Thursday, October 27, 2016

Our Honeymoon: Santorini Part I


I'm going to be posting out of order here, but I'm still sifting through the rest of my photos from Italy and these are just too pretty not to share! For the final leg of our honeymoon we hopped on a plane, and after a short flight over unbelievably blue seas dotted with grey volcanic islands dusted with tiny white villages, we touched down in sunny Santorini. Five days on this magical island weren't nearly enough, and I'm already dreaming about when we can go back explore more of the mythical Greek Isles.

Every morning I would wake up with the sun streaming into our room, wash my face, brush my teeth, throw on a sun dress, and head out with my camera in hand to capture the beautiful town of Oia before the cruise ship visitors descended upon the island. 

Our days were spent lounging by one of our hotel's three infinity pools (more on that later) and exploring the beautiful island. We enjoyed two beautiful hikes, one a lunchtime walk to Ammoudi Bay where we dined on the most amazing lobster pasta, and the other a sunrise climb from the town of Imerovigli to Fira. Since we were lazy honeymooners we had our hotel drop us off at the starting point and pick us up when we were done, which I have to say was the best decision ever! I would highly recommend both of these activities as a great way to see more of the island and (in the case of the latter, get away from the crowds of tourists).

From about 6-7:30PM the entire island goes into sunset mania. Santorini is known to have some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, and clearly based on the number of selfie-stick wielding tourists crammed into the ancient ruins (thought to have the best view on the island), people take it very seriously. We opted to skip out on the craziness and watch the sunset either from our private terrace, from our hotel's pool, or from two different bars the hotel recommended. While some spots on the island you may actually not see the sun dip behind the sea, watching it set over the beautiful white village is (in my humble opinion) just as spectacular but far more serene.

We enjoyed dinners at several different restaurants on the island - from the traditional Greek taverna Candoudi to the uber chic outdoor terrace at Catch Bar to our hotel's Seltz Champagne Bar & Restaurant (which was my favorite meal we ate in Greece). As amazing as the sunsets are in Santorini, I almost loved twilight even more. The island seems to drift peacefully to sleep (except on the weekends) and watching the sky turn from deep blue to an inky navy, glittered with stars, was an experience I will forever cherish.

What amazed me the most about Santorini was that every hour and every day it looked different. The angle of the sun in the sky, the cloud formations, the fog - all would change the colors of the sea from dark navy to cerulean, the sky from pale ice blue to vibrant pinks and purples, and the painted stone buildings from glowing white to a soft, muted blush. Every twist and turn of Santorini's many winding staircases seemed to offer a more spectacular view than the last - many of which resembled a surrealist landscape not unlike those painted by Giorgio de Chirico. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the light - the golden, buttery light wrapping around everything like a soft, pillowy cloud.

Our time in Santorini was filled with countless pinch me moments and was the perfect ending to our absolutely perfect honeymoon. 



No comments:

Post a Comment