On our 10-day cruise, we visited cities on the mainland and toured a few Greek islands: Santorini, Milos, and Mykonos!
Santorini – Italian for “St. Irene”
Thira is the official name for the island often referred to as Santorini. (Santorini is the Italian name for St. Irene’s – one of the churches on Thira). The two main towns of Fira and Oia, are on opposite sides of the crescent shaped island. Mom and I decided to hike the 6.5 miles between the towns, and we had a great experience!
At the base of the island, we had three options to ascend to Fira: wait in line for the funicular, ride the donkeys, or walk up the mountain path. Our tour guide from the ship explained that the donkeys are not treated well, so we opted out of that option. The line for the funicular was horrendously long because there were seven cruise ships anchored at Santorini. We figured walking the 588 steps up to Fira was the same amount of time waiting in the line, so we decided to start our hike early!
The path winded up the mountain and was scattered with stinky “gifts” from the donkeys. It wasn’t the most pleasant way to begin our hike, but it was better than restlessly waiting in line for the funicular. In total, we hiked 10 miles: up to Fira, took a detour to visit Skaros Rock, to Oia, and down to Amoudi Bay, where we cooled off in the ocean. The views of the caldera along the hike were spectacular and we took a bus back to Fira in time to see the sunset. It was a great day and the hike was a highlight of our trip!
Milos – “apple”
Milos is most notable for the statue Venus de Milo and Sarakiniko Beach. Of the three islands we visited, this was the last touristy because only smaller cruise ships could port here. Here, the Venus de Milo was discovered by a local farmer in the 1800s. The farmer sold it to a French collector and the statue is now kept at the Louvre. Mom and I had posed how experts think the arms of the statue are supposed to look – holding the apple of Paris’ judgement.
We were both amazed by Sarakiniko Beach. The white volcanic cliffs made it seem we were walking on the moon. Our tour guide explained that the contrast between the white rock to the typical blue sky is better seen on a clear day. Unfortunately, we visited Milos on one of the few days that rain falls on the island, and the white rock looked grey in the overcast weather. Still, we saw the unique beauty of this natural formation and enjoyed climbing around the formation.
Mykonos – “rocky place”
On Mykonos, Mom and I had our own adventures in the morning. Mom toured the uninhabited island of Delos, the birthplace of the mythical Greek gods, Artemis and Apollo. I spent the day wandering the tight, winding streets of the city center. Mykonos is exactly how I pictured a Greek island to look like: whitewashed buildings accented with royal blue, perfume of flora and fauna blossoming from windowsills, narrow pedestrian streets with slinking cats weaving through crowds of excited tourists. I strayed from the busy main street and found a quiet, garden café, where I spent an hour drinking a Greek frappe (instant coffee whipped with sugar and cream), journaling, and reading my book. Afterwards I toured Lena’s House – a preserved 19th century Mykonian home.
Mom and I met up after lunch to see the famous windmills and the Panagia Paraportiani church (which consists of five churches built on top of each other). We spent the evening on the beach, where the ocean (unlike Santorini) was too cold to enjoy (trust me – I tried). After dinner, I went to one of the famous clubs in Mykonos with a friend I made on the cruise ship. It was fun for a short time, and we didn’t stay long.
That wraps up my time in Greece with Mom! From Athens, mom flew home, and I flew to Krakow, Poland to continue my adventure. Stay tuned!
kira vesta 