Last time we visited Santorini we swam in the natural jacuzzi created by an undersea vent, climbed the still-mumbling old island, and then walked quite a distance on the manland. The time before we had a knackered old jeep and drove around so we decided we’d do that again.
Our best laid plans start to unravel when the local-run tenders are taking tour groups, not independent customers. Even when we eventually get one, the boat sits for 20 minutes before we leave, by which time we’re running late. Of course I have emailed the company by now, and called but no-one answers. When we reach the steps we hot-foot up the cobbled staircase, all 540 of then and make a bee-line for the bus station, our rendezvous. Just as we arrive my phone rings – Vangelis is running late!
Hopeing things had improved in the Santorini car-hire department turns out to be an optimism too far, eventually a driver shows up, picks us all up and takes us to the airport where the hire company is based. Vangelis is having a very unhappy time with a different group of customers, eventually walking away from them to deal with us. So an hour behind schedule we are finally driving – a knackered old Nissan Micra this time!
It’s impossible to make up time by driving faster – the traffic and the car ensure this – so we just accept one less stop on our plan. I also reorder the route slightly.
First off it’s Oía, the former capital of the island. It’s just as beautiful as Fira the current capital but has a castle, more precisely had a castle since there’s only a few walls left but we need to stand on them and get the amazing photos. We have coffee and baklava at ridiculous expense before retracing our steps towards and then beyond the airport, heading into the hills to visit the Holy Monastery of the prophet Elias Thira, perhaps he gave his name to the capital?
Silently hoping the car can do it, we head higher and higher until we’re 1/3 mile above sea level, of course it’s nothing like Mt Teide heights, but the island is much smaller, and the views are fabulous. The caldera shows clearly and the outer rim can be imagined by whats left.
Santorini is a flooded caldera after the eruption 3500 years ago which tore the island into one large crescent and the several smaller ones which would have formed the missing part of the volcano. It must have been quite a spectacule when the sea rushed into that enormous, hot void. Two smaller eruptions have since created the old and new islands inside the caldera. Ships cannot anchor as it’s too deep, they just float and reposition occasionally.
We drop back down to Pyrgos, a beautiful town built on a small hill nearby, before heading south back to the coast.
Here lies a small town with lovely harbour, where we take a stroll before finding our seats at a little harbour-side taverna for lunch.
The Greek salad, tzatziki, tarama, sardines and tomato pancakes are all wonderful, the beer just perfect – even my zero version.
Traffic heading back towards Fira is slow, and in the town it’s a nightmare, also finding the car park we need (translation alert – Vangelis didn’t describe the location as well as he might have) but eventually by luck more than judgement (yes, I will admit to this one) we drop off the car – the saga doesn’t end yet!
We walk back down, this time taking extra care as there’s a day’s worth of manure now (even though they sweep regularly it’s still all over) and of course it’s hot and we’re tired. As well as the poo there are puddles!!
We get back to the dock just to watch the tender leave, but don’t worry, that was the penultimate one, we’re 20 minutes before last tender.
Time to pack, we pop up poolside for the final staff salute, of course this one is real, we are leaving this week. Cocktails and chat with friends old and new, then we dress for dinner.
The final twist in the car saga – we’re long gone, sailing into the sunset when Vangelis calls me to say he can’t find the car. Now my phone has died earlier, but I did all the right stuff using Jaq’s so I quickly get all the info from her and send him (again) the email I had already sent, containing photos and a Google map link to the very spot the car was parked. Before too long we get a final message to say he’s found it, thankfully – I don’t think IT is his thing!
“Poor old Earth and Ocean – it doesn’t get much attention in my blog, so it’s time to redress the balance.
This cruise we have been very infrequently, mostly because the menu is somewhat limited and we often can’t reconcile the options to our tastes. It’s a shame because we really cherish the staff, they are delightful.
However all the ducks / planets are aligned and, for our last night on Encore, we are delighted to visit E&O.
After our regulation aperitif with Anna (Bellini and Kir Royal) we drift over to E&O where we find a lovely table already set for us, although it’s extremely noisy in the vacinity, but we can cope.
Our staff are lovely, most of whom we know already but there’s a new waiter from Honduras whom we enjoy chatting with very much, having been there and also sharing a language.
Our starters, when they arrived, are scallops and pasta, both are wonderful.
Mains are duck and Nigerian shrimp, for which any normal person might presume lobster!! The duck was good but a bit huge, the “shrimp” was very good – two enormous tails nearly defeated me.
For puddings we had lemon thyme roasted peaches and yoghurt citrus mousse, both scrummy.
A wonderful dinner, excellent food and fabulous staff.
Sadly it is a long wait until 30 March and Yokohama, unless of course we accidentally book something in between!!”
