Santorini

Seaside Taverna

Cove for swimming off the Schooner to Oia

Sunset at Oia

Santorini views

Santorini

Helen insited we take one last week and visit Santorini. The Greek Islands offer another view of this landscape that we needed to see. The minute we landed in Santorini it had a different feel. It was warmer, much more barren, and MORE people and the ugly side of Greece-the garbage along the roads. There is no government program that controls or seems to pick up the litter and it is everywhere here. Helen says 5 years ago the tourists where minimal but now the entire island seems teaming with people vacationing. We see lots of young people touring and many who seem to be honey-mooners.

This island is a favorite for the cruise ships as well. Thousands of people seem to be making their way up the steep cliffs to the white washed towns on the top. The streets are still the terraced colorful cottages we've seen but they're almost all small shops full of beautiful jewelry and trendy resort wear. Tavernas and up scale restaurants all with a terrace and a view, and two times the price for lunch.

Yesterday we took a schooner that toured three different ports. Our trip took us to the active volcano in the region. This region was originally a larger island that was devastated by the largest eruption in recorded history. The date is in the mid 2nd. century BC and has been speculated to have been the basis for the myth of Atlantis. The island where the volcano is truely different than anything we've seen so far. It has the rugged geography but it is of barren volcanic rock. We had to hike up about 3 miles to the top and where we could see the smoking caldera. The guide was great and she could tell her story is 4 languages. After our hike we sailed to another island in the ring. We where invited to dive off the ship and swim as we wanted. This had me feeling like I'd escaped from a pirate ship and discovered a secret cove and rocks for swimming. Wonderful way to spend and afternoon. Our last stop was to the town of Oia on the tip of Santorini cliffs. This is a famous spot for photographers and visiters. We watched the sun set and it was glorious. Tamra promised me she got some wonderful shots.

We have one more day in Athens and then we have another odyssey back home. We've had a wonderful month. Greece will always be fondly remembered and our bike trip with Yorgos was definatly memorable. Our sisterhood of the traveling bicycles is over. We'll be home and back to our normal busy lives again. We're all looking forward to hugs and showing off pictures and our Greek cooking skills. Ya Sas...

Not a single flat in our 850K!!

Yorgos's Family at our family dinner

No McDonald's in Greece, I wonder why?

Friday Oct. 2

We finished our tour today. We managed one last swim at Kalavrita, so we swam and swam. I think Helen said her and Tamara did about a mile. The place Yorgos had us stay in last night was really the very top of the line. We overlooked a beautiful bay and the rooms where outstanding. Very modern and high end. Our ride to the bay was about like our others over quiet country roads, with lots of ups and downs.

The bikes where packed up, our equipment on the bikes removed and we gave out bikes a last pat as Yorgos packed them in the van. We all felt a sence of completion and when we finally tallied our milage we where amazed that we did 850 K around about. We managed to fit the countryside of the Peloponnese, the culture, the food, the people and 850K of biking in three short weeks. What an experience it has been.

We had a last dinner together and this gave us time to let our friends know how much we appreciated all their work and professional excellence in putting together a tour none of us will ever forget. Yorgos wanted to know what we liked and what problems or changes we would suggest. We could go on and on about all the things we liked.. . the detailed day sheet and markings that never led us wrong, the fact that Panayotis was a great sweep and helped keep us together on the long miles, the breakfasts, the picnics, the wonderful dinners Yorgos found for us and of course HIS COOKING!!! and we'll never forget the wonderful family dinner we where allowed to share in at his mothers. The bikes all ran well after numerous tweeks by Yorgos, the places where all wonderfully different and we just couldn't come up with much to critisize. The hills seemed endless but we are pretty tough now and the roads at times where pretty narrow and crazy, but we really wouldn't change a thing. Was 21 days too long... not at all, we never tired of the discoveries we had each day. We learned that there is so much to this wonderful country. We had a nice mix of tough days and easy days, swimming, shopping and beaches. The tour was very diverse and always educational and fun.

We've all learned something on this tour... and hope to change our lives a bit. We've had a glimpse of a slower way to live. The beauty of this land encourages people to take a bit of time to savour their surroundings, enjoy the wonderful climate, the exceptional bounty of foods grown and cooked here, and take time to enjoy life a bit more. We found the fact that there are no McDonalds in Greece to be curious at first, but now we know why. Why would you want to go into a restaurant that offers exactly the same food every day, quickly yes, but without care or taste that is in abundance in Greece. And the most obvious thing would be, by the time you chew down the burger and coke... you're friends at the next taverna haven't even begun to start on their evening Meze and friendly talk.

We will always remember this place fondly, we'll try and pour olive oil in all our cooking now and I plan to make some mousaka. We'll be home soon. I will try and make one more post for Santorini. So stay tuned.