Sisterhood (and brotherhood) of traveling pants...

Like the movie, our  pants sure have been traveling and have given us some special moments. Unlike the movie, we don't have to share our pants- thank goodness cuz with this heat they'd stink!!  (cute movie from 10 years ago if you don't get the reference). Thinking I might have to watch the movie upon my return since part took place where we were today. 

Today we had a 12 person bus to take us on a tour of different parts of the island. Our driver/guide was Dimitris. He was wonderful, with great knowledge of the island, charisma and humor!  It was a great day. We left Fira and headed to Oai to see a blue dome church. Dimitris told us if we looked over the edge, that is where they filmed the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The church is what I pictured in my mind for Santorini. Did a little shopping before heading to a few picture points along the road. Not as crowded up there so we were able to get a great view of what Santorini is like. Dimitris told us that the 'tourist season now stretches from March-Nov. it's the number 1 source of economy. I believe he said about 15,000 live here but last year over 1 million people slept at least 1 night on the island to visit. That doesn't include the people who take Day cruises over from Crete or all the cruise ships! Yikes! No wonder it's so busy. After our picture stops, we went to a winery. She found us so funny and eager that she gave 6 samples instead of 4. I did try but didn't enjoy. The last dessert wine literally tasted like a raisin. It was interesting (and the most tolerable). The way the vines are is super interesting. They're flat on the ground not raised up in stakes like us the norm. She said the wind is so bad it would destroy the vines. It just looks like clumps of leaves on the ground. After being dropped off 4 of us went to let the fish suck our feet again ;)  then shopping,swimming and awaiting the sunset. LIFE IS GOOD! sad to leave Santorini tomorrow but looking forward to Crete. 

Breakfast is brought to you. 

Life is soooo good!

Santorini, Santorini, Santorini ....I've been waiting for you

After a delay on the plane while awaiting a runway to take off and the shortest flight ever, we arrived in Santorini. We all crammed into a small van/bus and winded our way up to our hotel. First impression of Santorini: so much damn congestion. Between the mopeds, 4 wheelers cars etc. the roads were packed. Unfortunately the cruise ships drop hoards of people off. Night has been better. Still lots of people but not as congested. Our hotel is what you would picture in Santorini. We're in Fira. White, steps up and down on a stacked building. So fits the dream!!! (Thank goodness for George who helped lug our luggage up and down the before mentioned stairs. )  our rooms weren't ready so we left our luggage with George and got a van north to Imerovigli. It was only a 15 min. drive or so. Then we started walking down a path back towards our hotel. We enjoyed the view along the caldera (the side where the volcano - now on an island of its own- where long long long ago parts of the land got separated and have disappeared because of an eruption creating the current shape of Santorini). We stopped midway for lunch and then made our way to the hotel.  We enjoyed a much needed dip in the pool. Another hot day and walk produced much sweat (and some bad sunburn lines).  After dinner we rushed back to catch a glimpse of the famous sunset. It seemed a little hazy but was quite serene.  

We had the balcony seats!

Cue the small violin....

Wah, wah, wah...... my camera stopped working. About to take a photo at the archaeological site where Alexander the Great was born and where King Phillip II ruled when CLICK. It goes black and won't turn back on. Since this happened 3 years ago in the middle of my 6 week adventure, I didn't panic. I'm trying to be mature about it. I do have my iPhone and it takes decent pictures..... but......still!?! (I had to have it fixed last time and have tried all the tricks to no avail). Cue the small violin because if this is my greatest problem in life, then lucky me. I am in Greece after all. 

Back to the highlights of today. It was pretty fantastic (and didn't require a lot of climbing hills or stairs so my feet and knees were glad for the break.) we started the day at a museum about Alexander the great. I've heard the name but couldn't really tell you a whole lot about him. It had a lot of artifacts from the fourth century BC. There were mosaic floors, pottery, jewelry,  armory and death masks. It was a new museum in a modern building. Had a great layout and the artifacts were cool. Next we headed to the archaeological site nearby where all of the artifacts were taken from. It is where King Philip II Ruled and where Alexander the great lived as a young child. When he was school aged he was sent away into the mountains to get in education. Then we headed to a nearby town to see a waterfall. In a country that seems so drought ridden it was a refreshing site. Next we stopped at the site of the school where Alexander the great learned. He was taught up in the mountains by Aristotle. I felt smarter just being there. :)  The last stop of the day was the tomb of King Philip II. no pictures are allowed inside. It's dark so as not to deteriorate any of the articles that were found in the tune. We could only see the outer façade of the tomb. It's amazing to see how covered up it got through the years. It makes you wonder what else is hidden deep below the earth. I would've thought that something of such significance wouldn't have been lost through time but remember to generations but that is not the case. It was amazing to see it. The way they have it staged is you walk down some stairs to see the front façade. The sides show the dirt that was dug up around it to uncover it. It was buried deep. It was amazing that they built this museum around the actual real too. It was even more amazing to be standing in front of it.

Tomorrow we stop at Mount Olympus and then start the long long long trek back to Athens. We'll spend the night at a hotel by the airport before we head to Santorini. There may not be a blog tomorrow depending upon Wi-Fi and pictures of them out of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thessaloniki....

We are staying here three nights. It's nice not to have to lug and repack the luggage every night. Glad that the air is working better today after another day of hot weather in the 90s. We begin our day by going to a Greek Orthodox Church. It had some beautiful paintings. It's interesting that in this religion people come in and kiss paintings (covered in glass) and cross themselves three times. I have to catch myself from staring when they do it. I find it very endearing but at the same time I don't know that I'd be able to get over kissing something that lots of other people have been kissing (and I don't know whether lips of been.) After the church our masterful driver maneuvered our large bus up winding streets (that were not much wider than our bus) to get us to the inner wall up top. We took a few pictures outside and George our guide talked about it but we didn't do much else besides get back on the bus. I would have enjoyed exploring a little bit more. The bus then dropped us off at the byzantine museum. It was a really well-done Museum with beautiful things. George of course talked and shared stories of some of the pieces. Then he took us to the market and dropped us off and we had the rest of the afternoon buy ourself. Julie indulged my sightseeing wishes and let me decide what to see after a sort stop at the hotel. We walked out to see the  arch and also The church Saint Sophia. I read somewhere that it was quite beautiful and it did not disappoint. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random church we stopped in. 

 

St. Sophia's- don't let the outside turn you away

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