{"id":1869,"date":"2014-08-10T14:59:36","date_gmt":"2014-08-10T18:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/svetanyc.com\/?p=1869"},"modified":"2015-11-20T10:35:04","modified_gmt":"2015-11-20T15:35:04","slug":"santorini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/192.168.2.119:1984\/svetanyc\/2014\/08\/santorini\/","title":{"rendered":"Santorini, Greece. August 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

August 4, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, D and I were ferrying to Santorini<\/a><\/strong>, one of the most visited islands in Greece<\/a>. The likeliest\u00a0location of the lost Ancient\u00a0Atlantis<\/a>, everything\u00a0that describes Santorini becomes\u00a0a superlative! Blue-domed cubic white-washed houses against the background of even bluer skies and seas – is a frequently described picture of Santorini!\u00a0I\u00a0had to check out for myself whether it was an honest one!<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0235\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We purchased our round trip tickets (\u20ac114 per person) for the high speed catamaran\u00a0SeaJets<\/a>\u00a0two months prior to the trip. However, it isn’t the only way to get to the island, a slower ferry (appx. 9 hours) as well as flights are available during the summer months. Scheduled to depart at 7.00 from the Port of Piraeus<\/a>, it was slightly delayed and we didn’t get to Santorini’s port before 12.00 (scheduled time was 11.25). As smooth and accommodating (we had to re-schedule our tickets for another time) website services were, as hectic and illogical things were during the boarding and placement. Even though we bought tickets together, our seats were 10 rows apart, which made no sense. We tried to negotiate with the people at the pick-up counter, but they weren’t helpful, so we just took justice into our own hands and sat together. Apparently, the boat was overbooked, as people were sitting even on the floor (I guess they sold tickets with “no seat”\u00a0guarantee too).<\/p>\n

We booked Hotel Keti<\/a> in Santorini and they arranged a pick up for us at the port. The driver was nice to carry our bags to the hotel, which turned out to be quite a walk from the main road, but\u00a0right on the west-south side of the city, offering the most fantastic views of the submerged caldera<\/a>. We also had a cave-accommodation, common patio and a small infinity pool. It was romantic, beautiful and relaxing – I couldn’t have been happier!<\/p>\n

\"GOPR0113\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Cyclades<\/strong><\/a> (pronounced “ki-kla-dez) comprise about 220 islands and are said to be inhabited since at least 7000 BC. During the Early Cycladic period (3000-2000 BC), a cohesive Cycladic civilization emerged bound by\u00a0the sea voyages and commerce. In the Middle Cycladic period (2000-1500 BC) many islands belonged to the\u00a0Minoans<\/a> who were based in Crete<\/a> and archeological work at Akrotiri in Santorini shows the artifacts of the same distinctive beauty and attributes of those from Minoan Crete. At the beginning of the Late Cycladic period (1500-1100 BC) the archipelago was ruled by the\u00a0Mycenaeans<\/a> from the Peloponnese, who in the 8th century were replaced by the\u00a0Dorians<\/a>. The islands in quick succession belonged to the Athenian Empire (from mid 5th century to 323 BC), Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty (323-146 BC), Rome\u00a0(146 BC -AD 395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204), the Venetian republic (1204-1537) and the Ottoman Empire (1537 – 1821). The last rulers had difficulties managing and protecting the islands which resulted in frequent pirate raids that forced many villages to relocate to hidden inland sites (“horas”). Ottoman neglect, piracy and shortages of food and water led to depopulation of islands and in 1563 only five of them were still inhabited. During the War of Independence (1821-1829), the Cyclades became a refugee haven for people fleeing the Turks and until the tourism boom in the 1970s, the islands were economically deprived and many islanders either lived in deep poverty or immigrated to other parts of Greece or the world (mostly to America and Australia).<\/p>\n

The history of Santorini follows the same evolution as other islands of Cyclades, except for one major event – the\u00a0Minoan eruption<\/a>\u00a0that happened sometimes between 1627 – 1600 BC. In ancient times, Santorini (a name given to it by the Venetians and\u00a0derived from “Saint Irene”) used to be called Strongyli – “the Round One” due to the main island’s round shape or a combination of islands creating a circle around the main island. Since 3600 BC the main island was inhabited by an important Minoan civilization and the excavated town of Akrotiri<\/a>, in the southern part of the island, is a proof of this civilization. The earth-shattering volcanic eruption of the 17th century\u00a0BC was the largest in the recorded history. It caused the main part of the round island to sink, forging a 300 m high caldera, it created monster-tsunamis over the Mediterranean sea and led, according to many sources, to the collapse of Minoan civilization on the island of Crete (110 km to the south) and a significant climatic change in the Northern Hemisphere. According to many historians, not a single person who was on the island when eruption happened or even those who left the island by sea many days prior, after experiencing the tremor, survived. For the next 2000 years sporadic volcanic activity (most recently in 1956) created further physical changes that included the formation of the volcanic islands of Palia Kameni and Nea Kameni at the center of the caldera and left the various layers of solidified lava on top of each other making the islands look like a multi-colored cake. Here, I attached the maps of the island before the eruption and now (both maps are taken from internet).<\/p>\n

