Santorini, Greece

We are back in this most beautiful of places and had the worst tour you can imagine.  It was a three hour panorama that lasted only two hours and we saw nothing worthwhile.  Here are a few pictures:

The only interesting item to report is that our refreshment stop was where I was several years ago on a Crystal ship. I had my picture taken then and used it on my blog address cards. Now I have a new picture in the same spot only I am several years older and can't fit into the outfit I wore in the original picture.  Boo hoo!

We had decent weather today, breezy and not too hot. After our not tour, Michael and I met up at the bus stop and went about exploring the town.  Walking was difficult because there were no sidewalks and had to dodge traffic. The cobblestone streets were very uneven and it was uphill; and my balance was off because I was carrying the useless heavy $&@!/ backpack the ship requires escorts to tote. 

We got off the main street and found our way through a maze of steep and narrow "streets" lined with souvenir shops.  I was in no mood to shop carrying the monster on my back. Michael had one too.  He wanted to show me an excellent viewing point high up a hill, but I was not interested in climbing up steep stairs as my knees were begging for relief. I was able to take a few decent pictures from the restaurant where we split a Greek salad and a gyros. 

I do have a surprise for you. Santorini sits atop the rim of a volcanic crater and hugs its sheer walls. From a distance, it looks like snow on the rim. In the old days, there was only a very steep walking path from the sea to town; it is still in use for the athletic, the brave, and those that have the time and wind to climb it -- or, you can ride a donkey up or down. Today, there is a cable car that ascends/decends the steep and rocky mountain face. I took a video of our descent, and you can see the footpath and the donkeys. I hope you enjoy watching it. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4qj76O5L8