Bill Menke’s Journal for

Santorini (Greece) Trip (and the Acropolis in Athens, too), May 11-23, 2022

May 12, Dallas and I flew into Athens, Greece, arriving at about noon in very jetlagged conditions. Our flight to Santorini is not until midnight, so Dallas has arranged for us to stay for a few hours at Athens Hawks Hostel, on Menandrou (street), near Omonia Square. We took the subway from the Airport to the Square. While Dallas slept, I walked to the Acropolis, taking a series of narrow lanes southward. I had to detour about the Ancient Agora of Athens, a fenced-in archeological site with many interesting buildings that I had no time to visit. I passed the Gate of Athena Archegetis, with its marble columns, and huffed up the flank of hill that hosts the Acropolis (= high city). I had to search for the ticket office, but succeeded in paying my entry fee. I then huffed up more stairs, through the Propylaea (monumental gateway), onto the Acropolis, itself. I walked completely around the exterior of two of the ancient building, the Parthenon and the Old Temple of Athena / Erechtheum. Though very worn, they are still amazingly beautiful and inspirational. I also found a great spot where I could look down into the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a theatre. The ground of the Acropolis is mostly bare marble, but wildflowers, such as poppy, grow from cracks and crevices, livening up mostly tan colors of the rocks. I then exited the Acropolis and walked a loop around the western edge of the Agora, until I finally connected with the lanes from which I came. I returned to the Hostel, and after a snack at a local restaurant, Dallas and I took the subway back to the airport.

May 13, 2022. Dallas and I spent the night at the Bedspot Botique Hostel, on Agiou Athanasiou (street) in Thira (town). We had arrived in Santorini very late at night - 1AM – too late to check into our villa. We were tired from our travels and slept until 10 AM. We had a breakfast of omlets, across the street at Panigyri Festival Food, sitting in a courtyard beneath an awning and amid colorful flowers. We then took a taxi over to Deep Earth Villas, in Exo Gonia (neighborhood), where we met with the landlord, Iakobos (“Ἰάκωβος“ in Greek; “Jacob” in English) and stowed our baggage.

Iakobos told us that he grew up in the neighborhood and attended a small, school nearby, where he was one of nine students of all ages who learned together. After graduating, he attended a university where he earned a degree in applied physics. Iakobos would bring us breakfast every morning, for it came with the rental, and it included fruit and vegetables grown in the family garden. Among these were excellent tomatoes and a watermelon.

Our two-bedroom apartment in Deep Earth Villas is partially built into a steep hillside that faces south towards the large hill of Mesa Vouno. I find this hill to be an easy landmark, for it has a radar dome at its summit and two quarries dug into its northern flank. The lowland between our hill and Mesa Vouno, and the lower flanks of Mesa Vouno, too, are full of terraced vineyards and spotted with villas. Most of the structures are painted white, so that the shine brightly in the sun. The Aegean Sea is to the east, and in the distance we can see high Anafu (island), about fifteen miles away.

We then I took a taxi to Thira (town). We met Hannah’s friend Rowen by the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, on Dekigala (street) in Thira, and tour its collection. The lower floor has murals recovered from the Akrotiri archaeological site, the upper floor has artifacts, such as ceramic pots, jars and goblets, found amongst the same ruins. Of the murals, the one of a boy carrying a bunch of fish is my favorite.

On the way back to our Villa, we stopped at the Sklavenitis supermarket on Dekigala (street) in Thira, where we bought a few days’ worth of groceries. Among other things, we bought bottled water, for the landlord discouraged us from drinking the tap water. We bought lots, for the weather here is hot and dry. Finally, we took a taxi over to Deep Earth Villa, unpacked the groceries and rested.

Our daughter Hannah arrived late at night in her rented orange Nissan Micra.

May 14, 2022. In the afternoon, Hannah drove us to Thira. We parked at the public lot on Dekigala (street), across from the Sklavenitis supermarket. We then walked a pedestrian path that follows the edge of the sea cliff, winging its way past restaurants, shops, churches and villas. Santorini is a crescent shape island formed from a little more than half of the rim of Thera caldera. Most of the rest of the rim is submarine, except for Thirasia and a few smaller islands on the far side. They mostly have sea cliffs on their inward-facing sides, having been sculpted by the great Thera eruption of antiquity. A ground of smaller islands, including Nea Kameni, are set in the center of the caldera and are composed of dacitic lava flows, the most recent of which erupted in 1950. The path week took offers marvelous view of the circular bay of the caldera, of Nea Kameni at its center, and of the cliffs of Santorini itself. The town of Thira encrusts the cliff, its buildings like so many white barnacles brightly shing in the sun. Huge cruise ships are anchored in the caldera, offshore the Old Port, a collection of piers at the base of the cliff. We had lunch at the Athenian House, a restaurant above Skaros Rock. We then continued along the path, through the town of Vourvoulos, and along a less-built-up neighborhood, were the cliff edge was full of beautiful wildflowers. Finally, we reached the high point near Prophet Elias Holy Orthodox Chapel, which commands views of both the caldera and the Aegean Sea, off the opposing coast of the island. Dallas and Rowen ran the main road (Epar.Od. Firon-Ias), which was near the pedestrian path at this point, and retrieved the car, while Dallas and I waited, sitting on a rock on the cliff edge and admiring the view.

