Santorini...picture book beautiful!!

We had a full day excursion in Santorini yesterday, May 8th. After breakfast at our 20-room B&B, we got on the Calypso, a glass bottom boat. Our 1st stop was the volcanic island of Nea Kameni. We learned how volcanoes are formed and why they erupt - we climbed to the top of this volcanic island, which already had about 18 craters on it! We then climbed back down and next cruised to the tiny island of Palea Kameni and had a 20-min swim in some volcanic hotsprings, the water temp went from 60 f to about 72 as we got close to its shore. As I peered up the canyon, some mountain goats were climbing along the rocky sheer face, staring down at us as if to say what the...??

We swam back to the boat and next ventured to the island of Thirassia. Very rugged and extremely rural - we took our guide's advice and had lunch at the top of the island, away from the touristy food shacks at the sea front. Two choices here - walk up the zig-zag path to the top or take a donkey. Thank god we chose the donkey since the walk back down in itself was exhausting. The donkeys were well trained and it was a hoot! As I held on for dear life, I blindingly held the camera over my shoulder and clicked away, managing to catch a few of Bob en route. At the top was a delicious locally owned restaurant, very rustic but the food and homemade wine was amazing. It took the guide three days to convince the owner to make his wine available as there isn't much of this particular grape and the wine is scarce, it was offered at two euros which smelled a bit of brandy but completely different in flavor, a real treat!

We quickly ventured to the other side of this narrow island where we got some fantastic pics of Greek windows, doors and landscape - most of this rural community had been abandoned 100s of years ago, there were plenty of fixer-uppers although none appeared to be for sale. We could see farming communities far in the distance. We had the option of cruising next to the town of Oia (pron. Ee-ah) and getting off the boat here, and climbing up 250 steep stone zig-zag steps to the town. Of the appr. 40 people on the boat only four of us chose to do this, Bob and I and two young ladies from New York. We'd been told that the sunset in the town of Oia was the world's most spectacular, where the sun kisses the sea, and every bit of this is true! After a very long climb up the hill, we caught our wind back with sitting in the cool shade cast by one of the town's beautiful cathedrals.

We then strolled through some of the beautiful shops, took photos and found a restaurant overlooking the caldera and brightly sit Agean waters and towns of the islands. The buildings at the top of the islands from a distance are so bright it appears as though there's fresh fallen snow. We had baclava and ice cream, water, coffee and locally made Santorini wine - the grape grown on this Mediterrainean island is so unique - it appears like a liquor on the sides of the glass but is extremely full bodied in flavor. We leisuring sat at what appeared to be the top of a castle and enjoyed the most beautiful sunset we've ever seen.

I could write an entire book but suffice it to say, everyone needs to visit Greece - it's unlike anything I've ever seen.

Hope to see you again soon,

Love Sylvie and Bob