82 Steps

We enjoyed our three night stay in Santorini, staying in Firostefani. It is further up the rim of the caldera by a 5 minute walk from Fira, the main town, where cruise ships disgorge thousands of tourists each day. We had an errand to run in Fira the day we arrived for my friend Ann to find Nic the jeweller. Weeks before we left home, Ann had lost one of her favourite earrings which she had previously bought here. Using Google maps we navigated the narrow streets of Fira, full of shops and stuffed with travellers, in search of a replacement earring. We eventually found Nic 

Our little apartment was very comfortable, adjacent to the pool, with a small hot tub. Our glutes got a workout every time we went anywhere as there were 82 steps to climb. And that was just the beginning - steps up and down everywhere on Santorini.

We had planned a quiet time here, recharging our batteries, sitting by the pool, eating, drinking and admiring the views. And sitting by the pool was very relaxing.

Enjoying a cuppa and the view

However, on our first full day we decided to take a "stroll" after breakfast and ended up walking 10 km up and down steps and paths, gravel, rocky and in parts, paved, all the way to Oia. On seeing the white township way in the distance, Adrian commented "we're not walking there". But we did and it was really interesting allowing many different views of the island. 

Oia-  the white area at the tip of the island

Maybe halfway

Along the way at some high vantage points, we saw several models being photographed dressed in glamorous gowns with metres of material in striking colours. No hair dryer was required to get the "gusty" look. The wind took care of that!

Fortunately we started relatively early and it took us 2.5 hours. The entrance to the top part of Oia has an attractive wide paved pedestrian zone which became congested as the streets narrowed and the throngs of tour groups clustered. So we jumped on a local bus and headed back to our digs. 

It seems that white is the designated colour to be worn on Santorini to emulate the whiteness of the surrounds. Lots of shops sell white goddess-like gowns with the Greek symbols embroidering the neck or waistlines. I didn't get one!

Ventured to the public bus terminal on day 2 to grab a bus to Perissa Beach, one of the famous black sand beaches of Santorini, laden with all the requisite paraphernalia . Chaos reigned at the terminal, with buses reversing and people milling everywhere. Neither the ticket seller nor the drivers could tell us which bus of 6 parked there was going to Perissa. Unfortunately on arrival at the beach, it started to rain. As we wandered along the beach café strip we stopped to look at a menu and the spruiker seized his chance. “Do you like wine?...Come in, we give you two free glasses” That, with the increasing rain, sealed the deal. Then as we were getting ready to go they presented us with another two free glasses of wine!! A brief reprieve from the weather allowed a short stop on the black sand, before rain sent us into another café for a hot coffee. 

Lunchtime view at Perissa Beach

As mentioned, we have been enjoying the Greek wine., both red and white.  One I really enjoyed and remembered from Persephone, our walking guide in Athens, was a red from Santorini, called Mavrotragano…delicious and full bodied.

Last dip in the pool at Agnadema apartments

There is no denying that the views on Santorini are stunning, and we are glad that we have seen it, but we  are happy to move on to our next destination - Naxos Island, the largest island in the Cyclades - and hopefully a slower pace. The delightful porter, Guiliano, from our apartments,  carried our suitcases to the top of the 82 steps, hoisting one on his shoulder and the other in his hand. He certainly deserved the tip we gave him, having also carted them down the 82 steps a few days earlier. 

If we thought the bus terminal was chaotic, the port was worse. But after the trucks and cars were loaded, it was time for the thousands of passengers to load, streaming across the asphalt pulling and carrying their luggage.

All was going well and then I hit the deck!