Santorini - oh wow!

Hi ya all from the beautiful area of Santorini. We woke up to it this morning – tall cliffs and sheer faces. You could only see a few white houses perched down the sides of the cliff faces and I thought this is it? A beautiful clear day with blue skies and blue waters. We had to go by little boats to the wharf then onto buses up this crazy narrow road, getting closer to the top. 

I didn’t realise it was an actual island, (thought it was a town and an island) but there are a few towns there all looking the same. It is actually a volcano that erupted and sent lava and ash down which they grow grapes and tomatoes in. 

We got let off the bus at the place you see in the post cards – white cape houses (all joined on top of each other) narrow lanes, blue window shutters and blue rooves on the churches. Amazingly picturesque. No cars in those parts but the view! All looking down on this sea with cruise ships anchored, little islands a way out ….. 

We walked up and down these little pathways (many many steps) like a maze. Then onto a winery set up on a cliff for some wine tasting. The red was good enough for Dave to like it (I thought it was a cross between a red and a rose) but hey …..We then went to  another town where the cable car was (and the donkeys). Honestly it was packed with tourists like us …. And this was Sept. Imagine what July must be like! We had this lovely ‘yellow donkey’ beer and a pimms in a jar in this amazing bar perched over the cliff above the white houses going down, looking at the view below us.  

The worst part was the 40 min wait for the cable car. The queue was out and down the little ally way. Everyone was behaving except a yelling match in Spanish between two grumpy men, one of whom tried to push his way into the queue. Adding to this excitement was the donkeys going home – all tied together with a man on the front one. Very sad and dejected – plod, plod, plod. What a shit life going up and down that track carrying tourists. When they went past the queue fell very quiet and let them pass like a funeral, (except for a few Asians who just had to take a photo!).

 It was sunset out over the sea as we went down the cable car to the wharf to get on the little boat to take us back. A very magical day.

That night was a Freddy Mercury tribute show – the guy who came to Napier once I think. He was so funny with an amazing ‘Freddy’ voice. All these old biddies up waving their hands and clapping like at Wembly Stadium (we will rock you). I loved it!