Santorini

After three nights in the hustle and bustle of Athens with a lot of walking, metro, & buses to see the ruins, we headed to the island of Santorini (Thira Island to the locals). Athens was a good stop because we needed to visit the American Embassy to get more pages added to our passports; there was no space left for additional stamps.  Santorini was going to be the place for us to unwind.

We chose to stay in a so called traditional Greek house called the Strogili. It was located in the village of Oia; at the top tip of the crescent moon shaped island of Santorini where the best sunsets are. We had a one-bedroom suite that came with a kitchen, living room and its own private balcony. When we arrived, we were welcomed by the owner who was waiting for us in the front.  Breakfast was served on the balcony every morning and with a view that was as serene and peaceful as anything that we’ve seen, we told ourselves that we had found 'THE' place.  This is the place where we would stay put and relax for a while. The next morning, we extended our stay by another five nights.

Our routine was to get up in the morning, have breakfast in the balcony, gaze out the sea, go across the street to have lunch, and after the sunset, cook a simple risotto or spaghetti for dinner.    We got to know the whole family who owned the villa pretty well, from Dina the mom, Popi the daughter who checked us in, and her cousin, Spiros who owned the restaurant.  Dina even baked 'Easter' cookies and gave us a bottle of sweet (and strong) home made wine; a specialty of the island called Vinsanto.

The small island of Santorini is filled with photo opportunities everywhere.  Boutique shops, traditional houses, cafes, and restaurants were all getting ready to open for the season. The owners Dina and Popi told us we were the second guests to stay in the Strogili for the season and they said the island gets a million visitors during the summer.  We were just glad to be here when we were and were able to enjoy the serene island without the crowds (we even enjoyed the two days of hearing the pitter patter of the spring rain).  Instead of me rambling, I think the photos speak for themselves - hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.