On Sunday we just
did the tourist things in Santorini.
We worked out how to take the local buses and took two to get to
Akrotiri, an ancient Minoan settlement on the far south of Island. They have done a big excavation and it
is all presented under a shelter.
Very clever. Then we took
the bus back to Fira, where the main port is. We really wanted to see the museum which houses many of the
finds from the Akrotiri site. We
managed to get there just in time to look around before it closed.
We had a bit of lunch and then a walk around Fira. It is a large traditional village on a
hill like Oia, but it has none of the charm. We are certainly glad that we were recommended to stay in
Oia. It is really special.
So back on the bus to Oia.
The buses seemed to have worked out well until we were within 15 or 20
minutes of Oia, when we were all ordered off the bus because it’s door stopped
working. We were told to get on
another bus which was at the bus stop.
The problem was that the bus was completely full and we had to stand. Further it was a different route which
took detours to all the local villages.
So what should have been a 20 minute ride took another 45 minutes! Well it was an experience.
Back in town we decided that we would like to seek out somewhere to have
a drink and see what all the books describe as Santorini’s fabulous
sunset. We went to a place called ‘Sunsets’
that we had seen before. However,
it turned out to be fully booked and would only seat people for dinner. So we gave it a miss and walked
on. Then we came across a place
that called itself a wine bistro.
They had an interesting looking seafood dinner with wine. It seemed to be perfectly situated to
see the sunset. As before it was
mainly pre-booked, but they did find us a table. So we sat down early, but had a cocktail to start and then
the fish platter. We managed to
spin our dinner out so we were there most of the evening. The sunset was nice, but really not
that special. Nothing like Hawaii,
or Burma for that matter.
So we walked slowly back to the hotel and managed to shop! I have been looking for a bit of what I
call “toilet art”. That is
something to hang in my downstairs loo which has pictures from many of the
places we have visited so that it has become a sort of travelogue. There are lots of cheap not very good
little paintings in all the souvenir shops. But we stop in a gallery and they have much nicer little
ones all mounted. They are just
prints, but we are taken with them so we buy one. All of white houses and blue church domes. Very Greek Island. We also pass another shop that has the
blouse I fancied yesterday. It is
a fake polyester silk, but of a beautiful print of island houses all blues and
whites. I try it on. They make them very large. Even a small is roomy on me. But it is so pretty I buy it even
though it costs much more than I wanted to pay.
So we have our last night in our little apartment room. The only problem is that I have had a
sudden panic and am worried about the boat. I am convinced that an unknown missed telephone call is from
the port.
We get up fairly early and make our way out to breakfast. I really should have brought our coffee
because breakfasts out are expensive.
Works out about the same as for lunch. It is still early so we wander around a bit. The book suggests that we see the
maritime museum. We find it, but
it is not yet open. It opens just
before 10am and we go in. Really
there is not much to see. There
are some interesting old bits for boats, some very old bow head figurines and
some nice models of boats, but it only takes us 20 minutes to look at the whole
place. So we go back to the room
braving the steps.
We have booked transport to the ferry to leave at 11:30 even though the
ferry doesn’t leave until 1:30pm.
We are advised that there can be terrible traffic jams, so we shouldn’t
take any chances. The trip here
took about an hour. But of course now
that we have left so much time, it only takes 40 minutes. So we have time to kill. We have a bit of lunch and a drink and
then finally get on the ferry.
My worries about the boat were unfounded. It is fine, just as we left it. However, it is very windy. We had thought about leaving this afternoon and going to one
of the anchorages on the island. But
it is blowing 15-21 knots here in the harbour and the weather forecast is for
1.5 metre waves. So it looks like
we will be stuck here for another one or probably two nights until the winds
and seas drop a bit. We decide
that our experiment with local buses in Santorini worked well, so we try it
here and take the bus to the local beach.
It is an easy journey and the beach is lovely. We even get great sunbeds and shades for free on ordering a
drink. Richard goes in for a
swim. The wind is making me cold,
so I just paddle a little.
Back on the boat we are eating dinner. We are having problems. We are being tossed around violently by traffic in the
harbour. We don’t understand what
is causing it. When we were moored
next to the ferries we didn’t have anything like this. Not great.
Hope we will be comfortable enough for the next two nights!
No comments:
Post a Comment