Santorini Island, Greece
Early in the morning, as the sun was rising, we entered the caldera of Santorini. A unique and amazing landscape unraveled before us. Precipitous cliffs up to 1,000 feet high form the western coast of the crescent shaped island of Santorini. Villages with dazzling white homes extended along the cliff top. The cliffs drop into a lagoon which was once the center of the island which disappeared in a terrific explosion in prehistoric times. In the center of the caldera are the two Kameni (‘Burnt’) islands which are actively volcanic. The islands of Therasia and Aspronisi continue the circular outline that the original island had before the explosion.
The island is the most southerly of the Cyclades. In ancient times it was called Thera. It owes its alternative name to St. Irene who died here in exile, sanctified and the island, in medieval times, was named after her. On the volcanic soil vines, tomatoes and fava are cultivated. The potent Santorini wine enjoys a great reputation. Tourism and mining pumice ash are the main industries, water is scarce. The light is famous for its intensity and we were lucky to experience that after a couple of cloudy days. Today we enjoyed a clear sunny day which made us appreciate the amazing architecture of Ia and Fira. The outline of the settlement and the composition of the buildings, acquired a high artistic dimension under the strong light. In the archaeological museum we were able to gain an insight into the past of the island. The artifacts discovered in the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri reveal the advanced culture that once flourished there.
Lunch at Aiolos restaurant and Litsa’s cooking, gave us the opportunity to experience the local cuisine, and taste local products and wine.
Sailing around the caldera before departing completed our Santorini experience. Now we can also say that this island is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Leaving, we sailed for Paros which is going to be tomorrow’s experience.
