Santorini, Greece
On all points, Santorini did not disappoint: not the sun, wind, scenery, lack of tourists or donkeys. That’s right donkeys! The Sirocco wind that had dogged us for the first three days went into overdrive, blasting directly into the entrance of the caldera and then whipping up the 1,100-foot high cliffs with such ferocity that all the 20th century methods of accessing the island were forced to close. Always up for an adventure, we positioned the Panorama in the lea of Nea Kameni, the largest of the active volcanic islands in the center of the caldera and transferred to the only operating tender in the harbor. Once on the quay the guests were given a choice of ascending the 589 broad steps on foot or atop a donkey! Most opted to take this “four-legged” mode of transportation to Fira.
Before setting off to the archaeological museum full of the treasures from Akrotiri, the Minoan colony that was buried in the volcanic blast that gave this island its distinctive and dramatic geography, we looked down from the wind-swept heights at several large vessels cruising back and forth below the cliffs. Unable to off-load their passengers they sailed away looking for a different port. The wind might have made for a rough passage from Melos, but it afforded us this unprecedented bonus - the island was all ours! After the museum and a traditional Santorini lunch, we explored the now deserted streets of Io for a few hours before returning to Fira and our descent to the port.
“Wild” is the best term to describe our exit from Santorini. The winds forced us to tack some distance southwest before turning north to the island of Ios, our intended anchorage for the evening.
On all points, Santorini did not disappoint: not the sun, wind, scenery, lack of tourists or donkeys. That’s right donkeys! The Sirocco wind that had dogged us for the first three days went into overdrive, blasting directly into the entrance of the caldera and then whipping up the 1,100-foot high cliffs with such ferocity that all the 20th century methods of accessing the island were forced to close. Always up for an adventure, we positioned the Panorama in the lea of Nea Kameni, the largest of the active volcanic islands in the center of the caldera and transferred to the only operating tender in the harbor. Once on the quay the guests were given a choice of ascending the 589 broad steps on foot or atop a donkey! Most opted to take this “four-legged” mode of transportation to Fira.
Before setting off to the archaeological museum full of the treasures from Akrotiri, the Minoan colony that was buried in the volcanic blast that gave this island its distinctive and dramatic geography, we looked down from the wind-swept heights at several large vessels cruising back and forth below the cliffs. Unable to off-load their passengers they sailed away looking for a different port. The wind might have made for a rough passage from Melos, but it afforded us this unprecedented bonus - the island was all ours! After the museum and a traditional Santorini lunch, we explored the now deserted streets of Io for a few hours before returning to Fira and our descent to the port.
“Wild” is the best term to describe our exit from Santorini. The winds forced us to tack some distance southwest before turning north to the island of Ios, our intended anchorage for the evening.
