I’d been to Santorini once before, on my 2021 cruise. It’s definitely a place worth seeing once, but once you’ve seen it…you’ve seen it. Still, it’s the last port on this itinerary, so I boarded a tender to go ashore at Fira. 

Santorini sits in a stunning setting. Fira is perched on the top of a thousand-foot cliff overlooking the caldera of the supervolcano which erupts spectacularly every couple thousand years. Seeing the whitewashed buildings clinging to the top of the volcanic ridge is certainly awe-inspiring. I took the €6 cable car to the top and started touring.

Following a Rick Steves guided walk, I explored the north side of town which is anchored by a lovely Catholic Church. 

Heading through the center of Fira (or Thera, confusingly) I walked past souvenir shops, jewelry shops, clubs and restaurants. Towards the southern part of town, I found the beautiful overlook where I took a favorite picture in 2021 in front of the Greek Orthodox Church. 

Also in this area is a fantastic Museum of Prehistoric Thira (yet another way to spell this town’s name). This was one of my favorite museums on the tour – telling the history of the Minoan people who built a civilization here only to leave in advance of the catastrophic eruption that hastened the end of the Minoan era.  Some beautiful reclaimed mosaics from that era.

On the walk back towards the center of Fira/Thira/Thera, I had a nice lunch at Dionysus taverna. 

Recalling a memorable moment from 2021, I stopped at a restaurant overlooking the caldera for a snack. I ordered a glass of the Greek liquor Ouzo and a plate of tzatziki with pita bread. The waitress joked that it was a traditional Greek lunch 😁. 

Smiles evaporated when it was time to pay and the proprietor came by to settle the bill.  He looked a lot like the guy in South Florida who does commercials for the Big Greek Moving company, so we’ll call him Spiros. 

[tapping away on his phone] Spiros: Ok, 25 euros. Cash. 

Me: 25 euros? Seems like a lot for the ouzo and tzatziki

Spiros: You had bread? Bread is extra. 

Me: Still seems like a lot for ouzo, tzatziki and a pita

Spiros [annoyed]: That’s the price. Cash.

I saw him do this to a table near me while they were in the middle of their meal, so I guess this is Spiros’ style. Maybe the tapping on the phone was assuring his bookie he will be able to shortly cover a losing bet on Olympiakos. Who knows. Spiros is a caricature I thankfully have not encountered often in Greece. Most people have been honest and exceptionally friendly. I pulled out the cash and quickly left. 

The line for the cable car down was long so I decided to try the donkey path. 

The path is remarkably steep and slippery with piles of donkey leavings to dodge every few steps. The path smells like a circus. I passed a few donkeys along the way and immediately felt bad for them. What a life, hauling bloated cruise passengers a thousand feet up a steep path. 

For all I know, these creatures could be well-kept in lovely stables and treated well, but based on Spiros and this island’s general vibe of “grab that quick buck,” I doubt it. Perhaps when your home is obliterated every couple thousand years, it hardens your view towards everything. 

Made it to the bottom and tendered back to the ship. Despite the ending of my day on Santorini, I had a nice time on my walk and touring the museum. And at Dionysus, I received an itemized bill and was able to pay by credit card for my delicious lunch. 

There are many people who love this island, I’m just not one of them. I’ll take Rhodes over Santorini any day. But it is worth seeing the beautiful view once. Now I’ve seen it twice and I don’t need to see it again lol. 

I’ve enjoyed the cruise very much, but am looking forward to disembarking in Athens tomorrow and returning home on Monday. Always nice to go away, but also nice to return home 😁.