Choose another map, showing:

• Turkey
• Mediterranean
• Europe
• Africa
• Eurasia
• Eurasia, Africa & Pacific
• The World

Other entries in Santoríni

what a difference a day makes

what a difference a day makes....or several weeks for that matter. we got to Santorini expecting relaxation, warm, lady-clad beaches, nights of amazing entertainment, and most of all, the sun. we were way off. apparently, tourist season for the greek islands starts in a few weeks because thats when the weather warms up, the water warms up, and most importantly, shops and restaurants finally open up. we had packed only what we would need for a few days on the beach (basketball jerseys, swim trunks, sandals, and t-shirts) but when we arrived, we realized we should have brought jackets, pants, and mittens. this place was cold. and when the weather let us down, the company was soon to follow. this place was also empty.

we had found a nice spot for a great price. three minute walk from the beach, in room bathroom and kitchen, and very friendly staff. but since no one was there, most places were closed, and the beach was miserable, we spent a lot of time in our room moaning about how terrible this all was. on top of everything, david was still feeling ill from whatever it was that was in his stomach so his motivation and ability to do things was very low. this resulted in us not doing very much.

let me give an example of an average day for us on the island. wake up at 10 (early by most noah vacation standards) because we had gone to sleep early the night before. david's not hungry so i have either an orange or some bread and cheese for breakfast. after some stretching and scratching, we leave the hotel to walk to one of the 5 open restaurants in town. its a cold so we have our hands shoved deep into our pockets and walk with our heads down bitching about the wind. we find the restaurant totally empty so the service is excellent. but only half the menu is availible because why offer everything if youre not doing much business. we stall at lunch knowing that this is going to be one of the most exciting things we do that day. table conversation consists of seeing if david is feeling up to activity in the afternoon and usually the answer is no (you know he's feeling pretty bad when he doesnt have enough energy to go to the beach). we pay for lunch and now its time to lay down. back in the room we listen to music and play one game of chess (ive got a bit more experience than david so as of yet, ive won every game and thus, one game is sufficient for his patience). after this we play a best of 7 tournament of Gin to decide who is the Master of the Universe. after that, which david usually wins (he's luckier than i), we are tired of our boredom and lay down and again bitch about how there is nothing to do. somehow a few hours drag by and my stomach tells me its time for dinner. david is not hungry in the least so im on my own so i walk in the cold to get an overpriced, undersized gyro. that night, if he's up to it, we head to the local pub and find ourselves two in a crowd of 6. we leave after they turn off the sports highlights. then sleep and repeat.

so the greek island of Santorini didnt exactly live up to expectation, but thats because we were early and the weather was bad. i would definitely come back because based on the amount of activity that the locals are putting into preparations for this upcoming tourist season, im sure its a hell of a party.

Add to del.icio.us Add to reddit

Photos / videos of "what a difference a day makes":