Our daughter Hannah arrived late in the night.

May 15, 2022. Dallas, Hannah, Rowen and I drove to the Akrotiri archaeological site and toured the ruins. They are in situ, but inside a large building that protects them from the elements and theft. A series of broad raised walkways, arranged in a rough figure eight, allow one to view the runs, mostly from a high vantage, but once descending into them and passing through the archway of one of the old structures. These buildings were buried by tephra during the great Thera eruption of antiquity (perhaps around 1550 BCE) and are mostly toppled, with just a few walls remaining. Some of these walls are of large, well-trimmed rectangular blocks, others of irregular volcanic boulders covered with some kind of mortar. I also saw many flat grey stones, smaller ones strewn about that I supposed were shingles, and larger ones that paved courtyards. I wondered from where they were quarried, for I have not seen any outcrops of laminated from yet on the island. Some of the buildings contained clay containers, some as large as 55-gallon drums, other like kitchen bowls. Afterward, I had a fruit smoothy at the museum café. The day was hot and the drink gave me brain-freeze on every sip! 1:00.

We then rented two plastic tandem kayaks at Kayak Santorini, which has a shop on the beach below the archeological site. We paddled west, past the Red Beach, around a headland, until a little past the White Beach. The sea was a bit choppy. This part of the Santorini coast is full of tall sea cliffs. The Red Beach is below one made of reddish-brown tephra. The White Beach is beneath one made of white tephra. The sea has sculpted them into beautiful shapes, and has left several stacks beyond them, too. A small rockfall occurred as we were passing a white sea cliff, just west of the Red Beach. A large cloud of dust formed and was quickly blown away by the breeze. Sunbathers below the cliff raced away, and fortunately none appeared to have been injured by falling debris. There was quite a lot of boat traffic – mainly large catamarans carrying tourists. We stopped at the Red Beach on the way back, or rather Dallas, Hannah, and Rowen did, while I paddled my boat along the edge of the bay. I viewed a large and recent rockfall, off the eastern end of the Red Beach, and a lava cave a little east of it. 2:00.

May 16, 2022. In the morning, I took a walk, taking a pedestrian path down from Deep Earth Villa to the lowlands below us, and then walking the least-busy country lanes southward, in the general direction of Mesa Vouno (hill). I passed many terraced vineyards, full of smallish wine plants growing in mounds (as contrasted to on fences). In the general vicinity of the Panagia Episkopi (church), I encountered a sign with hiking information for Trail 4. It led me up a country road that climbed up the hill, but I was not able to identify the spot where the trail left the road. I headed back, taking several interesting detours down roads that turned out to be dead ends. Finally, I headed up the Deep Earth Villa hill via a pedestrian path with many stairs that wound between houses. I overshot the villa and wound up at Agios Charalambos (church). After searching a bit, I found yet another path that took me down to the villa. 2:00.

In the afternoon, Dallas, Hannah, Rowan and I visited Perissa Beach, parking at the public lot by the Perivolus Bus Stop. The three of them hung out on beach chairs beneath palm leafed awnings, rented from the So Bar So Food restaurant, lying in the sun and swimming in the sea. I walked north along the road that parallels the beach, towards Mesa Vouno, an imposing steep-sided hill. The water of the Aegean Sea was very blue and very calm, with hardly any waves. Numerous people were sunbathing and walking along the beach. I turned west when I reached the foot of the hill. I could see the Chapel of Panagia Katefiani, a small white church built in a natural amphitheater, halfway up the sheer rock face of the hill, under a gigantic overhang in the cliff. I found a short trail that took me over to the rock face and was surprised to find it composed of limestone, and maybe some chert, too, and not volcanic rocks like the rest of the island. I briefly viewed the ruins of Palaiochristianiki Vasiliki Agias Irinis, a Byzantine church dating from the Eighth Century. I went as far as the trailhead to Ancient Thera, walking a hundred yards up it to check it condition, and finding it to be well-maintained. I then retraced my route, buying an ice cream at a beachfront snack bar, and meeting the rest of my party by their awning. 2:00.

