Ahhh, the last leg of my Eastern Europe journey... It's always a nice feeling to be near completion of a project, and a travel journey is no exception. After Bulgaria, I caught a 15hour bus from Plovdiv, Bulgaria to Athens. It was an uncomfortable bus ride overnight, since the seats were very upright, and the seats in front bit into my knees when I slouched down. *argh*
Anyway, I arrived in Athens around 6am in the morning, and with sleep still in the eyes, I jumped on the Metro down to the port, Piraeus, to check out ferry times. I had planned to sight see around Athens, and then catch another overnight transport, a Ferry, but I caught one just leaving, after I sprinted across the wharves. Great catch.
I was heading to Santorini, an island so hyped up that the cynic in me thought it would be one big tourist-trap. Well, yes, there were heaps of tourists, but it was the most amazing island. It has withstood countless invasions and stood the test of time, and a few busloads of package tourists are not going to spoil it. I stayed in a little town called Oia (pronounced ee-ya), in a little traditional house (marcosrooms.com.gr) for 90euro for 4 nights, after some tough negotiating down from 120euro. Not bad huh?
Oia is the best place to stay on the island, because it is the most traditional, has the best views of sunset, is perched right on the cliffs of the caldera, and is certainly the most atmospheric. It is beautiful! All the houses are white-washed in stark, intense white paint, and the church domes are painted baby-blue. Because of the lack of space, and the sheer 300m cliffs plummeting into the sea, the buildings are all stacked ontop of each other, for stunning views of the calm waters within the (still bubbling) caldera. The caldera is quite big, about 12km x 7km (wikipedia, don't fail me now!) and encircles the sea on 3 sides - Oia is right on the tip of the island, where the land falls away into the ocean.
Now, Oia is an old town, so the streets are just narrow lanes, and there are plenty of stairs, due to the topography. So, there are no noisy cars to battle with, though there is a lot of foot traffic, particularly at sunset, when the tourist buses descend in their hordes to witness the blood red finish to the day. But Santorini is too special to be spoilt by tourists - there is a timeless beauty and peace about the place. As you wander the winding alleys, at every corner, a beautiful view emerges, and you cannot help but be rivetted to the spot for hours on end as you seek appreciation of what unfolds before you. Clear blue skies under a fierce sun, meeting the sea in a distant horizon, which is broken by the arms of the island which enfold a tranquil bay in a protective embrace. Yachts bob up and down on the deep blue ocean as busy catamarans leave white trails of churned water in their wake. All this is witnessed by the stacks of houses high above, which glisten white in the bright light, all carefully shaped into beautiful straight lines or graceful arcs, punctuated by shuttered windows, shuttered to withstand the fury of the wind and rain of the winter storms, and the heat of the Summer.
I was captivated by the magic of Santorini for 4 days - I would just find a view to enjoy, and just sit for hours on end. It was a Wonderland, and all cares and worries seem to drop from your shoulders when you step onto the island. So, I was fairly relaxed when I headed back to Athens on a night ferry, perhaps a little bit too relaxed! I watched sunrise up at the Acropolis, and then headed down to Syntagma Square, to use the free wifi.
I plonked myself down on a park bench, slung my bag behind me, and concentrated on punching out an email on my phone. I had a flight back to London that night, so I didn't have long to go. Then a confused man came up to me with a map, speaking French and asking directions - he had a dark complexion, so he was obviously a gypsy. And then it twigged in an instant - he was trying to rob me - and in an instant, my bag was gone! I had been distracted for 2 sec, and when I turned around, my daypack had vanished - I didn't feel or hear a thing, and by the time I realised, it was too late. Damn! My pride has been severely wounded now - I couldn't believe I could have made such a rookie error, and I just had to sit down on the bench, and lament my stupidity - I normally put an arm through a loop of my backpack to stop it getting snatched, but I was so relaxed after Santorini and being near the end of the journey, I was complacent and let my guard down. *sigh* Oh well, I didn't lose anything important - but a lot of little things that I've been busily replacing here in the UK. It was probably a good warning to shape up, because I was getting a little over-confident after such a long time on the road - my vigilance is tripled now, as I head off to Russia tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Anyway, I arrived in Athens around 6am in the morning, and with sleep still in the eyes, I jumped on the Metro down to the port, Piraeus, to check out ferry times. I had planned to sight see around Athens, and then catch another overnight transport, a Ferry, but I caught one just leaving, after I sprinted across the wharves. Great catch.
