Day 51: Santorini...On Foot!

What is the best way to wake up in the morning? With sunshine in your face! I couldn't help being in a good mood- finally some good weather! Our first stop of the day was Ancient Thira- which was a 45 minute hike uphill to get there! We actually didn't even go into the ruins (we didn't want to pay the 2 euros) but we got some great views (we could see both sides of the island from there!) and we got an amazing workout (now I can eat even MORE pastries!)

After we hiked back down the hill we went to check out Parissa Beach- one of the most popular beaches on the island and famous for its black sand. We didn't stay there long (Arlyn is leaving tonight so we want to fit in as much as possible today!) instead we headed back to the hotel for a quick lunch (I had a Greek favourite- yogurt and honey!) and then we drove to Red Beach. As you may have guessed from the name, yes the sand is red! It was another one of those beaches where you had to hike quite a bit to get to it but definitely worth it!


Once again, our time there was short. After laying on the sand for about an hour we got down to our next order of business- walking from Thira to Oia. It's about a 10km walk that takes about 2 hours but the views are said to be spectacular. As soon as we hopped in the car to go to Thira some rainshowers began. What the heck?! They came out of nowhere! Luckily by the time we got there the rain had stopped. Our walk started off great- the trail was pretty flat and the scenery was amazing. We passed through a few little towns and took tons of pictures (I had to resist from taking too many. It seemed like everywhere I turned it was another gorgeous shot!) As we neared the 2-hour mark we realized that there was no way we would make it to Oia in that timeline. We wanted to make it there for sunset (it is said to be the nicest spot on the island for it!) so we kicked it into high gear to make it in time. When we got to Oia it was just about at the 3-hour mark (I don't know where my information about "2 hours" came from!) but we did make it in time for the sunset- although it wasn't even that great because a few clouds decided to block the view.



By the time we got into town we were STARVED. We found a great restaurant and went crazy- not only because we were so hungry after walking 10km but also because it was Arlyn's last night in Santorini! To start we had zucchini fritters and stuffed peppers, then for the main course I had Yiouvetsi- beef with orzo pasta in tomato sauce with parmesan cheese on top- delish!


There was no way we were walking the 10km BACK to to get our car so we got the bus to Thira and then headed to Parissa. Our splurging wasn't done quite yet- we stopped by the bakery by our hotel and got some yummy desserts- 2 types of baklava- yum!


After walking sooo much today it is definitely early to bed, and a relaxing day tomorrow. I really hope the weather is nice so I can jsut hang out on the beach ALL DAY!

Love, Dianna