Fira with Donkey Trail

The island of Santorini is a volcano. In 1600 BC, it had one of the largest eruptions in Earth’s history, probably killing off the Minoan civilization. The eruption created a huge peak, which collapsed from its own weight. What’s left is an island with 1000 foot high cliffs, with the water in the harbor another 1000 feet deep. It’s quite dramatic. This is a picture of Fira, the main village, with the donkey trail leading up from the harbor. Fortunately, our tour company took us up the hill on a bus.

Oia

There’s only one harbor on Santorini island, and only one road going up the hill. The ride is quite exciting for the uninitiated. After checking into our hotel, we took the bus up to Oia, the other main village on the island. The entire island is given over to tourism. They have arable land, but there are so many houses and hotels on the island, they have given up their farming in favor of tourism.

Unseen Scene

Winds can be quite intense. We heard the rattling of doors and windows in the lobby this morning. Protective canvas covers at our outdoor restaurant spent the evening flapping loudly in the breeze. I never saw the most photogenic part of Oia because there were too many people. Instead, I offer this picture, which I found in a magazine.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the church on the Oia village square.

Oia Church

Ringing the Bells