What might you get when a big volcano has an enormous eruption? How about a giant lagoon surrounded on 3 sides by steep cliffs reaching up to as much as 300m (980 ft.). . . and what we know as the island of Santorini!
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| We are headed up to the top of the cliffs to explore the village of Fira |
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| the village of Fira |
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| We had a nice lunch at a friendly and familiar place where we celebrated an anniversary a few years ago. That wee boat in the distance is ours :)! |
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| This nice cable car was our way back down the cliffs and back to our boat, and we even had tickets in our pocket, but there were four ships in port and the wait was unreasonable… |
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| so, we walked down the steps, all 588 of them! This route is shared with the donkeys, making it a bit “interesting”. We had to fend them off a time or two and more than once had to move to the side of the steps for a line of these animals to pass, making their way up, or down. |
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| Almost at the bottom with the famous, but quite smelly, Santorini donkeys |
We also explored the really great archeological site of Akrotiri, a Minoan Bronze Age settlement currently being excavated on Santorini.
This settlement was destroyed in 1627 BC by the ash from a volcanic eruption. Similar to what happened in Pompeii, being covered in ash, while not at all good for the inhabitants, actually preserved many artifacts and art works, including some beautiful frescoes.
Excavation work had been halted for quite some time on this site for financial reasons. Money was eventually found, and the archaeologists were able to get back to work on the very day we were there.
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