Santorini

And she’s riding the Tram-Way to Hea-ven……

Visiting Santorini makes every visitor an expert photographer. All you have to do is show up and pull out a camera.

Seriously, look at this place:

After consulting our Rick Steves travel guide the plan for the day was to take a ferry from the Old Port to Amoudi Bay. From there it’s a hair raising bus ride up to Oia. After exploring Oia we take another death defying bus ride across the island to Fira. Then it’s a simple tram ride back to the Old Port. What could be easier?

Arriving in Oia you realize that we are not the only people in town today……..

No matter where you look there is something scenic (and photographic) to see:

Wait. What is that? Another bride? Look closely….

That makes three weddings. One in Rome, one in Venice, and one in Santorini.

The roof of one house is the patio for the house above. It’s crazy how everything is stacked on top of each other. All of this is 1,800′ above the sea on the rim of a volcanic caldera.

There are many stairs.

Continuing our tradition of Dining al fresco we find a place in Oia that let’s us overlook the caldera below.

This was also the start of the “lunchtime beer, dinner time wine” routine. It took me two weeks to figure out that European beer has a LOT higher alcohol content than American beers. I couldn’t figure out why I was so sleepy after lunch. It must be all the walking. Nope, It was double the alcohol!

After a long day of walking and many many stairs it was time to head back down to the Old Port. There are three ways to do this:

1. Take a Donkey down the steep switchback trail. Remember, we’re 1,800′ up.

2. Walk down the donkey trail on foot. Being very careful where you step……

Now let’s talk about a common issue with options 1 & 2. They both involve a very steep trail with lots of donkeys……… and lots of donkey poo……. Did I mention that it is a hot and sunny day……

Hot…….. fragrant……… Donkey poo……..

Let’s look at another option.

3. Take the Tramway down to the Port. What could be easier. Just hop on and ride down.

Oh yeah, it’s 1,800 feet down. The wife doesn’t like heights. And there’s a 45 minute wait to even get on the tram……

So we face one of those moments in life where you have to make a choice:

– Walk down a steep, fragrant, donkey trail

– Hop on to the death defying Tramway from hell and plunge over the cliff dangling by a single cable.

What could possible go wrong? I’m sure they spend a lot of money on maintenance to keep the tram in tip top shape.

I LOVE the notch cut out of the retaining wall so the tram can clear it. I can hear the discussion as they finish building the tram:

Stefanos, the tram won’t clear the wall. No problem, give me a sledgehammer and I’ll make a notch! Good grief.

After a fast, harrowing trip to the bottom we emerge unscathed. Our first Greek island under our belt.