\"Thera_mp\"<\/a>\"santorini-map-island\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Santorini remained unoccupied throughout the rest of the Bronze Age, following the eruption.\u00a0Around the 12th century BC,\u00a0Phoenicians<\/a>\u00a0founded a site on Thera. According to\u00a0Herodotus<\/a>,\u00a0they called the island Callista and lived on it for eight generations.\u00a0In the 9th century BC, Dorians<\/a> founded the main Hellenic city on Mesa Vouno, 396 m\u00a0above sea level and named the city and the island after their leader, Theras<\/a>. Today, that city is referred to as Ancient Thera<\/a>\u00a0 and it can be reached by following a winding road at Kamari beach<\/a>. The rest of the history till present day duplicates pretty much the one of the rest of the Cycladic islands – Dorians were replaced by Ptolemaic Egyptians, then by Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans until the War of Independence, when the island was united with Greece in 1830.<\/p>\n

As you can see, this beautiful, cake-like island with rows of Cycladic houses dangerously perched on the high cliffs of caldera, famous for its romance and spectacular views has a violent past. The volcanic eruption created 6 separate islands (Thera, Thirasia, Nea Kameni, Palia Kameni, Aspronisi and Christiana) adorning a rectangular lagoon (12 km by 7 km) and every time you cross this lagoon by boat, remember\u00a0that you are floating just above a monstrous volcano that is waiting to explode! Meanwhile, enjoy the ride and the views!<\/p>\n

Santorini caters well for its visitors and you can choose to stay in any place on the island, according to your taste and preference, but not on a tight budget – in towns like Fira or Oia (Ia), in resort villages surrounding one of the famous black, white, red or nude beaches or anywhere in between. The island itself can be an all-inclusive vacation destination in its own right as it offers fascinating archeological sites and museums, wonderful hotels, wineries, night clubs, an abundance of restaurants and shops, but also unique beaches and an international crowd. But then, if you get tired of it all, just hop on one of the boats and tour the 5 other islands of this archipelago. It is truly a must-visit place on earth.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, Hotel Keti in Fira was located right on the southern tip of the caldera, offering the most amazing views of the lagoon, the city and the island – from southern Cape Akrotiri to northern Cape Ag – but I couldn’t wait to get into town to experience its vibe. Fira<\/a><\/strong>, the island’s capital, was founded in the late 18th century when islanders moved from the Venetian citadel of Skaros, near present day Imerovigli, to the clifftop plains for easier sea-access. Devastated by an earthquake of 1956, Fira has been rebuilt, terraced into the volcanic cliffs with domed churches and barrel-roofed cave houses. Restaurants, hotels and bars presently occupy all the terraces to provide their patrons with the most magnificent views. Primarily for pedestrians, the city’s main square, Plateia Theotokopoulou, is a bus terminal and hub of the road network that runs throughout the entire island. You might want to rent a car, but wide system of bus services is efficient and cheap to satisfy even a New Yorker like myself.<\/p>\n

\"Santorini<\/a><\/p>\n

From Agios Mina <\/strong>(the 18th-century\u00a0church, with its distinctive dome and white tower), located just above our hotel, we proceeded towards the city’s main square, just 5-7 minutes walk. You can’t miss\u00a0The Orthodox Metropolitan Church of Santorini,<\/strong>\u00a0dedicated to Ypapanti (the Presentation of Christ in the Temple)\u00a0<\/strong>located\u00a0towards the bottom of the town and visible from every part of Fira. Built in 1827, the church was damaged in the earthquake in 1956 but it was soon restored. It is a beautiful cathedral placed inside the votive-arched courtyard (unorthodox for Greek Orthodox churches) with a nice mosaic on the outside and an impressive bell tower. Inside the church is adorned with beautiful frescoes made by the local artist Christoforos Asimis.<\/p>\n

\"a\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We didn’t visit the Archeological Museum<\/a>, but spent 1.5-2 hours at the Museum of Prehistoric Thera<\/a><\/strong>, located just behind the Orthodox Metropolitan Church (entry – \u20ac3, pictures allowed).<\/p>\n

\"Thira<\/a><\/p>\n

The exhibition is structured in four units, referring to the history of research at Thera, the geology of Thera, the island’s history from the Late Neolithic to the Late Cycladic I period (early 17th century BC) and the heyday of the city at Akrotiri (17th century BC).\u00a0In the last unit, various aspects are presented, such as the plan and architecture of the city and its organization as an urban centre, the emergent bureaucratic system, the development of the monumental art of wall painting, the rich and diverse pottery repertoire, the elegant jewelry, the reciprocal influences between vase painting and wall painting, and the city’s and island’s complex network of contacts with the outside word.<\/p>\n

The exhibits include fossils of plants that flourished before the human habitation of Thera as well as archeological objects. Among the earliest pieces are:<\/p>\n