Santorini-Oia

All aboard our 3 night Mediterranean cruise!

 

The cruise had cute hang out places, games, buffets and unlimited mocktails!

First stop: romantic Santorini 

Santorini is a Greek island and remnant of a water-filled caldera from one of the largest volcanic eruptions on record 3600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization.

So to visit the village of Oia on top of the caldera from port, you either climb 

600 steps, ride on the back of a donkey, or take a cable car (what we did!).

Everything was so pretty in bright white and blue.

Church on the square with pyramid bell tower

The houses are carved into the lava rock and so picturesque!

Beautiful view of the blue domes and caldera!

Aegean Sea, flag, windmill

Donkeys on break, sight seeing with the tourists.

I love these doors that appear to be a doorway to the sky or sea, (but there are steps that lead down to a bar.)

All these homes where made of volcanic ash and painted in limestone whitewash because it was cheap and available, reflective and cool, during the times of disease like cholera, it was the most effective disinfectant, and during war times, the color represented the Greek flag.
To the eye, it’s uplifting and tranquil!
Oia was once just a humble village, but now this area is considered the Amalfi coast of Greece filled with expensive hotels, shops and bars.

Gelato and pee stop

 We saw many fashion shoots in picturesque Europe. Here’s ours:

My girls!

Walking back to the cable car down to our tender.

Delphi

After Meteora, we traveled on the windy roads and stopped for lunch trying Tzatziki sauce, past the Forest of Olive Trees, stopping in the ancient city of Delphi and Museum.

Treasury of Athenians

 

The ancient city of Delphi archaeological site required a lot of imagination, but the history is interesting. It was thought to be the center of the world, our guide pointed out the "naval" rock. We saw the remnants of the Temple of Apollo, home to the oracle who was believed to deliver prophesies direct from Apollo, especially when it came to outcomes of war.

Apparently the city was built (1400 BC) around a sacred spring above an earthquake fault which released toxic fumes that "inspired" the creativity of the mythology and "divine visions." 

Overlooking valley of Phocis

Replica of the serpent column and altar of Apollo. Original stolen by Constantine and taken to Turkey

Sphinx of Naxos

Charioteer

🤣 I laugh because they have so little of what they think it was.

Our hotel in Athens had a rooftop bar and the next morning we had free time to check out the nearby beach.

Aegean Sea

 

Meteora

Made some friends on the night ferry from Ancona, Italy to Igoumenitsa, Greece

From there, we drove to the Meteora Region, stopping for some snacks and varieties of baklava!

 

These villages are just peppered inside the gorgeous valleys of Greece.

We see these mini churches (Kandylakia) along the road and learn they are a symbol of faith put up to commemorate an answered prayer and are uniquely Greek.

This is our room view and we're excited to visit a monastery (the most easily accessible one) in the sky tomorrow!

Greek Salad for breakfast anyone?

 

Art in the hotel of monateries in the sky. Today they have cable cars.

Meteora means 'suspended in the air.'

Everyone got out on the rocks for 360 degree views

We’re early at the monastery. They are open to visitors limited hours to help them balance their life with the tourism they know the town depends on, which boomed after the 1981 Bond: Your Eyes Only movie was filmed in Meteora. So Abby had time to swoon over the cats.

98% of Greece identifies with the Greek Orthodox faith.

In 1923 a segretative policy between Greece and Turkey forcibly moved half a million Muslims from Greece to Turkey and Christians from Turkey to Greece. It was an exchange purported to achieve peace.

See the nun picking lavender in the garden? Part of their 8 hours of work. Then they have 8 hours of prayer and 8 hours of sleep. They sell their dried herbs and spices.

To build these monasteries on 'columns in the sky' seems unfathomable to me, but the monks of Byzantine times were inspired to be close to God. The area is a UNESCO Heritage site and quite remarkable.