We concluded our one week stay in Crete on August 1, and got
on a ferry to Santorini Island. It is one of group of islands in the Cyclades that make up the Aegean archipelago. Santorini, also known as Thira, is probably the
most visited island in Greece, and is famous for its unique architecture,
whitewashed houses that seem to hang off the cliff and seems to be the image
most people have of Greece.
The largest volcano eruption in human history took place here, 3600 years ago, taking the Minoan civilization, based in Crete, with it. See prior post on Knossos. click here . Santorini is one of the islands that surround the huge lagoon. Some experts and myths have it that Atlantis was buried in the sea when the volcano erupted. Was there ever Atlantis? Plato described what seems like Santorini. The Discovery Channel's Lost World show suggests that it existed. We don't know, but it appears that something happened here which affected life experience and existence. Whether that extended to wiping our Atlantis and leaving little archeological remnants behind, is difficult, if not impossible to prove.
Walk through the Caldera
The signature achitecture of Santorini stands out. The blue dome churches and whitewashed houses are unique. All the houses have cement-like roofs with slight domes and roof terraces. Walk through the caldera is a beautiful experience in itself and it shows the houses and the Aegean Sea in the background. The towns on Santorini are perched at the top of the cliffs overlooking the Caldera.
It is said that the sunset on the Oia, Santorini,
is supposed to be the most beautiful in the world. So, we went to see
for ourselves. We were staying at Oia Sunset hotel, properly named. By 7:00
pm, the long procession of people going to see the sun set began. And by
7:30, thousands of people were gathered, looking out on the Aegean Sea, with
the sun elegantly hanging over. Our camera captured the moment. Being in the midst of the people was a
good experience, but can't say where this ranked in sunset aesthetics. (Our perspective: Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Costa Rica was kind of more dramatic and cool too!)
Others who came to see the sunset:
Some other pictures we were privileged to capture in Oia, Santorini:
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