Our full day relishing the beauty of Santorini started early, as we entered the caldera under overcast skies at 7 a.m., traveling to the island’s port of Athinios via tender shortly thereafter. The bus from Athinios to Oia wound its way through a rugged, volcanic landscape dotted with beehives and vineyards. Due to the strong winds and high temperatures which plague the island, the grapes here are grown low to the ground, the vines intertwined into a basket-like form. From here, the vines retain the appropriate degree of moisture, aided by the mineral-rich, volcanic earth.
In Oia, the clouds this morning provided a rare opportunity to photograph the town’s iconic blue domes and white houses in gently filtered sunlight. After our leisurely morning stroll in Oia, we headed to the village of Pyrgos for a lunch of mezedes and the world-renowned Santorini wine. The selection of mezedes—all of which featured locally-sourced produce—was overwhelming: smoked white eggplant, savory tomato croquettes, puréed fava beans, and a casserole of rustic Greek cheeses. The meal was finished off with a delightful orange cake and strong coffee before an afternoon exploring the island’s archaeological gems: the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, with furniture, frescoes, pottery, and other objects from the island’s distant past, and the archaeological site of Akrotiri, where ongoing work continues to illuminate the splendor and sophistication of this unique Bronze Age settlement.