In the late evening, we had an excellent seafood dinner at The Cave of Nicholas restaurant, on the beach below the Akrotiri archaeological site.

On the drive back to Deep Earth Villa, Dallas, Hannah, Rowen and I stopped at an overlook along the edge of the caldera, by an old and ruined stone windmill, to view the setting sun. All the gearing inside the windmill was wooden.

May 17, 2022. In the morning, Dallas and I waled a loop out of Deep Earth Villa, taking one of the stone staircases up to Agios Charalambos (church), and then the main road back down. The day is sunny and hot. The views are terrific. 0:45.

Hannah drove Dallas and me to Thira (town) and parked at the lot across from the Sklavenitis supermarket on Dekigala (street). We then walked toward the Old Port. Dallas and Hannah did some shopping, while I walked the 588 steps of the Karavolades Stairs down to the Port. The view of the caldera, the cliffs, and the bright white-washed houses atop the cliff is tremendous. The cliffs are not one single color; the layers of this old stratovolcano are alternately white, tan, grey, black, brown and red. I passed teams of donkeys and their tenders, offering people rides. When I reached the port, I checked into Santo Star Travel, with whom we had made arrangements for a tour. After Dallas and Hannah arrived, we, along with fifty other people, boarded the Princess, a motor-powered boat made to look like a schooner. It took us across the harbor, past two huge cruise ships, to Nea Kameni (island), the roundish island in the center of the caldera that has been the focus of the most recent volcanic activity, which occurred in the 1950. The island is a national park. Its terrane is very rough, consisting of numerous and overlapping dacitic lava flows, with very rough surfaces that are dark grey in color. We took a hiking trail up – and around - to the crater and the center and summit of the island (a point labeled Stop C). One section of the crater wall had fumarole activity. The rock was stained yellow from the sulfurous gasses, the ground was hot to the touch, and a little smoke wafted up from cracks. The island is starkly beautiful; the 360 degree of the caldera is terrific. too. We walked back to the boat. It took up to a cove in neighboring Palia Kameni (island) where hydrothermal venting warmed the sea water. The boat stopped in the cove and Dallas and Hannah swam in the geothermal waters, which were brown in color, in contrast to the blue water of the rest of the caldera. They reported the waters warm but not especially hot. I stayed in the boat and enjoyed the scenery. The rock on the cliff near the hot springs, though volcanic, appeared laminated. Perhaps it is the source of the flagstones at Ancient Akruteri. The boat then brought us back to the Old Park. The view of the cliffs above the port were especially beautiful, lit by the late afternoon sun. Dallas and Hannah took the cable car up the cliff, while I huffed back up Karavolades Stairs. The day had been hot and although I drank three liters of water on the hikes, I bough a soda at a stand across from the Museum of Prehistoric Thera before meeting Dallas and Hannah at the supermarket. 4:00

May 18, 2022. After visiting the Lost Atlantis Experience Museum, Dallas and I took a municipal bus to the end of the road by the Akrotiri archaeological site and walked also the beach to Kayak Santorini shop. We rented a plastic tandem kayak and paddled west to Akra Mavro Vouno, a headland between Mesa Pigadia Beach and Akrotiri Lighthouse. The sea was calmer than on previous paddle, and we made excellent time, the leg taking about a half hour. This headland has a tall sea cliff, the profile of which is like a man’s face. Below the face is the arch of a sea cave, though t is not very deep. Further west, we could see Akrotiri Lighthouse, atop a lower sea cliff. We then headed back to the White Beach. Dallas disembarked and swam at the beach, while I paddled the boat solo along the shore, exploring several stacks, including one with a natural arch, and a sea cave on the adjacent cliff. I back the kayak into the cave, deep enough that I had rock over my head. After Dallas finished swimming, we kayaked back to the shop, where we were met by Hannah and Nathan, who had driven over. I discovered I had lost my sunglasses; I guess that fell into the sea when I was existing the kayak. Back at Deep Earth Villas, we had dinner on the terrace, as the sun slowly set over Mesa Vouno, the hill to the southeast of us. 2:00.

