Santorini - September 2011
Right from the very start this was a fantastic holiday. A chauffer driven car whisked us off to the airport where we boarded our Emirates Boeing 777. The flight was wonderful and very relaxing. Business Class seats on Emirates flights from Australia convert into a flat bed at the touch of a button. The food on Emirates flights is also fantastic with impressive, regionally inspired menus all presented on Royal Doulton fine bone china. My daughter just loved the in-flight entertainment and I was more than impressed by a glass of bubbles prior to take off. All in all we felt very pampered.
We then arrived in Dubai for a luxurious one night stopover, and what a fascinating place Dubai is, with its unique mixture of historical landmarks, stunning desert landscapes and breathtakingly modern architecture, one day does not do it justice. I will definitely be back.
We made the most of our short time, however, by pre booking a private tour and driver. We where promptly collected from the hotel at 2pm and whisked away in an Air conditioned 4wd "A/C is a must" for a 5 hour whirlwind tour of Dubai.
One stand out for us was finally seeing the Burj Al Arab, this impressive landmark, a five star hotel (unofficially known as the worlds only seven star hotel) which is built on an island, with a sail-shaped build reaching out at 321m. It is certainly an extraordinary building.
We then continued our journey to Greece where we enjoyed a night in vibrant Athens staying at the Grande Bretagne Hotel. This multi award winning five star hotel has the most spectacular views of Athens' historic landmarks including the Acropolis and the original Olympic Stadium.
We only had a day to explore this amazing city so we jumped on the hop on hop off bus and enjoyed a sightseeing tour of Athens. This tour is approximately 90 minutes in an open-top double Decker bus that encompasses central Athens. You can take the tour straight through or hop-off and hop-on as you wish over a 24 hour period.
Even in September the walk up to the ACROPOLIS & PARTHENON was hot and sweaty but so worth the effort when we where rewarded with an amazing view over the city.
From the balcony of the hotel we could see the Changing of the Guard at the Parliament Building at Syntagma Square it was a fun bit of pageantry well worth watching at 11am each morning. While not as dramatic as that "other" Changing of the Guard in London, England, its fun to watch the synchronized movements of the costumed guards. They are carefully selected for the honour of participating, and most of them are very tall, averaging over 6'3".
Time to locate a restaurant so we wandered down to the Plaka in the oldest section of Athens. Most of the streets have been closed to automobile traffic, though you should still keep a watchful eye for a speeding motorcycle or delivery truck. Though it is quite commercialized it is still a neighbourhood and arguably the nicest neighbourhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places but the quality of food is not bad in many of them .We enjoyed some great food and wine and we where pleasantly surprised by the bill.
On to Santorini next after a short flight on Olympic airlines where we stayed in a beautiful Villa in the village of Imerovigli. With stunning views Of the Caldera and close proximity too many restaurants and cafes we were in a blue and whitewash Heaven.
As this was a family holiday the brand new conversion of 2 houses into one connected by an internal staircase was the perfect fit for our family of 9.
The house on upper floor consisted of:
- The main bedroom with large bed and sitting area with sofa bed (which turn to bed)
- Another separated bedroom with large bed
- Two Bathrooms/WC
- 1 Jacuzzi
- Kitchen & living area with sofa (which turns in to a bed)
- Maximum occupancy for the house on upper floor is 4 adults & 2 children
- The house on ground floor consisted of:
- 2 separated bedrooms, each one with large bed.
- Two Bathrooms/WC
- 1 Jacuzzi
- Kitchen & big living area with two sofa beds (turned to beds)
- Maximum occupancy for the house on ground floor is 4 adults + 2 children
- Hiking experience and seeing Santorini from a different point of view
We drove our rental car to the start of the site; just getting up to the site on the very narrow road with innumerable switchbacks was heart-stopping. Hiking around the site is physically challenging. It is a big place! The views from the ancient city are breathtaking; you can see the black sand beaches of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos, the backside of the monastery on the peak above Pyrgos and the deep blue waters of the Aegean. The city itself is quite a treasure, dating back to around 1000 BC in the Hellenistic era. It is quite a hike to get to the ruins from where you buy your ticket you start by climbing up a hundred or so uneven steps if you go ensure you wear good walking shoes, I do not recommend flip flops for this excursion. After the stairs it is still about 600 m, give or take, until you reach the main part of the city. The city spans the entire hillside and is much more expansive than I first imagined. Ancient Thera is a must see for anyone who has any affinity for history!
Among my most favourite moments on the island was a trip out to the volcano itself. At first, our boat stops on the little dock of the famous Volcano, where we walked towards the top of the island. While walking, our experienced guide talks about the intense volcanic activity of the last 3000 years! The crater still seems active, as hot fumes are released from many points!
Next, we are heading to the Hot Springs, where we make a 50-minute stop for swimming in the sulphur springs of the volcano. Another major proof of the strong volcanic activity still today.
On the way back, the boat stops just for a few minutes in the port of Ammoudi in Oia. If you wish, you can leave the group here and visit the village of Oia, famous for its breathtaking sunset. The red stones of lava along with caves, numerous churches and multi-coloured houses are the ultimate challenge for every single photographer... In the evening we returned home to the villa by taxi.
We spent a wonderful nine days in Santorini, exploring, relaxing and soaking up the Local culture before we returned, courtesy of Emirates once again, to Brisbane happy, relaxed and ready to tell anyone who'd listen how wonderful our holiday was.