french(esca): Greece: Part 2

We took a high speed ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, passing other gorgeous islands in the quick 2 hour ride. When we arrived, we were picked up by our host (I highly recommend using AirBnB for traveling) and headed to our private traditional Greek apartment in Fira. Fira is the center of the island with lots of touristy shops, restaurants and of course, the beautiful Caldera (picturesque cliffside). Our first day, we explored by walking around the different shops, taking in the view and having an incredible authentic homemade Greek dinner. Greek food quite possibly may be my favorite type of cuisine after this trip. Some of my favorites: gyros, dolmas, greek salad, moussaka, grilled eggplant, pava, tzatziki, loukammades, and tomatokeftedes. YUM

The next day, we rented ATVs and drove alllll over the island. Our first stop was Oia, the northern point of Santorini, known for its spectacular view of the caldera and sunset. We then rode all the way down to the Perissa beach, Melgachori and around the southern part of the island, only stopping for fuel (gyros). My ATV had a bit of a problem going over 4 mph when going uphill but other than that, it was such a rush to just drive around with no plan. We got to see a lot of the island that way and I released my inner speed demon so it was great fun all around. The following day, we decided to take a more historical approach to our exploration. We went to the Akrotiri ruins, a 3,000 year old settlement from the Bronze Age. It was pretty unreal seeing something so old and rich with history. We then walked down to the red beach which was pretty secluded and unique looking (pic somewhere below) then headed back in time for another beautiful sunset.

The rest of our time in Santorini was filled with tanning at Kamari beach, more gyros, more sunsets and having our fare share of cocktails at a local bar. Again, there weren't too many tourists so we got to know the owner and had tons of fun talking to locals and dancing it up. We met up with the two girls we met in Mykonos one night to watch the sunset from Oia and it really made me so thankful for the people you meet while traveling. It's weird getting to know someone briefly and then parting ways, not knowing if you'll ever meet again, but it's also really magical. Part 3 of my trip in Athens coming soon...