Greece

For my second travel break, I went to Greece with my friend Erika. We flew to Athens from Venice with a connecting flight in Munich. We got to Athens late on Saturday night, found the hostel without too much difficulty and and went to bed. Sunday we got up found our way to the ferry (so we did not get lost on the next morning). Then we went to the Acropolis and the surrounding areas. It would be incredible to see what it looked like way back when, and its amazing to think how long the remains have been standing there.

Sunday in Athens with the Acropolis in the background.



Monday we got up really early and got on our ferry. We slept for the first 3 or 4 hours sitting in the most uncomfortable chairs ever. Then once we were fully awake and looking for something to do, I taught Erica how to play Rummy. And to my enjoyment she loved it and it kept us entertained most of the week. We got to Santorini around 3:30 and it was beautiful and sunny out. There was water as far as the eye could see. You could also see the volcano's from the port and other islands off in the distance. The owner of Villa Manos was there to pick us up at Port and drive us the 12 km to our Villa for the week. After checking in, Poppy the owner who spoke english led us to our room. The room was rather small but it had its own bathroom, a fridge, and a t.v. The room also had double doors that led out to a porch that was about the size of the room. It was over looking the east side of the island and you could see the water off in the distance. Such a pretty sight! After settling in we walked up to the supermarket that was just up the road and got sandwich fixings and snacks for the week. At dinner time we walked the 15 minutes into Fira to eat and to hang out for the night.

Tuesday morning, I woke up and Erika was still sleeping so I grabbed my book and went to sit outside. It was warm and sunny so I decided to put my swimsuit on. Erika finally awoke, after no longer than an hour and a half that I had been sitting outside. I felt like I was getting sun so I covered up, we fixed lunch and headed to the beach. It did not take me long to realize I was a lobster. The beach we went to was Perissa. We went to walk around the town before we began waiting for the bus, and this one Greek man that was working on his house turns to us and says, "Welcome to Santorini!" He then turns to me and says, "Oh where are you from? You're so white, well red. You are going to hurt tonight. Put some yogurt on that before bed."

Playing in the black sand at Perissa.



Wednesday, we rented an ATV and set off to explore the southern side of the Island. Our first stop was a beach that looked as though it had been deserted, but the sand was soft. We walked around, then jumped on the ATV and headed to red beach. I was a little disappointed because I was expecting it to look like Mars. It was red but just not as red as I was expecting. But it was still so pretty!!!

Watching the ocean from Red beach.



After red beach, we decided to drive to the crescent point of the Island and see the lighthouse. The view was indescribable. Sadly we did not stay too long because it had gotten frigid! After the light house, we headed back to the Villa. That night we went to Murphy's Irish Pub to celebrate St. Patrick's day! We found all the other CIMBAs that were on the island at Murphy's that night!

Light house on the southern point of Santorini.



Thursday, we got up and made the long chilly trek to Oia. This town is the one from the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and has amazing views. When we arrived, there wasn't much to do other than just walk around. Many shops were closed (which was true for most of the island, since is not tourist season yet). We had several shop owners ask us why we were there, because not many people come until summer.

Windmill in Oia



Santorini



After leaving Oia, we headed back to our Villa to warm up. Next, thing we knew it was 10 pm and we had napped for several hours. We decided to stay in and watch tv (they had shows in english with greek subtitles). It was the first bit of tv I'd watched all semester, such a nice treat for a change!!

Friday, we had to return the ATV and we spent the rest of the day in Fira. We got drinks at a cafe and watched the sunset. Then found a restaurant to eat dinner and called it an early night!

Sunset in Fira



Saturday, we sadly had to catch a ferry back to Athens. And Sunday we left Greece. It was a relaxing week. Santorini would be fun to visit for a day or two during peak season when it is in its prime! I highly recommend it to everyone!!

<3