Continued from Part 4...
The ride on the big ferry from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Santorini lasted some seven hours, painful ones because a) we'd gotten up at the crack of dawn to catch the 7:30 AM boat and so were operating on very little sleep, and b) I had come down with a bad cold and was squinty, drippy, and miserable. On deck in the open air, the "roof" was only semi-opaque and let a lot of sunlight through. Thinking the fresh air would be good, we baked out there for awhile; then I needed, and got, some relief in the air-conditioned belowdecks where there are comfortable airplane-style seats. (Well, airplane-style circa 1980; they're much more pleasant and roomy than coach seats on an airliner today. See Part 1 for the relevant griping).
We passed a number of picturesque islands on the way, with the boat making brief stops at some (like Paros), and all my grousing was forgotten as we approached the port at the legendary island of Santorini (called Thira locally). The big ramp whined slowly open to let the people and vehicles out; the stupendous cliffs of the island came into view, and we tumbled into the hot, sunny afternoon, suitcases in tow.
Santorini doesn't feel much like the rest of Greece. First, it's so optimized for tourists (a great number of whom visit for only a few hours from a cruise ship) that most signs are first in English and only then, if at all, in Greek. Second, and more significant, is the unique geography. The island is an inverted "C" curled around the waters of the caldera, the vast crater left by the Thera volcanic eruption of roughly 1500 BCE. That enormous explosion seems to have put an end to the great Minoan civilization (centered in Crete), and may have been behind the legend of Atlantis and the stories of the Biblical plagues in Egypt.
What the eruption left behind is a strange landscape of vast layered cliffs, beaches in three colors (white, red, and lava-black), and whitewashed, blue-domed villages built thickly into the rock to defend against earthquakes (a strong one in the 1950s destroyed many buildings on the island). From the port of Fira, a cable car or donkeys take the strange, babbling beings we came to know as the Cruise-Ship People up to the town, but the ferries such as we took dock at another port, Athinios, from which a bus switchbacked us up. (The island's well-run bus system stood us in good stead throughout our stay.)
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
When we took the cable car up (I don't know if you had the same experience) we got jostled by several quick stops. When we left, my wife took it back down, but wanting to avoid the rough ride I chose to walk down.
It was a beautiful way to see everything, but it took forever and I had to compete with donkeys who were rather unpleasant (watching where I walked the whole time because donkeys are messy).
It was still worth it to see a place like Santorini.
2 - Jon Sobel
We thought about walking down, but there was so much donkey poop it was too unpleasant. We actually had the cable car all to ourselves on the ride up. We only went down and up the cable car for fun, because Elisa loves cable cars - we weren't taking a boat from that port. No jolts or bumps. Maybe they've fine-tuned the operation since you were there!
3 - Preston
We make our annual pilgrimage to Greece every summer and for good reason, because the Greek Islands are simply stunning. However, we never quite make the trip to Santorini, because it is so set up for tourists and the gaggle of cruise ship passengers that puts us off. However after reading your article Jon, we are going to take the time to head over this summer.
4 - Jon Sobel
Preston, it's definitely worth a visit - as long as you have a bit of time to wander and escape the crowds.
5 - Richard
I must agree with staying away from the gaggle of crowded tours that run through the towns , but that happens in so many places . If you get your timing right it will be such a great experience. Im staying at imerovigli at the moment and we are looking out at the sunset two steps from our patio and i doubt it gets any better . By the way Donkeys are amazing creatures and if someone wants to complain about some donkey poop , then go to America cause you dont belong.
6 - Jon Sobel
Touche, Richard! I have nothing but respect for donkeys. I will point out, though, that we're not talking about "some" donkey poop... we're talking an entire roadway coated in it. I suppose one could get used to the odor and the stuff on your shoes if it were one's livelihood. But I didn't have any desire to muck down that road all the way. Some people were doing it, so more power to them.