I had a very relaxing birthday in Santorini. Unfortunately, it was really windy outside, so no hikes or beach, but it was nice to stay in and catch up on homework and reading. It's hard to feel stressed in such a beautiful place, but there was still work to be done, and I have two mid-terms when I get back.
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| Baklava! |
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| Final Sunset in Fira |
For dinner, I made a seafood paella with mussels and shrimp. It turned out really well! I had wanted scallops, but I couldn't find any, so I had to make do, but I was very pleased with the results. We finished off the night by watching "The Devil Wears Prada," one of my favorite movies.
Saturday, we had to pack and leave our beautiful little villa in Fira. However, it wasn't quite time to leave Santorini. We took the bus south to the town of Perissa, which happens to be located right along the beach. There, we booked a little hotel called Villa Kostas Hotel to stay for our last night. It was a bit rainy, but even in the rain the water was beautiful. It looked like we were the only ones staying at the hotel, so they gave us plenty of attention. The hotel is run by a charming older couple, their daughter, and their adorable little dog. We were greeted with local Santorini wine, then went out to lunch at one of the two open restaurants. The food was pretty good. One good thing about not coming during tourist season is that a lot of the tourist traps are closed. After lunch, I decided to climb the hills on the edge of Perissa, which are home to the ancient ruins of Thira. Our host had recommended the hike, and although the actual ruins were closed, I still wanted to see the view. Kristin and Nicole were pretty tired, so I went alone.
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| The Chicago |
If there had been more people on the trails, I probably wouldn't have had as much trouble as I did. However, being the only one on the entire hill, I struggled to find the right path. The little gutters created by draining water looked so much like human trails, that I ended up in crazy situations where I realized I would either have to scale a huge rock formation or turn around. I turned around. There were also dozens of sharply branched plants all over the place that really hurt if you touch them. Needless to say, it wasn't the most hospitable of hikes. When I finally found the right path, things cleared up considerably, but even then it was sometimes hard to distinguish what was path and what wasn't. I finally made it up to the ruins and took some pictures. The wind was picking up, but I found a little alcove of rocks that protected me somewhat, and I read there for a little while, overlooking the beautiful clear blue water and charming little Santorini houses below. When I became to cold to stay in one place any longer, I resolved to return, but then I noticed a little map showing all the trails in the area. The one leading to the ruins was blocked off, but there was another one leading to the highest peak, the tallest point on the entire island. On a sunny day, I would have gone in a heartbeat, but I was reluctant to go because the wind was rough and it was a bit chilly. I eventually decided that it was my last day, and I should do it, so I climbed the hill. It was a great hike--lots of rocks to climb, lots of great views of the town below--but just as I reached the top, the wind began to pick up. I snapped one picture before realizing that the wind was bringing with a large system of foggy storm clouds, and that they were rapidly descending upon the mountain. I quickly decided I had better turn around. The wind gushes were telling me that I wasn't going fast enough, and my descent was basically a race to the bottom, seeing if I could outrun the clouds. At one point, the fog was so thick, I could hardly see my own feet. However, by the time I got halfway, the fog cleared enough for me to see where I was going, and although my descent was dangerous, it was thrilling! I felt like a true explorer.
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| Storm clouds rolling in |
By the time I returned to the beach, the clouds were really starting to roll in, bulbous dark masses looming in the distance with the promise of a nice storm. It would probably have been nice to just stay in our room and cuddle, but at this point we were all starving, so we ventured back to the beach in search of dinner. We decided to try the second of the only two open restaurants this time. This one was much larger, had a nice ambience, and seemed to be the popular spot for the evening since a football match was playing on TV. After being seated, we were joined by a friendly little stray dog who took a liking to us and decided to spend the evening at our feet under the table. Adorable! For my last dinner in Santorini, I decided to go all out and order the fresh fish, since it is a specialty. Nicole and Kristin ordered a Greek casserole and then a chocolate and strawberry-filled crepe for dessert. Yum! Although service was slow, the view was spectacular. Through the glass walls surrounding the restaurant, we watched as it gradually grew darker and darker until it was practically pitch black outside. One could no longer distinguish between the sky and the ocean. Then the wind began to howl against the window panes, violently splattering rain droplets against the glass. The most thrilling part was when the power went out. Luckily, the restaurant had a back-up generator that kicked in. Honestly, I don't think we could have had better timing. All week, we had absolutely gorgeous weather, and on our very last night, we got to experience an island storm. Walking back was a little worrisome, but the rain had died down a bit by then, and we returned safely to our little apartment room to watch "Maverick."
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| Final dinner in Santorini |
It was a bit sad leaving Santorini in the morning, but having spent the entire week there, I did feel as though I had gotten the most out of the island, and we were all quite excited to return "home" to Rome. It feels so great to be able to say, at least for a little while, that Rome is my home. Despite its many downfalls, I am already very attached to this city. It has captured a little piece of my heart.
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