The Trip Heard Round the World: Santorini - A Slightly Balanced Perspective

Jen here. Santori took some adjustment for me. We were not staying in either Fira (Thira) or Oia, which are the main villages/tourist attractions and 99.9% of what you see on Pinterest, Instagram or other image options which have those magical views of white and blue domed buildings perched on cliffs. The surrounding areas are less photogenic. There are areas with rusting cars parked in lots, a not insignificant amount of litter and some rougher-around-the-edges aspects. I am not saying that its bad, I am saying however that even though I read a lot about where we are going, I was taken aback by how *untouristy* parts of this very touristy place were. It took me a little while to get into the swing of Santorini, which is popular for a reason. It has a lot to offer, even if you aren't going there for a romantic trip or as part of a booked tour. We learned that the island used to be round but is now shaped like a croissant due to a volcano blowing the center away long ago. You never heard or saw the word 'caldera' as much as after you set foot on this island.

Our journey to Santorini began early from Pireus, the port of Athens. We had checked into our hotel (with exceptionally friendly staff!) after midnight and were in the shuttle van by 6 am to make sure we didn't miss our ferry (this sentence could be considered foreshadowing). It was still dark when we got to the ferry dock, and we watched the sun rise over Athens as we prepared to depart. Once underway, we settled in: it is an 8 hour ferry trip from Athens to Santorini with stops at two different islands first.

Right on time...

A heartening yet I suspect not universal message

Sun up, ramp up...we are off

Passing of time

Soooo clooooose.....

Our Airbnb hostess had arranged for us to have a ride to the apartment, and when we disembarked in Santori's port with the hundreds of other travelers, the driver was right there waiting for us. A quick stop at the ATM and grocery store and we arrived at our apartment. It was distinctly unlovely and, as it turned out, had plumbing issues and a terrifically broken sink that had been leaking used dishwater underneath into the cabinet for some time, causing a fairly gross situation. We ended up leaving the following day and I cannot overstate how great the hostess was to work with. She did her best to remedy the problem by having a new sink installed but it was still wonky and the toilet and shower were still problematic. She apologized profusely and issued us a full refund immediately, offering to help us while we were still on the island and offering us laundry services. I wasn't impressed by the flat but I was impressed with the way she handled the situation, especially after having read some stories online about really wretched Airbnb transactions. (However as of this writing both of us are still working with Airbnb to make the refund a reality.)

We found ourselves in a different area for the rest of our stay, in the humorously named Honeymoon Beach Hotel, complete with miniature heart shaped pool which was popular with our leefle players. This place was an improvement in many regards, though we were all squished into an efficiency for a week. Small price to pay, literally and figuratively. It was a short walk to the beach, which Chris and Otis really enjoyed. I wasn't as impressed because I am the least beachy person in my family.

Clean and bright efficiency

Leefle players

Friendly cat who would later bring us a bird's corpse as a gift

The rhythms of our explorations were fairly relaxed. As loyal readers know, I continue to work as we travel, and in Santorini was able to do some solid writing as well as some helpful research. We spent time at our local beach, Perivolos, and also did our fair share of walking around Fira and Oia, visiting local attractions like wineries and the Tomato Industrial Museum and checking out some other beaches, such as a red beach and Chris's favorite, the beach at the end of the road upon which the Tomato Industrial Museum is located. We watched the sun set every night. We also spent an afternoon at the ruins of Akrotiri, a town established oh, maybe 2-3000 years ago. It is hard to wrap your head around exactly how old these ruins are.

Sunset in Oia

Being charged €48.79 for pork. We went back to the store and worked earnestly with the clerk to realize it was a discharge for Chris's €1 coffee.

Local wine + fava at a great restaurant, Sporos

Akrotiri ruins

I mean...look at those storage vessels!!

Red beach

Perivolos Beach

Fira

Oia

Fira

Church that had an inholding on airport land -- they just fenced around it and went on their way

We definitely did not begin on the right foot animal-treatmentwise in Santorini. From the first day we were there, where donkeys passing us on the steep steps of Fira were bleeding from their lower legs (perhaps from a stumble on the stone stairs?), to the kitty near our Airbnb who had parasites, to the sad sight of the mules and horse across from the hotel, who would doubtless score very low on the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System, and on our final morning, a lone cow, tethered in a dusty field, without shade or water, crying her heart out. Tethering and hobbling were common. Chris saw a donkey being driven in a truck bed. Of course, there were many cats and dogs without homes. We found a shelter (actually found while Googling to see who on the island had jurisdiction over underfed horses/mules) and emailed them, offering to help, but we did not hear from them. If I did it again, I would probably arrange our schedule so we could just show up with some donations and see if there was a way we could assist. I happen to know that sometimes when you are providing direct care of animals, administrative tasks like email can end up very far down on the list.

Typical scrubby land

Lot with hungry animals

All cats deserve love

Donkey in truck

My favorite parts? I loved the amazing sunsets, paddleball on the beach and I have to admit to falling for touristy, polished, lovely Oia. It is just beautiful. It is also more expensive to stay in by a considerable amount! So, on my next trip to Santorini, I will be more savvy, and book in Oia to spell myself while volunteering at the animal shelter and delivering hay to the island's hungry equines.* It was also nice to be warm, feel the sun on our skin and go to the beach after the chilly weather in the north.