May 19, 2022. Dallas and I took a taxi from Deep Earth Villa to the trailhead near Terra Blue on the Epar.Od. (Country Road) Mesarias-Archeas Thiras in Kamari. We then hiked southward and up onto Mesa Vouno, a steep limestone hill on top of which is situated the ruins of Ancient Thera. The day was partly sunny and with a very strong wind from the east. The sea, which previously had been calm, now has waves three or four feet high and whitecaps. The trail heads up the hill via many switchbacks, below a shear rock wall. We stop for a snack at the Spring of Zoodochos Pigi, located in a cave just off the trail. It was said to be one of the major water sources of Ancient Thera, but today it has limited flow of water over travertine terraces at the back of the cave. We continue upward to the tableland, crossing the auto road and paying out six Euro admission at the entrance of the archeological site. We then walk a loop through the ruins of Ancient Thera, which was an active city in Hellenistic and Roman times. The ruins are the foundations and lower walls of temples, public buildings and houses. One temple has bas relief sculptures, a bird, a whale and a lion, carved into a rock wall. The hilltop setting of the town is beautiful, and the ruins have a rustic beauty, but there are none especially breathtaking. The many wildflowers added to the beauty. We took another hiking trail down to Parissa Beach, south of Mesa Vouno. We have been encountering small lizards, about the size of a skink, on rock walls all over Satorini and we sighted an especially large number in this area. I think that are probably Erhard's Wall Lizards, said to be common on the island. We passed the trail junction for Chapel of Panagia Katefiani, set beneath a dramatic overhanging cliff, but did not take it. When we reached Parissa Beach, I detoured into a beachfront store and replaced the sunglasses that I had lost yesterday. We stopped at So Bar So Food, along the beach for a snack. Dallas jumped the waves a bit, before Hannah and Nathan arrived with the car. We then headed over to Restaurant Café Kambia, at the end of a long unpaved road, on the sea by the headland between the Red and White Beaches. The seafood dinner they served was superb. About 4:30 of hiking.

May 20, 2022, Dallas and I walked from Deep Earth Villas to Kamari Beach. We first took one of the staircases down to lowlands, crossed the main road, and then took a country lane – the one just south of the airport - east to the sea. The lane passes many vineyards and a field with donkeys. The wind was blowing fiercely, and the surf was high. We walked along the beach to the restaurant of Hotel Sigalis, where we had some coffee and tea. While we were there, a rain shower started, the droplets driven by the strong wind. We sheltered in the lee of a stone wall until it ended and the sun came out. We walked along the beach for a while longer, looking at the black tephra sand and white pumice jetsam. We then headed back, taking a different east-west road – the one that passes Agia Irini Chrysovalantou (church), a pretty blue and white structure. A mural above the gateway to the church depicts the famous story of Saint Irene receiving the gift of the Apples of Paradise. We then ascended the long staircase back up to Deep Earth Villa. 3:00.

In the evening, Dallas, Hannah, Nathan and I drove to Thira and had an excellent dinner at the Fira Santorini Caldera restaurant, sitting at a table under a canopy on a balcony with a great view of the caldera.

May 21, 2022. In the afternoon, Hannah dropped us off at Kamari Beach. Dallas swam in the sea, while I relaxed beneath an awning in a rented beach chair. The wind and waves mostly have died down since yesterday. Except for being solicited rather too often – let’s say ten times – for a massage, I had a nice time. Afterward, we walked along the beach for a while, looking at rocks and stone. Big boulders by a groin included travertine – from nearby Mesa Vouno, I suppose. Pebbles on the beach included volcanic breccias, scoria and pumics. We then walked back to Deep Earth Villa, taking the northernmost east-west road (the one just south of the airport). We admired all the wildflowers growing roadside, spotted many Erhard Wall Lizards and said hello mules, grazing in a field. We took one of the pedestrian paths with staircases up to Deep Earth Villa. 3:00.

May 22, 2022. Our landlord, Iakobos, was kind enough to let us stay in the Villa into early afternoon, so in the late morning, Dallas and I walked a loop and I walked a loop out of Deep Earth Villa, taking one of the stone staircases up to the top of Exo Gonia. Sunday worship was in progress at Agios Charalambos (church), and we could make out the cantor say the work “Kyrie” (meaning Lord), though we understood little else. The views north to Thira and the caldera were super, especially because the day was much less hazy than earlier this week. We also examined many different kinds of wildflowers. I recognized some, including Poppy, Wild Mustard, and Thistle, but most were new to me. 1:00

After the hike, we did our online-supervised Covid test, which was pretty complicated and nerve-wracking. We tested negative, which was good since getting back to the US would have been problematical if were had tested positive. We checked out of Deep Earth Villas and took a taxi to the airport.

May 23, 2022. We spent the night in Frankford (Germany) at the Five Elements Hostel, on Moselstraße, a few blocks away from the Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof train station. It is just a few stops away from the airport via the subway. The hostel, itself, is nice, but it is in a noisy and seedy part of town. We arrived late and had no time to do anything in the city that night. In the morning, after eating breakfast at the hostel, we left immediately for the airport. I noticed that the floor of the airport subway station was paved with limestone flags containing ammonite fossils, each about four inches across.

Our plane landed in Newark at about 4PM, and we arrived home a little before 6PM.