Places # 13 – Santorini, Part 2, 2015

I understand that many factors contribute to the truly memorable vacation. Your traveling companion(s), the food, the people you meet, the things you see and learn, the weather…but for me, locale has to lead the list…says the hyper-visual photo guy.

It seems only fair, since the following text might be a tad critical, I should balance the post with more visually pleasing images.

A Rim with a View, Santorini (6 October 2015)

As noted earlier, the 1998 visit was perfect. Seventeen years later, my beloved travel partner sees a deal on one of those bargain vacation websites. Three days on Mykonos and four days on Santorini. Flights, lodging and ferry tickets between the islands all included. Great. We can see another popular Greek island and return to Paradise. We extol our earlier experience and persuade good friends to join us.

Sometimes deals really are worth it. Sometimes you find hidden gems of lodging and eating. Sometimes you get to experience the next big thing before the rest of the world descends on it and spoils it forever. And sometimes, the saying, “You can never go back” rings true.

Dancing in the Sky, Santorini (5 October 2015)

Of course, the island was more developed but not nicely. For every classy property, there were more of those works-in-progress…constructions that were started and paused or abandoned with concrete forms poured and protruding re-bar rusting in the air.

In the four days we spent on Santorini in ’98, a total of two cruise ships might have visited the island. This time, there were three-to-five ships there every day…disgorging their multitudes onto Fira’s narrow alleys.

4-wheelers for rent, Santorini (6 October 2015)

In this era of travel to quaint, out-of-the-way places, the modern tourist must have vehicles. For me, THAT was a major disappointment. Yes, after so many years, I should expect more development and more people but I forgot how our species just craves motorized transport, especially motorcycles and 4-wheeler ATVs. I still remember sitting on the terrace in Mykonos. Our room was in a small, quiet hotel outside of town, with a nice view of the moon-lit water. The wine, company and cool breezes made for a sweet ending to a busy tourist day. Then you heard it. That piercing, small engine sound in the distance. Your enjoyment of the moment ceases as the high-pitched drone gets louder and closer before fading in the distance…like a stereo system speaker check, this irritating sound goes from right to left. Constant noise detracts from that glorious ‘out-of-the-way’ vacation experiences. You are still on the beaten path and the beating continues.

To add to the disappointment was the lodging. It was a bargain after all and you get what you pay for. I had to stop remembering 1998 and the roomy, airy B & B right on the rim. This was a more modest place…a few blocks from everything…with a balcony that faced an auto yard (with a loud guard dog)…and a bathroom smaller than those you find on a boat.

My travel journal one day had the following entry…

“…finishing off a chilled bottle of white wine on our tiny-ass terrace, writing on their tiny-ass table as I sit in their tiny-ass chair. Our current accommodations make the Mykonos Beach Hotel feel like the Taj Mahal.”

Plastic Trash, Santorini (6 October 2015)

Of course, with more people comes more trash. One afternoon, I walked away from Fira along the rim trail. One can get some interesting images shooting down to the sea over beautiful buildings that cling to the cliffside. I paused at this old stone wall with neat lichens that added color to the weathered volcanic rocks. However, it was hard to ignore the plastic that piles like drifting snow in places. Ah, civilization.

The experience inspired

The Santorini Garbage Chronicles

A haiku 

Look over the wall

The trash of a modern age

Plastic forever

Empty in my hand

As I walk the streets for hours

No trash can in sight

Souvenirs pile up

Still no place for the empty

It’s over the wall

Bride and Blue Dome, Santorini (6 October 2015)

Santorini has become a major ‘world destination.’ And for young Asian couples with money, that makes this exotic island THE place to be married and photographed. A day didn’t go by where I didn’t see couples posing for pictures before one or more photographers, some with an entourage of make-up and wardrobe people.

“You may have a selfie stick. I have a selfie team”

I don’t imagine we’ll see this post picked up by any travel magazine or local tourism website. So, we’ll end on a positive note. Santorini is still an amazing, visual wonder. I thoroughly enjoyed every meal there…from the modest tavernas to the touristy places…all good.

Santorini Sunset (5 October 2015)

Finally, I can’t imagine another place on the planet I would rather be at sunset. And, unlike other famous sunset places like Key West where the show is straight ahead, the view here is amazing for 180+ degrees. Look hard left and right and see the rim walls glow and the white towns start to sparkle with their own lights and the sun disappears. 

Spectacular.