Greece! Britt's Birthday and Farewell to Greece!

Our last full day in Santorini happened to be Miss Britt's birthday. We went to Fira for a fancy dinner that night. Much as we both loved the Greek food we had, we were both craving something that tasted a little more like home, so we found a place that served fajitas and hamburger steaks. They gave us a great table that looked out at the sunset over the ocean and even brought Britt a special birthday dessert.

Happy birthday to Britt!

Greece! Perissa Beach, Oia, and Cheeky Volcanic Lizards

Now to the pretty pictures! Lots of pretty pictures.

Even though I prefer the lovely beach of Ios, I do admit that the beach in Santorini really is pretty. There are a few beaches in Santorini, but the only one we visited was Perissa, the one near our hostel.

Greece! Arrival in Santorini and a Visit to the Plague Doctor

You’ve probably heard about Santorini. It’s rated as one of the top Greek islands to visit and everyone talks about how omg amazing it is and if you only go to one island you should go there.

The people who say this are liars.

Listen to mama Brenda on this one—if you go to Santorini, go there for a day, maybe two, and go there before you go to any of the other islands. Otherwise, you will be seriously disappointed.

Naxos and Ios absolutely spoiled me. There were few tourists and the people who lived there seemed genuine and friendly. People will tell you that the beaches in Santorini are beautiful. I will tell you that the beach in Ios is a hundred times more beautiful, more peaceful, and better to lounge on. People will tell you that there are interesting museums and historical sites. I will tell you that the museums in Naxos are just as lovely and the historical sites are gorgeous and more easily accessible. (One of the major sites in Santorini isn’t even open.) People will tell you that the shopping in Santorini is amazing.

This is true. Because that is mostly what the major towns in Santorini are—hot, crowded pedestrian shopping malls full of people who see you as little more than a walking Euro.

Go to Santorini for a day or two. See the ridiculously gorgeous sunset (because it is, admittedly, ridiculously gorgeous). And then move on, my friend.

Greece! Naxos Part IV: The Portara

On our last day in Naxos, we finally made it up to the Portara. We got an early start and got up there before most of the island had woken up, which is the best time to do things if you ask me. Few tourists, more opportunities to linger and take a million and a half pictures.

Before we started up the hill to the Portara, Britt took a picture of the mountains that we'd traveled up the day before. The water was still pretty choppy from the storm, but the weather was lovely.

by Britt

The Portara is up on a little hill that is connected to the pier where we spent most of our evenings.

walkway to the Portara by Britt

Efi told us that it was an especially easy hike because of the energy in the ground-- it was like the ground was pushing you up the hill to get to the top. (Efi also scolded me for putting my bag on the ground during dinner because it was disrespectful to the energy of the ground and meant that my pathway would always be empty. So be careful where you put your purses, friends.) I don't know if the ground was pushing me exactly, but it was definitely an easy walk up to the top. We were alone up there for a good long while and it was... just... unbelievably gorgeous.

Pictures are better than words in this case.

Greece! Naxos Part III: Miracles, Olive Presses, and Defying Death

Naxos is the biggest island in the Cyclades, which is the cluster of islands we went to. I just looked it up, and apparently it’s 166 square miles—way bigger than I thought it was. (I am the WORST at estimation. Ask me to guess your age and I’ll be off by approximately ten years.) Since there was so much of Naxos to be seen, Britt and I bought tickets for a bus tour through the interior of the island. There were some weather difficulties, technical difficulties, and near-death experiences, but it was absolutely worth it.

Greece! Naxos Part II: The Great Hissing Zorbas

The sunset concert in Naxos Town was amazing. It was hosted by this guy, Nico, who I think lived in the Venetian castle. He was fiftysomething, I think-- longish gray hair, a very red face, and a very friendly personality. He started out by telling us about why he hosts these concerts. When he was younger, people from neighboring villages would occasionally come into Naxos Town to announce a party. These parties were held for big events, like weddings and births and such, and they were serious parties-- several days sometimes of dancing and singing and drinking and having a generally good time. To keep this spirit, Nico offered us unlimited Naxos wine and shots of a special liqueur they make on Naxos. He also had bottles of Fanta, which is what Britt and I stuck to. He told us that when he was younger, only the men drank at these parties as it was considered coarse and unladylike. So Britt and I were just being proper young ladies-- albeit a proper young lady with a withered arm in one case.

Greece! Naxos Part I

Sorry for the delay. My attention got eaten up by the GRE for a while, but now that’s over and done with and I can get back to focusing on other things, like finally finishing these darn blog posts.

Alright, so last time I wrote, I talked about the lovely island of Ios, land of goats and happiness. Also the land of developing some kind of rash. Cliffhanger, I know. Well wait no longer, my friends! This post is all about our next stop—Naxos. And trust me, you’ll want to read this one. We’ve got sunburned octopus, dancing zorbas, goat pipes, and lemon bossa vibing.

a sign we walked past about a hundred times in Naxos. i still have no idea what any of it means.