Santorini was my dream. I kept it locked away for a special trip. Once I got engaged, I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my honeymoon. I had long seen photographs of the picture perfect blue domes and whitewashed buildings clinging to red cliffs rising from the sea. However, like any place we long to visit, I knew that I had to arrive to Santorini with a sprinkle of hesitation. I knew that it would be touristy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At the same time, due to my redheaded temperament, I can easily get annoyed with hordes of tourists. While I am one myself, for whatever reason Continue Reading
Fira, Santorini Wishes You Were Here
I can almost count on one hand the number of experienced sunrises in my life. Not much for rising before the sun, most of those sunrises have involved an early travel day. After 27 hours of travel to reach the island of Santorini from the middle of the United States, I arrived to the island’s main town of Fira under the cover of night and jet lag. After a quick meal and a shower, I am out like the light, but not for long. The church bells will soon ring. Under such conditions, I knew a sunrise was in my future. I rose to Fira’s blue gates leading toward the sea. The sun and the tourists in Continue Reading
Ancient Thira Wishes You Were Here
To truly see a new place, the traveler must find the highest point. Uncovering the highest point of a destination can be advantageous to the lost explorer looking to find their place on the map. Most importantly, to know a new place, you must find the metaphorical high point, even if the lows surround you. On the Greek island of Santorini in the Cyclades, it was often difficult for me to find the high points. Bogged down with overpriced resorts, plenty of tourist traps and clogged roads with ATVs steered by those in tank tops and colored the bright red of tomatoes, I was beginning to Continue Reading