I was heading to Santorini, an island so hyped up that the cynic in me thought it would be one big tourist-trap. Well, yes, there were heaps of tourists, but it was the most amazing island. It has withstood countless invasions and stood the test of time, and a few busloads of package tourists are not going to spoil it. I stayed in a little town called Oia (pronounced ee-ya), in a little traditional house (marcosrooms.com.gr) for 90euro for 4 nights, after some tough negotiating down from 120euro. Not bad huh?
Oia is the best place to stay on the island, because it is the most traditional, has the best views of sunset, is perched right on the cliffs of the caldera, and is certainly the most atmospheric. It is beautiful! All the houses are white-washed in stark, intense white paint, and the church domes are painted baby-blue. Because of the lack of space, and the sheer 300m cliffs plummeting into the sea, the buildings are all stacked ontop of each other, for stunning views of the calm waters within the (still bubbling) caldera. The caldera is quite big, about 12km x 7km (wikipedia, don't fail me now!) and encircles the sea on 3 sides - Oia is right on the tip of the island, where the land falls away into the ocean.
Now, Oia is an old town, so the streets are just narrow lanes, and there are plenty of stairs, due to the topography. So, there are no noisy cars to battle with, though there is a lot of foot traffic, particularly at sunset, when the tourist buses descend in their hordes to witness the blood red finish to the day. But Santorini is too special to be spoilt by tourists - there is a timeless beauty and peace about the place. As you wander the winding alleys, at every corner, a beautiful view emerges, and you cannot help but be rivetted to the spot for hours on end as you seek appreciation of what unfolds before you. Clear blue skies under a fierce sun, meeting the sea in a distant horizon, which is broken by the arms of the island which enfold a tranquil bay in a protective embrace. Yachts bob up and down on the deep blue ocean as busy catamarans leave white trails of churned water in their wake. All this is witnessed by the stacks of houses high above, which glisten white in the bright light, all carefully shaped into beautiful straight lines or graceful arcs, punctuated by shuttered windows, shuttered to withstand the fury of the wind and rain of the winter storms, and the heat of the Summer.
I was captivated by the magic of Santorini for 4 days - I would just find a view to enjoy, and just sit for hours on end. It was a Wonderland, and all cares and worries seem to drop from your shoulders when you step onto the island. So, I was fairly relaxed when I headed back to Athens on a night ferry, perhaps a little bit too relaxed! I watched sunrise up at the Acropolis, and then headed down to Syntagma Square, to use the free wifi.
I plonked myself down on a park bench, slung my bag behind me, and concentrated on punching out an email on my phone. I had a flight back to London that night, so I didn't have long to go. Then a confused man came up to me with a map, speaking French and asking directions - he had a dark complexion, so he was obviously a gypsy. And then it twigged in an instant - he was trying to rob me - and in an instant, my bag was gone! I had been distracted for 2 sec, and when I turned around, my daypack had vanished - I didn't feel or hear a thing, and by the time I realised, it was too late. Damn! My pride has been severely wounded now - I couldn't believe I could have made such a rookie error, and I just had to sit down on the bench, and lament my stupidity - I normally put an arm through a loop of my backpack to stop it getting snatched, but I was so relaxed after Santorini and being near the end of the journey, I was complacent and let my guard down. *sigh* Oh well, I didn't lose anything important - but a lot of little things that I've been busily replacing here in the UK. It was probably a good warning to shape up, because I was getting a little over-confident after such a long time on the road - my vigilance is tripled now, as I head off to Russia tomorrow! Wish me luck!
