Today was the stop I had been most looking forward to and after such a big build up it was bound to fall short surely? Today was our trip to Santorini.
If you have ever seen any pictures of the Greek islands they are bound to feature the white washed walls and blue domes of the churches of Santorini. Set against blue skies and deep blue seas it is an irresistible combination.
When we woke this morning the boat was moored just off the island, the shear face of rocks preventing the boat to dock on the shoreline. Each surrounding island looks like it is snow peaked because of all the white-washed houses perched on the cliff top. We were taken by tender to waiting coaches that whisked us off to Oia where we were given an hour and a half to wander the streets exploring the pretty little village.
It must be a nightmare living in Oia with all the tourists traipsing through but, of course, they are only there because the place is so attractive. Something that Helen and I always find funny is just how far people are willing to walk and the answer is just not very far at all. We love to explore all the little winding streets in towns and this was no different but the further we went (and it really wasn’t THAT far) the fewer and fewer people we saw, making it blissfully quiet.
Organised tours are an easy way to get to see the sights at each destination but that simplicity comes at a price and I don’t just mean financial. For a start there may be parts of the tour that you aren’t interested in, such as the trip to the winery today (Helen would have been up for it had she not been under the weather). Or maybe it is the tour guide working just that little too hard to earn their tip – we have found the solution to this is to slip off and do our own thing when their backs are turned. As long as you are back at the coach by the allotted time no harm done. On the whole though they are a convenient way to see the sites.