Early this morning I arrived back from a really magical week in Greece.
I’ve had a superb time with my sister exploring
the beautiful island of Santorini and neighbouring Therasia.

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Flying above the clouds to Santorini. I’ve wanted to visit for a very, very long time and at last the moment is here.

Things to do on Santorini, Cats in Greece

I know I’m back in Greece. There are cats everywhere.
And as I bend down to say hello to one, another makes itself at home on my dress.
I saw her every day and would have loved to take her home with me.
Things to eat on Santorini, Greece

It’s heavenly to taste the fabulous food of Greece, starting with stuffed vine leafs, an old favourite,
and something new, grilled feta with sesame seeds, drizzled in honey and balsamico.

Kamari, Things to see on Santorini, Greece

We’re staying at Kamari on the south easy of the island.
At the end of its famous black sand beach we find this lovely little church.

Kamari church, Things to do on Santorini

Irini restaurant, Things to do on Santorini 
Nearby, at Irini’s restaurant we have a lovely meal while listening to some local musicians and
Mama Irini, who opened this restaurant some 49 years ago, joins in singing.

The next day I have a fascinating chat with her about, among other things,
how Kamari has changed over the years. She’s really an amazing lady with a great tale to tell.

Oia port, Things to do on Santorini

Monday morning, while my sister explores Fira, I’m off to Therasia, a neighbouring island.
We catch the boat from Oia, pictured above, in the north-west of Sanotrini,
over to Ormos Korfu and take the zig-zagging path up to Manolas, for a glimpse of life in Greece many years ago.

Agrilia church, Therisa

A hike across the countryside to the abandoned village of Agrilia brings us to this fabulous church,
still lovingly looked after, despite no one still living here.

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We end the day at a traditional taverna in Ravi,before catching the boat back to Oia.

I’m really looking forward to telling you more about the lovely island of Therasia.

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Oia, the most famous town on Santorini. It’s overflowing with tourists but is still a really lovely place to explore.

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A sleepy cat, finding the heat of the day, and it was a scorcher, all just a little too much.

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A new day and we start with a deliciously refreshing cactus juice in the island’s capital of Fira.

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We take the cable car down to the port and enjoy a light lunch of fava and tomato balls,
both very traditional examples of Santorini cuisine (and two of the dishes I learn to cook later in the week)

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Another wonderful day spent wine tasting, cooking and eating with Santorini Wine Adventure.

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An early morning, walk along the beach to watch the sunrise followed by a trek on the mountain overlooking Kamari
and a visit to the ancient village of Thera. I take the bus most of the way up, saving my energy for the hike back down.

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Half way down the mountain along a narrow track is this lovely little chapel and a cave with the only natural,
fresh water sourceon the island. It was a hell of a hike down the mountainside for me
but that is the only way to get there.

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Throughout the week we’d heard a lot of good things about Alexander Restaurant in Kamari
so, on our second to last night, we checked it out.It didn’t disappoint.
In fact we enjoyed it so much that we returned the next evening for our final meal in Santorini.

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Our last day on the island. We explored the lovely village of Pyrgos. With the exception of one or two tourist shops and cafés (and telegraph poles), it is just as it would have been hundreds of years ago.

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The locals were very friendly too!

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On the way back we stopped off at Fira for some important food research.

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And sadly that’s the end of a really fabulous week as seen on my Instagram feed.
 But I have so many more photos to share and so much to write about. Watch this space!

A huge thank you to On the Beach for this fabulous prize, a one week holiday for two on Santorini, for winning their Beachin Beach competition. My thanks also to Kathrin from Santorini Experts, my wonderful guide on Therasia, and to Dimitris, from Santorini Wine Adventure for an excellent wine and food tour. As always I will give you my honest opinions throughout all my Santorini posts.
 

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