Upon arrival in Santorini, I have to admit I was a little confused. I expected a gorgeous port like there was in Hydra, but it was basically just a parking lot with a bunch of buses and travel agencies. We all hopped on a bus and as we drove up a very steep, winding hill, I was still perplexed. Where were all the blue and white churches and buildings you saw in the postcards? As we rode into town, we saw a lot of vacant land and houses that were being rebuilt. We were all looking at each other, a little confused that Santorini wasn't what everyone said, until we walked up a cobblestone hill and arrived at our hotel. At the top of the island, overlooking the sea, THIS was Santorini. I had to laugh at myself for doubting the island even for a second.
The view from our Hotel room
Our cute little cave-like hotel room
On our second day, we ventured out to the "Red Beach." I've only been to a white sand beach, so this was quite the experience! It was unlike any beach I've ever seen, but Greece has continued to show me unique beaches everytime...
On our last day, we went to Oia and walked down what felt like a million stone steps to get to a more secluded swimming area. Not only was the swimming and rock jumping some of the best I've ever done, but the walk down was so cool that all the huffing and puffing was
way worth it.
When we arrived in Oia, we found what Santorini was all about. Suddenly, I started seeing postcards right before my eyes...
For all the dog lovers in my life...
Another amazing sunset on a rooftop restaurant...
Other pictures...
It's a tradition in the program to watch the Santorini sunset over a special dinner, and all of us were in awe instead of diving for plates of food. In a way, a sunset is like a really good meal, it just keeps getting better and better, then suddenly it's gone! Maybe that's a weird analogy, but it's all I can come up with right now...What do you think?
Stacey, Urs, and I enjoying sunset
What kind of artwork is this? I didn't know how to feel standing under it...
On the ferry...
It was my last day in Greece, and I knew I would regret not going to the 2004 Olympic Stadium. Like most of my adventures, I went not knowing what to expect. I came to find that the stadium was the most shocking experience I had while in Greece. My guidebook said you had to arrange a special tour of the new stadium, but we just walked right in when we got there. NOBODY was there. Here we were, the three of us standing in the middle of this amazing futuristic stadium, but there was no one in sight. We all thought we were on Mars or something. How could we be in a place where thousands and thousands were here just three years ago and amongst nothing but new-age architecture that wasn't even being appreciated? We saw a few people in the distance, but were scared they were zombies coming to attack us. It was like standing in the movie 28 days later and we were the only humans left on Earth. A little eerie at times, knowing this was truly a ghost town. It's sad knowing that so many Olympic Stadiums end up like this, deserted and unused. At least we made it through without any zombie attacks.
Under the random palm trees...
Not sure how I feel about this artwork...
One of the pools made me nostalgic of my swimming career...
...but the other was green and gross, why do they take care of one pool but not the other?
This is where all the country flags once were, but now they're gone. Too creepy...
The entrance, where was everyone?
Imagine this, a few years ago, with THOUSANDS. Why don't people visit now?
