I <3 Santorini!

Hey Dad! How about this view? This is what we look at every time we walk out the door of our villa in Santorini. =)

Day 5: June 22 cont'd...

After hitting up the internet cafe we grabbed some lunch at this great spot overlooking the mountains and the ocean. We both had pasta and it was surprisingly tasty!

We headed back to Arahova and took a 3 1/2 hour nap. Exploring ancient ruins is hard work and we were exhausted. When we woke up we searched for a payphone in the village and spent 15 minutes trying to figure out our phonecard. I ended up calling Lawry's - the place where I work - because I knew I would get an answer and it finally worked. We each called our parents and talked for a few minutes before heading to dinner at a hidden tavern at the edge of town.

I had lamb - the mountain specialty - and it was the best I've ever had! We watched the futbol match between Espania and Italia and headed back to the guesthouse at halftime. So far we've watched 3 futol matches and haven't stayed up late enough to see who wins lol

Day 6: June 23

We had the earliest start today at about 5:45am. We had to leave Arahova by 6:30am to get the rental car to Athens by 10am. The drive was nice until we actually entered Athens. The traffic here is horrific! The worst I've ever seen!

When we finally got the rental car back we got some tasty waffles and frappes at a cafe and hopped on the train for the airport. Our next stop was a short 45 minute plane ride away to the island of Santorini. It was finally time to slow down and relax on the beach for a few days.

We got to Santorini after the shortest flight ever and took a taxi to the villa we'd be staying at. Santorini is unbelievably gorgeous! It's much cooler than the mainland but it's more humid. We hid indoors for the better part of the afternoon. The villa is styled to resemble traditional cave homes from when the Venetians first settled the island. We've got our own balcony overlooking the ocean. It's breathtaking!

I named her Annabelle. She was our friend for the few days we were in Santorini.

After resting we got some ice cream and explored the village of Oia (ee-uh). It's so cute, but overrun with tourists. It'd be easy to get lost among all the stone passageways. We walked to the end of the island to watch the sunset and headed back to our villa. Nikos, a very nice man who works at the villa we're staying at offered to drive us down to the water's edge for some fresh seafood.

He dropped us off at Taverna Katina where we had whole fish. Two to be exact. They were a local of the island called Sea Dream. Effing delicious my friends! I think because Nikos dropped us off we got a free appetizer and a beer - Mythos (the hellenic lager) from Mama Katina herself. It's been the best meal we've had so far.

After dinner and several Mythos we were tired and a bit drunk so the restaurant called Nikos to come pick us up and we passed out when we got back to the villa.

Day 7: June 24

One week! Insane...

I woke up early to watch the sunrise while Tim slept. I think he's finally back to full health and he sleeps through the whole night =)

Santorini is so beautiful! I can't stop taking pictures! After Tim woke up we found a cafe that served American breakfast and had some omelettes - yum-e! Then we got ready to hit the beach. We rented a Smart car for the day which is perfect for the island and incredibly cute.

We visited Perivolos beach - it has black sand which is beautiful but unbearably hot! After swimming in the crystal clear water for a while we laid out and ordered cocktails. After several hours at the beach we headed back to our villa to cool off in the pool and nap.

When we were rested we headed to the capital of Santorini - Fira - for dinner. We wandered through the town and found an empty cafe. Fira is absolutely crowded with tourists. I was happy to find a quiet spot for dinner.

Day 8: June 25

Today is our last day in Santorini. I'm sad to leave, but next we're headed to Crete by ferry. The ferry leaves this evening so we're going to explore Santorini a little more before heading to port.