Greece

An offer I couldn't refuse...It was 5°C and raining in England when I found the mother of all deals on the internet.  Roundtrip airfare and 14 nights on the isle of Santorini in Greece for a mere 120 £! I'm there!

"Are you going to Thera today?," asked the cheerful check-in lady at Gatwick airport. "I'm going to Santorini," I replied. It took me a full week to realise that Thera is Santorini's real name. For some reason we Americans seem to make up our own names for European towns.

On the bus from the airport to Perissa, I was treated to my first glimpse of the gaping caldera. My accomodations on Perivolos Beach actually had an "Ocean View".  The Greek Isles were paradise, as I had suspected! Crystal clear blue water lapping up onto black sand beaches outfitted with plush cushioned loungers, couches, and even beds!

When not relaxing on the beaches or at the pool, I was zig-zagging up and down the cliffsides and squeezing through narrow lanes in my little, shiny grasshopper-green Daewoo. I spent a good deal of time exploring the caldera-side towns of Ia and Fira.  These colonies of whitewashed concrete dwellings are built into the cliffsides and connected by a maze of mismatched steps. The only way to get around town is on foot or by donkey!

Plenty of places to get up high on this island. One day I stepped outside and saw the highest peak on Thera blanketed with clouds, so I drove up there to be in the weather...fascinating.

Santorini
	Apr. 31st	Blue domed church complete with pizzeria	The footpath to ancient Thera	Getting higher...		Wild thyme and oregano abounds	Santorini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
	June 2nd	Our digs @ Perivolos beach		The classic Santorini photo	Delivery by donkey	The town of Ia on the caldera	Framed!
		Azure waters		Cliffside rooms with hot tubs!	June 3rd
	June 4th	Sultry self portrait	Red sand beach	In the clouds at Prof. Elias Monastery	June 7th	Blown away in Fira	Walking, trekking and hiking on Santorini

Not being satisfied with only seeing one Greek Isle, we hopped a ferry to Naxos on the way to Athens. One of the largest of the Cyclades islands, Naxos was said to be the greenest...well maybe just less brown! This quiet island is perfect for anyone who wants to spend their days ogling fishes in the deep or nudies on the beach. And who would have guessed that I would find my first decent wireless internet connection in Europe here, in a hotel room with a back balcony overlooking a field of goats and sheep!

I had to catch a flight out of Athena, so I decided to spend a few nights and check out this historic town. One night would have been enough! It was only the beginning of June and already 30°C! Did the ruins thing and treated myself to the comforts of a big city...sushi, Starbucks, and fresh tap water...did I mention that the islands have "desalinated" on tap? So salty it wasn't fit to brush your teeth in! It took 2 weeks and 3 different types of conditioning treatment for my poor hair to recover!