GREECE DAY 4 – ON THE SEA 

Breakfast is served at Absolute Bliss poolside, overlooking the sea… or so we thought. Where the sea should be, where we left it when we went to bed, there’s an enormous cloud. From our cliff side perch, we look down onto the top of the cloud, a preview of heaven, should we be lucky enough to end up there.  Breakfast is, well, angelic. 

(click on the picture to view the full size image)

Just 88 steps up to the street to meet our waiting driver, a local in a big Mercedes van, crazily oversized for the narrow streets.  Destination: the dock at Amoudi Bay.  After 20 minutes, our driver passes the place we parked last night and spins the van around. With the thinnest of apologies, he starts backing full speed down the last mile of the steep, curvy, narrow cliff side hill, explaining along the way that there is no way to turn around at the bottom. I’m amused, Mandy’s terrified, as we flash by other vehicles and pedestrians with fractions of an inch to spare.  At the bottom we’re spirited away to the pier, our ride just pulling up.

 

When we were in Sorrento, we chartered a boat with a captain, and it remains one our favorite days of vacation.  We decided to try again here to explore Santorini and the nearby islands from a different vantage point. I knew the boat was going to be nice, but I wasn’t expecting The Santorini Yachting Club to send the 42’ catamaran Enjoy just for us. Expertly moored in seconds, Kostas, the 1^st mate, helps us onboard, and just as quickly we’re underway. Kostas gives us the tour: aft deck, forward lounging area, cabin with living room, kitchen and head, and the bridge with more lounging space. It’s here we meet Captain Philip, a cool, salty character and yet another reason Kenny Chesney wrote the song Guys Named Captain.   

Captain Philip discusses itinerary options for the day, and we’re onboard with listening to good advice when we hear it.  First stop: the abandoned beach at Thirassia Island. Thirassia boasts a population of 319 and an elementary school with exactly five children. Pretty much, the other 314 are fishermen, their cottages pinned on the flattish tip or the island.  We don snorkel gear and take our first swim of the day, the water deep, calm and crystal blue.  A leisurely 30 minutes, first cool drinks, and we’re back under power. 

As we head to the next destination, we can already smell the pasta sauce Kostas is making from scratch for lunch later today. Garlic, peppers, fresh tomatoes and salt air, a pleasantly unexpected combination.  We’re topside, Philip narrating the tour and pointing out features like The Whale of The Cave, a formation in the cliff with a cave opening serves as the massive whale’s eye. 

Next stop is a fishing cove, dotted at the bottom with a dozen fishing caves, tiny spaces carved into the rock with colorful wooden doors that the fishermen still use today like we in Pennsylvania use hunting cabins. Store some gear, take a few-hour nap, overnight if you’re in the doghouse with mama.  We jump in, Mandy exploring the deep water while I climb up the rocks to check out the shanties.  

“Pop-pishhhhh” as I crack a Fix, Greece’s response to Heineken, and we head out.  Captain points out The Gator, a rock formation twice the size of The Whale. At the end, at the southern tip of the island, is a natural bridge that appears to slide open as we pass by. 

We turn and head across to Palia Kameni, the old volcano. Before we take the leap, the captain warns us to remove silver jewelry, not wear white and not be pregnant as these are sulfuric waters fed by a hot spring. Meeting all criteria, we jump in, but the spring must be off today as the water is pretty much the same temperature as everywhere else.  The water is therapeutic but cloudy, so we swim around a bit to suck up some of the magical, natural healing potion, admiring the brutal lava rock that is such in integral part of this place’s evolution. 

We loop around to the New Volcano, Nea Kameni, and tie up, the steep drop off allowing us to anchor just a few meters from the lava cliff.  As soon as we jump in we notice that the fish are social here, so we get some pita from the galley to indulge them.  As we break the flat bread up into tiny, wet bits, an entire school of blue and black fish come by for a snack, hitting and darting away. 

Next stop is Armeni and lunch, our mouths watering by the time we drop anchor.  Fresh tomato and cucumber salad, stuffed grape leaves with lotsa tangy lemon, chicken and pork chops grilled on charcoal right off the aft deck.   Oh, and the pasta.  An entire pound of pasta covered in that yummy Sunday Gravy we’ve been smelling all afternoon.  Bold for a couple of Greeks to serve pasta to a guy named Pasquale, but Mandy and I agree… they crushed it. 

Looping back to our point of origin, the captain still has more sights to point out.  Groups of brave souls jumping 20-some feet into the water from a cliffside, working boats bringing in their catch.  The boat docks as efficiently as the first time and say our goodbyes.  If we would only get one splurge on any trip, this would be the one. 

Back at home base, we pool, steam, nap and shower, ready for the night.  Dinner tonight in Firastefani, the next village south of us and, as far as I can tell, Gwenstefani’s little sister.  Mandy booked Aktaion, a little place with great views.  Unbeknownst to us, Aktaion is celebrating it’s 100^th anniversary, and we get to meet the 3^rd generation restaurateur charged with carrying on their legacy.  They have three different bottles of 100^th anniversary wine, limited production crafted by local vintners, and private labeled for the occasion.  We can’t resist the white, the go-to here, typically high alcohol and full bodied with strong notes of citrus.  We over-order appys (as we tend to do), the Greek salad, veggie fritters, and octopus in the region’s fava bean puree and served with a bit of party-in-your-mouth caper jam.  It’s been a day marked by well hosted timing, and dinner is no different.  Sunset is upon us, and the chef knows to hold courses until after the big event.  A nice Australian couple offers to take some sunset pix of us, and we’re glad we accepted their offer.

Horizon exploding into post-set colors, our mains are served.  Fresh grilled whole sea bass for Mandy, linguini with shrimps (when did it become “shrimps”?) in a light cream sauce for me, both very well executed.  An hour passes as we dine and talk and laugh and sip.  When we ask for the check, we’re instead served with cinnamon infused, yogurt-based creation topped with mixed berry compote as dessert.  We ask for details, but they’re not giving up their secrets, so we just enjoy.    

After dinner, we wander into a shop of local artists across the way from the restaurant.  It’s the artists’ night off, but the shop is manned by two of their husbands, weathered older guys, funny and approachable.  A small piece, a blue ceramic fish, makes us smile and swims into our bag.  Walking out we notice some intriguingly erotic art on the wall of a nearby building.  Another gallery?  Nope, side wall of a church.  

We end the night back on our front patio, watching the billowing fog roll through the moonlight.