Oia, Santorini, Greece, Stop 2

June 16

We wake up early and catch a cab to the airport and check in for our flight. Athens>Heathrow about getting through security with liquids and we get to our gate and have lots of time to chill out. Too much time, it turns out. An airport worker sees our bags and tells us that we have to check them. WHAT???? No way! They explain that the plans that fly out to the islands are small and don’t have space. So 150 euros later our bags are checked. And, once again, we get on the plane and see that they totally could have fit in the overhead bins. Next time we are going to give a little more push back when people try to make us check our bags.

After a very short flight, we arrive in Santorini and it does NOT disappoint. We are staying in a cute little cave house and the owners have left a bottle of wine. We hit the weather jackpot again. It’s sunny and mid 70s and while we get a bit warm wandering Oia, it’s not uncomfortably hot like you would expect Greece to be in the summer. We eat at a yummy but extremely overpriced restaurant. Luckily you can’t beat the scenery. It is an afternoon of chilling and enjoying the view. We have a more reasonable dinner off the beaten path at a place called Hungry Donkey. The gang is happy to watch the last 30 or so minutes of the Turkey vs. Wales soccer match and is pleased that Wales wins. We have a lovely night stroll home and take in the lights of Oia. It is actually a bit chilly and it was a good thing we brought an extra layer to dinner. Wow! Chilly...in Greece...in the summer! Who knew?

June 17

We all get our first night of real sleep, midnight to 8:30 for the parents and 10 am for the kids. Mia and I walk for coffee at a cute place in Passaggio and then to a market called Perivolas where we pick up some hummus and tzatziki and other things to munch on. And then Cindy convinces Dmitri and Mia to walk down, down, down the path of 200+ steps to Ammoudi Bay. We swim in the water and jump off the rocks and it is heavenly after a hot and sweaty walk (see Mia’s video). We have lunch at the bay in a place called Katina’s Fish Tavern. Before we sit down, we are shown all the fish and we get to pick our own. The fish are priced per kilo and prepared very simply and we are pleased with a delicious lunch by a charming bay. Then it’s a loooooong uphill walk and back to our cave place where wine and a shower await each of us. Jack says he is sorry he missed out and would like to go there the following day. Dmitri and Mia quickly opt out—they don’t plan on making that trek again. We have a late dinner and walk around beautiful Oia again. Jack finds more cats and is thrilled with all of them.

***Mia: I made the poor decision to wear water shoes on that path of 200+ steps. Not my best move, and my calves regretted not having a more supportive shoe. ***

June 18

It’s lovely settling into a more European way of thinking with regard to time. We sleep in, get going late morning, do whatever activity we are going to do, have a late lunch, return to our cave house and chill in the afternoon until it’s time for a late dinner. Then around 10 pm we walk around before coming back to settle in for the night.

We definitely get a late start today but no matter. It’s off to Fira/Thira. (I have seen both and will have to get to the bottom of which one to use.) Google helps me out on this: Thira is the name of the whole island. Thira or Thera is the Greek name of the whole island. Most people, including most Greeks too call it Santorini, still if you search an old encyclopedia or a Greek naval map, island is called Thira. Fira is the name of the main capital town. So while on the island of Thira, we take a bus from Oia to Fira. It’s a wonderful bus and only 1.60 euros each way for each of us. This is way better than the 50 euros it would take to taxi over. The bus is roomy and air-conditioned and we are happy to sit back and enjoy the ride. In a little less than 30 minutes, we arrive in Central Fira and stroll the shops. We eat lunch in Fira before taking the bus back to Oia. We decide that we are very happy staying in Oia and don’t need to return to Fira. Oia is more our speed.

Note about covid and restrictions: neither Oia nor Fira is crowded and it’s sad to see so many empty tables at tavernas. The only people wearing masks in Oia are waiters. In Fira, the shop keepers ask tourists to wear masks in the stores. It was the same in Athens, with most people wearing masks any time they are out and about.

June 19 Last full day in Santorini. We wake up again and comment that the view is still incredible and then Jack and I set out for the walk down to Ammoudi Bay. It’s still a long walk down and it’s gotten a bit hotter. He doesn’t enjoy the walk very much, but the dip in the water at the bottom is refreshing and we swim around a bit before heading back up.

We have a lovely souvlaki lunch at a little place off the beaten path that has meatless wraps and it’s half the price of the places that boast a view. The waiter is very friendly and we tell him that we are coming back the next day! And we do.

Dmitri, Mia, and I head out for sunset and it’s a beautiful one, albeit crowded. We cannot even imagine how crowded it must be during non covid times when Oia is at capacity.

***Dmitri: Our first genuine crowd. One week in, and we’d started to take for granted that we’d have the world to ourselves. Santorini is quickly coming back to life, which is great for the locals. ***