Planes, Trains, & Automobiles....and Ferries

We now understand why our friends from Aristotle University shook their heads in pity when we told them we were catching a midnight bus to Athens and a morning ferry to Santorini...

The bus ride lasted for six hours, and we immediately boarded the ferry for an eight-hour trip. The only person who got decent sleep was probably Shon, who stayed rolled up in fetal position for most of the ferry ride. Fortunately, the ferry was a lot nicer than we expected, so that made the situation a little better; we really questioned whether or not it was a Titanic replica. The thing was huge!

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Arriving in Santorini was a crazy experience. Half the time we felt like herded cattle and the other half we felt like VIPs. A steep drive up a mountainside sprinkled with a few turns brought us to our lovely hotel that had a nice, distant view of the ocean. We immediately felt like family when we walked in, and we couldn't have asked for a better stay! The location of the hotel was not the best, however, so we ended up taking a bus everywhere on the first day and the morning of the second day, which was not a pleasant experience--late buses, no buses, throw up.... Just don't ask.

Eventually, half the group rented a car and the other rented ATVs in order to get around the island. Everything was much easier, and the group was able to explore the island without having to rely on the public buses. Sweet freedom!

The weather was incredibly--let me repeat myself--INCREDIBLY windy, so the cute summery outfits we all brought stayed packed away while jackets and jeans made their debuts. We planned on having at least one beach day, but the weather was just too bitter, so we changed our itinerary and spent some time shopping and adding in extra sightseeing opportunities. 

On our final day in Santorini, we were supposed to go on a tour that included sailing and touring a volcano, but the wind was too strong for the boating excursions to be offered. We adjusted well to the setback, and decided on a great guided walking tour that went through three different parts of the island.

We got amazing pictures and were able to see some of the most beautiful parts of the island, which included both the buildings and the ocean view. Aside from the obstacle of a cancelled tour, the group really enjoyed our short time spent on the beautiful island of Santorini! The seven-hour ferry ride back to Athens is going to be rough!

You'll definitely want to check out our Santorini pictures on the Flickr we will be making! We will let you know when they are up!