When the boat arrived in Santorini harbour, I was overwhelmed by the reception of both humans and animals! The donkeys
descended thick and fast down some of the steepest terrain I have ever seen, rushing to meet the ferry and haul the load of tourists up the steep steps to the town perched on the rocks above.Santorini is a submerged volcano that erupted eons ago, leaving a caldera behind. Its steep rock faces are covered with whitewashed villas clinging to the rock face like vines on a brick wall.
There is a tradition in Santorini of saluting the sunset
by populating one of the many bars prior to sundown and then sitting in silent adoration as the amazing sunset unfolds. It is a sight unlike any other. After it's over, the bars explode with life as the patrons eat, drink and party into the wee hours of the morning. Santorini doesn't have the beautiful sandy beaches of some of the other islands, and despite the disapproval of the locals, many of the rock beaches have become de facto nudist beaches. It takes awhile to find them, however, as the sun worshippers have isolated themselves somewhat, maybe in self-defense, maybe in search of some privacy. Some reasonably good retsina wine is made on the island, although given the amount of arable land there is versus volcanic rock, it's hard to believe that they can actually grow enough grapes!
It's been a fabulous trip and I'm not really ready to go home, but go I must. I know I'll be back some day, there is just no doubt about it!
