, took the stairs. All 600 of them.
The seas were choppy, and this was a tender port, meaning the ship anchors (yes, with real old-fashioned anchors and the concommitant clanking of chains) near the port and then we take smaller boats into the port. It's really odd when you feel hardly any motion of the ship, but have to time your step onto the other port so you don't fall because the waves are that bad. Several people got seasick, but the waves weren't that bad.
From the new port, a road winds up to the top, and you pass all the volcanic layers on the way up. We drove out to the town of Oia, where all the luxury hotels are, and in fact we passed several I used to sell.
The old port had two traditional ways down: donkey and footpath, complete with 600 steps.
Until the 1950s, Santorini survived on a traditional lifestyle: there was no airport; there were no roads other than donkey trails; there were no cars; there was no electricity; and the only route down to the port was a donkey trail. When the earthquake hit in 1956 and destroyed much of what was on Santorini, the rebuilding efforts required more infrastructure, so the roads were built, the new port (with the road up) was built, and, in 1979, the island got its airport. Suddenly, being more connected to the world gave them new opportunities: instead of grapes, pistachios, and so forth being the main industry, the main industry became tourism. To make the old port more useful, they added a cable car route down. We were each given a ride up in a bus (from the new port) and tickets to take the cable car down.
We had a great guide who, like many on the island, lives in a traditional cave house. He was very funny, and explained a lot about the island history (some of which I've summarized). We visited the town of Oia for an hour, then we went to go see the new archeological museum, which covers items found in the excavations at Akrotiki. Jars with paisleys on them (the oldest I know of), many beautiful pieces. Pictures forthcoming.
Avoiding the restaurants recommended, we found a great place that had onions stuffed with ground beef, rice, and pine nuts -- and the onions were fabulous. The cats of Santorini largely ignored us, unlike the cats of Delphi.
When it came time to go back to the ship, I took the cable car down. Rick, however, took the stairs. All 600 of them.