Day 12 – May 11, 2010 - Laundry and Santorini, Greece.

I started my day today with a lovely training on Environmental and Corporate Responsibility at 9:30… it was fifteen minutes I can only wish I had back in my life. Ug… then it was operation Show Laundry time. We were set to arrive in Santorini at 4 pm, so I was determined to get all laundry and some repairs done in plenty of time to get the most amount of time on the island as I could. Completely wiped out from the day before, I did the 5 loads of laundry in a daze… we have to wash in the crew laundry facilities, which means fighting for machines and watching your stuff like a hawk so it doesn’t get mysteriously put into a dryer when it’s a non-dryable load. :) Oh the tiny smidge of drama in my life…. How awesome is that?

I finished all my duties and got some food and made my way off the boat for the most anticipated stop in our itinerary. Since I first saw a picture of this incredible place when I was a kid, I wanted to not only visit, but live there. Anytime anyone has ever asked me where I would go if I could travel anywhere in the world, I would tell them Greece – and specifically, Santorini. This is the iconic island that is covered in white-washed cubic buildings with bright blue accents, cobble stone roads and walkways, stray cats and views of the cerulean blue Aegean sea. I didn’t know exactly how I would feel arriving at a place for which I longed to experience as long as I could remember.

I took the tender over around 6 pm once crew was cleared to go and watched the cliffs covered in white near. I got into the port at the base of the mountainous island. There are two ways to get to the top – to the town of Santorini – up the donkey path, on a donkey – or via cable car. Crew only has to pay one Euro to take the cable car and I wouldn’t smell like donkey for the rest of the night, so my decision was easily made. :)

I got to the top, took a deep breath and headed out into the town. There are lots of meandering walkways filled with jewelry shops, clothing boutiques, restaurants, and souvenir stands. Of course I took a brief walk through the mess of tourists on my way to see more important things…like the famous Orthodox Cathedral in the centre of town.

Santorini is part of a group of islands called The Cyclades and they are known for the white-washed, cubic style of architecture. The Cathedral, topped with it’s stunning white dome is a perfect example of this style. To my right was the stunning ocean with the late afternoon sun reflecting a blinding white off of the buildings that lined the cliffs. The boutique hotels and restaurants made their home along this prime location. The Cathedral came up on my left and was open to the public. It was actually rather small inside, with a place to light candles, a modest sanctuary and brilliant frescos covering the underside of the massive dome. Something about being inside a place that has been recognized in pictures for millions of people around the world for so long made a huge impact on me. I sat inside overwhelmed and well, wept for a while. All that I’d experienced so far on this trip came to me in a wave of extreme gratitude and appreciation. It hadn’t fully struck me yet what this opportunity has allowed me to do and see and feel – and this was the perfect way to realize it’s meaning.

I pulled myself together and hit the “streets” again, heading off the tourist track out into the actual town area. I saw the town’s Cultural Center and there was a traditional dance class for teenage girls going on the outside area of the center, which was so cool to see. I went down a dirt road that lead towards the water and got some amazing pictures there. I snuck onto the side of a hotel to snag the really good shots!! The hotels were very quiet, as we’re at the very beginning of the season, so it was nice to not have tons of people around.

I walked around the main town a little more and made my way up to my perch to watch the sunset. I was so excited, I couldn’t stand it.

I went into a Café on the cliff’s edge and got the best table before they started filling up with viewers. I ordered a glass of the local white wine and got my camera ready. It was a beautiful, meditative experience staring at the sun for about an hour. I have the most brilliant photos of the sunset to remind me of this life-changing evening. I’ll post a couple here, but the full set will go up on my facebook pages.

I explored the rest of the hotel area at dusk and was even further moved by the sights in this light. The white buildings glowed and all over the town, tiny little lights came on to illuminate the walkways. I saw the cutest cat walking along the wall and got a couple shots before it jumped away.

The night ended with a ride back down the mountain to the ship and such incredible memories of visiting a postcard that truly looks JUST like that in person. The best part is… I get to do it all again in two more weeks.