With the riding over, we begin the third part of our vacation, island hopping. I may write one blog per island instead of one blog per day. We have a 2.5 hour shuttle drive from Kissamos to Heraklion and then a 2.5 hour boat ride to Santorini. High winds slowed the boat and may prevent the spectacular sunset which this island is known for. We’re staying in the town of Fira.
Sitting on an edgy stack of tectonic plates, Santorini was created by volcanic activity that lasted for more that two million years. Around 1630 BC the island experienced one of the largest volcanos in human history. This created a tidal wave which may have destroyed part of the Minoan civilization in Crete. The volcano’s destruction can still be seen.
We’re staying at the Atlantis Hotel. Walked up a cobble covered lane looking at menus for dinner. ‘Made reservations at an Italian restaurant with good views of the sunset. We’ve had winds in excess of 20 mph and it’s been very hazy so there may not be a sunset today. As you will see, there was no sunset today but the food was delicious and the service was EXCELLENT. Below are photos of the Greek Christian Orthodox Church.
This town is a maze of narrow shopping lanes. Not much of a sunset tonight. The 2 photos below are the same scene, just before dusk and after dark.
Today we visited the ruins of the town of Akrotiri, a prehistoric town that was first damaged by an earthquake then weeks later buried by 5 meters of volcanic ash from one of history’s largest volcanic eruption, probably around 1637 BC. Like the Roman ruins of Pompeii after it, it is remarkably well-preserved. Frescos, pottery, furniture, advanced drainage systems and three-story buildings have been discovered at the site. This town was quite large for 1700 BC with an estimated size of 10,000 sq. meters or approximately 107,000 sq. ft. with a population estimated at 5000 people. After the initial earthquake many fled but returned to begin the rebuilding process. The volcano began emitting gasses and a huge caldera formed in the sea. During this time the population permanently evacuated the town, taking all their possessions, freeing their livestock and slaves. No human or animal remains have been found inside the town. There is no information if the fleeing people reached safety or perished in the sea.
The frescos have been removed and are in either the Athens Archeological Museum or the Museum of Prehistoric Fira. Excavation on this site began in 1967 and lasted for 10 years. It is estimated that only 5% of the town is excavated. In early 21st century the Greek government built a roofed structure over the exposed ruins. The building and walkways around the through the ruins are amazing, but at a cost of 44 million euros.
We went to Oia last night to try to find a sunset but all we found were clouds and some neat buildings, and another good dinner.
An observation about visual differences between Crete and Santorini. Both use stucco as an exterior building material and typically the stucco is painted white or some light color. In Santorini more of the buildings are white and have a barrel shape on the roof. There is also a lot more blue in Santorini. Some say that during the Ottoman occupation and the Greek flag could not be flown, Santorini used the blue to make the entire island scream ‘I’m Greek’.
Our last activity in Santorini was to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Fira. This contains much of the art recovered in the Akrotiri excavation. Men/boys were depicted with a reddish pigment which signified they work on the sea or in the fields, so they had a tan. Women have white skin indicating they do not labor outside.
Below are urns (for wine?) and a bath tub. Remember they had indoor plumbing and toilets!
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